Laura Purcell

Inspired by the work of Shirley Jackson and Susan Hill and set in a crumbling country mansion, The Silent Companions is an unsettling gothic ghost story to send a shiver down the spine...

Inspired by the work of Shirley Jackson and Susan Hill and set in a crumbling country mansion, The Silent Companions is an unsettling gothic ghost story to send a shiver down the spine...Newly married, newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband''s crumbling country estate, The Bridge.With her new servants resentful and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie only has her husband''s awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. But inside her new home lies a locked room, and beyond that door lies a two-hundred-year-old diary and a deeply unsettling painted wooden figure a Silent Companion that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself...

Be careful what you wish for... it may just come true.At The Mercury Theatre in London''''s West End, rumours are circulating of a curse.It is said that the lead actress Lilith has made a pact with Melpomene, the tragic muse of Greek mythology, to become the greatest actress to ever grace the stage. Suspicious of Lilith, the jealous wife of the theatre owner sends dresser Jenny to spy on her, and desperate for the money to help her family, Jenny agrees.What Jenny finds is a woman as astonishing in her performance as she is provocative in nature. On stage, it''''s as though Lilith is possessed by the characters she plays, yet off stage she is as tragic as the Muse who inspires her, and Jenny, sorry for her, befriends the troubled actress. But when strange events begin to take place around the theatre, Jenny wonders if the rumours are true, and fears that when the Muse comes calling for payment, the cost will be too high.

Silhouette artist Agnes is struggling to keep her business afloat. Still recovering from a serious illness herself, making enough money to support her elderly mother and her orphaned nephew Cedric has never been easy, but then one of her clients is murdered shortly after sitting for Agnes, and then another, and another...Desperately seeking an answer, Agnes approaches Pearl, a child spirit medium lodging in Bath with her older half-sister and her ailing father, hoping that if Pearl can make contact with those who died, they might reveal who killed them. But Agnes and Pearl quickly discover that instead they may have opened the door to something that they can never put back...What secrets lie hidden in the darkness?

A struggling silhouette artist in Victorian Bath seeks out a renowned child spirit medium in order to speak to the dead - and to try and identify their killers - in this beguiling new tale from Laura Purcell.Silhouette artist Agnes is struggling to keep her business afloat. Still recovering from a serious illness herself, making enough money to support her elderly mother and her orphaned nephew Cedric has never been easy, but then one of her clients is murdered shortly after sitting for Agnes, and then another, and another...Desperately seeking an answer, Agnes approaches Pearl, a child spirit medium lodging in Bath with her older half-sister and her ailing father, hoping that if Pearl can make contact with those who died, they might reveal who killed them. But Agnes and Pearl quickly discover that instead they may have opened the door to something that they can never put back...

"Una historia de fantamas victoriana que evoca un miedo inquietante que atraviesa la conciencia de la manera más inesperada, al igual que los acompañantes silenciosos".Ambientada en una mansión rural en ruinas, Compañias silenciosas es una turbadora historia gotica de fantasmas que provoca escalofrios.Elsie, recien casada y tambien recien enviudada, es enviada a vivir su embarazo en la deteriorada casa de campo de su difunto esposo. Rodeada de sus nuevos y resentidos sirvientes y de aldeanos hostiles, Elsie solo cuenta con la incomoda compañia de la prima de su marido.En su nuevo hogar, en una habitacion que durante un breve instante aparecera abierta, encuentra un diario de doscientos años, con la inquietante historia de la madre de una niña muda y de su poco natural concepcion. Y de unas figuras de madera pintada con un parecido sorprendente a los personajes de esta novela que lo dejara sin aliento.

Ambientado en una mansión rural en ruinas, Compañías silenciosas es una inquietante historia gótica de fantasmas que provoca escalofríos. Elsie, recién casada y también recién enviudada, es enviada a vivir su embarazo en la deteriorada casa de campo de su difunto esposo. Rodeada de sus nuevos y resentidos sirvientes y de aldeanos hostiles, Elsie solo cuenta con la incomoda compañia del primo de su marido. En su nuevo hogar se encuentra una habitacion cerrada con llave, y detras de esa puerta se encuentra un diario de doscientos años y una figura de madera pintada profundamente inquietante y con un parecido sorprendente a ella misma...

