Signed, Mata Hari is a thrilling and a devastating novel' Binnie Kirshenbaum, author of AN ALMOST PERFECT MOMENT 'Brilliant in its structure, beautiful in its language, rich in its characterization, Yannick Murphy's new novel, SIGNED, MATA HARI, also happens to have at its center one of the most fascinating figures of the early twentieth century, a woman who ached deeply and searched intensely for an identity. A wife, a mother, a lover, an artist, she is worthy of our admiration and of our hearts. Rendered with great insight and compassion, Murphy's Mata Hari is revealed, not as a spy, but as a sympathetic and intensely complicated woman. Murphy's work provides pretty much unexceeded reading pleasure' Dave Eggers 'More stunning, even, than this lush, luscious, prose is how Yannick Murphy turns preconceived notions inside out. Her characters are so richly imagined and believable that when you're finished with one of her books, you expect to find her characters' names in the phone book. Told through small, impressionistic scenes and reveries, this story of an enigmatic woman hangs timeless between the unreality of her present and the clarity and urgency of her past' Janet Fitch, author of PAINT IT BLACK and WHITE OLEANDER 'Yannick Murphy, while being one of our most daring and original writers, is first and foremost an exquisitely attuned observer of human behavior. Murphy has creatively imagined the life of Mata Hari, and whether she was rightfully executed or not matters little in this powerful portrait of one of the most notorious people of all time.'In SIGNED, MATA HARI, Yannick Murphy once again treats us to her luscious signature lyric style, its whispers and perfumes, in this time- and space-bending tale of the famous dancer and accused spy.

Mata Hari’s voice is powerful as she reinvents herself, and while the novel is vague on facts and is more prose poem than historical novel, its intense emotions and insight into her life makes for an intriguing read. This seductive, poetic tale of a legendary woman, whose exploits are still a matter of historical debate, mesmerizes.

From her early childhood in the late 19th century Netherlands, to her years in Java as a caring mother, and eventually to her glamorous career as a dancer and courtesan, the episodic and lyrical prose will have readers riveted until Mata Hari’s tragic end by firing squad. Shifting time and point of view between the prison cell and her prior life in its many manifestations, Murphy recreates the story of Mata Hari. As she awaits trial, Mata Hari weaves stories from her life. In October 1917, Margaretha Zelle, better known as Mata Hari, sits in a prison cell in Paris, accused of being a spy for Germany.

Signed, Mata Hari by Yannick Murphy