£4.99 – £9.99
In a world of glitzy glamour and burgeoning technology, washed up star Lulabelle Rock employs a clone of herself to kill the other twelve versions of herself.
File Under: Science Fiction [ Blade Runner Barbie | Time to Kill | All of Me | Tarot Reading ]
Set in a world of the near future, the celebrity elite have access to a technology that allows them to make perfect copies of themselves, known as Portraits. These Portraits exist to fulfil all the various duties that come as the price of fame.
Our protagonist is the thirteenth copy made of the actress known as Lulabelle Rock. Her purpose is very simple: to track down and eliminate her predecessors.
While initially easy, her task is made difficult by the labyrinthine confusion of Bubble City and the unfortunate stirrings of a developing conscience. When she makes the mistake of falling in love with one of her targets, the would-be assassin faces the ultimate question; when you don’t want to kill yourself, what’s the alternative?
“A dazzling noirish romp… By turns sad, introspective, and defiantly optimistic, this tale of self-hatred, self-love, and self-discovery delights.”
– Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Ideal for fans of Orphan Black and Killing Eve, this near-future tech-noir is guaranteed to entrance as much as it perplexes.”
– Library Journal
“This is an engaging investigation of fame, personality and learning to know one’s own worth.”
– The Guardian
The action may capture your imagination, but the heart of the novel is to be found in the space in between…It’s fast-paced and fun, but there is so much more going on should you choose to accept it.
– SNACK Magazine
“This brilliant, unexpectedly moving satirical sci-fi debut explores themes of identity and ethics in wildly inventive fashion….Boasting finely-crafted character insights, clever Tarot references, and a killer twist, Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock is also pretty darn profound: “We are what we do, and when we having nothing to do, we are nothing”.”
– LoveReading
“This futuristic debut novel is smart, pacy, intelligent and surprisingly moving.”
– Stuart Kelly, The Scotsman
“In THIRTEEN WAYS TO KILL LULABELLE ROCK, Maud Woolf playfully and skilfully explores an intriguing premise – a protagonist created to kill her own clones. Blade Runner meets Killing Eve in this clever and funny speculative thriller.”
– Guy Morpuss, author of Five Minds and Black Lake Mirror
“A doppeltastic delight that explores identity and skewers celebrity culture.”
– Ever Dundas, author of Goblin and HellSans
“Thirteen Ways is iridescent, drawing you in with all its shiny colours and propelling you through the mystery and horror of Lulabelle Rock and Bubble City. It’s complicated. And really quite brilliantly simple.”
– Joma West, author of Face
“Original, funny and heartbreaking in equal measure, Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock is a brilliantly assured debut. Woolf’s razor-sharp wit and prose delivers a unique, contemporary and existential thriller which had me hooked from the premise to the final page!”
– Adam Southward, author of the Alex Madison series
“With Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock, it’s like Maud Woolf has joined forces with Tarantino and Edgar Wright to rip apart the crime/thriller genre, then remould it into something bad-ass and new. A genre-smashing, satire-mashing, ideas-packed gem of a novel.”
– Adam Simcox, author of the Dying Squad trilogy
“A rollicking action-thriller, a clever satire on fame, and a touching meditation on identity – Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock lives more lives than its cloned protagonist, each and every one of them a deep delight.”
– Katie Williams, author of Tell the Machine Goodnight
“Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock is an addictively enthralling sci-fi thriller with razor sharp prose, cinematic scenes and a surprising tender exploration of experiencing the highs and lows of life and finding love.”
– Nils Shukla, The Fantasy Hive
“Lulabelle Rock is a must-read for fans of Black Mirror, Blake Crouch, and sci-fi that passes the Bechdel test. I don’t often see books in this genre that can balance speculative elements with this much heart. Woolf is a debut author to watch.”
– Amber, @seekingdystopia on Instagram
“Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock is a debut that is as riveting as it is emotionally charged. It is one that sunk its claws in early and kept moving right along with its imaginative storytelling and sardonic humor. Woolf is an author to keep an eye on.”
– FanFiAddict
“Gentle and dark in equal parts, Woolf’s debut highlights the importance of balance, rest, and asking just enough of oneself. A riveting read.”
– Shazzie, Fantasy Book Critic
“This book altered my brain chemistry. I’ll forever be fascinated by Lulabelle and her portraits.”
– Charli, @bookishcharli on Instagram
“An insightful look at the unrealities of fame, this book explores identity and independence in a near future setting. The Lulabelles are as memorable and heartbreaking as they are unique. Woolf leaves the reader feeling thoughtful and introspective with her debut novel.”
– Fiction Fans Podcast
“A well-written debut with a loveable main character, Thirteen Ways To Kill Lulabelle Rock is a fresh, funny and feel-good story.”
– Books, Bones, Buffy
“Unique, unpredictable, and uncanny…the structure of the novel flowed well, with quick and
consistent pacing to maintain momentum.”
– The Badger
The best new science fiction books of January 2024 – The New Scientist
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