Hearth of Darkness

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A TALKSPORT BOOK OF THE WEEK 

TIME OUT ‘BEST BOOKS OF 2025’

'Captivating. What begins as a modern horror story slowly reveals itself as something more ambiguous and, ultimately, heartening. Blake is a very winning narrator.’ Julie Myerson

A haunting blend of true crime, psychological thriller and paranormal investigation.

The doorbell rings in the middle of the night with no one there. The shower turns on by itself. So does the radio. Some rooms always stay colder than others, no matter how high the heating is turned up.

Maybe it’s all down to an overactive imagination, or settling into an unfamiliar house. But what would you do if you saw shadows where there shouldn’t be any? If slugs started to fall from the ceiling? If you constantly felt something eerie following you around?

Matt Blake tells the powerful true story of discovering that his new home – meant to be a refuge for him and his four-year-old daughter after a painful divorce – was once the lair of the E17 Night Stalker. Now he must unravel the house’s frightening secrets.

Can a place be haunted by a dark history? And how does a rationalist who doesn’t believe in religion or ghosts make sense of the paranormal?

Hearth of Darkness is a razor-sharp exploration of how the chilling events of the past can ripple into the present, and of our innate desire to feel safe and find peace at home.

For fans of investigative writing, domestic noir, and those fascinated by the horrors that lurk behind closed doors.

‘Expertly crafted and blisteringly honest … I was drawn in from the very first sentence.’ Manni Coe, author of brother.do.you.love.me