Description

**THE PUZZLE WOOD IS AVAILABLE TO PREORDER NOW – OUT MAY 2024**

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

SHORTLISTED FOR THE INDIE BOOK AWARDS 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOLDSBORO GLASS BELL AWARD 2023
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‘Superb’ – Susan Stokes-Chapman, bestselling author of PANDORA
‘Bewitching’ – Stacey Halls, bestselling author of THE FAMILIARS
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SHE IS AWAKE…

Norfolk, 1643. Reluctant soldier Thomas Treadwater has been summoned home by his young sister in a letter accusing their new servant of improper conduct with their widowed father. By the time Thomas reaches the family farm, his father is on the verge of death, Esther is near hysterical and their new servant is in prison, facing charges of witchcraft.

Thomas prides himself on being a rational, modern man. He is confident that he can free their servant, a beautiful if peculiarly self possessed young woman, and reassure his sister that there is nothing further to fear, now he has returned.

But as he begins to unravels the mystery of what has happened to his family, he uncovers a tale, not of witchcraft, but of something dark and ancient, linked to a shipwreck many years before…

Something has awoken, and now it will not rest.

Richly atmospheric and deliciously unsettling, The Leviathan is a tale of family and loyalty, superstition and sacrifice, but most of all it is a spellbinding mystery and a story of impossible things.
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‘Outstanding… a seething, haunting delight’ – Beth Underdown, award-winning author of THE WITCHFINDER’S SISTER

‘Thoroughly gripping and utterly absorbing’ – Jennifer Saint, author of ARIADNE

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Publisher Review

It's hard to believe that such an accomplished novel could be a debut - The Leviathan is a gloriously dark story that sweeps you along to its harrowing yet satisfying conclusion. Superb -- Susan Stokes-Chapman, number one bestselling author of PANDORA Hugely atmospheric debut ... Gloriously dark and brimful of gothic-infused dread, this is an eerie tale of age-old evil * Daily Mail * Darkly compelling and dripping with atmosphere, The Leviathan is a bewitching tale of good, evil and all the shades in-between -- Stacey Halls, author of THE FAMILIARS The plot is as surprising and sinuously twisting as the legendary sea monster of its title ... More than just an entertaining fantasy, the novel offers a lesson about the importance of accepting responsibility * Guardian * Infused with creepy gothic dread and gorgeously written. Fantastic -- Amy McCulloch, author of BREATHLESS An original and compelling page-turner, beautifully told -- Annie Kirby, author of THE HOLLOW SEA This debut oozes quality. I wanted to savour the incredible language, by turns lyrical and earthy, and the beautifully researched historical detail ... The Leviathan is a sumptuous treat that positively thrums with tension. A story that does not shy away from questions of religion, personal choice and responsibility, good versus evil ... Great to read at any time, but especially when the night is dark with howling wind and lashing rain. I absolutely loved it -- Lianne Dillsworth, author of THEATRE OF MARVELS A beautifully written, slow-burning Gothic mystery * Heat * A sinister, twisting tale, thoroughly gripping and utterly absorbing -- Jennifer Saint, author of ARIADNE An outstanding historical debut, which blends emotional resonance with the chill factor of an M R James story. Utterly compelling from start to finish, The Leviathan is a seething, haunting delight -- Beth Underdown, author of THE WITCHFINDER'S SISTER A confident and accomplished debut, which skilfully blends historical detail, myth, faith and the fantastic into a dark and compelling story of huge imagination -- Anita Frank, author of THE LOST ONES Chilling and beguiling, The Leviathan is a novel to be devoured greedily. Vivid and original, I was utterly captivated from the first page until the last -- Joanne Burn, author of THE HEMLOCK CURE The Leviathan is a haunting, thrilling debut as strange and slippery as the mythical beast itself: at once a supernatural adventure that writhes and twists as you turn the pages but also a very human story about love, loss and faith in the unnerving time of the Civil War. A monster achievement -- Miranda Malins, author of THE PURITAN PRINCESS Spectacular - deliciously creepy, immensely atmospheric and exquisitely written. Rosie Andrews in a phenomenal new voice in historical fiction -- Lizzie Pook, author of the MOONLIGHT AND THE PEARLER'S DAUGHTER A subtle, spooky tale with some spine-tingling moments * Best * Gloriously dark and packed full of Gothic-infused dread * Daily Express *