Palace of Shadows
A Spine-Chilling Gothic Thriller from the Author of the City Blues Quartet
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Pan Macmillan
Published:12th Oct '23
£16.99
Available to order, but very limited on stock - if we have issues obtaining a copy, we will let you know.
From the prize-winning, critically acclaimed author of the City Blues Quartet comes a Yorkshire-set gothic masterpiece to rival The Essex Serpent.
From the prize-winning, critically acclaimed author of the City Blues Quartet comes a Yorkshire-set gothic masterpiece to rival The Essex Serpent
'Chillingly gothic' — The Guardian, Best Crime and Thrillers of the Year
Inspired by the haunting true story of the Winchester Mystery House, Ray Celestin's Palace of Shadows is an outstanding historical thriller set against the awe-inspiring terror of the Yorkshire Moors. From the prize-winning author of the City Blues Quartet.
1899. The desolate Smugglers’ Coast of North Yorkshire is a place that strikes fear into those who live nearby. Unexplained deaths, suicides, young girls gone missing on the nearby moors — the locals say it’s the grand house that drives people mad.
Still, when Samuel Etherstone is contacted by its reclusive owner, Mrs Chesterfield, and commissioned to work on the property, he accepts the offer. For a penniless artist adrift in London, the opportunity is too tempting to ignore.
It is only on arrival at the Chesterfield house that he learns the sinister details of its architect’s disappearance. And yet the widowed Mrs Chesterfield, keeps adding wing upon wing, and no one will tell him the reason behind her chilling obsession. But as Samuel delves deeper into the mysteries that swirl about the house the nature of the project becomes terrifyingly clear . . .
'Darkly entertaining' — Laura Shepherd-Robinson, bestselling author of The Square of Sevens
‘Gloriously bonkers' — Andrew Taylor, bestselling author of The Shadows of London
'A beguiling standalone historical thriller . . . An absolute triumph' — Sunday Express
'[S]et in the late 19th century, [Ray Celestin] takes the true story of American weapons heiress Sarah Winchester’s San Jose mansion and transports it to Yorkshire, with chillingly gothic results. -- Guardian, 'Best Crime and Thrillers of 2023'
[A] beguiling standalone historical thriller . . . Its jaw-dropping finale will leave readers reeling. An absolute triumph * Sunday Express *
‘I loved Palace of Shadows . . . set on the Yorkshire moors in the late 19th century. Based on a true story, a labyrinth of timelines populated by vividly written characters offers a darkly entertaining plot.’ -- Laura Shepherd-Robinson, bestselling author of The Square of Sevens
‘I could see elements of Wilkie Collins, Bram Stoker and even Lewis Carroll in this gloriously bonkers novel . . . a hugely entertaining slice of Gothic fantasy’ -- Andrew Taylor, bestselling author of The Shadows of London
Palace of Shadows moves exhilaratingly into Gothic territory * Financial Times *
Beautifully crafted and delightfully creepy * Book *
A piercing and wholly captivating historical novel that creates the most sinister and atmospheric of gothic tones…The foreboding descent into [the house’s] depths are chilling, and yet oh-so addictive… Beautifully atmospheric and absolutely convincing * LoveReading *
Palace of Shadows is as authentically detailed as Dickens, sophisticatedly horrific as Poe, and is more than enough to give readers the chills on dark autumn nights * Buzz Magazine *
Welcome the darker months in with this deeply unsettling gothic tale * Sainsbury's Magazine *
Crime writer Celestin changes direction with this beautifully crafted and creepy Gothic novel . . . Chilling * The Sunday Post *
Mesmerising . . . [A] gothic masterpiece * Daily Record *
ISBN: 9781035019076
Dimensions: 243mm x 162mm x 36mm
Weight: 560g
352 pages