"Anybody who thought The Quincunx's 1,248 pages were too much will rush back to it after reading this excellent [327]-page gothic pageturner." Patrick Neale, Booksellers' Choice, The Bookseller "Palliser creates a deliciously gothic atmosphere...an enjoyable read for a misty autumn night." Stephanie Merritt, The Observer "...Palliser's hold on his narrative is enough to turn it into an exercise ... Read morein pure form. As in a superior detective novel, character, scene and incidental detail fade away and all that remains is the thrill of the chase..." The Spectator "Palliser adds the modern pleasure of ambiguity to this rich and authentic confection of Gothic suspense." The Independent "Few historical novelists weave such complexly absorbing plots as Charles Palliser and Rustication shows him delighting in his skill...a twisting, mesmerising story." The Sunday Times "For Christmas I hope someone gives me a copy of Charles Palliser's new novel, Rustication: for fans of The Quincunx it's been a long, 15-year wait." Lucy Lethbridge, Books of the Year 2013, The Observer "...a supremely confident performance." Literary Review "...deliciously wicked, twisted gothic tale..." The Scotsman "Palliser builds a sense of excitement with panache, tightening and knotting each strand of the web enclosing Richard with practised fingers, and he is an accomplished pasticheur of Victorian cadences." Financial Times "...cleverly done, with the reader left wondering right up to the end." The Metro Show Less