Eddie Lloyd, troubled son of the famous Welsh actor Orlando Lloyd is introduced to ambitious film-maker Bethan Mair Nichols, and immediately finds himself captivated by the intense young woman. It transpires that Bethan's Great Aunt Sulwen has left her a derelict shop in rural Wales. As the novel and their relationship progresses, Bethan's legacy becomes increasingly contentious, until a brutal assault allows the couple to reassess their fraught relationship.

The Shop is a work of immense richness and sophistication; compassionate, deeply intelligent and engaging, it is a novel about the power exerted over our lives by our ancestral and cultural heritage, about the impact which the ghosts of the past have upon the present.

"The Shop is a graphic example of the critical intelligence and compassion the novelist brings to his examination of our human dilemmas. His work has become a touchstone against which we can measure our civilisation."
Western Mail Magazine – Bookcase feature by Mario Baisni

"There is more than enough here to declare Humphreys an author of great humanity: wise in the ways of men and women; strong and subtle in the expression of them."
Colin Greenland, Saturday Guardian

"Humphreys stands at the height of his powers."
The Guardian

"One of our most distinguished novelists"
The Independent on Sunday

Emyr Humphreys is the author of twenty novels in English and Welsh, and has also published collections of stories and poetry. He has written screenplays and adapted other works for television and radio, in addition to producing and directing in both of those media. His novels have won the Arts Council of Wales Book of the Year, Hawthornden and other prizes.