Overview

A dark house filled with darker secrets... Winter 1954, and in a dilapidated apartment in Brooklyn, Sam Cooper realises that she has nothing left. Her mother is dead, she has no prospects, and she cannot afford the rent. But as she goes through her mother's things, Sam finds a stack of hidden letters that reveal a family and an inheritance that she never knew she had, three thousand miles away in Yorkshire. Begars Abbey is a crumbling pile, inhabited only by Sam's crippled grandmother, Lady Cooper, a housekeeper and a handful of servants. Sam cannot understand why her mother kept its very existence a secret, but her diaries offer a glimpse of a young girl growing increasingly terrified. As is Sam herself. Built on the foundations of an old convent, Begars moves and sings with the biting wind. Her grandmother cannot speak, and a shadowy woman moves along the corridors at night. For there are dark places in the hidden tunnels beneath Begars. And they will not give up their secrets easily... Perfect for readers of Laura Purcell and Natasha Pulley, Begars Abbey will keep you up at night.

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9781788164566

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Reviews

Takes its reader to a sinister place and locks them in, all alone. A dark, gothic delight best enjoyed by the light of a single, flickering candle -- Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal An inventive, lavish, twisty ghost story that will keep you guessing and turning the pages until the very end. Atmospheric and hugely enjoyable -- Alison Littlewood, author of Mistletoe An atmospheric, spine-tingling page-turner packed with curious characters and sinister twists -- Jennifer Ryan A shiver-down-the-spine jaunt into the gruesome past, with a deliciously creepy finale -- C.E. Rose Wonderful... High gothic with a captivating protagonist. Loved it -- Rhiannon Ward, author of The Quickening As a gothic novel Begars Abbey has it all: remote and storm-bound Yorkshire, ruined abbey buildings, hidden diaries and keys, locked doors and long corridors, even a wicked old woman in a wheelchair... But Vikki Valentine provides the reader with something more, through her appealing, nail-biting heroine, Sam -- Alix Nathan Pure enjoyment! Searching for her Yorkshire roots, spirited New Yorker Sam Cooper is pulled into a Gothic mystery rooted in medieval horrors. Witty, fast-moving and spine-chillingly dark, this is a gripping and rewarding read -- Rose Black, author of The Unforgetting The 1950s setting of Begars Abbey by VL Valentine cleverly evokes the black and white movies of the period, building to a gripping Gothic climax -- Leonora Nattrass, author of Black Drop No-one does the creeps like V.L. Valentine... Darkly, fiendishly, irresistibly good -- Kate Simants, author of A Ruined Girl A knowing spin on the English country house ghost story, it's a romp told with sly affection for the genre & great gothic gusto -- Kate Griffin, author of Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders

PRAISE FOR THE AUTHOR: 'A gripping whodunnit with a sinister twist -- Jennifer Ryan, author of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir A riotous delve into the dark medical world of Restoration London -- S.G. MacLean, author of The Seeker An infectious read, packed with atmosphere and colourful characters -- Oscar de Muriel, author of The Strings of Murder

PRAISE FOR THE AUTHOR: 'A gripping whodunnit with a sinister twist -- Jennifer Ryan, author of <i>The Chilbury Ladies' Choir</i> A riotous delve into the dark medical world of Restoration London -- S.G. MacLean, author of <i>The Seeker</i> An infectious read, packed with atmosphere and colourful characters -- Oscar de Muriel, author of <i>The Strings of Murder</i> The 1950s setting of Begars Abbey by VL Valentine cleverly evokes the black and white movies of the period, building to a gripping Gothic climax -- Leonora Nattrass, author of <i>Black Drop</i>

PRAISE FOR THE AUTHOR: 'A gripping whodunnit with a sinister twist -- Jennifer Ryan, author of <i>The Chilbury Ladies' Choir</i> An infectious read, packed with atmosphere and colourful characters -- Oscar de Muriel, author of <i>The Strings of Murder</i> The 1950s setting of Begars Abbey by VL Valentine cleverly evokes the black and white movies of the period, building to a gripping Gothic climax -- Leonora Nattrass, author of <i>Black Drop</i> No-one does the creeps like V.L. Valentine... Darkly, fiendishly, irresistibly good -- Kate Simants, author of <i>A Ruined Girl</i> An inventive, lavish, twisty ghost story that will keep you guessing and turning the pages until the very end. Atmospheric and hugely enjoyable, -- Alison Littlewood, author of <i>Mistletoe</i> A riotous delve into the dark medical world of Restoration London -- S.G. MacLean, author of <i>The Seeker</i>

PRAISE FOR THE AUTHOR: 'A gripping whodunnit with a sinister twist -- Jennifer Ryan, author of <i>The Chilbury Ladies' Choir</i> A riotous delve into the dark medical world of Restoration London -- S.G. MacLean, author of <i>The Seeker</i> An infectious read, packed with atmosphere and colourful characters -- Oscar de Muriel, author of <i>The Strings of Murder</i>

Author Information

V.L. Valentine is a senior science editor at National Public Radio in Washington, D.C., where she has led award-winning coverage of global disease outbreaks including Covid-19, Ebola and the Zika virus. She has a master's in the history of medicine from University College London and her non-fiction work has been published by NPR, The New York Times, The Smithsonian Channel and Science Magazine. Her debut novel, The Plague Letters, was published in 2021.

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