British Gothic

NEW AND IMPROVED SECOND EDITION - 2025 Initially published by Peter Owen Publishers, 2013 FROM THE BACK PAGE Henry III’s reign was the longest of any king in medieval Europe, spanning an unprecedented 56 years from 1216 until 1272. The first child king in England for 200 years, his time on the throne oversaw more significant change than any other monarch, in which England prospered. Though often overlooked by historians, Henry III was a unique figure emerging from this chivalric yet gothic era. A compulsive builder of daunting castles and glorious cathedrals, Henry was an intelligent, ...

Ladies of Ink and Shadow: A Treasury of British Women’s Short Fiction Edited by Ellis York Step into the shadows of Britain’s literary past with this haunting and exquisite anthology of short fiction by some of the most compelling women writers of the 19th and early 20th centuries. From the mist-veiled moors to candlelit drawing rooms, Ladies of Ink and Shadow gathers ghost stories, gothic tales, and chilling mysteries from masters of the uncanny, including Elizabeth Gaskell, E. Nesbit, Mary Shelley, Margaret Oliphant, Rhoda Broughton, and Ella D’Arcy. These atmospheric stories ...

""This novel will bend and twist your notion of what love is, while leaving you utterly bewitched."" — KIRKUS REVIEWS (Starred Review) ""Vivid and impressive...Fans of Addie LaRue will be enthralled."" — PUBLISHER'S WEEKY (Starred Review) An inventive and romantic speculative novel about two...

From the internationally bestselling author of The Nanny and What She Knew comes a thrilling dark academic tale of murder, obsession and ruthless ambition, set in remote St Andrews, Scotland. A deadly rivalry. A chilling secret. One woman who can decipher the truth. On a frigid, windswept...

"Stephanie Racine's talented narration helps create an atmospheric backdrop for this dark mystery."- AudioFile This program is read by longtime narrator Stephanie Racine who has voiced numerous New York Times, U.S. and U.K. bestselling audiobooks. Author Alice Feeney reads the acknowledgments on...

The House on Thornhallow Moor (Book One of the Between Heartbeats Series) On the wind-swept cliffs overlooking Blackwater Hollow stands Thornhallow Moor—a house bound by secrets older than the sea. When Clara Wren returns to the neglected Victorian estate of her childhood, she expects memories, perhaps even closure. But the house has waited patiently for her arrival, harboring more than just dust and echoes of the past. Whispers drift through empty rooms, footprints glisten with seawater, and in the shadows stands Silas Vale—a ship’s captain lost to a storm over a century ago. Bound ...

Four victims. One locked room. No way in. No way out. When Mr Gregory Winter agrees to spend a single night in a supposedly haunted shed for a hundred guineas, he’s desperate, in debt, and convinced it’s just a story. By morning, he’s dead—his throat slit, the door locked from the inside. Inspector Featherby is no stranger to murder. But this? This is something else. With each body found in the same chair, in the same impossible conditions, the case becomes a chilling puzzle with no solution. The only link between the victims: a gentleman named Noah Spencer—and a shed with a taste...

A Lady forced into marriage, a Duke with a dark reputation, an unseen enemy, lies, secrets and ‘helpful’ friends – can they find their way to love, despite it all? ***** FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED ***** Lady Ariana Torryngton was forbidden the only man she had ever loved – and has resolved to stay a spinster. But her dictatorial father, driven by his own approaching death, has arranged a marriage for her – to a man with a terrifying reputation. A marriage which she cannot avoid. Benedict Blackshaw, the Duke of Darkmire, is plagued by the rumours of dark horrors of his ancestors – ...

USA TODAY BESTSELLER This “intricately plotted, epic” (The Times, London) international bestseller—in the vein of the vivid novels of Sarah Waters and Sarah Perry—follows an orphaned fortune teller in 18th-century England as she searches for answers about her long-dead mother. Cornwall...

WINNER OF THE AUGUST DERLETH AND ARTHUR C. CLARKE AWARDS A masterpiece brimming with scientific splendor, magical intrigue, and fierce characters, from the author who “has reshaped modern fantasy” (The Washington Post) “[China Miéville’s] fantasy novels, including a trilogy set in...

