by Emilia Hart — Magical realism meets historical fiction in The Sirens. Two sets of sisters, women in distress and an ocean offering comfort and succour…
Tag: general fiction
Victorian Psycho
by Virginia Feito — Violent gothic horror. A psychopathic governess in a Victorian household descends into a psychotic rampage. Weird, wild and wonderful.
The House With Nine Locks
by Philip Gray — A gripping tale of forgery, set in Belgium in the mid 20th century. Well written, infused with the spirit of ‘belgitude’.
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls
by Grady Hendrix — A horror story, of subjugated children, pregnancy and forced adoption, witchcraft and a pact with the devil.
Into the Storm
by Cecilia Ahern — A doctor, Enya Pickering, gets caught up in a hit and run incident on a remote road outside Dublin on a wet winter night.
The Maiden of Florence
by Katherine Mezzacappa — A beautifully written historical novel based on true events in 16thC Italy and a profoundly moving portrayal of sexual trauma.
Havoc
by Christopher Bollen — Incisive social satire featuring wealthy guests and a terrifying 8 year-old kid in a Luxor hotel during the Covid pandemic.
Heart of Cruelty
by Maybelle Wallis — Gripping, atmospheric historical fiction in the sensationalist tradition. Forbidden love amidst evil and murder.
The Ravenswood Witch
by Jenni Keer — An atmospheric gothic tale oozing with mystery, madness, secrets, lust, murder and a touch of magic.
The Glassmaker
by Tracy Chevalier — A multiple-timeline novel about the history of Murano glassmaking, following Orsola Rosso from 1486 to now.
The House of the Witch
Immersive story, set in the 17th century and the present, about female defiance of patriarchal control.
Blue Hawk
by Chloe Turner — Immersive story about a textile worker, set in 17th century Gloucestershire. Blue Hawk celebrates female tenacity and ingenuity.
The Women Behind the Door
by Roddy Doyle — An ex-alcoholic mother and a traumatised daughter during lockdown. Superb, understated writing.
Versions of a Girl
by Catherine Gray — A superb novel. Beautifully written, highly insightful. Do we become who we are because of our past or in spite of it?
Sipsworth
by Simon Van Booy — Sipsworth is a gentle, beautifully written meditation on love, aging and connection. And a mouse. For anyone who has ever loved an animal.
Una, Unwanted
by Elin F. Styve — A moving story of family dysfunction, hypocrisy and a woman seeking the connection of family.
The Revenge of Rita Marsh
by Nilesha Chauvet — Rita Marsh is not in a good place. The last paedophile she exposed committed suicide soon after. Now her friend Leila needs help…
The Silence Factory
by Bridget Collins — Gothic, historical fantasy. The Silence Factory is an imaginative, immersive and spellbinding story. I was thoroughly captivated!
Briefly Very Beautiful
by Roz Dineen — Conveys an aching sadness for a lost world, and the exhaustion of daily struggling in a hostile environment.
When We Were Silent
by Fiona McPhillips — When We Were Silent is a raging, screaming #MeToo. It’s also very well written: well constructed and vivid, with strong characters and plot.