On a windy clifftop in Cambodia nine hundred years ago, a young woman accidentally witnesses the burning of sacred Hindu texts. Thus begins her unwilling involvement in a succession struggle at the great temple known as Preah Vihear. The Stairway Guide’s Daughter, set in the golden age of the ancient Angkor civilisation, is a tale of loyalty, pluck, and love that crosses society’s boundaries. Praise for The Stairway Guide’s Daughter: Reading The Stairway Guide’s Daughter, I found it hard to believe that John Burgess did not live a past life centuries ago among the ancient Khmer... While this novel is rich in history and atmosphere, it is also a page-turner, with stakes destined to affect the whole of Khmer civilization. – Kim Fay, author of The Map of Lost Memories, Edgar Award Finalist for Best First Novel John Burgess once again takes us to a world and time as far away from our own lives as can possibly be... A compelling story told both simply, and beautifully. – Sue Guiney, author of A Clash of Innocents and Out of the Ruins Praise for A Woman of Angkor: John Burgess has done something that I believe is unique in modern writing: set a credible and seemingly authentic tale in the courts and temples of ancient Angkor to stir the imagination and excite our historical interest. – John le Carré