A Shadow on the Lens

'Gothic, claustrophobic, and wonderfully dark' GUARDIAN on Sam Hurcom's Thomas Bexley novels...<BR><BR>The next stifling, atmospheric gothic crime novel following one of the world's first forensic photographers - for fans of The Woman in Black, The Silent Companions and Little Strangers.<BR><BR>* * * * * * * *<BR><BR>1905. A year after 'the affair' in Dinas Powys, Thomas Bexley has become a drunkard and recluse, haunted by terrible visions of the dead. But when news of a spate of extraordinary kidnappings reaches him, Thomas is shocked to learn that his dear friend and former mentor, Professor Elijah Hawthorn, is the lead suspect.<BR><BR>Discovering a plea for help from Hawthorn claiming to have unearthed a gruesome conspiracy at the heart of the Metropolitan Police, Thomas embarks on a journey to prove Hawthorn's innocence.<BR><BR>But wherever Thomas goes, he is followed by the dead, and as the mystery of Hawthorn's disappearance deepens, so too does Thomas's apparent insanity...<BR><BR>How can Thomas be certain of the truth when he can't trust anybody around him, not even himself...?<BR><BR>* * * * * * * *<BR><BR>Praise for Sam Hurcom:<BR><BR>'An intriguing debut' THE TIMES<BR><BR>'A promising debut - gothic, claustrophobic and wonderfully dark' GUARDIAN<BR><BR>'A sparkling debut from a name to watch...You might as well be in another world. This is top notch historical crime fiction, with a dash of the supernatural. A gorgeous book and a riveting tale' David Young

The stifling, atmospheric, gothic crime novel with a unique protagonist and killer twist, perfect for fans of The Woman in Black, The Silent Companions, and Little Strangers****************1904. Thomas Bexley, one of the first forensic photographers, is called to the sleepy Welsh village of Dinas Powys. A yound girl named Betsan Tilny has been found murdered in the woodland.One night, he develops the crime scene photographs in the cellar of his lodgings. There, he finds a face dimly visible in the photographs - the shadowed spectre of Betsan Tilny.In the days that follow, Thomas senses a growing presence watching him as he tries to uncover what the villagers of Dinas Powys are so intent on keeping secret...<BR>****************'Gothic, claustrophobic and wonderfully dark' - GUARDIAN'Top notch historical crime fiction, with a dash of the supernatural. A gorgeous book and a riveting tale' - DAVID YOUNG'An intriguing debut' - THE TIMES