Rose Petal Tea

We are all victims of the same incurable disease. the illness that is love. Hayleigh, a barmaid/singer at the infamous nightclub + brothel, The Magenta Lounge, thinks she's got it ll - a steady job, a handsome boyfriend, a home of her own. what more could a girl ask for? However, with the arrival of Marcus Camille, a mysterious and intriguing oddity of a man, who has journeyed down from Liverpool to London to start a new life with his boyfriend, Bobby, Hayleigh begins to notice a change in her so-called 'perfect' life. After the violent death of Bobby, Marcus turns to hedonism to drown his sorrows in drugs, drink and sexual promiscuity, which is fine for a while - but with everything comes a price. A mysterious gay illness is reported on the news, and soon it seems that the friends Marcus once had weren't as trustworthy as he thought. When it is revealed that Marcus too has AIDS, his friends and followers scurry away from him like sewer rats, and the only person left for him to turn to is Hayleigh. much to the anger of her boyfriend, Peter. Rose Petal Tea is the debut novel from Cally Highfield, set to a backdrop of Soho's neon lights and dirty decadence. a detailed afterword, this book is a guaranteed trip - watch your step.