‘This is an incredible book … tough and raw and merciless but funny and kind at the same time.’ Russell T. Davies, writer of It’s a Sin
A BBC must-read book of 2026 – ‘Sharp, dark and humorous, it’s a real nailbiter.’
Anyone can write a bestseller. Here’s how.
GO GAY
It’s been seven years since Mallory shot to fame as a literary sensation. But after years of struggling with writer’s block, she’s desperate to resurrect her career before it spirals into obscurity. She needs inspiration to strike – and fast.
GO SAD
Enter Leo – a young struggling addict sleeping under bridges and trading sex for survival. He’s vulnerable. He’s enigmatic. He’s exactly what Mallory has been looking for.
GO DARK
Mallory needs Leo if she wants another bestseller. Authenticity sells, and there’s nothing more authentic than real life. She’s the perfect person to tell Leo’s story. Gay, sad, dark – just what the world needs right now. But as secrets threaten to unravel more than just her career, Mallory must decide: just how far will she go to pen the perfect story?
‘Absolutely unforgettable. A raw, visceral triumph that echoes modern classics like Trainspotting, Young Mungo and A Little Life, yet stands entirely on its own.’ John Marrs
Book Info: Print length: 476 pages. Publisher: Magpie. Publication Date: 23 April 2026
My Thoughts:
Damn.. this is one of those books that you know that nothing you can write in a review will give this book the praise or recognition it deserves and I will attempt it:
Fruit Fly is the debut adult novel by Josh Silver. It’s described as a sharp, unsettling and darkly funny novel that delves into the ethics of storytelling and the hunger for relevance, but what they don’t tell you is how brutally raw, uncomfortable and tough this book is.
Mallory Maddox is the main character and narrator. She wrote a best-selling book seven years ago and has since been struggling with writer’s block. She’s desperate and determined to review her career at any cost and decides she needs a new angle. According to Mallory’s mind writing a best seller about a being a young gay man is what she needs to do. She just needs to experience it to be able to write authentically. The fact she’s a married heterosexual women doesn’t seem to faze her and so the story begins.
Leo is a young homeless addict who trades sex for drugs and when he inadvertently crosses paths with Mallory, both their lives are turned upside down for completely different reasons.
I’ve mentioned car-crash literature before, but this really takes it up to a new level. Mallory’s behaviour and actions border on insanity. She’s obsessed and unable to differentiate between reality and danger. She’s not a character you can easily warm to and hopefully not one you can relate to either, but she’s absolutely fascinating. At times I wanted to stop reading as her behaviour spiralled and I just couldn’t stomach what she was about to do next.
Leo’s character made me want to cry and grab him tight. His addictions and self-destructive behaviour was heart-breaking. As a mother I just wanted to reach into the pages and tell him he was worth so much more and he was loved.
Just to wrap this up: It’s BOLD, it’s DARK, it’s ORIGINAL, it’s HEART-BREAKING, it’s BRUTALLY RAW and absolutely unputdownable.,
Blimey, for someone who said she didn’t have much to say, I obviously did.
