Bücher von Susan Stokes-Chapman

"Dismissed from his post at a prestigious London hospital, Dr. Henry Talbot has little choice but to accept a mysterious offer of employment as a private physician from an inscrutable lord of a rural manor in Wales. Arriving at Plas Helyg, Lord Julian's isolated estate, Henry can't speak the language and finds himself treated with hostile suspicion by superstitious villagers, whose beliefs in myths and magic he's inclined to dismiss. But when he discovers that his predecessor died under peculiar, inexplicable circumstances, his determination to uncover the truth leads him down a path fraught with danger-made all the more perilous by his headstrong, reluctant ally Linette, Lord Julian's niece. Linette has lived a lonely life as Plas Helyg's unconventional mistress: her uncle treats her with disdain, her father is long dead, and her mother, long plagued by strange spells and believed by everyone around her to be deeply unwell, spends most of her time locked away in her rooms. Fiercely self-reliant, Linette refuses to wear women's clothes, has no interest in marriage, and takes an interest in the welfare of the men working in Lord Julian's mines, against his wishes. Linette has always suspected something is not quite right in the village, but it is only through Henry's dogged investigations that the dark truth about those closest to her will come to light-a truth that will bind hers and Henry's destinies together forever in ways neither thought possible"--

'An alluring, immersive Gothic mystery from an impressively talented writer.... A simmering, splendid novel' Jennifer SaintThere's something devilish going on in the quiet Welsh village of Penhelyg. Will the shadow key unlock its dark secrets?After a grave mistake, Henry Talbot has been forced to take an unappealing position as a village doctor in remote Wales where he can't speak the language and belief in myth and magic is rife. When Henry discovers his predecessor died in mysterious circumstances, and starts to notice an arcane symbol appearing in odd places, he sets out to find answers.When Henry meets the lady of the manor, Linette Tresilian, he finds her vexingly unhelpful at first. She seems to know little about the shelves of occult books he notices in her family's library. But Linette has suspicions of her own about what's happened in the village and, together, their investigations will bind their destinies in ways neither thought possible.PRAISE FOR THE SHADOW KEY'A haunting, transporting mystery...kept me completely enthralled' Elodie Harper'I was gripped... the story was so dark and clever' Stacey Thomas'Wonderful. . . an intricate plot, beautiful writing, and a clever exploration of evil. If you like my books, then you'll love [this]' Laura Shepherd-Robinson'A gripping, beautifully executed historical thriller, full of arcane magic and Welsh mythology' Rosie Andrews'A tale of chilling suspense, occult secrets and cunning folklore that delicately captures that entanglement of the Welsh landscape and the myths that inhabit it' Cari Williams

Ein Familiengeheimnis im atmosphärischen London um 1800 >Dora< Blake lebt bei ihrem Onkel Hezekiah, der das einst glanzvolle Antiquitätengeschäft ihrer verstorbenen Eltern führt. Sie träumt von einer Zukunft als Goldschmiedin, um der Enge ihrer Welt und ihrem lieblosen Onkel zu entkommen. Als Dora entdeckt, dass Hezekiah eine geheimnisvolle griechische Vase im Keller des Geschäfts versteckt, wird sie neugierig. Sie versucht, mehr über diese Vase herauszufinden und bittet den jungen Buchbinder und Hobby-Archäologen Edward um Hilfe. Doch ihre gemeinsamen Nachforschungen lassen Dora alles, was sie über ihre Familie weiß, hinterfragen. Und die Geheimnisse, die Dora und Edward enthüllen, bringen die beiden zunehmend in Gefahr ...