The novel dives straight in with a young girl found dead on a train with mysterious symbols and signs covering her body. Then we turn back to 1585 and John Dee and his apprentice Edward Kelly are on their way to a mysterious castle in Hungary. The chapters now alternate between these two periods. It appears a countess needs saving, a very powerful lady. So it is witchcraft that dominates this tale, and the desire over the ages to possess a magical strength. Touching on the un-dead or resurrected “revenants” and life giving blood-suckers, this brings many myths into both periods which do, of course, tie up. It is terrific, highly improbable fun. Well worth a read.
Krakow, 1585 Summoned by the King of Poland to help save his dying niece, Edward Kelley and his master, alchemist and scholar Dr John Dee, discover a dark secret at the heart of The Countess Bathory's malady. But perhaps the cure will prove more terrifying than the alternative...England, 2013 Jackdaw Hammond lives in the shadows, a practitioner and purveyor of occult materials. But when she learns of a young woman found dead on a train, her body covered in arcane symbols, there's no escaping the attention of police consultant Felix Guichard. Together they must solve a mystery centuries in the making, or die trying.
[The Secrets of Life and Death] is a fine addition to the urban fantasy genre and marks Alexander as an author to watch- The Independent on Sunday
Author
About Rebecca Alexander
Rebecca Alexander fell in love with all things sorcery, magic and witchcraft as a teenager and has enjoyed reading and writing fantasy ever since. She wrote her first book aged nineteen and since then has been runner up in the Myslexia novel writing competition and the Yeovil Literary Prize 2012. Trained in psychology and education, and having researched magical thinking in adults for her MSc, Rebecca met some really interesting people in some very odd circumstances, which she could no longer resist writing down. She lives in a haunted house by the sea with her second husband, four cats, three chickens and the occasional rook.
