The Plague Charmer

Author: Karen Maitland
Publisher: Review
ISBN: 1472235843
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 400

Book Description
1361. An unlucky thirteen years after the Black Death, plague returns to England. 'Fear and hysteria are portrayed with claustrophobic skill' THE TIMES 'Dark and enthralling... with an unexpected hero' JULIE COHEN From the bestselling author of Company of Liars, Karen Maitland, The Plague Charmer is a darkly compelling novel following a stranger who arrives in an isolated community in the grips of a medieval pandemic. When the sickness reaches the village of Porlock Weir, who stands to lose the most? And who will seize this moment for their own dark ends? The dwarf who talks in riddles? The mother who fears for her children? The wild woman from the sea? Or two lost boys, far away from home? PESTILENCE IS IN THE AIR. BUT SOMETHING DARKER LURKS IN THE DEPTHS. Why readers are gripped by The Plague Charmer 'Its horrors are vividly told but with an underlying sense of human resilience and hope' 'A real page turner' 'The best and worst of human behaviour in troubled times' 'Poignant, shocking and haunting' 'It was so easy to be drawn into this world...'

Company of Liars

Author: Karen Maitland
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0141900016
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 592

Book Description
The year is 1348 and the first plague victim has reached English shores. Panic erupts around the country and a small band of travellers comes together to outrun the deadly disease, unaware that something far more deadly is -in fact - travelling with them. The ill-assorted company - a scarred trader in holy relics, a conjurer, two musicians, a healer and a deformed storyteller - are all concealing secrets and lies. And at their heart is the strange, cold child - Narigorm - who reads the runes. But as law and order breaks down across the country and the battle for survival becomes ever more fierce, Narigorm mercilessly compels each of her fellow travellers to reveal the truth ... and each in turn is driven to a cruel and unnatural death.

The Gallows Curse

Author: Karen Maitland
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0141956887
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 595

Book Description
1210 and a black force is sweeping England. For a vengeful King John has seized control of the Church, leaving corpses to lie in unconsecrated ground, babies unbaptized in their cradles and the people terrified of dying in sin. And in the village of Gastmere, the consequences grow darker still when Elena, a servant girl, is dragged into a conspiracy to absolve the sins of the lord of the manor. As the terrors that soon begin to plague Elena's sleep grow darker, in desperation she visits the cunning woman, who has been waiting for just such an opportunity to fulfil an ancient curse conjured at the gallows. Elena, haunted by this curse and threatened with death for a crime she didn't commit, flees the village ... only to find her nightmare has barely begun. For treachery lurks in every shadow as King John's brutal reign makes enemies of brothers, murderers of virgins and sinners of us all.

The Genius Plague

Author: David Walton
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1633883434
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 386

Book Description
"In this science fiction thriller, brothers are pitted against each other as a pandemic threatens to destabilize world governments by exerting a subtle mind control over survivors"--

The Owl Killers

Author: Karen Maitland
Publisher: Delacorte Press
ISBN: 0440338883
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 529

Book Description
In 1321, the English town of Ulewic teeters between survival and destruction, faith and doubt, God and demons. Against this intense backdrop, a group of women have formed a beguinage, a self-sustaining community of women. Led by the strong-willed Servant Martha, these women are committed to a code of celibacy and prayer, hard work and charity that is unsanctioned by the all-powerful church. Still, the villagers have come to rely on this remarkable group of women for their very lives. And seeking shelter among them now is the youngest daughter of Ulewic’s lord, a man who holds power over them all. But when a series of natural calamities strikes, the beguinage’s enemies make their move, stirring the superstitious villagers with dark rumors of unspeakable depravities and unleashing upon the defiant all-female community the full force of their vengeance in the terrifying form of the Owl Killers. Men cloaked in masks and secrecy, ruling with violence and intimidation—the Owl Killers draw battle lines. In this village ravaged by flood and disease, the women of the beguinage must draw upon their deepest strength if they are to overcome the raging storm of long-held secrets and shattering lies.

Frog Music

Author: Emma Donoghue
Publisher: Little, Brown
ISBN: 0316324663
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 402

Book Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of Room, a young French burlesque dancer living in San Francisco is ready to risk anything in order to solve her friend’s murder—but only if the killer doesn’t get her first. Summer of 1876: San Francisco is in the fierce grip of a record-breaking heat wave and a smallpox epidemic. Through the window of a railroad saloon, a young woman named Jenny Bonnet is shot dead. The survivor, her friend Blanche Beunon, is a French burlesque dancer. Over the next three days, she will risk everything to bring Jenny's murderer to justice—if he doesn't track her down first. The story Blanche struggles to piece together is one of free-love bohemians, desperate paupers, and arrogant millionaires; of jealous men, icy women, and damaged children. It's the secret life of Jenny herself, a notorious character who breaks the law every morning by getting dressed: a charmer as slippery as the frogs she hunts. In thrilling, cinematic style, Frog Music digs up a long-forgotten, never-solved crime. Full of songs that migrated across the world, Emma Donoghue's lyrical tale of love and bloodshed among lowlifes captures the pulse of a boomtown like no other. "Her greatest achievement yet . . . Emma Donoghue shows more than range with Frog Music—she shows genius." —Darin Strauss, author of Half a Life.

