Train Man

Michael is a broken man. He's waiting for the 09.46 to Gloucester, so as to reach Crewe for 11.22: the platforms are long at Crewe and he can walk easily into the path of a high-speed train to London. He's planned it all: a net of tangerines (for when the refreshments trolley is cancelled), and a juice carton, full of whisky.

He longs to silence the voices in his head: ex-partners, colleagues, and the unbearable memories of work and school. What Michael hasn't factored in, however, is a twelve-minute delay. He's going to miss his connection - and make a few new ones...

'An absorbing novel...set in the comic wonderland of the English rail network' Daily Mail

'Carefully crafted and with an undertow of melancholy, Train Man is reminiscent of Nick Hornby's high-concept scenarios' Guardian

'Mulligan's prose...delivers a strong human story with impressive skill' Mail on Sunday