Posthumous Stories

David Rose’s debut novel Vault won high praise upon its publication in 2011. Now, Salt is pleased to present Rose’s long-awaited collection of short stories – a series of captivating tales that showcase his exceptional talent as a writer. Rose has always been best-known as a master of the short story, and his work has featured in several magazines and anthologies. Posthumous Stories, written over the past twenty-five years, turns a sharply-focussed lens on an extraordinary range of lives: from a road crew installing speed humps, a divorced man living rough, and a childless children's entertainer, to the son of a famous artist, the dedicatee of a violin concerto, and an honorary member of the Beatles. Also included here are ‘Private View’, the author’s first published story in Literary Review and ‘Tragos’, a mesmerising tale based on the Raoul Moat case. The wonder of this collection lies in its elegance; Rose’s prose, described by the Guardian as “sinewy and spare” is astounding; perfectly crafted. His stories unfurl with an uncanny ability to fix themselves in the memory – crisp, succinct and finely wrought. These are vignettes of remarkable potency; subtle, tantalising and unexpected, which will stay with you long after the last page is turned.