Follow-up to the excellent reinvention of the ghost story The Drowning Poolcomes another spooky tale inspired by stories of Essex witches. Journalist Sadie Asquith finds, rather chillingly, that her life starts mirroring her art as she researches a book on 16th century witchcraft. A scary, chilling and haunting ghost story perfect for fans of Susan Hill or Christopher Ransom.
Sadie Asquith has been fascinated by the dark past of Essex's witch hunts for as long as she can remember. And for good reason: between 1560 and 1680, over 500 women were tried for witchcraft in the county of Essex. But as she researches a book on the subject, Sadie experiences strange, ghostly visions. She hears noises at night, a sobbing sound that follows her, and black moths appear from nowhere. It's as if, by digging up the truth about the witch hunts, she has opened an unearthly connection to the women treated so cruelly and killed centuries before. And something else in the modern world is after her too: Sadie is sure she's being followed, her flat is burgled and she finds clues that reveal her own past isn't all that she believed. Can she find peace for the witches of Essex's history and can she find a safe path for herself? So scary you'll sleep with the lights on...
'A stunning reinvention of the ghost story and an exploration of a 19th-century Essex witch hunt. Guardian
'A goose-pimply old-fashioned ghost story.' Christopher Fowler, author of the Bryant and May series
'A must for any intelligent Essex girls out there and a gripping ghosty read for everyone. Hurry up and write the next one please Syd...' The Women's Room Blog
Author
About Syd Moore
Syd Moore lives in Essex where the Rosie Strange novels are set. Prior to writing, she was a lecturer and a presenter on Pulp, the Channel 4 books programme. She is the author of the mystery novels The Drowning Pool, Witch Hunt and the Essex Witch Museum Mysteries, Strange Magic, Strange Sight and Strange Fascination.
