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THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
SELECTED AS ONE OF THE OBSERVER’S 10 BEST DEBUT NOVELISTS OF 2022

‘It’s hard to believe that such an accomplished novel could be a debut… Superb’ Susan Stokes-Chapman, number one bestselling author of Pandora

‘Bewitching’ Stacey Halls, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Familiars

A beguiling, highly atmospheric tale of superstition, myth and murder, perfect for reading as the nights draw in.

SHE IS AWAKE…

Norfolk, 1643. With civil war tearing England apart, reluctant soldier Thomas Treadwater is summoned home by his sister, who accuses a new servant of improper conduct with their widowed father. By the time Thomas returns home, his father is insensible, felled by a stroke, and their new servant is in prison, facing charges of witchcraft.

Thomas prides himself on being a rational, modern man, but as he unravels the mystery of what has happened, he uncovers not a tale of superstition but something dark and ancient, linked to a shipwreck years before.

Something has awoken, and now it will not rest.

Richly researched, incredibly 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…

‘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

Publisher Review

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 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, author of PANDORA 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 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