The Metal Heart

A tense, passionate and deeply atmospheric novel about a community in wartime - and two defiant hearts. Orkney was so perfectly realised, too, that I almost felt windblown. I loved it all the more so for having read it during lockdown: Caroline's beautiful transported me entirely to another time and land -- Susan Fletcher
A powerful Second World War love story. As tensions grow between the Italian PoWs and the Orkney men, the scene is set for a dramatic reckoning. Lea writes beautifully of island life and love, and the sacrifices that both demand * The Times *
Atmospheric, heart-wrenching, evocative - this is a gorgeously written story about the scars we carry with us, and how they can be overcome -- Gytha Lodge
Uses the true story of the building of the chapel on Orkney by Italian prisoners during the Second World War to fashion a fast-moving and very touching story of sisterly devotion and passionate love -- Adèle Geras
A stunning novel . . . impeccably researched, gorgeously written, and deeply evocative of Orkney and its wild beauty. I loved this tale of sisters, salvation and sacrifice from the first page -- Emma Stonex, bestselling author of The Lamplighters
Confirms Lea as a highly original and inventive writer * Sunday Times *
A story of innocents caught up in the machinery of war. Exquisitely researched, beautifully told, this tiny corner of Scotland came alive -- Mary Beth Keane
Myth, legend, fear and superstition all play a part in this intensely atmospheric novel * Choice Magazine *
A beautiful, heart-breaking tale of grief, love and the bond between sisters. I read it in a day, desperate to know what would happen -- Louise Hare
Lea deftly taps into an age-old theme: suspicion and mistrust of outsiders. Woven throughout The Metal Heart is the potent reminder that there are always innocents caught up in the cruel, unforgiving machinery of war * Herald *
A stunning World War Two novel, unlike any other * Sun *
The remoteness of the Orkney islands intensifies the hopes and fears of war. The Metal Heart is a story of passion and separation in which the isolation of twin sisters within a tight-knit community threatens tragedy. A deeply atmospheric novel of hope and redemption. -- Isabelle Grey
Draws you into a wild landscape through an exquisitely told love story -- Elodie Harper
Superbly plotted . . . a story that comes together convincingly, complete with a wonderful double-twist in its final pages * The Orcadian *
Uses the true story of the building of the chapel on Orkney to fashion a touching story of sisterly devotion and passionate love -- Hope Adams, author of Dangerous Women
A mesmerising and atmospheric read * Culturefly *
Praise for THE GLASS WOMAN * - *
A fantastic, atmospheric debut * The Times *
Memorable and compelling. A novel about what haunts us - and what should
An enthralling tale -- Stacey Halls, bestselling author of The Familiars
Intensely written and atmospheric, with an unusual setting, this is a stark evocation of a community where fear of the outsider is rife and unsettling * Daily Mail *
A perfect, gripping winter read. I loved it
Utterly unputdownable. Rich in superstition and mystery, it pulled me in. An incredible novel
A chilling tale * Good Housekeeping *