A murder mystery and comedy of manners that is never what it seems. When brothers Arcadia and Otto Cirque arrive in a fading gold-mining town with their travelling circus, Saturnalia, the town and the life of young Mary Ann Ward will never be the same. Months later, the flamboyant Arcadia Cirque is found dead, a pregnant Marianne Ward goes missing and Otto Cirque sets off in pursuit of her.

"The Inheritance of Ivorie Hammer is a novel that manages to be absolutely itself, with a wholly idiosyncratic voice, while at the same time acting as a veritable echo chamber of earlier writers... The controlled exuberance of the language is the chief pleasure of this novel...You will be beguiled." Gillian Dooley, Australian Book Review

"The Inheritance of Ivorie Hammer is a challenging and compelling first novel. Rich in language, detailed characterisation and dialogue, playful while dealing with the big issues — fate, identity, belonging, otherness — it's a strange simmering world Preston creates, and one that lingers long after the dust has settled." Kirsten Krauth, The Age

"Words...tumble and pirouette down the pages of The Inheritance of Ivorie Hammer, the debut novel of Melbourne writer Edwina Preston.This is a book very much about language, a loving tribute to the style of centuries past... The Inheritance of Ivorie Hammer is a modern book in period dress up, the literary equivalent of a sepia-toned filter on a photo." Bethanie Blanchard, Australian

"...a compelling tale of intrigue, murder, suspense and discovery that makes Preston's debut novel a treat to read." Michelle Austin, Transnational Literature Review

© Copyright Edwina Preston