The Quickening

Paperback Published on: 01/04/2021
Price: £9.99
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Bookseller Reviews

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The Quickening
England, 1925.....
Louisa Drew lost her husband in the First World War and her twin sons in the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. Newly remarried and pregnant, Louisa is commissi... READ MORE
Dan - Clifton, Bristol.

Synopsis

'If you like gothic mystery, buckle up! This atmospheric read has it all'
Woman magazine

'An historical novel dripping with menace'
Shari Lapena, author of The End of Her
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England, 1925. Louisa Drew lost her husband in the First World War and her six-year-old twin sons in the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. Newly re-married and seven months pregnant, Louisa is asked by her employer to travel to Clewer Hall in Sussex where she is to photograph the contents of the house for auction.

She learns Clewer Hall was host to an infamous séance in 1896, and that the lady of the house has asked those who gathered back then to come together once more to recreate the evening.

When a mysterious child appears on the grounds, Louisa finds herself compelled to investigate and becomes embroiled in the strange happenings of the house. Gradually, she unravels the long-held secrets of the inhabitants and what really happened thirty years before... and discovers her own fate is entwined with that of Clewer Hall's.

For fans of The Silent Companions, The Little Stranger and The Familiars, an exquisitely crafted and compelling mystery that invites the reader in to the crumbling Clewer Hall to help unlock its secrets.

**********

'Utterly brilliant... full of secrets and deliciously creepy'
Lisa Hall, author of The Perfect Couple

'A spooky treat, which had me turning the pages faster and faster'
Cass Green, author of In a Cottage in a Wood

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
  • ISBN: 9781409192183
  • Number of pages: 336
  • Dimensions: 196 x 130 x 26 mm
  • Weight: 260g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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The Quickening
A captivating story with an unsettling backdrop
If I’ve read a book that sets up a character’s backstory more quickly or effectively, I can’t recall it. From the off, Sarah Ward shows us enough of Louisa... READ MORE
Anne O'Connell
The Quickening
A fabulously gothic read
I love historical fiction and I find I am always most interested in Victorian times onwards so The Quickening, set in 1925 but with a toe in the late 1800s... READ MORE
Nicola
The Quickening
Everything you need from a gothic novel, and more
I'm grateful to the publisher for an advance e-copy of The Quickening via NetGalley. The Quickening is a masterful Gothic novel that has it all - a woman ... READ MORE
Blue Book Balloon
The Quickening
Atmospheric
An atmospheric story that is well written. The dual timeline works well, intriguing characters and a fabulous setting, what's not too like. Will certainly... READ MORE
Amanda Gee
The Quickening
Atmospheric
An atmospheric story that is well written. The dual timeline works well, intriguing characters and a fabulous setting, what's not too like. Will certainly... READ MORE
Amanda Gee
The Quickening
Seance and secrets set this thriller rolling
Spooky happenings, seance and eerie atmosphere - these keywords were enough to get me excited about this new novel by Rhiannon Ward. Besides, I was curious... READ MORE
Asha Krishna
The Quickening
A creepy mystery set in the early 1920s
The gothic/horror genre isn’t my usually go to, but I do like books that are a little on the creepy side. The story is set in the early 1920’s and is one... READ MORE
Emma Williams
The Quickening
Half Hearted Ghost Story
I had such high hopes for this book but it consistently left me wanting more. The story reminded me a little of the film The Haunting and without any spoil... READ MORE
Katrina Hair
The Quickening
Addictive old feeling Sherlock
What a wonderful old fashioned story with a outstanding strong woman, whom is determined to.work on a commission taking photographs for an action. Sounds ... READ MORE
Julia Joy
The Quickening
A beautiful, perfectly paced and intriguing Gothic mystery
I absolutely loved The Quickening. It’s a beautiful, perfectly paced and intriguing Gothic mystery, full of atmosphere. Louisa Drew is a likeable and yet u... READ MORE
Jane Bettany
The Quickening
Compelling and engaging
A compelling, engaging and taut read, which follows ahead-of-her-time photographer, Louisa, as she unfolds the mysteries of Clewer Hall and its inhabitants... READ MORE
Jules Hayes
The Quickening
And in the end, I was tired.I was exhausted and I didn't care. To mention this drivel next to The Silent Companions and The Familiars is pathetic.
"Although we’d left the overhanging shrubbery behind us, the day was still dark, and I saw, as in the photo, part of the house was in shadow. I looked up t... READ MORE
Amalia Gkavea
The Quickening
Loved it
What drew me to this novel was the blurb: a haunted house full of mystery and secrets? It sounded really good and really good it is indeed. I found the sto... READ MORE
Noemi Proietti
The Quickening
Loved it!
Some books you just know from the first words you’re going to love and this was one of them for me. This book is my favourite kind of historical novel. I... READ MORE
Lynne Packer
The Quickening
A page turner
Set over dual timelines at the end of the 19th Century and following WW1, this is a historical novel that reminded me of books written at the time. (This i... READ MORE
Nicola Pettitt