The House of Whispers

The chilling, mesmerising and darkly delicious new novel from Anna Mazzola, author of The Clockwork Girl and The House of Whispers, inspired by the Aqua Tofana poisonings in 17th century Italy. Perfect for fans of Jessie Burton, Laura Purcell and Stacey Halls.

From the author of THE UNSEEING comes a sizzling, period novel of folk tales, disappearances and injustice set on the Isle of Skye, sure to appeal to readers of Hannah Kent's BURIAL RITES or Beth Underdown's THE WITCH FINDER'S SISTER.<BR><BR>Longlisted for the 2018 Highland Book Prize<BR><BR>'A wonderful combination of a thrilling mystery and a perfectly depicted period piece' Sunday Mirror<BR><BR>Audrey Hart is on the Isle of Skye to collect the folk and fairy tales of the people and communities around her. It is 1857 and the Highland Clearances have left devastation and poverty, and a community riven by fear. The crofters are suspicious and hostile to a stranger, claiming they no longer know their fireside stories. <BR><BR>Then Audrey discovers the body of a young girl washed up on the beach and the crofters reveal that it is only a matter of weeks since another girl disappeared. They believe the girls are the victims of the restless dead: spirits who take the form of birds. <BR><BR>Initially, Audrey is sure the girls are being abducted, but as events accumulate she begins to wonder if something else is at work. Something which may be linked to the death of her own mother, many years before.

WINNER OF THE HISTORICAL NOVEL OF THE YEAR AT THE FINGERPRINT AWARDS 2024!<BR>*Picked as one of the best historical novels of 2023 by The Times!*<BR><BR>'A creepy, chilling story - another Anna Mazzola triumph!' JENNIFER SAINT<BR><BR>'Chilling and compelling, with echoes of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca' ESSIE FOX<BR><BR>Sometimes the secrets of the past are more dangerous than the present...<BR><BR>Rome, 1938.<BR><BR>As the world teeters on the brink of war, talented pianist Eva Valenti enters the house of widower Dante Cavallera to become his new wife.<BR><BR>On the outside, the forces of Fascism are accelerating, but in her new home, Eva fears that something else is at work, whispering in the walls and leaving mysterious marks on Dante's young daughter.<BR><BR>Soon she starts to wonder whether the house itself is trying to give up the secrets of its mysterious past - secrets that Dante seems so determined to keep hidden.<BR><BR>However, Eva must also conceal the truth of her own identity, for if she is discovered, she will be in greater danger than she could ever have imagined...<BR><BR>***<BR><BR>Praise for The House of Whispers:<BR><BR>'Mazzola builds up tension skilfully in a story that flirts with the supernatural as it moves towards a fiery conclusion' SUNDAY TIMES<BR><BR>'This gothic ghost novel will keep you reading well into the night' GLAMOUR<BR><BR>'Utterly brilliant. It's Rebecca meets Winter in Madrid with a sprinkling of Mazzola magic' LAURA SHEPHERD-ROBINSON<BR><BR>'An atmospheric spine-tingler' HEAT<BR><BR>'Packed with political and emotional intrigue, historically rich and deeply unsettling' SARAH HILARY<BR><BR>'Deliciously creepy' WOMAN'S WEEKLY<BR><BR>'Absolutely brilliant. Gripping, beautifully written and properly chilling' CAROLINE GREEN<BR><BR>'Atmospheric and unsettling' DAILY RECORD<BR><BR>'Beautiful, chilling, and darkly enchanting. Anna Mazzola is a truly gifted storyteller' CHRIS WHITAKER<BR><BR>'A sinister gothic tale' COSMO<BR><BR>'I ripped through The House of Whispers in double quick time' JAMES OSWALD<BR><BR>'A deliciously creepy tale from the masterful Anna Mazzola' WOMAN<BR><BR>'Robert Harris meets M.R. James in an evocative gothic tale' DAVID HEWSON<BR><BR>'A gothic tale of political and psychological terror' GUARDIAN<BR><BR>'The sense of place is impeccable, the sense of danger truly chilling' SINEAD CROWLEY<BR><BR>'A delicately told ghost story set in the bright heat of 1930's Italy. Claustrophobic and compelling' AMANDA MASON