Be careful what you wish for... it may just come true.At The Mercury Theatre in London''s West End, rumours are circulating of a curse. It is said that the lead actress Lilith has made a pact with Melpomene, the tragic muse of Greek mythology, to become the greatest actress to ever grace the stage. Suspicious of Lilith, the jealous wife of the theatre owner sends dresser Jenny to spy on her, and desperate for the money to help her family, Jenny agrees. What Jenny finds is a woman as astonishing in her performance as she is provocative in nature. On stage, it''s as though Lilith is possessed by the characters she plays, yet off stage she is as tragic as the Muse who inspires her, and Jenny, sorry for her, befriends the troubled actress. But when strange events begin to take place around the theatre, Jenny wonders if the rumours are true, and fears that when the Muse comes calling for payment, the cost will be too high.

Ambientado en una mansión rural en ruinas, Compañías silenciosas es una inquietante historia gótica de fantasmas que provoca escalofríos. Elsie, recién casada y también recién enviudada, es enviada a vivir su embarazo en la deteriorada casa de campo de su difunto esposo. Rodeada de sus nuevos y resentidos sirvientes y de aldeanos hostiles, Elsie solo cuenta con la incomoda compañia del primo de su marido. En su nuevo hogar se encuentra una habitacion cerrada con llave, y detras de esa puerta se encuentra un diario de doscientos años y una figura de madera pintada profundamente inquietante y con un parecido sorprendente a ella misma...

"[An] uncanny Gothic mystery... Satisfying."New York Times Book Review"A romping read with a deliciously dark conceit at its center... Reminded me of Alias Grace."Kiran Millwood HargraveFrom the author of The Silent Companions, a thrilling Victorian gothic horror story about a young seamstress who claims her needle and thread have the power to killDorothea Truelove is young, wealthy, and beautiful. Ruth Butterham is young, poor, and awaiting trial for murder.When Dorotheas charitable work brings her to Oakgate Prison, she is delighted by the chance to explore her fascination with phrenology and test her hypothesis that the shape of a persons skull can cast a light on their darkest crimes. But when she meets one of the prisoners, the teenaged seamstress Ruth, she is faced with another strange idea: that it is possible to kill with a needle and thread--because Ruth attributes her crimes to a supernatural power inherent in her stitches.The story Ruth has to tell of her deadly creationsof bitterness and betrayal, of death and dresseswill shake Dorotheas belief in rationality, and the power of redemption. Can Ruth be trusted? Is she mad, or a murderer? For fans of Shirley Jackson, The Poison Thread is a spine-tingling, sinister read about the evil that lurks behind the facade of innocence.

A gothic tale set in a rambling house by the sea in which a maid cares for a mute old woman with a mysterious past, alongside her superstitious staff--from the author of The Silent Companions.A perfect spooky read!Consumption has ravaged Louise Pinecrofts family, leaving her and her father alone and heartbroken. But Dr. Pinecroft has plans for a revolutionary experiment: convinced that sea air will prove to be the cure his wife and children needed, he arranges to house a group of prisoners suffering from the disease in the caves beneath his new Cornish home. While he devotes himself to his controversial medical trials, Louise finds herself increasingly discomfited by the strange tales her new maid tells of the fairies that hunt the land, searching for those they can steal away to their realm.Forty years later, Hester arrives at Morvoren House to take up a position as nurse to the now partially paralyzed and mute Miss Pinecroft. Hester has fled to Cornwall to try to escape her past, but surrounded by superstitious staff enacting bizarre rituals, she soon discovers her new home may be just as dangerous as her last.Laura Purcells THE SHAPE OF DARKNESS is now out from Penguin!

