The Event

London, 1855. Bianco, the magician, is at the height of his powers. His telepathic gifts have made him famous throughout Europe - the Prussian secret service want to hire him to divine the secrets of their French counterparts. At a public meeting held to consecrate his fame, Bianco is undermined by a conspiracy of the Paris positivists. Exposed as a charlatan, he is forced to flee to the pampas of Argentina where he takes up with Gina, whose voluptuousness matches her promiscuity. His career destroyed his personal life riven with jealousy - Bianco descends into madness. A fast page-turner, The Event is also an elegant reflection on the control of knowledge by the first world.