
The Marsh House (Hardback)
Zoe Somerville (author)- 10+ in stock
The haunting second novel from the author of The Night of the Flood. Two women, separated by decades, are drawn together by one, mysterious house on the North Norfolk coast.
'Part ghost story, part thriller, I loved it' Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City
December, 1962. Desperate to create a happy Christmas for her young daughter, Franny, after a disastrous year, Malorie rents a remote house on the Norfolk coast. But once there, the strained silence between them feels louder than ever. As Malorie digs for decorations in the attic, she comes across the notebooks of the teenaged Rosemary, who lived in the house thirty years before. Trapped inside by a blizzard, and with long days and nights ahead of her, Malorie begins to read. Though she knows she needs to focus on the present, she finds herself inexorably drawn into the past...
July, 1931. Rosemary lives in the Marsh House with her austere father, surrounded by unspoken truths and rumours. So when the glamorous Lafferty family moves to the village, she succumbs easily to their charm. Dazzled by the beautiful Hilda and her dashing brother, Franklin, Rosemary fails to see the danger that lurks beneath their bright facades...
As Malorie reads Rosemary's diary, past and present begin to merge in this moving story of mothers and daughters, family obligation and deeply buried secrets.
Praise for The Marsh House:
'Zoe Somerville is a born storyteller and this page-turner delivers plenty of creepy thrills' The Times
'A satisfyingly dark, gothic tale where the past is never far behind you' Rhiannon Ward, author of The Quickening
'Beautifully written, atmospheric as hell, and elegantly constructed, the story of The Marsh House will draw you into its grip and never let go till the final word' Jane Johnson, author of The Sea Gate
'Deliciously eerie and unsettling, The Marsh House had me bewitched from page one. I loved its layers of history and secrets. A haunting gem of a book' Susan Allott, author of The Silence
'A fabulous read, deft and precise, with a satisfying mystery at its centre, based upon a beautifully compassionate reading of the tradition of English folk magic' Amanda Mason, author of The Hiding Place
'Immersed in the landscape of the North Norfolk coast, this is a clever, suspenseful novel that kept me intrigued. Part ghost story, part thriller, I loved it' Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City
Publisher: Head of Zeus
ISBN: 9781838934644
Number of pages: 352
Dimensions: 228 x 145 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'Beautifully written, atmospheric as hell, and elegantly constructed, the story of The Marsh House will draw you into its grip and never let go till the final word' -- Jane Johnson, author of The Sea Gate
'Immersed in the landscape of the North Norfolk coast, this is a clever, suspenseful novel that kept me intrigued. Part ghost story, part thriller, I loved it' -- Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City
'I so enjoyed this, it's a delicate and suspenseful novel, with a wonderful sense of time and place. The bitter cold of the winter of 1962 and the isolation it imposes on the characters is brilliantly evoked; and the haunting in this story, which connects Malorie in 1962 with Rosemary in 1931 is subtly realised. It's a fabulous read, deft and precise, with a satisfying mystery at its centre, based upon a beautifully compassionate reading of the tradition of English folk magic' -- Amanda Mason, author of The Hiding Place and The Wayward Girls
'Deliciously eerie and unsettling, The Marsh House had me bewitched from page one. I loved its layers of history and secrets. A haunting gem of a book' -- Susan Allott, author of The Silence
'Past and present merge in this eerie, compelling tale of family secrets' * Woman's Own *
'This page-turner delivers plenty of creepy thrills' * The Times *
'A haunting read' * Women's Weekly *
'Zoe Somerville's second novel is an assured and haunting blend of mystery and ghost story... An ideal read for fans of atmospheric historical fiction' * Historical Novel Society *
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“An atmospheric ghost story set in the North Norfolk Coast”
"It might seem strange to other people, brought up in other ways, that I still clung to these beliefs and superstitions, even as the modern world was opening up for me. But time is different up there in a village... More
“Strong second novel”
Zoe Somerville’s historical debut The Night of the Flood was an atmospheric exploration of a secret Cold War base in Norfolk and a tangled love story. Her follow up, The Marsh House, is also set in an atmospheric... More
“I loved it”
Set in 1962 and the 1930s this is a completely addictive novel. Elements of the supernatural, historical fact and family mystery are expertly woven together with suspense at the centre of the plot. The atmosphere... More
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