Soho Blues was my first novel, released to critical acclaim when I was in my twenties. Set between 1950s London and New York, Soho Blues tells the story of a young cafe owner named Harry who falls in love with the woman who comes to work for him, the mysterious Betty. But as their difficult relationship develops, the harrowing truth of her life in New York emerges.

Damascus, 1945. Wars are ending and empires are collapsing, as Marina Esmond arrives in the city with her husband, colonial administrator, Paul. But when Marina discovers Paul is having an affair - and that his lover is his handsome Arab researcher - three lives spiral into crisis. An atmospheric, sensual novel about love, set in the chaos of Syria after the Second World War. German readers may have read this as Der Himmel über Damaskus