The House of Cursed Daughters

Three women. Seven centuries. One unbreakable blood curse…

It began in fire…

Paris, 1307. When eleven-year-old Princess Isabella of France watches four men burn at the stake, a dying knight curses her bloodline: love will destroy everything she holds dear.

It was forged in madness…

Bedlam, 1865. Lois wakes in Bedlam Asylum with no memory of who she is – only a precious red stone and the growing certainty that something ancient is hunting her.

Can it end before blood is spilled?

Present day. Artist Emma Harris arrives at a crumbling French château for her wedding and the exhibition of her life. But the walls remember everything, and something has followed her here.

Seven centuries of destruction. One woman left to fight.

Reviews

Praise for C.J. Cooke:

'A chilling, atmospheric novel' Sunday Times

'A vivid and haunting portrait of a real-life heroine, told in beautifully immersive prose’ Emilia Hart, Sirens

‘A powerful, rage-filled novel of courage, sisterhood and female power inspired by a real witchcraft trial … Blisteringly brilliant’ Anna Mazzola, The Book of Secrets

‘Utterly chilling and almost unbearably poignant … A beautifully written book that will stay with me for a long time’ Frances Quinn, That Bonesetter Woman

‘C.J. Cooke expertly weaves the terrifying and real experience of witch persecution with dark magic and the power of sisterhood … An unforgettable read’ Anya Bergman, The Witches of Vardo

'Cooke is known for her ability to craft spellbinding tales filled with dread and terror, but also beauty – and she shows off these skills once again' Scots Magazine

‘Chilling and beautifully written, this gripped me from the very first sentence: I read it in one sitting. A haunting recreation of a real Scottish witch trial, this is CJ Cooke's finest novel yet’ Emilia Hart, Weyward

‘A fantastic blend of folklore and feminism, Cooke delicately balances terror and tenderness in a gothic, gripping tale’ Daily Mail

'A pacy, atmospheric story' Good Housekeeping

'A spellbinding thriller' Scots Magazine

'A gothic treat' Heat ​

'An atmospheric one-sitting read' Woman & Home

‘Rich, chilling and gorgeously gothic … The kind of enchanting, terrifying mystery I just adore’ Chris Whitaker

About the author

C.J. Cooke is an acclaimed, award-winning poet and novelist published in 23 languages. Born in Belfast, C.J. has a PhD in Literature from Queen’s University, Belfast, and was formerly Reader in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow, where she researched the impact of motherhood on women’s writing and creative writing interventions for mental health. She has been nominated for an Edgar Award and an ITW Thriller Award, selected as a Waterstones’ Paperback Book of the Year and BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick. She takes inspiration from real women she discovers in detailed historical research, and her books have been critically acclaimed for their atmospheric use of time and place.