Description

‘Grisly, addictive fun . . . I devoured it in 24 hours’ – Emilia Hart, author of Weyward

In deepest winter, beware the coldest hearts . . .

London, 1850. Constance Horton has disappeared.

Maude, her older sister, knows only that Constance abandoned the apothecary they call home, and, disguised as a boy, boarded a ship bound for the Arctic. She never returned. ‘A tragic accident’, the Admiralty called it. But Maude Horton knows something isn’t right.

When she finds Constance’s journal, it becomes clear that the truth is being buried by sinister forces. To find answers – and deliver justice for her sister – Maude must step into London’s dark underbelly, and into the path of dangerous, powerful men. The kind of men who seek their fortune in the city’s horrors, from the hangings at Newgate to the ghoulish waxworks of Madame Tussaud’s.

It is a perilous task. But Maude has dangerous skills of her own . . .

‘Brilliant! Stuffed with adventure’ – Stuart Turton, author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
‘A gripping adventure story’ – Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters
‘Victorian gothic at its very very best’ – Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora

Publisher Review

This is escapist fiction at its best. Grisly, addictive fun . . . I devoured it in 24 hours -- Emilia Hart, author of Weyward Brilliant! Every page is stuffed with adventure . . . A joyous, propulsive piece of writing from a truly talented writer -- Stuart Turton, author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle Thrilling, heartfelt and utterly compulsive - a gripping adventure story and an intelligent, richly textured portrait of a moment in history . . . I loved it -- Emma Stonex, bestselling author The Lamplighters Adventurous and beautifully written, I loved the clever, propulsive storytelling and the wealth of historical detail . . . so accomplished, I thoroughly enjoyed it -- Rosie Andrews, author of The Leviathan Spellbinding . . . this is Victorian gothic at its very very best. I was hooked from the first page! -- Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora A taut and riveting adventure . . . The jaw-dropping cliffhangers mean it's hard not to read it in a single sitting -- Stylist Rip-roaring and guillotine-sharp - I couldn't tear myself away -- Ellery Lloyd, author of The Club Dark, thrilling & completely absorbing, MAUDE is glorious. Lizzie Pook taps into a centuries-long fascination with true crime taking us from the Arctic via gruesome hangings into Madame Tussaud's. BRAVO! -- Nikki May, author of Wahala A riveting tale of a sister's burning desire for revenge, the tension tightening like a hangman's noose . . . atmospheric, gripping and beautiful - the execution of this novel is flawless -- Amy McCulloch, author Breathless A captivating historical thriller . . . I loved this page turning story of two sisters, a heartbreaking mystery, and a life-or-death quest -- Charmaine Wilkerson, author of Black Cake Exquisite . . . this novel is subversive, surprising and gothically tense. I can't wait to read whatever Pook writes next -- Sophie Haydock, author of The Flames Brilliant . . . Pook's masterful pacing and meticulous attention to historical detail make this sing. Fans of Stuart Turton's high seas whodunits will be rapt * Publisher's Weekly * A lush murder mystery, Pook is a master of suspense . . . an unforgettable, atmospheric thrill ride -- Adriana Trigiani, author of The Good Left Undone Showcases Victorian London in all its grisly, macabre glory - from the very first page this novel had me in its grip. First-class storytelling, simultaneously full of heart and dark as pitch -- Lianne Dillsworth, author of Theatre of Marvels Deliciously satisfying . . . a marvellous tonic of a novel, fizzing with adventure and brimming with darkness -- Polly Crosby, author of Vita and the Birds A delicious slice of gothic Victoriana - sumptuously written and packed with ice, bones and bodies -- Freya Berry, author of The Dictator's Wife A gloriously ghoulish Victorian tale of Arctic adventure, icy revenge & diabolical anatomicals . . . A gothic treat! Superb! -- Kate Griffin, author of Fyneshade A beautifully written, meticulously researched gem of a book -- Bridget Walsh, author of The Tumbling Girl Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge had me gripped in the icy maws of the Arctic, captivated by the gruesome murder tours of the 19th Century, and desperate to find out Constance's fate. This is historical fiction fiction at its absolute glorious best -- Louise Morrish, author of Operation Moonlight Tense and vividly atmospheric, with a determined, independent heroine intent on the truth. It's beautifully written, unflinching and brimming with adventure. I loved the journey to a world I knew nothing about - it's gloriously transporting -- Jennifer Saint, bestselling author of Ariadne on Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter