Short Synopsis
The author of Sharp Teeth presents a novel of love, spies, and witches in 1950s Paris—and a cop who is turned into a flea.

Full Synopsis
Will is a young American ad executive in Paris. Except his agency is a front for the CIA. It's 1959 and the Cold War is going strong. But Will doesn't think he's a warrior—he's just a good-hearted Detroit ad guy who can't seem to figure out Parisian girls.

Zoya is a beautiful young woman wandering les boulevards, sad-eyed, and coming off a bad breakup. In fact, she impaled her ex on a spike. Zoya, it turns out, has been a beautiful young woman for hundreds of years; she and her far more traditionally witchy-looking companion, Elga, have been thriving unnoticed in the bloody froth of Europe's wars.

Inspector Vidot is a hardworking Paris police detective who cherishes quiet nights at home. But when he follows a lead from a grisly murder to the abode of an ugly old woman, he finds himself turned into a flea.

Oliver is a patrician, fun-loving American who has come to Paris to start a literary journal with the help of friends in D.C., who ask for a few favors in return. He's in well over his head, but it's nothing that a cocktail can't fix. Right?

Add a few chance encounters, a chorus of some more angry witches, a strung-out jazzman or two, a weaponized LSD program, and a cache of rifles buried in the Bois de Bologne—and that's a novel! But while Toby Barlow's Babayaga may start as just a joyful romp though the City of Light, it quickly grows into a daring, moving exploration of love, mortality, and responsibility.

"Miller’s cleverly understated narration gives free rein to the madcap adventures as he transports listeners on this wild ride." ---Booklist Audio Review

"Sharp Teeth got some people's attention; with aggressive marketing and word of mouth, this one should put Barlow on the map. The novel is really something out of the ordinary." ---Booklist Starred Review

"Barlow's hilarious second novel combines traditional witch lore with Cold War espionage, star-crossed love and a detective turned into a flea." ---Shelf Awareness

"Dan Miller’s versatile voice captures the various accents." ---Library Journal

"Toby Barlow's novel manages to tie together Russian folklore, witches, pharmaceuticals, and Cold War espionage. His efforts are greatly enhanced in the audiobook version by Dan John Miller, a vocal chameleon who, without losing a beat, transforms from a Russian crone (a babayaga, or witch) to a Parisian beauty, a confused American hero, and an effete snob." ---AudioFile

Booklist Review

Amazon Bestseller

AudioFile Earphones Award Winner