Street Life by Rupert Thomas (Idol / Virgin Books, redesigned edition c.2001-2002)

contemporary London-set gay erotic thriller from Idol, Virgin Publishing's now-defunct homoerotic fiction imprint. Written by Rupert Thomas, originally published 2000, this is the redesigned reprint edition with the Egelnick and Webb cover and Jamie Baker / Demon Library photography, distinct from the earlier Slatter-Anderson first printing.

Ben is eighteen, sick of the suburbs, and ditches both his A-levels and his comfortable home for a new life in London. When the friend he was meant to crash with turns out to be away, Ben ends up sleeping rough in the doorways of Knightsbridge, Holland Park and Hampstead. He is taken under the wing of Lee, a homeless Scottish lad with a sharp tongue and a soft heart. Before long both young men are caught up in a web of prostitution and sexual conspiracies, and when Ben is taken hostage by a mysterious client, Lee has to work out who is behind it and get his friend back.

Cover design by Egelnick and Webb. Cover image by Jamie Baker via Demon Library. Adult fiction, originally retailed at £6.99. By the author of the bestselling Customs of the Country (Idol, 1998), also stocked at Gay Vintage UK.

The Idol imprint has been out of print for years and copies are increasingly hard to source. The redesigned cover edition of Street Life is the version most often seen on the secondhand market today and is a useful companion volume for collectors building a complete Rupert Thomas Idol set.

Condition: Light Shelf Wear

ISBN: 9780352337412