Sunstruck by William Rayfet Hunter

Available for pre-order. Publishes 15 May 2025 
 
It’s summer and a young man walks through the gates of a luxurious mansion in the South of France. At the dinner table, the Blake siblings await him: Lily, his carefree friend from university; Dot, the rebellious younger sister; and Felix – handsome, charismatic and guarded.

Between sun-drenched days spent lounging by the pool and nights blurring into endless, opulent parties, the man is captivated by Felix’s restless allure. As his desire grows, the chance to become part of the family and their world of money and power starts to feel within reach.

But the idyllic haze of summer fades as they return to London and the cracks in the Blake’s careful façade begin to show. With the two men tormented by demons of their own, their bond is increasingly tested and pulled apart at the seams. Their secrets and the choices they make will change not only their lives, but the future of those around them.

Sunstruck is a dazzling and poignant exploration of race, status and the parts of ourselves we risk losing when we fall in love.
 
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WINNER OF THE #MERKY BOOKS 2022 NEW WRITERS' PRIZE

'Beautifully written and well-paced . . . builds tension as it approaches an exciting revelation.' - Jacqueline Crooks 

'Very hard to put down . . . A truly gripping story about privilege and perspective from a writer with a sharp pen and a wicked sense of humour whose incredible career is only just beginning.' - Ore Agbaje-Williams 

‘A stunning and tender debut. Sultry and compulsive. Full of heart.’ - Soula Emmanuel 

'Poignant, tender, and wonderfully honest.' - Chloe Michelle Howarth 
 
William Rayfet Hunter is a British-Jamaican writer from the North West of England. They now live and work in East London. Their non-fiction writing has been published by VICE, Dazed, and the Evening Standard. Sunstruck, their debut novel, won the Merky Books New Writers' Prize 2022.