Objects of Desire

Brought to you by Penguin.

Hugo Hunter was the most celebrated gay novelist of the 20th century. He published two masterpieces, securing his place alongside the dazzling literary greats of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and rubbing shoulders with everyone from Truman Capote to James Baldwin, Gore Vidal and George Orwell.

But after decades of fame and excess, just as New York City enters the 1980s and awakes to the coming horror of AIDS, Hugo finds himself running out of money. Out of nowhere, he receives an extraordinary lifeline: an offer from his longtime publisher. Two million dollars, for a memoir and a new novel.
The money will solve all his problems – except for one thing. Hugo Hunter is an imposter. He stole both of his novels. Now, how far will he go to produce a third?

Deliciously vicious and darkly funny, OBJECTS OF DESIRE features an astonishing cast of 20th century glitterati. It is at once a colourful glimpse into the scandalous lives of the cultural elite, and a tense, gripping story of betrayal, backstabbing and literary fraud.

'Razor-sharp and deeply unsettling while being endlessly entertaining. A triumph.' JENNIE GODFREY, author of THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS

'A delicious, literary feast. A wickedly funny and sharply relevant novel of duplicity and betrayal with a glittering cast of literary greats.' ANNA MAZZOLA, author of THE BOOK OF SECRETS

'A masterful novel, OBJECTS OF DESIRE is utterly irresistible; it’s dark and wickedly fun. One of my favourite books of the year so far.' FLORA CARR, author of THE TOWER

'A biting, unflinching study of art and deceit . . . Neil Blackmore has achieved his best work yet.' ANNIE GARTHWAITE, author of CECILY

© Neil Blackmore 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025