Nightshade

Fabulously, uncomfortably observant . . . McAfee s prose is lyrical yet sharp, and her descriptions of both the method and the intricately researched work itself are superbly convincing . . . The novel fascinates . . . Vastly satisfying.
Joanna Briscoe, The Guardian (UK)
 
A glorious novel . . . full of twisted sexuality, art and power . . . Brutal and unforgettable.
Alex Preston, The Observer (UK)

Brilliant and biting. . . . Nightshade, which tells the story of a botanical artist reckoning with her legacy over the course of a single night, induces sympathy for its viperish protagonist and then well and truly twists the knife.
Financial Times (UK)
 
A magnificent and taut evocation of the passage of time, the meaning of fidelity and trust, and the prices paid in love and friendship in service of one s art, Nightshade is a breathtaking, extraordinary exploration of the cost of art for its own sake.
Avenue Magazine
 
Instilling this literary thriller with intimations of menace and death, McAfee follows Eve on a rainy winter evening as her life falls apart. From the posh street outside her former home she watches her starchitect husband, Kristof, with his new girlfriend. . . . An immersive depiction of the painting process and an intimate, thought-provoking portrait of the cost of staying true to an artistic vision, especially for a woman.
Booklist 
 
Caustically entertaining. . . . A pleasing investigation of the limits of artistic influence.
Publishers Weekly
 
Whip-smart. . . . A brilliant character study encased in a gripping plot with a fabulous final twist.
Kirkus Reviews