The Warden and the Witch

'Start at eight o'clock on the dot, not one minute later. The first Story won't wait, and neither can you.'

Overmere is not the sleepy little town it first appears to be: it has its lake and its hills and more than its fair share of ghosts. The Wyrder's job is to keep these spirits in check, to learn their Stories and tell them with truth and empathy, lest the ghosts feel forgotten and lash out in revenge.

The time has come for Hannah Warden to take on the mantle of Wyrder. And she's nervous. Very nervous, even though she's been training for this since she was little. She knows every single Story inside-out, has memorised the properties and uses of her crystals, knows the vital chants off by heart. But she's been leading the Walks side-by-side with her father for months, which meant that if things went wrong there was an expert ready to cope. After her dad suffers one health scare too many, it's Hannah's turn to lead this evening's Walk alone, whether she feels ready or not.

Whatever life throws at her, whatever the weather, she will have to do this every night from now on, without fail. That's if she can survive the first…

Five people turn up for the infamous Overmere ghost walk; Derek Swanlea, a self-proclaimed and self-important expert in paranormal investigations, researching material for his next book; Ruby, a young woman sensitive to otherworldly happenings and her goofy boyfriend Tommo; and Kimi and Mae, a pair of tourists looking to finish off their holiday in style.

Little do any of them realise the dark and dangerous places this tour will lead to, and it all starts at an ancient stone circle known locally as Long Meg and her Daughters. Some in Overmere may believe the witch to be nothing more than a myth, but she's far from finished with this secretive lakeside town…