Secrets of Hartwood Hall

Pre-order Katie Lumsden's mysterious and atmospheric debut novel NOW, for fans of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, Stacey Halls and Bridget Collins

'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, great characterisation and heaps of atmosphere' EMMA STONEX, author of Sunday Times bestseller The Lamplighters

'A quintessential manor-home mystery...Lumsden's debut reminds us never to trust first appearances. A mesmerizing debut' SARAH PENNER, bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary

'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

'Brilliantly creepy and utterly compelling' CAROLINE LEA

'Smart, atmospheric, gripping and full of surprises, this is a Gothic spine-chiller by an absolutely modern writer' MAGGIE GEE
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It's 1852 and 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 her past behind.

Cut off from the village, Margaret soon starts to feel there's something odd about her new home, despite her growing fondness for her bright, affectionate pupil, Louis. There are strange figures in the dark, tensions between servants and an abandoned east wing. Even stranger is the local gossip surrounding Mrs Eversham, Louis's widowed mother, who is deeply distrusted in the village.

Margaret finds distraction in a forbidden relationship with the gardener, Paul. But despite his efforts to reassure her, Margaret is certain that everyone here has something hide. And as Margaret's own past threatens to catch up with her, she must learn to trust her instincts before it's too late...

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall is a chilling gothic mystery, and an authentic and atmospheric love letter to Victorian fiction.