A twisty Gothic historical fantasy by the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Silent Companions Tabitha would do anything to remain at her ancestral home of Reynards Hollow. So, while marrying her cousin Vincent isnt an inspiring proposition, things could be worse. He doesnt hold a candle to Kit, the gamekeepers son and her childhood friend, but nothing would ever come of that anyway; shes the lady of the manor, after all, and hes a servant. Tabithas world is thrown upside down when her cousin dies in a hunting accident. He was her best and only chance to remain at the Hollow so what will happen to her now? Why do his injuries look like the result of a brutal attack, rather than a bad fall? Is there something out there some sort of monster, still lurking in the woods? Meanwhile, Kit is wrestling with demons of his own. His mother is acting strangely, and the other servants mutterings about his true parentage are growing louder. The household, already under strain, reaches a breaking point as loyalties are put to the test and long-buried secrets are unearthed. And then Kit makes a discovery: there is something in the woods, although he doesnt think its a monster. But at Reynards Hollow, things are not always as they appear. Sometimes it pays to look a gift horse in the mouth

Edgar Award FinalistA struggling silhouette artist in Victorian Bath seeks out a renowned child spirit medium in order to speak to the dead - and to try and identify their killers - in this beguiling new tale from the queen of Gothic fiction, Laura PurcellAs the age of the photograph dawns in Victorian Bath, silhouette artist Agnes is struggling to keep her business afloat. Still recovering from a serious illness herself, making enough money to support her elderly mother and her orphaned nephew Cedric has never been easy, but then one of her clients is murdered shortly after sitting for Agnes, and then another, and another... Why is the killer seemingly targeting her business?Desperately seeking an answer, Agnes approaches Pearl, a child spirit medium lodging in Bath with her older half-sister and her ailing father, hoping that if Pearl can make contact with those who died, they might reveal who killed them. But Agnes and Pearl quickly discover that instead they may have opened the door to something that they can never put back.

From award-winning bestseller Laura Purcell comes her YA debut, MOONSTONE. Brilliant and beautiful, Moonstone is the gothic werewolf love story weve all been waiting for. Easily one of my favourite books of the year! JJA Harwood, author of The Thorns Remain Dont misbehave. Beware the moon. And never go out after dark Following a scandal at the Vauxhall pleasure gardens, Camille is sent to the woods to live with her reclusive godmother and her strange daughter, Lucy. Cast out from polite society, she must learn to live by her godmothers strict rules. Camille has never met anyone quite like Lucy before, and as they grow closer and cross forbidden boundaries, strange things begin to happen. Mysterious deaths, claw marks raking the doors, and the nights are pierced by the howls of a creature that sounds almost otherworldly. Should Camille be more afraid of whats hiding in the woods or her own heart? From the award-winning, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Silent Companions, Moonstone is a haunting gothic romance with real bite.

Cuidado con la musa y con lo que te ofrece.En el teatro Mercury del West End londinense circulan rumores sobre una maldición.Se dice que Lilith, la actriz principal, ha hecho un pacto con Melpómene, la tragica musa de la mitologia griega, para convertirse en la mejor actriz que jamas haya pisado un escenario. Celosa de ella, la esposa del dueño del teatro envia a Jenny, la ayudante de camerino, a espiarla; ella, desesperada por conseguir mas dinero para ayudar a su familia, acepta el encargo.Lo que Jenny descubre es que Lilith es una mujer tan sorprendente en el teatro como provocativa en la vida real. Sobre el escenario, es como si estuviera poseida por los personajes a los que interpreta, pero fuera de el, es tan tragica como la musa que la inspira. Jenny, que la compadece, se hace amiga de la atormentada actriz. Pero cuando empiezan a sucederse acontecimientos extraños en torno al teatro, Jenny se pregunta si los rumores son ciertos, y teme que cuando la musa venga a reclamar su pago, ya sea demasiado tarde.Espeluznante, evocadora, magnifica.BRIDGET COLLINS, autora de El encuadernadorUna novela excelente, oscura e hipnotizante.JENNIFER SAINT, autora de Electra

