The Secrets of Hartwood Hall
The gripping gothic historical mystery perfect for spooky season
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Discover the haunting new gothic historical mystery, perfect for fans of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, Stacey Halls and Bridget Collins
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE HWA DEBUT CROWN AWARD*
'I loved this fresh take on the gothic genre. Vivid, haunting, surprising' Stacey Halls, author of Sunday Times bestsellers The Familiars, The Foundling and Mrs England
‘A full-blooded gothic mystery with bite’ Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters
‘Dark, twisty, gothic and full of surprises ... a deliciously atmospheric page-turner’ Liz Hyder, author of The Gifts
‘Nobody ever goes to Hartwood Hall . . .’
1852. When Margaret Lennox, a young widow, is offered a position as governess at Hartwood Hall, she quickly accepts, hoping this isolated country house will allow her to leave the past behind.
But she soon feels there's something odd about Hartwood: strange figures in the dark, tensions between servants and a wing of the house no one uses.
Why do the locals eye her employer, widowed Mrs Evesham, with suspicion? What is hidden in the abandoned East Wing? Who are the strangers coming and going under darkness?
Hartwood Hall conceals mysteries, perhaps even danger.
Margaret is certain that everyone here has something to hide, and as her own past threatens to catch up with her, she must learn to trust her instincts before it's too late...
Praise for The Secrets of Hartwood Hall:
‘A delicious Gothic mystery with an unexpected final twist’ Heat
‘With echoes of Jane Eyre but with a heart of its own’ Susan Stokes-Chapman, Sunday Times bestselling author of Pandora
‘A creepy, captivating gothic mystery’ Woman's Weekly
‘An immersive, atmospheric novel and a true love letter to Gothic fiction’ i
‘A brilliantly creepy and utterly compelling read’ Caroline Lea, author of gothic thriller The Glass Woman
‘This book delivers HUGE Jane Eyre vibes, gothic and mysterious Victoriana. I LOVED it’ Sophie Irwin, author of Sunday Times bestseller A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In 1852, Margaret Lennox, the 29-year-old narrator of British author Lumsden's captivating debut, is left destitute when her clergyman husband dies after three years of marriage. Soon afterward, Mrs. Lennox leaves London for isolated Hartwood Hall in the west of England to assume the position of governess to 10-year-old Louis, the son of widowed Mrs. Eversham. Mrs. Eversham, who warns Mrs. Lennox never to go into the abandoned east wing or to let Louis out of her sight, has something to hide; she mysteriously disappears for days at a time and is distrusted by the local villagers. Meanwhile, Mrs. Lennox, who has a secret that makes her a potential blackmail target, thinks she hears or sees elusive figures at night in the hallway. She dares to enter the forbidden wing, where she makes a surprising discovery about the Evershams. The death of a servant and the arrival of an unexpected visitor force various secrets into the open with dire consequences. Assured prose propels this well-crafted tale of family, friendship, and the cost of personal freedom. Fans of the great Victorian novels, in particular Jane Eyre, will have fun.
