Fear No More

by Michael Nelson

A journalist on holiday in a small French village in the 1950s discovers an enigmatic memorial stone, dedicated to a British soldier who died in World War II "and to his black cat whom he loved". Intrigued by the curious inscription and sensing a story, he sets out to uncover the young man's fate, but he quickly finds that no one in the village wants to talk about it. All he is able to learn is that the young officer's mutilated body was found on a rubbish heap, riddled full of German bullets. As he follows the clues and unravels the mystery of the young soldier's life and death, a terrible and tragic story unfolds, a tale of bravery and heroism, of love, deception, and betrayal that will shake him to his very core.

Michael Nelson (1921-1990) is best remembered for his gay classic A Room in Chelsea Square (1958), but his final novel, Fear No More (1989), is arguably his best, a riveting historical mystery that will have readers turning the pages impatiently to learn the fate of the young officer and his beloved cat Blackie. Largely overlooked when it was first released by a British small press, Nelson's novel is published here in the U.S. for the first time and should lead to a reappraisal of the work of this important but neglected gay novelist.

200 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2024

About the author

Michael Nelson (known as ‘Mickey’) was born in 1921. He worked as a journalist before the Second World War, and during the war worked as secretary to John Lehmann, a prominent publisher and man of letters, and served as a captain in the Royal Army Service Corps. After his demobilisation, he lived with his boyfriend in Winchester and owned a bookstore there before meeting Rachel Holland, who knew Nelson was gay but married him anyway; the two remained married the rest of their lives. Nelson and his wife relocated to London, where he was well known in the drinking establishments of Soho. Nelson’s first novel, Knock or Ring (1957), which concerned the illegal practices of the ‘ring’, a group of booksellers who conspired to fix auctions and share profits among themselves, drew on Nelson’s own experiences as a bookseller and received good reviews. His second book, A Room in Chelsea Square (1958), also available from Valancourt Books, was published anonymously, and has gone on to become a gay classic. His other books are Blanket (1959) (published under the pseudonym ‘Henry Stratton’), When the Bed Broke (1961), Captain Blossom (1973), Captain Blossom Soldiers On (1974), Nobs & Snobs (1976), Captain Blossom in Civvy Street (1978), and Fear No More (1989). Michael Nelson died in 1990.

Reviews

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A reporter discovered a mysterious memorial plaque in the garden of a French chateau. He then begins investigates the back story of a heroic English soldier who died during WWII. This is a wonderfully written piece of story telling complete with lush British prose. It will keep you guessing until the final page.. Highest possible recommendation. 5 stars ++++++ Thank you Valancourt Books for this reissue

[Jim Nemeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book of 2024. A historical novel of sorts, but very poignant.