There’s something mysterious about the village of Penhelyg. Will unlocking its truth bring light or darkness?

Meirionydd, 1783. Henry Talbot has been dismissed from his post at a prestigious London hospital. The only job he can find is as a physician in the backwaters of Wales where he can’t speak the language, belief in myth and magic is rife, and the villagers treat him with bewildering suspicion. When Henry discovers his predecessor died under mysterious circumstances, he is determined to find answers.

Linette Tresilian, the unconventional mistress of Plas Helyg, lives a lonely life. Her father is long dead, her mother haunted by demons which keep her locked away in her room, and her cousin treats her with cool disdain – she has had no choice but to become fiercely self-reliant.

Linette has always suspected something is not quite right in the village, but it is only through Henry’s investigations that the truth about those closest to her will come to light…a truth that will bind hers and Henry’s destinies together in ways neither thought possible.

My Review

I’m beginning to think that Gothic Horror is rapidly becoming my new favourite genre. Maybe it’s because I was obsessed with Dennis Wheatley when I was a teenager, particularly The Devil Rides Out (not technically Gothic) and I kept getting those vibes while reading The Shadow Key. Nothing like a bit of devil worship and ritual sacrifice. I was waiting for Henry to recite the words of the ‘Sussamma Ritual’ or shine his headlights on the rising goat-like figure in his midst (ooops no headlights yet). But in the case of the Tresilian family and Plas Helyg, it’s just folklore and superstition. As a man of science Dr Henry Talbot doesn’t believe in any of that nonsense.

Having been dismissed from his job at a prestigious London Hospital, and unable to find another position, he is surprised to be offered a post in the mining village of Penhelyg in rural Wales, where myth and magic are rife. He is hired by Julian Tresilian, who is looking for a local doctor, but also someone to take care of his wayward cousin Linette (she wears men’s clothes and is very outspoken – this is 1783 after all), and her mother Gwen, who is suffering from what the Victorians later on would call ‘hysterical madness’ following the death of her husband.

Henry soon discovers that the locals hate the English, especially the ones who don’t speak Welsh (which is basically all of them), and treat him with suspicion and often downright rudeness. But Henry gets on well with Linette, her dog Merlin likes him (a sure sign), and he feels certain he can turn them around eventually. They urgently need a doctor as his predecessor died ‘under mysterious circumstances’ and the nearest one is miles away.

On his arrival, Henry’s accommodation has been ransacked, and he is shot at in the woods. Hopefully, it’s only because he’s the interloper – not that I’ve ever been shot at when moving to a new house – and they’ll soon get to accept him. But things start to turn even more sinister, and Henry and Linette must join forces to outwit the power of darkness. This book is so my cup of tea, I absolutely loved it, and while wanting to know the outcome, I didn’t want it to finish.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, the author, and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.

About the Author

Susan Stokes-Chapman was born in 1985 and grew up in the historic Georgian city of Lichfield, Staffordshire. She studied for four years at Aberystwyth University, graduating with a BA in Education & English Literature and an MA in Creative Writing. Her debut novel, Pandora, was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction prize 2020 as well as longlisted for the Bath Novel Award that same year. You can find Susan on Instagram and Twitter under the handle @SStokesChapman. Her website is www.susanstokeschapman.com.