The Falcons of Fire and Ice

Author: Karen Maitland
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0141956895
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 476

Book Description
The Falcons of Fire and Ice by Karen Maitland, author of the hugely popular Company of Liars, is a powerful historical thriller which takes you right back to the darkest corners of the 16th century. Intelligently written and meticulously researched, it is a real treat for all fans of CJ Sansom and Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose. 'A tour de force: dark and woven with the supernatural' Daily Mail 1564, Lisbon. The Inquisition displays its power and ruthlessly spreads fear. Heretics are tortured and burned. Any who oppose the Church's will realize that silence is preferable to a slow and agonizing death. Isabela, daughter of the Falconer at the Royal Court, is about to be caught in the Church's terrifying schemes. The slaughter of two of the King's precious white falcons sees her father arrested and imprisoned. As punishment he and his family will be killed unless the birds are replaced. Isabela, young and headstrong, decides that only she can save her father. These birds are impossibly rare, and she will have to travel far and into strange lands to find them to clear her father's name. It is a journey that will take her into a dark and dangerous world filled with menacing people driven by fearful beliefs. And, unfortunately for Isabela, the Church has sent a companion to ensure she never returns . . . Step back in time with Karen Maitland's Dark Tales and discover a world full of imagination in The Falcons of Fire and Ice - 'a thrilling horrible vision of the Dark Ages' Metro Karen Maitland travelled and worked in many parts of the United Kingdom before finally settling in the beautiful medieval city of Lincoln. She is the author of The White Room, Company of Liars, The Owl Killersand The Gallows Curse. The latter three titles are available as Penguin paperbacks.

The Raven's Head

Author: Karen Maitland
Publisher: Review
ISBN: 1472215079
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 461

Book Description
A gothic delight from Karen Maitland, author of the bestselling and much-loved Company of Liars, that will enchant readers of Kate Mosse's The Burning Chambers or fans of Deborah Harkness seeking a new, dark fix. 'An atmospheric and dark story' The Times Never trust your secrets to a Raven when you are not its true master... 1224. Langley Manor, Norfolk. Lord Sylvain has been practising alchemy in hiding for years and now only the Apothecary's niece can help him with final preparations to forge the Philosopher's Stone. Alchemy calls for symbols - and victims - and when a man in possession of an intricately carved raven's head arrives at the Manor in a clumsy attempt at blackmail, Sylvain has both symbol and victim within easy reach. But the White Canons in nearby Langley Abbey are concealing a crucial, missing ingredient... Regulus, a small boy with a large destiny. What readers are saying about The Raven's Head: 'An intriguing and exciting dark tale about power and intrigue in politics, but most of all about the power and fear of the main ingredient of the book - almighty alchemy!' 'Full of stories, witchcraft, alchemy, suspicion and suspense. Fantastic book' 'As well as being a suspenseful tale that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, the book illustrates that the Middle Ages had a dark edge. The writing is beautiful, and the novel is crafted in a masterful way'

The Vanishing Witch

Author: Karen Maitland
Publisher: Review
ISBN: 1472215028
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 569

Book Description
Step back in time with Karen Maitland, author of the hugely popular Company of Liars. This dark tale is sure to thrill fans of The Witchfinder's Sister and C. J. Sansom with its chilling recreation of the Peasants' Revolt. **Includes an exclusive preview of Karen's new medieval thriller, A Gathering of Ghosts** 'A gem, crafted in the darkness ... Maitland has produced another gripping tale, from a darker age, which has surprising resonances with the present' Independent on Sunday By the pricking of my thumbs ... Lincoln, 1380. A raven-haired widow is newly arrived in John of Gaunt's city, with her two unnaturally beautiful children in tow. The widow Catlin seems kind, helping wool merchant Robert of Bassingham care for his ill wife. Surely it makes sense for Catlin and her family to move into Robert's home? But when first Robert's wife - and then others - start dying unnatural deaths, the whispers turn to witchcraft. The reign of Richard II brings bloody revolution, but does it also give shelter to the black arts? And which is more deadly for the innocents of Lincoln? What readers are saying about The Vanishing Witch: 'Engrossing, enchanting and mysterious - this book kept my mind busy from start to finish' 'Compulsive reading. Thoroughly researched, highly informative and just a downright good story!' 'Magical and mysterious. Against this fascinating historical background, Maitland weaves a sinister tale of witchcraft, betrayal and terror'

A Cup of Silver Linings

Author: Karen Hawkins
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1982105569
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 368

Book Description
From New York Times bestselling author Karen Hawkins comes another "mesmerizing fusion of the mystical and the everyday" (Susan Andersen, New York Times bestselling author) in her Dove Pond series--and this time Ava's famous tea leaves spell trouble ahead. Ava Dove--the sixth of seven daughters of the famed Dove family, and owner of Ava's Landscaping and Specialty Gourmet Tea--is frantic. Just as she is getting ready to open her fabulous new tearoom, her herbal teas have gone wonky. Suddenly, the tea that is supposed to help people sleep is startling them awake with vivid dreams; the tea that infuses romance back into tired marriages is causing people to blurt out their darkest secrets; and the tea that helps people find happiness is making them spend hours staring into mirrors. Meanwhile, living four doors down the road from Ava, sixteen-year-old Kristen Foster's life has just crashed down around her. After her mother's death, Kristen's grandmother Ellen has arrived in town to sweep Kristen off to a white mansion on a hill in distant Raleigh. But Kristen has had enough 'life changes' and is desperate to stay with her friends in her beloved hometown of Dove Pond. But to do so means Kristen must undertake a quest she's been avoiding her entire life--finding her never-been-there-for-her father. With the help of an ancient herbal remedy book found in her attic by her sister, Ava realizes that Kristen holds the key to fixing her unstable tea leaves. So Ava throws herself into Kristen's search, even convincing Kristen's grandmother Ellen to help, too. Together, the three embark on a reluctant but magical journey of healing, friendship, and family that will delight fans of Alice Hoffman, Kate Morton, and Sarah Addison Allen.