[An] extraordinary, memorable and truly haunting book. Jojo Moyes, #1 New York Times bestselling authorLaura Purcells THE SHAPE OF DARKNESS is now out from Penguin!Some doors are locked for a reason. When Elsie married handsome young heir Rupert Bainbridge, she believed she was destined for a life of luxury. But pregnant and widowed just weeks after their wedding, with her new servants resentful and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie has only her late husbands awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. Inside her new home lies a locked door, beyond which is a painted wooden figurea silent companionthat bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself. The residents of the estate are terrified of the figure, but Elsie tries to shrug this off as simple superstitionthat is, until she notices the figures eyes following her.A Victorian ghost story that evokes a most unsettling kind of fear, The Silent Companions is a tale that creeps its way through the consciousness in ways you least expectmuch like the companions themselves.

'Laura is a masterful writer, her deliciously gothic stories so skilfully woven that you can't get them out of your head even if you wanted to' Stacey Halls, author of The Familiars''The Corset is a contender for my Book of the Year. Beautifully written, intricately plotted, a masterpiece' Sarah HilaryIs prisoner Ruth Butterham mad or a murderer? Victim or villain?Dorothea Truelove is young, wealthy and beautiful. Ruth Butterham is young, poor and awaiting trial for murder.When Dorothea's charitable work leads her to Oakgate Prison, she finds herself drawn to Ruth, a teenage seamstress - and self-confessed murderess - who nurses a dark and uncanny secret. A secret that is leading her straight to the gallows. As Ruth reveals her disturbing past to Dorothea, the fates of these two women entwine, and with every revelation, a new layer of doubt is cast...Can Ruth be trusted? Is she mad, or a murderer?

The ultimate ghost story to curl up with.'[An] extraordinary, memorable and truly haunting book' Jojo Moyes'Terrific. Perfect setting, great build-up, chilling. What more could you want?' Susan Hill, author of The Woman in BlackSome doors are locked for a reason...Newly married, newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband's crumbling country estate, The Bridge.With her new servants resentful and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie only has her husband's awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. For inside her new home lies a locked room, and beyond that door lies a two-hundred-year-old diary and a deeply unsettling painted wooden figure - a Silent Companion - that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself...Laura Purcell's spine-chilling new novel, The Shape of Darkness, is out now!

Cuidado con la musaáy con lo que te ofrece.En el teatro Mercury del West End londinense circulan rumores sobreáuna maldición.Se dice que Lilith, la actriz principal, ha hecho un pacto conáMelpómene, la tragica musa de la mitologia griega, para convertirseaen la mejor actriz que jamas haya pisado un escenario. Celosa deaella, la esposa del dueño del teatro envia a Jenny, la ayudante deacamerino, a espiarla; ella, desesperada por conseguir mas dineroapara ayudar a su familia, acepta el encargo.Lo que Jenny descubre es que Lilith es una mujer tan sorprendenteaen el teatro como provocativa en la vida real. Sobre el escenario,aes como si estuviera poseida por los personajes a los que interpreta,apero fuera de el, es tan tragica como la musa que la inspira. Jenny,aque la compadece, se hace amiga de la atormentada actriz. Peroacuando empiezan a sucederse acontecimientos extraños en tornoaal teatro, Jenny se pregunta si los rumores son ciertos, y teme queacuando la musa venga a reclamar su pago, ya sea demasiado tarde."Espeluznante, evocadora, magnifica".BRIDGET COLLINS, autora de El encuadernador

The perfect dark, gothic tale to curl up with this winter----------------------------------------'Spooky, atmospheric, brilliant' Bridget Collins'Glitteringly dark and mesmerising' Jennifer SaintBe careful what you wish for... it may just come true.At The Mercury Theatre in London's West End, rumours are circulating of a curse.It is said that the lead actress Lilith has made a pact with Melpomene, the tragic muse of Greek mythology, to become the greatest actress to ever grace the stage. Suspicious of Lilith, the jealous wife of the theatre owner sends dresser Jenny to spy on her, and desperate for the money to help her family, Jenny agrees.