Synopsis
'A riveting and remarkable retelling of a true story.' - SARA SHERIDAN
'A very enjoyable novel, one that can give pleasure and invite speculation at the same time.' - THE SCOTSMAN
'His remarkable life story has, for the first time, been pieced together from myriad contemporary newspaper reports, historical archives and contradictory anecdotes to form a stunning new novel' - SUNDAY POST
He kept his secret for a lifetime. Now the truth will rock New York.
It is 1901, and Dr Gallagher has just pronounced Murray Hall dead. New York politico, gambler, womaniser - Hall is all these things, but when the newspapers break the news of his death to the world, they reveal a side to his identity he never wanted known, a secret no one could have guessed.
Sam Clellan, an ambitious young journalist, is determined to uncover the truth of Hall's past, but his search leads him down winding alleys of fact and fiction. From humble beginnings in Glasgow's tenements to a life spent rubbing up against New York's political elite, Murray Hall is the definition of a self-made man. But the higher his status rises, the higher the stakes become.
Inspired by a true story of one Scot's rise to prominence, Murray Hall unearths a queer past erased by history, finally bringing all the puzzle pieces together to discover the secret of this extraordinary, ordinary man, which shocked New York, America and the world.
'Murray Hall does what historical fiction does best: shines a light on the past to illuminate the present...' - ANGIE SPOTO
'Deeply moving and immersive, Milo Allan's extraordinary novel is a constantly shifting, chameleon-like thing, taking in gender, queerness, and grief.' - ALLY WILKES
'A very enjoyable novel, one that can give pleasure and invite speculation at the same time.' - THE SCOTSMAN
'His remarkable life story has, for the first time, been pieced together from myriad contemporary newspaper reports, historical archives and contradictory anecdotes to form a stunning new novel' - SUNDAY POST
He kept his secret for a lifetime. Now the truth will rock New York.
It is 1901, and Dr Gallagher has just pronounced Murray Hall dead. New York politico, gambler, womaniser - Hall is all these things, but when the newspapers break the news of his death to the world, they reveal a side to his identity he never wanted known, a secret no one could have guessed.
Sam Clellan, an ambitious young journalist, is determined to uncover the truth of Hall's past, but his search leads him down winding alleys of fact and fiction. From humble beginnings in Glasgow's tenements to a life spent rubbing up against New York's political elite, Murray Hall is the definition of a self-made man. But the higher his status rises, the higher the stakes become.
Inspired by a true story of one Scot's rise to prominence, Murray Hall unearths a queer past erased by history, finally bringing all the puzzle pieces together to discover the secret of this extraordinary, ordinary man, which shocked New York, America and the world.
'Murray Hall does what historical fiction does best: shines a light on the past to illuminate the present...' - ANGIE SPOTO
'Deeply moving and immersive, Milo Allan's extraordinary novel is a constantly shifting, chameleon-like thing, taking in gender, queerness, and grief.' - ALLY WILKES
Details
06 August 2026
9781785307508Imprint: Black & White Publishing
Reviews
Murray Hall does what historical fiction does best: shines a light on the past to illuminate the present and reminds us that every person, no matter how history has chosen to portray them, lives a multi-faceted life. This book isn't just for lovers of historical fiction though - anyone who loves a well-written tale set in a vibrant and evocative world will enjoy this one!
Deeply moving and immersive, Milo Allan's extraordinary debut is a constantly shifting, chameleon-like thing, taking in gender, queerness, and grief. No easy answers here - only an intimate examination of a life.
Extraordinary . . . A riveting and remarkable retelling of a true story.
