A piercing and wholly captivating historical novel that creates the most sinister and atmospheric of gothic tones. I first encountered the sublimely eloquent writing by award-winning author Ray Celestin in his debut The Axeman’s Jazz from the City Blues Quartet. Original, clever, and beautiful, I can highly recommend this collection of four novels. Palace of Shadows has a completely different premise and yet Ray Celestin’s mark is clearly stamped on every page.
In 1899, artist Samuel Etherstone travels to North Yorkshire after being commissioned to work on an ever-growing house by the heiress of the Chesterfield Gun Company. Chesterfield House stands centre stage and the sense of place is immense. As I started to read it was apparent that the Chesterfield story follows in a similar vein to the Winchester Mystery House in California and if you’ve ever visited there are aspects that will definitely strike a chord. It’s what Ray Celestin does so well, takes the known and creates an entirely new story full of wonder and in this case malevolent overtones. I love the way he writes, the focus here is a memoir, a journal, and letters. He creates a different voice within each section, stitching together a fascinating story it is all too easy to believe. I felt myself gradually drawn into the lives of the people in the house, and oh, that house! The foreboding descent into its depths are chilling, and yet oh-so addictive and that is why this novel joins our LoveReading Star Book collection. Beautifully atmospheric and absolutely convincing, Palace of Shadows comes with the most emphatic of recommendations from me.
From the brain behind the upcoming Amazon Prime series, Haven, starring Sophie Turner.
'Chillingly gothic' - The Guardian, Best Crime and Thrillers of the Year
Inspired by the haunting true story of the Winchester Mystery House, Palace of Shadows is a hair-raising gothic thriller from the prize-winning author of the City Blues Quartet, Ray Celestin.
1899. The desolate Smugglers' Coast of North Yorkshire is a place that strikes fear into those who live nearby. Unexplained deaths, suicides, young girls gone missing on the nearby moors --- the locals say it's the grand house that drives people mad.
Still, when Samuel Etherstone is contacted by its reclusive owner, Mrs Chesterfield, and commissioned to work on the property, he accepts the offer. For a penniless artist adrift in London, the opportunity is too tempting to ignore.
It is only on arrival at the Chesterfield house that he learns the sinister details of its architect's disappearance. Meanwhile, the widowed Mrs Chesterfield, keeps adding wing upon wing, and no one will tell him the reason behind her chilling obsession. But as Samuel delves deeper into the mysteries that swirl about the house the nature of the project becomes terrifyingly clear . . .
'Its jaw-dropping finale will leave readers reeling. An absolute triumph' - Sunday Express
'Darkly entertaining' - Laura Shepherd-Robinson, bestselling author of The Square of Sevens
'I could see elements of Wilkie Collins, Bram Stoker and even Lewis Carroll . . . Hugely entertaining' - Andrew Taylor, bestselling author of The Shadows of London
