The story of a young couple who are about to discover that in a house full of secrets there’s nowhere to hide…
For Helen and George, the remote fixer-upper in Cornwall was supposed to be a dream home, and a way to leave behind the problems they’re both running from. But something about the place feels wrong from day one. And why does Helen have a creeping feeling she’s seen this house before?
Her unease only deepens after renovations begin, when the builders find sinister dolls hidden in the walls. As Helen digs into the house’s past, she discovers that the previous owner was not only rumoured to be a witch; she was also imprisoned for a brutal triple murder thirty years earlier.
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When a horrific accident almost ends in tragedy, Helen worries that the house’s secrets are to blame, and as events spiral out of control she discovers George has been lying to her. As the past returns to haunt them, the couple realise they are in terrible danger, and they can’t trust anyone—not even each other. Because Helen hasn’t been entirely honest with him either…
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Picture: Philippa Gedge
Hi, I'm Claire!
I write crime and literary fiction as Claire McGowan and have also written women's fiction as Eva Woods.
I was born in Northern Ireland and now live in London. I've wanted to be a writer ever since I worked out how to read Dick and Jane ('Look, Dick! Look, Jane!') and I thought, 'I could do that.' How hard could it be?
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Needless to say it was some years before I published my first novel The Fall in 2012. But I've followed it up with several bestsellers, radio plays and screenplays. In fact I recently passed one million sales of my books. I also ran the UK’s first MA in crime writing for five years, and I regularly teach and talk about writing. Drop me a line if you'd like to work together some time.
I've published twenty-plus books as Claire McGowan, including the Washington Post bestselling crime thriller What You Did, as well as popular contemporary fiction as Eva Woods. Browse my books here!
I've written award-winning TV scripts, radio plays, a short film, and a novelty humour book, as well as numerous short stories and articles. Several of my books are also in development for TV.
Got a story of your own? I love teaching the craft and I regularly run workshops, talk at festivals, and teach masterclasses. Find out how to join a session — or work with me to create one!
