I'm delighted to be sharing a very special cover reveal with you today. Rupert Whewell sadly lost his life in a mountaineering accident in the Himalayas in 2019, leaving the novel he'd been working on, White Dog, unfinished. As a tribute to her brother and his love of words, Rupert’s sister Lisa Anson worked closely with renowned author John McDonald to complete White Dog, which allowed her to come to terms with his unexpected passing.
Today marks what would have been Rupert's 52nd birthday so is the ideal time to reveal the cover for White Dog. Before I share it with you, however, here's the description;
White Dog is a literary thriller set against the backdrop of the contemporary art world. It follows the fortunes of Ryder, a cynical art deal who aspires to the heights, yet despises the people who populate those realms.
On his way to the top, back down, and back up again, Ryder encounters a picaresque collection of characters and gets drawn into a web of intrigue that involves murder, money-laundering, and materialism. But can his new-found fame and fortune ever make up for the loss of the one thing he ever really valued in life?
White Dog will take you on a rollercoaster ride of sex, drugs, and art – of violence, blackmail, hedonism, and dark politics. Are you ready to face the wolves?
The only novel from budding author Rupert Whewell, who sadly lost his life in a tragic climbing accident in the Nanda Devi region of the Himalayas. At the time of his death, the manuscript of White Dog was left incomplete, with Rupert’s plans for the book’s ending remaining a mystery.
Lisa Anson, Rupert’s sister, says: “This book has been a long time in the making. Rupert always loved writing and talked often about his desire to write a book. Distracted by a full life and being present with his friends and family, it remained in the background, referenced, and variously started without real progress. In his late forties, he started to put pen to paper in earnest and White Dog was born. Rupert was a very special person; not just to me – as a lifelong presence – but to his many friends. His tragic death is something I will never get over and will never forget.
I have taken on the task of finishing and publishing his book, which he left 80 percent complete. It was important to me to see his story through and share his writing. It brought me closer to Rupert, and I hope it will keep his memory alive for those that knew him and will entertain others who did not.”
It sounds a fabulous book and I'm looking forward to reading it.
The cover of such a book needs to be something special and I'm sure you'll agree with me that it's an intriguing eye-catcher.
Having lost one of my brothers suddenly and unexpectedly, my heart goes out to Lisa and I'm glad completing his novel brought her some comfort following his death. My thoughts are with Rupert's family today.
White Dog will be published on 18th November 2021 and can be pre-ordered here.
Many thanks to Hannah Bright at Midas PR for inviting me to take part in this cover reveal.
About the Author
Rupert Whewell was born in Buckinghamshire in 1969. He graduated with a degree in English Literature from Downing College, Cambridge, before working in advertising in Hong Kong and later as a recruitment consultant. He established his own firm, Bateman Gray – named after the respected protagonists of his two favourite novels – in London, specialising in placing bankers. A keen adventurer, Rupert loved hillwalking, climbing and skiing, counting skiing down Mont Blanc as one of his greatest triumphs.
With his fiftieth birthday looming, he joined a group setting out to climb peaks in the Nanda Devi area of India in May 2019. An avalanche brought about his early death in the Himalayas, together with the loss of his seven climbing companions. He is survived by his mother Elaine, brother Andrew and sister Lisa, having no children of his own.
White Dog is his first novel, published posthumously.
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