Published: 07/06/2018
Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year 2018
'There is an echo of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca in Sarah Maine's appealing debut novel' - The Independent
A captivating story of a crumbling estate in the wilds of Scotland, its long-buried secret and an enduring mystery that brings together two women’s lives divided by a century.
Following the death of her last living relative, Hetty Deveraux leaves London and her strained relationship behind for Muirlan house, her ancestral home in Scotland. Set out on a Hebridean island, reached by a tidal causeway, the house is now in ruins, left uninhabited for more than fifty years.
But as Hetty dives headfirst into the repairs, she discovers a shocking secret protected by the house for a hundred years.
With only whispered rumours circulating among the local villagers and a handful of leads to guide her, Hetty finds the power of the past is still affecting her present in startling ways.
The rugged Hebridean island of North Uist plays an integral part in anchoring two stories of love and loss across the divide of history. A haunting novel of uncovered stories, perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Tracy Rees, Sarah Maine’s debut is imbued with a vivid awareness of the Scottish countryside and the ways wild and unfamiliar landscapes can alter human lives. .
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 9781473683143
Number of pages: 400
Weight: 282 g
Dimensions: 203 x 153 x 26 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
Lovely atmospheric descriptions of Hebridean light and landscape - The Scotsman
There is an echo of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca in Sarah Maine's appealing debut novel - The Independent
A tremendous accomplishment. So assured, so well-judged, and with such an involving story to tell, this might be the author's fifth or sixth novel, not her first. A literary star is born! - Ronald Frame, author of The Lantern Bearers and Havisham
...it came as a great surprise to learn that this was the author's debut novel. I predict great things for Sarah Maine - The Book Bag
Scotland's Outer Hebrides provides the sensuous setting for [this] impressive debut...[a] beautifully crafted novel. - Publishers Weekly
Maine skillfully balances a Daphne du Maurier atmosphere with a Barbara Vine-like psychological mystery...The setting emerges as the strongest personality in this compelling story, evoking passion in the characters as fierce as the storms which always lurk on the horizon. A debut historical thriller which deftly blends classic suspense with modern themes. - Kirkus Reviews
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