I told her to leave. She stayed, and now I can’t breathe without her. They call me the mad Duke of Penrose, a beast locked away in a house as broken as my soul. I wanted silence. I earned it in blood and war. But then she arrived in the storm—small, stubborn, soaked to the bone, claiming she came to restore my mother’s gardens. tried to banish her. Yet every time I see her hands in the soil, coaxing life from death, something inside me cracks. She speaks to the roses like they can still be saved. And God help me, I start to believe her. Her laughter haunts these empty halls. Her ...

“Told in alternating perspectives divided into 'Me,' 'You,' 'Us,' and 'Them' sections, the narrations by Baxendale and Glover perfectly match the slow build of the story. Both capture the determination, guilt, and duplicity of the characters as the plot twists.” —AudioFile Award-winning...

Strangling vines and meat-hungry flora fill this unruly garden of strange stories, selected for their significance as the seeds of the villainous (or perhaps just misunderstood) 'killer plant' in fiction, film and video games. Step within to marvel at Charlotte Perkins Gilman's giant wisteria and H.G. Wells' hungry orchid; hear the calls of the ethereal women of the wood and the frightful drone of the moaning lily; and do tread carefully around E. Nesbit's wandering creepers. Every strain of vegetable threat can be found within this new collection.

Seeing a stranger die is the worst thing that Chris has ever witnessed. Picking up the dead man’s wallet is a mistake, a moment of weakness. That’s all it takes, one impulsive act, for reality to unravel. Because pocketing the wallet is only the beginning. Dark forces swim below the surface of the world... They change their shape but never go away... They find a way through... Chris Carlisle experiences an everyday horror. A morning starts out bad and gets worse. Wrong place at the wrong time and life takes a wrong turn. But even the blackest clouds have silver linings. He gets a little...

From the bestselling author of Husband Material comes a lush, sweeping queer historical romance where sparks fly between childhood friends after a life-changing separation—perfect for fans of Bridgerton, Evie Dunmore, and Lisa Kleypas!​ When Viola Carroll was presumed dead at Waterloo...

Bubble, bubble, toil, and murder... When a woman is found dead near her village in Norfolk, the verdict is suicide. Not everyone agrees. Detective James Simpson is ordered to investigate and he brings Agatha Aston, Betty Simpson and Talleyrand the hound, with him. They stumble across a tale of murder that stretches back two centuries. Part occult story, part murder mystery - this creepy tale is steeped in witchcraft and strange rural festivals where everything is not as it seems. The second Agatha Aston murder mystery is full of laughs, twists and things that go bump in the night. Golden ...

A Victorian-era vampire romance that will sweep you off your feet. Book One - Rescued London 1860 Miss Amelia Darlington was once happy, but that was a long time ago. After her father, Lord Darlington, leaves her destitute, Amelia is forced to fend for herself and seek employment as a servant. After being rescued from the lecherous hands of her new employer, Amelia is surprised to find that her savior, Lord Blackwell, wishes her to re-enter society and find a husband of her own. He has nothing but kind consideration for her, but Amelia cannot accept his kindness without wondering what he ...

Step into the shadowy corridors of Gothic castles, moonlit graveyards, and fog-shrouded streets with Hammer Horror: The Complete History of Britain’s Legendary House of Horror Films. This definitive guide explores the rise, glory, decline, and remarkable rebirth of Hammer Film Productions — the iconic British studio that redefined horror cinema from the 1950s through the 1970s and continues to influence the genre today. From the blood-soaked brilliance of Dracula and The Curse of Frankenstein to the atmospheric ghost story The Woman in Black, this book takes you behind the scenes to ...

THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW NOTABLE BOOK A stunning debut from an award-winning writer, about loss, isolation, folklore, and the joy and dissonance of finding oneself by exploring life outside one’s community “Both blunt and exquisite . . . O’Connor’s excellent debut . . . is...

'The Manual For Good Wives, a fast-paced tale of courage and resilience is beautifully written and remarkably moving. An absolute masterpiece' - Mike Gayle, author of All the Lonely People 'Simply brilliant' - Alexandra Potter, bestselling author of Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up *****...