Overview

* A SUNDAY TIMES HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF 2023 * 'A gloriously foreboding Gothic tale' - HEAT 'A thrillingly dark page-turner' - MAIL ON SUNDAY 'Marta is Jane Eyre's black-hearted alter ego' - THE TIMES Many would find much to fear in Fyneshade's dark and crumbling corridors, its unseen master and silent servants. But not I. For they have far more to fear from me... On the day of her beloved grandmother's funeral, Marta discovers that she is to become governess to the young daughter of Sir William Pritchard. Separated from her lover and discarded by her family, Marta has no choice but to journey to Pritchard's ancient and crumbling house, Fyneshade, in the wilds of Derbyshire. All is not well at Fyneshade. Marta's pupil, little Grace, can be taught nothing, and Marta takes no comfort from the silent servants who will not meet her eye. More intriguing is that Sir William is mysteriously absent, and his son and heir Vaughan is forbidden to enter the house. Marta finds herself drawn to Vaughan, despite the warnings of the housekeeper that he is a danger to all around him. But Marta is no innocent to be preyed upon. Guided by the dark gift taught to her by her grandmother, she has made her own plans. And it will take more than a family riven by murderous secrets to stop her... Perfect for readers of Laura Purcell, Jessie Burton and Stacey Halls, Fyneshade is a dark and twisted gothic novel unlike any you've read before...

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9781788168779

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Reviews

A thrillingly dark page-turner with deeply satisfying nods to a number of gothic classics * Mail on Sunday * Victorian menace with echoes of both Jane Eyre and The Secret Garden * Financial Times * A gloriously foreboding Gothic tale, with a delicious anti-heroine and a fiendish final twist in the tale * Heat * A tour de force! I thoroughly enjoyed this darkest of dark tales with its canny and complicated heroine, and a final twist that made me gasp out loud. Gloriously wicked -- Rosie Andrews, author of LEVIATHAN A darkly delicious joy of a historical gothic novel. Mature and accomplished storytelling that's utterly compelling. I loved it -- Essie Fox, author of THE SOMNAMBULIST A highly original work of dark gothic brilliance. In a house with monstrous secrets, Marta is a heroine like no other. She will steal your heart, believe me. A story so inventive and exciting, I simply couldn't wait for the next page -- Janice Hallett, author of THE APPEAL Dark, heady and bold, Fyneshade is a seductive treat, with a protagonist who is both wicked and irresistible. I was entranced from the first page to the last -- Antonia Hodgson, author of THE DEVIL IN THE MARSHALSEA With a satisfyingly dark anti-hero at its core Fyneshade makes for compelling storytelling and proves Katie Griffin's a new standout voice in gothic fiction -- Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of PANDORA Playful and compelling, and a wonderful love letter to Gothic -- Nicola Upson, author of AN EXPERT IN MURDER I absolutely adored this unforgettable and original take on the governess gothic. Marta is the anti-heroine you can't help rooting for: I was under her spell from the very first page. A deliciously dark and decadent novel, sure to bewitch readers everywhere -- Emilia Hart, author of WEYWARD A dark and sophisticated gothic novel of the governess tale with a twist. Marta is the anti-heroine you won't help rooting for -- Laure Van Rensburg, author of NOBODY BUT US Absolutely pitch black brilliance. Dark, creepy and utterly compelling with characters who jump right off the page - this is gothic suspense at its very best -- SJI Holliday, author of VIOLET What a devious and delightful tale. In Marta, Kate Griffin gives us one the most inventive and compelling characters of recent years. A gloriously gothic and often darkly funny story. I devoured it whole -- Anna Mazzola, author of THE CLOCKWORK GIRL A gothic triumph. With so many hidden secrets, you won't know who to trust -- A.J. West, author of THE SPIRIT ENGINEER An elegant iron fist of a novel cast in tattered finery and soaked in velvet darkness. Its darkness cloaked me to the end. Magnificent -- Matt Wesolowski, author of SIX STORIES

