An angry spat in a Cornish pub haunts two men, an activist and a politician, across decades, leading them onto an iceberg with a ravenous polar bear as their sole company. A heart-pounding tale of enduring love and tragedy against the backdrop of climate catastrophe.

When young idealist Tom publicly humiliates politician Monty in a Cornish pub, it sparks a simmering feud that cascades through their intertwined lives. The consequences of their argument, and the deadly wager they strike, will cascade down the decades. Years later, they find themselves a long way from St Piran on a colossal iceberg drifting south away from Greenland, their only companion a starving polar bear. This is a heart-stopping tale of anger, tragedy, and enduring love, cast against the long unfolding backdrop of an irreversible global crisis. 'That rarest of literary creatures - a novel about a serious subject, climate change - treated with a sure-footed lightness of touch. The premise is original, the characters engaging, the prose nimble and the story is told with dexterity. The Wager and the Bear is a book as vivid and fresh as a Cornish beach in Summer. I loved it.' - Stephen May, award-winning novelist of 'Life! Death! Prizes!' and 'Wake Up Happy Every Day' 'A novel full of warmth, wit and wisdom. John Ironmonger weaves another charm of a story' - Essie Fox, Author of 'The Fascination' 'Totally transporting, 'The Wager and the Bear' manages to be gritty and magical all at once. We're pulled inevitably onwards, strung between change and fate, until you aren't sure which is which. Captivating: an all-round cracking read.' - Anna Freeman, Author of 'The Fair Fight'