House of Shades
A gripping, unique and enthralling gothic mystery set in Victorian London
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected 16 May 2024
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- £9.99
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- Pre-Order
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- £9.99
Publisher Description
London, 1833
Doctress Hester Reeves has been offered a life-changing commission.
But it comes at a price. She must leave behind her husband and their canal-side home in Kings Cross and move to Tall Trees – a dark and foreboding house in Fitzrovia.
If Hester can cure the ailing health of its owner, Gervaise Cherville, she will receive payment that will bring her everything she could dream of.
But on arriving at Tall Trees, Hester quickly discovers that an even bigger task awaits her. Now she must unearth secrets that have lain hidden for decades – including one that will leave Hester’s own life forever changed…
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Praise for House of Shades:
'A wonderful, gothic mystery with the most engaging heroine in Hester Reeves. . . Lianne Dillsworth has woven a complex, moving story, asking questions which still resonate deeply today’ Elodie Harper
'Intensely moving, compulsively readable and beautifully written. Hester is a wonderful protagonist. I thoroughly enjoyed it' Rosie Andrews
'Gripping, heart-breaking and brilliantly told. Hester Reeves is fresh and relatable – I felt every twist and turn of her story and was rooting for her from the get-go' Lucy Barker
'I loved this original and compelling tale of intrigue, quest and retribution... one not to be missed' Mary Chamberlain
‘A gripping Gothic tale that weaves a page-turning plot together with blazing social commentary and a protagonist, Hester, who leaps off the page' Louise Hare
'A cracking read and a deft (and timely) unpicking of complex questions around atonement and accountability. Wildly refreshing and full of heart' Hester Musson
Praise for Lianne Dillsworth:
'A fascinating, empowering story of a young woman's search for identity and justice in Victorian London' Jenifer Saint
'Dillsworth is a class act' Woman & Home
'Highly recommended for anyone who loves mystery, drama and Victorian London' Louise Hare
'Memorable' Sunday Times
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Dillsworth (Theatre of Marvels) delivers a crisp Victorian gothic about a former slave owner and the Black doctoress who treats him on his deathbed. In 1833 London, Hester Reeves worries about her younger sister, Willa, after she catches the eye of wealthy rogue Rowland Cherville. Hester begrudgingly agrees to treat Rowland's father, Gervaise, for the enormous salary of £10, enough to move her and Willa somewhere safe from Rowland. Because Hester regularly treats sex workers, she recognizes that Gervaise has syphilis. Sensing he's near death, he confesses to Hester that he made his fortune from plantations in Honduras and that he wishes to atone for his sins. He then charges Hester with finding two women, Aphrodite and Nyx, who were enslaved on one of his plantations many years earlier and later worked as servants in his London house until they ran away, so he can make amends. When Hester learns there was a third woman who left the house with Aphrodite and Nyx, she begins to question Gervaise's motives. Much of the plot is predictable, but Hester is a heroine worth rooting for, and her search leads to the discovery of some surprising connections between her family and the women who escaped. Historical fiction fans will be pleased.