The Death of the Hurdy Gurdy Boy

Tommy the street musician is murdered in a London shop doorway one bitterly cold December night in 1882. One hundred and thirty years later his troubled spirit befriends a young violinist, Tamara, granddaughter of Polish refugees and encourages her to help him answer the questions “Who?” and “Why?”. In doing so she confronts her own problems with the world. The story is vibrant and funny showing twenty-first century life through the eyes of a Victorian street urchin. The themes are occasionally dark but always emotionally truthful. Accessible to readers from twelve upwards but can be equally enjoyed by adult readers in the style pioneered by J.K Rowling and Terry Pratchett. One adult reader described it thus: “It was dark, as history is dark, but any generation should find something to like in this tale of a boy and the girl who helps him with the mystery of his life.”
This is the first published novel by acclaimed British poet and playwright Peter John Cooper who is known for his quirky, humorous and emotionally satisfying work.