A highly original work of dark gothic brilliance. In a house with monstrous secrets, Marta is a heroine like no other. She will steal your heart, believe me. A story so inventive and exciting, I simply couldn't wait for the next page -- Janice Hallett, author of THE APPEAL Dark, heady and bold, Fyneshade is a seductive treat, with a protagonist who is both wicked and irresistible. I was entranced from the first page to the last -- Antonia Hodgson, author of THE DEVIL IN THE MARSHALSEA Marta is Jane Eyre's black-hearted alter ego... ingenious * The Times * Jane Eyre but with an icy heart... a dark, inventive story * Sunday Times * Victorian menace with echoes of both Jane Eyre and The Secret Garden * Financial Times * A thrillingly dark page-turner with deeply satisfying nods to a number of gothic classics * Mail on Sunday * A gloriously foreboding Gothic tale, with a delicious anti-heroine and a fiendish final twist in the tale * Heat * A tour de force! I thoroughly enjoyed this darkest of dark tales with its canny and complicated heroine, and a final twist that made me gasp out loud. Gloriously wicked -- Rosie Andrews, author of THE LEVIATHAN With a satisfyingly dark anti-hero at its core Fyneshade makes for compelling storytelling and proves Kate Griffin's a new standout voice in gothic fiction -- Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of PANDORA A darkly delicious joy of a historical gothic novel. Mature and accomplished storytelling that's utterly compelling. I loved it -- Essie Fox, author of THE SOMNAMBULIST Playful and compelling, and a wonderful love letter to Gothic -- Nicola Upson, author of AN EXPERT IN MURDER Wonderful and well-deserved. I loved Fyneshade's clever reworking of Jane Eyre's gothic tropes, it's wicked anti-heroine and immaculate plotting. A perfectly shivery read for a hot summer day... Stupendously good -- Amanda Craig, author of THE LIE OF THE LAND I absolutely adored this unforgettable and original take on the governess gothic. Marta is the anti-heroine you can't help rooting for: I was under her spell from the very first page. A deliciously dark and decadent novel, sure to bewitch readers everywhere -- Emilia Hart, author of WEYWARD What a devious and delightful tale. In Marta, Kate Griffin gives us one the most inventive and compelling characters of recent years. A gloriously gothic and often darkly funny story. I devoured it whole -- Anna Mazzola, author of THE CLOCKWORK GIRL An atmospheric and enthralling read, perfect escapism and historical fiction at its best * Buzz *

A thrillingly dark page-turner with deeply satisfying nods to a number of gothic classics * Mail on Sunday * A tour de force! I thoroughly enjoyed this darkest of dark tales with its canny and complicated heroine, and a final twist that made me gasp out loud. Gloriously wicked -- Rosie Andrews, author of LEVIATHAN A darkly delicious joy of a historical gothic novel. Mature and accomplished storytelling that's utterly compelling. I loved it -- Essie Fox, author of THE SOMNAMBULIST A highly original work of dark gothic brilliance. In a house with monstrous secrets, Marta is a heroine like no other. She will steal your heart, believe me. A story so inventive and exciting, I simply couldn't wait for the next page -- Janice Hallett, author of THE APPEAL Dark, heady and bold, Fyneshade is a seductive treat, with a protagonist who is both wicked and irresistible. I was entranced from the first page to the last -- Antonia Hodgson, author of THE DEVIL IN THE MARSHALSEA With a satisfyingly dark anti-hero at its core Fyneshade makes for compelling storytelling and proves Katie Griffin's a new standout voice in gothic fiction -- Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of PANDORA Playful and compelling, and a wonderful love letter to Gothic -- Nicola Upson, author of AN EXPERT IN MURDER A dark and sophisticated gothic novel of the governess tale with a twist. Marta is the anti-heroine you won't help rooting for -- Laure Van Rensburg, author of NOBODY BUT US Absolutely pitch black brilliance. Dark, creepy and utterly compelling with characters who jump right off the page - this is gothic suspense at its very best -- SJI Holliday, author of VIOLET What a devious and delightful tale. In Marta, Kate Griffin gives us one the most inventive and compelling characters of recent years. A gloriously gothic and often darkly funny story. I devoured it whole -- Anna Mazzola, author of THE CLOCKWORK GIRL A gothic triumph. With so many hidden secrets, you won't know who to trust -- A.J. West, author of THE SPIRIT ENGINEER An elegant iron fist of a novel cast in tattered finery and soaked in velvet darkness. Its darkness cloaked me to the end. Magnificent -- Matt Wesolowski, author of SIX STORIES I loved the gothic horror of Fyneshade. Dark flashes of Fingersmith, Jane Eyre and The Turn of the Screw, with witchy governess Marta taking on the secrets that scratch around the walls. Deliciously dark and twisty -- Tina Baker, author of CALL ME MUMMY Stunning. With a refreshingly complex protagonist and a story as richly threaded as the tapestries within the beautiful rooms of Fyneshade itself, the novel left me guessing its secrets till the very end -- Polly Crosby, author of THE ILLUSTRATED CHILD A piercing, acerbic, deliciously dark take on the governess tale; dripping with atmosphere, cobwebbed with twists, and with an anti-heroine you'll never forget -- Lizzie Pook, author of MOONLIGHT AND THE PEARLER'S DAUGHTER

Author Information

Kate Griffin studied English literature at university and developed a healthy obsession with Victorian gothic novels. She has worked as an assistant to an antiques dealer, a journalist for local newspapers and for The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders, Kate's first book, won the Stylist/Faber crime writing competition. Kate lives in St Albans.

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