Programmed by National Centre for Writing
Step back into the shadows with Sunday Times bestselling author Laura Purcell as she returns to the haunted world of The Silent Companions in her chilling new novel, House of Splinters.
Belinda Bainbridge has spent her life in the shadow of her anxious mother, so when her father-in-law dies at The Bridge, his remote ancestral seat, she is secretly thrilled. His death means she, her husband Wilfred and their children can relocate and finally begin to create their own happy home together: born a merchant's daughter, she will now be lady of the manor.
But their new home quickly proves far from ideal. The garden is a wilderness, the estate is struggling financially, there are whispers about the mysterious death of a servant many years before while their young son, Freddie, seems unusually fixated on the strange wooden figures - so-called 'silent companions' - that were once owned by his ancestors.
When Wilfred's charismatic brother, Nathan, arrives unexpectedly from abroad, bringing a very different account of the family's past, Belinda begins to question what her husband has told her. What really lies behind the sad history of the house?
And are Belinda's children truly safe here?
A master of the modern gothic, Purcell has reignited our love for old houses, buried secrets, and restless apparitions.
Why do we seek out stories that haunt us? Find out more this spooky season!
This event is followed by book sales and signing with The Book Hive.
