The Secrets of Hartwood Hall

Author Katie Lumsden
Narrator Olivia Vinall
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Run Time 9 hours and 54 minutes
Format Audio
Genre Historical fiction, Narrative theme: Sense of place, Romantic suspense.

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

It's 1852 and Margaret Lennox, a young widow, is offered a position as governess at Hartwood Hall. She quickly accepts, hoping this isolated country house will allow her to leave her past behind.

Cut off from the village, Margaret soon starts to feel there's something odd about her new home, despite her growing fondness for her bright, affectionate pupil, Louis. There are strange figures in the dark, tensions between servants and an abandoned east wing. Even stranger is the local gossip surrounding Mrs Eversham, Louis's widowed mother, who is deeply distrusted in the village.

Margaret finds distraction in a forbidden relationship with the gardener, Paul. But despite his efforts to reassure her, Margaret is certain that everyone here has something hide. And as Margaret's own past threatens to catch up with her, she must learn to trust her instincts before it's too late...

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall is a chilling gothic mystery, and an authentic and atmospheric love letter to Victorian fiction.

'I loved this fresh take on the gothic genre. Vivid, haunting, surprising' STACEY HALLS, author of Sunday Times bestsellers The Familiars, The Foundling and Mrs England

'A full-blooded gothic mystery with bite, great characterisation and heaps of atmosphere' EMMA STONEX, author of Sunday Times bestseller The Lamplighters

©2023 Katie Lumsden (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critics Review

I loved this fresh take on the gothic genre. Vivid, haunting, surprising
Stacey Halls, author of Sunday Times bestsellers The Familiars, The Foundling and Mrs England
A full-blooded gothic mystery with bite, great characterisation and heaps of atmosphere
Emma Stonex
A delicious Gothic mystery with an unexpected final twist
Heat
A brilliantly creepy and utterly compelling read, which put me in mind of Laura Purcell, Stacey Halls and Michelle Paver: it’s up there with the most wonderfully engrossing and twisty gothic historical fiction
Caroline Lea
A creepy, captivating gothic mystery
Woman's Weekly
Smart, atmospheric, gripping and full of surprises, this is a Gothic spine-chiller by an absolutely modern writer
Maggie Gee
This book delivers HUGE Jane Eyre vibes, gothic and mysterious Victoriana. I LOVED it
Sophie Irwin, author of Sunday Times bestseller A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting
An immersive, atmospheric novel and a true love letter to Gothic fiction
i
With echoes of Jane Eyre but with a heart of its own . . . a suspenseful and beautifully crafted novel filled with atmosphere, rich characters and plenty of layers to keep a reader hooked right to the end
Susan Stokes-Chapman, the SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of PANDORA
In her atmospheric debut, The Secrets of Hartwood Hall, Katie Lumsden enthralls us with a quintessential manor-home mystery. Fans of gothic literature will savor the peculiar characters, the abandoned corridors, the deceptions and twists behind every door… Ultimately a story about women and the haunting secrets they keep, Lumsden’s debut reminds us never to trust first appearances. A mesmerizing debut!
Sarah Penner
The Secret of Hartwood Hall is exactly the book you want on a cold, stormy night when the wind is sneaking in the cracks. A thoroughly impressive debut with fantastically timed surprises throughout
Lyndsay Faye
Deeply immersive, atmospheric, and a true love letter to gothic fiction. An impressive, standout debut, sure to leave readers on the edge of their seats
Courier
Incredibly rich prose in this absorbing, deeply atmospheric story of governess, Margaret Lennox. A brilliant love letter to classic Victorian fiction and a standout debut
Hazel Gaynor
Dark, twisty, gothic and full of surprises … a deliciously atmospheric page-turner
Liz Hyder, author of THE GIFTS
A real blast…I really enjoyed this haunting, gothic tale
DINAH JEFFERIES, bestselling author of the SUNDAY TIMES number one bestseller THE TEA-PLANTER'S WIFE

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