From the Sunday Times bestselling author comes a gripping tale of obsession, superstition and ambition, set against the atmospheric backdrop of Victorian London. Be careful what you wish for it may just come true.

At The Mercury Theatre in London’s West End, rumours are circulating of a curse. It is said that the lead actress Lilith has made a pact with Melpomene, the tragic muse of Greek mythology, to become the greatest actress to ever grace the stage. Suspicious of Lilith, the jealous wife of the theatre owner sends dresser Jenny to spy on her, and, desperate for the money to help her family, Jenny agrees.

What Jenny finds is a woman as astonishing in her performance as she is provocative in her nature. On stage, it’s as though Lilith is possessed by the characters she plays, yet off stage she is as tragic as the muse who inspires her, and Jenny, sorry for her, befriends the troubled actress. But when strange events begin to take place around the theatre, Jenny wonders whether the rumours are true and fears that when the muse comes calling for payment, the cost will be too high.

My Review

My second Laura Purcell this month and unfortunately I think I have now read all of her Gothic novels. The Whispering Muse is by far the most shocking – in parts it was really quite gory and grisly.

Lively and intelligent, Jenny Wilcox’s life has been reduced to working as a maid after her brother Greg ran off with the Mercury Theatre’s leading lady and all Jenny’s savings. Then one day she is summoned by theatre owner, Mrs Dyer, and she is sure it’s something to do with the money Greg owed. But no, Mrs Dyer has a proposition to put before her. She is to be the dresser to the new leading lady, Lilith Erikson, but she warns her that Lilith is not easy to work with. You can say that again!

Jenny will be paid a good wage – way above her current salary – but she will basically be a spy for Mrs Dyer and will need to report back to her on Lilith’s actions and behaviour.

“It is said that the lead actress Lilith has made a pact with Melpomene, the tragic muse of Greek mythology to become the greatest actress to ever grace the stage.”

Lilith soon proves herself in her performance as Lady Macbeth, but Mrs Dyer is obsessively jealous of her, and of her husband’s patronage of the new ‘star’. But as Lilith becomes more and more successful and adored, the theatre appears to be crumbling before Jenny’s eyes. Then a tragedy occurs and then another, and Mrs Dyer becomes more obsessive and manic in her jealousy.

And then there’s the dog. Lilith has a black poodle named Eurydice, after the wife of Orpheus, who was bitten by a snake and died instantly. I’m not even sure if that’s relevant.

Once again I listened to this on Audible and I am now grieving. There’s an emptiness I feel having finished it. It’s brilliant, but at times I would say it’s not for the faint-hearted – there are some distressing scenes, described in graphic detail. Dark and spooky, it’s a triumph for the author.

About the Author

Laura Purcell is a former bookseller and lives in Colchester with her husband and pet guinea pigs.

Her first novel for Raven Books The Silent Companions won the WHSmith Thumping Good Read Award 2018 and featured in both the Zoe Ball and Radio 2 Book Clubs. Other Gothic novels include The Corset (The Poison Thread in USA), Bone China and The Shape of Darkness (2020).

Laura’s historical fiction about the Hanoverian monarchs, Queen of Bedlam and Mistress of the Court, was published by Myrmidon.