The Man on the Endless Stair
A page-turning locked room mystery
Published on 4. June 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
352 pages
978-1-84697-740-4 (ISBN)
Description
A secluded island. A murdered genius. A missing masterpiece.
When troubled but talented young author Euan meets decorated novelist Malcolm Furnivall, he feels his luck has finally changed. Malcolm takes Euan as a protege, vouching for him in the rarefied literary scene in the 1950s. But lately, Malcolm has not been himself. Consumed by his work, he cuts an increasingly isolated figure and has become convinced that something terrible will befall him. He summons his loved ones to his secluded island in the Hebrides and - to everyone's surprise - entrusts Euan with the task of completing his masterpiece.
Malcolm's suspicions soon prove well-founded; he is discovered brutally murdered in his study, and his invaluable unfinished novel has vanished. Cut off from the mainland, with the killer on the loose and the island's inhabitants circling, Euan feels both his mentor's legacy and his only chance at greatness slipping away. He must venture deep into Malcolm's labyrinthine mansion to find the manuscript before it falls into the wrong hands.
But what he doesn't yet know is that the closer he comes to solving the mystery, the tighter he will bind himself to a fate sealed in time . . .
When troubled but talented young author Euan meets decorated novelist Malcolm Furnivall, he feels his luck has finally changed. Malcolm takes Euan as a protege, vouching for him in the rarefied literary scene in the 1950s. But lately, Malcolm has not been himself. Consumed by his work, he cuts an increasingly isolated figure and has become convinced that something terrible will befall him. He summons his loved ones to his secluded island in the Hebrides and - to everyone's surprise - entrusts Euan with the task of completing his masterpiece.
Malcolm's suspicions soon prove well-founded; he is discovered brutally murdered in his study, and his invaluable unfinished novel has vanished. Cut off from the mainland, with the killer on the loose and the island's inhabitants circling, Euan feels both his mentor's legacy and his only chance at greatness slipping away. He must venture deep into Malcolm's labyrinthine mansion to find the manuscript before it falls into the wrong hands.
But what he doesn't yet know is that the closer he comes to solving the mystery, the tighter he will bind himself to a fate sealed in time . . .
Reviews / Votes
'An eerie, deeply atmospheric tale of hidden treasure and trauma' -- Mark Sanderson * The Times * 'Cleverly plotted and elegantly crafted, The Man on the Endless Stair is an impressive and compelling debut' * Sunday Post * 'An exceptional debut novel. Chris brings his sharp deft writing, addressing heavy matters with impressively balanced wit. The novel is an astute observation of people and family. My goodness, the reveal will arrest you. Here is a book to read and return to' -- Theresa Lola, author of Ceremony for the Nameless 'Stylish, assured writing, and a story that wonderfully engages both heart and head. An accomplished, classy debut' -- Doug Johnstone 'Blown away by this. The isolation and claustrophobia creeps off the page. Compelling, dark and complex. Extraordinary' -- Rachel Wolf, author of Five Nights and Sun Trap '[a] fantastical, page-turning locked room mystery' -- Malcolm Jack * The Scotsman * 'A twist on the classic locked-room mystery' -- Maureen Stapleton * LoveReading * 'a thoroughly engaging and enjoyable read... the genre itself is warped in a truly innovative way' -- Ken Lussey * Undiscovered Scotland * 'Close, claustrophobic, evocative. It feels like an unearthed classic' -- Hugo Rifkind 'An intoxicating mystery and a clever study of familial relationships' * Scottish Field * 'The Man On The Endless Stair sees the beautiful Scottish Isles as remote, picturesque and the perfect backdrop for a murder mystery' * The List - shortlisted for the Best rising Scottish author award * 'a scintillating debut novel... It slow-creeps to a truly revelatory climax, one that manages to be emotionally satisfying, thrilling in terms of plot, and mind-bending in its implications' * Big Issue * 'The Edinburgh-based Barkley... has produced such a confident debut novel - its air of mystery so pervasive, its prose so elegant and well-crafted... This mysterious Hebridean whodunnit deserves to be a hit' -- Alastair Mabbott * The Herald * 'Well-regarded debut set on a secluded island in a labyrinthine mansion' * Gumshoe Review * 'Barkley's debut novel is a potent brew of classic tropes and modern psychodrama. His characters are vividly drawn, and he succeeds in creating a claustrophobic atmosphere that envelops both them and us until it feels like we all have a tainted past that cannot be shirked' -- Nigel Willits * Historical Novels Society * 'Barkley's engaging prose transports readers to a different time and place, one laden with urgency and imminent danger. The beauty of this book is the delicate narrative balance that Barkley strike. . . The conclusion is a humdinger, a mind-blowing fever dream that will leave readers' heads spinning' * BookPage (US) *More details
Edition
New in B-Paperback
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Birlinn General
Dimensions
Height: 197 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
226 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84697-740-4 (9781846977404)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Chris Barkley was appointed Writer in Residence by the Edinburgh Book Festival in 2022. He won the Oxford University Kellogg Writing Competition in 2021, as well as the Bedford International Writing Prize. He has been shortlisted for the Cambridge Short Story Prize and has had prose published in TSS, National Flash Fiction, Darling Axe, and the Writers of the Future 35th anthology. He lives in Edinburgh.