The time-shifts and three different narrators are also handled deftly. The tragedy of TB or “consumption” – a disease easily cured today – which killed so many while family and friends had to look on helplessly, is brought to life effectively and affectingly. The historical details are well-researched and interesting. The gloomy weather, hostile geography and ancient superstitions of the Cornish setting seem to conspire to further unhinge all the narrators and place the reader in the uncomfortable position of not knowing quite what to believe. From the first page there is a pervading sense of dread and unseen malevolent presences. As with her previous books, in Bone China it is in creating atmosphere that the author excels.

I didn’t feel The Corset was quite as successful, but it was another entertaining story with plenty of twists and turns. The Silent Companions is a masterclass in creating an oppressive atmosphere and a big spooky house for characters to rattle around in.

I’ve read and enjoyed Purcell’s previous two books. Hester has fled to Cornwall to try and escape her past, but surrounded by superstitious staff enacting bizarre rituals, she soon discovers that her new home may be just as dangerous as her last… While he devotes himself to his controversial medical trials, Louise finds herself increasingly discomfited by the strange tales her new maid tells of the fairies that hunt the land, searching for those they can steal away to their realm.įorty years later, Hester Why arrives at Morvoren House to take up a position as nurse to the now partially paralysed and almost entirely mute Miss Pinecroft. But Dr Pinecroft has plans for a revolutionary experiment: convinced that sea air will prove to be the cure his wife and children needed, he arranges to house a group of prisoners suffering from the same disease in the cliffs beneath his new Cornish home.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing for providing me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley.Ĭonsumption has ravaged Louise Pinecroft’s family, leaving her and her father alone and heartbroken. Another creepy dose of gothic madness and melancholia.

Bone China by Laura Purcell