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The Secrets of Hartwood Hall

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The Secrets of Hartwood Hall

By: Katie Lumsden
Narrated by: Olivia Vinall
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About this listen

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.

©2023 Katie Lumsden (P)2023 Penguin Audio Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Romance Small Town & Rural Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Mystery

Critic Reviews

"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)

"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)
All stars
Most relevant  
For those who enjoy the gothic genre they will see traces of Jane Eyre, Agnes Grey, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Wuthering Heights, etc. This seems to have elements of all those.

A gothic historical fiction.

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Loved the story. Loved the narration.
Very impressed with this debut novel by one of my favourite book tubers Highly recommend and look forward to the next from Katie Lumsden.

Great debut novel

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Sincerely, this is one of the best books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It is breathtakingly clever, beautifully emotional without ever being twee, I cannot praise it enough and no, I absolutely did not predict the secret. Loved it.

Incredible incredible book

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.