Hall of Mirrors by Robert Black (Idol / Virgin Publishing, 1997)

An atmospheric gay novel from Idol, Virgin Publishing's now-defunct homoerotic fiction imprint. Written by Robert Black, published 1997. The earliest of Black's three Idol titles and his debut for the imprint.

Tom Jarrett works the Big Wheel at Gamlin's travelling fair, a man with a tragedy in his past he has never spoken about. When young runaway Jason Bradley tries to rob him of a night's takings, a strange and uneasy bond forms between them. Each is running from something. Each carries a different kind of guilt. The fair, with its half-lit attractions and bending of ordinary rules, becomes the setting for a slow and intense awakening, both sexual and emotional.

Cover design by Slatter-Anderson. Cover photograph by Trevor Watson, the celebrated London-based photographer known for his work with Attitude and the male nude in 1990s gay press. Adult fiction, originally retailed at £6.99.

Hall of Mirrors is the first of Robert Black's three Idol novels, followed by Doctor Reynard's Experiment (1998) and Hard Time. As the earliest, it is the scarcer of the three to find in collectable condition. The Idol catalogue has been out of print for years and copies are increasingly hard to source. A strong addition for collectors of vintage gay paperbacks or readers who appreciate the more literary end of the imprint.

Condition: Structurally Sound, but slight wear

ISBN: 9780352332097