The Secrets of Hartwood Hall

Mar 12, 2026 9:14 AM

Author:Katie Lumsden

I loved this fresh take on the gothic genre. Vivid, haunting, surprising' STACEY HALLS

'A full-blooded gothic mystery with bite, great characterisation and heaps of atmosphere' EMMA STONEX

1852. Margaret Lennox, a young widow, is offered a position as governess at Hartwood Hall. She quickly accepts, hoping this isolated country house will allow her to leave the past behind.

Margaret soon feels there's something odd about Hartwood: strange figures in the dark, tensions between servants and an abandoned east wing.

Margaret is certain that everyone here has something to hide, and as her own past threatens to catch up with her, she must learn to trust her instincts before it's too late...

Reviews

I loved this fresh take on the gothic genre. Vivid, haunting, surprising

—— Stacey Halls, author of Sunday Times bestsellers The Familiars, The Foundling and Mrs England

A full-blooded gothic mystery with bite, great characterisation and heaps of atmosphere

—— Emma Stonex

A delicious Gothic mystery with an unexpected final twist

—— Heat

A brilliantly creepy and utterly compelling read, which put me in mind of Laura Purcell, Stacey Halls and Michelle Paver: it's up there with the most wonderfully engrossing and twisty gothic historical fiction

—— Caroline Lea

A creepy, captivating gothic mystery

—— Woman's Weekly

Smart, atmospheric, gripping and full of surprises, this is a Gothic spine-chiller by an absolutely modern writer

—— Maggie Gee

This book delivers HUGE Jane Eyre vibes, gothic and mysterious Victoriana. I LOVED it

—— Sophie Irwin, author of Sunday Times bestseller A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting

An immersive, atmospheric novel and a true love letter to Gothic fiction

—— i

With echoes of Jane Eyre but with a heart of its own . . . a suspenseful and beautifully crafted novel filled with atmosphere, rich characters and plenty of layers to keep a reader hooked right to the end

—— Susan Stokes-Chapman, the SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of PANDORA

In her atmospheric debut, The Secrets of Hartwood Hall, Katie Lumsden enthralls us with a quintessential manor-home mystery. Fans of gothic literature will savor the peculiar characters, the abandoned corridors, the deceptions and twists behind every door... Ultimately a story about women and the haunting secrets they keep, Lumsden's debut reminds us never to trust first appearances. A mesmerizing debut!

—— Sarah Penner

The Secret of Hartwood Hall is exactly the book you want on a cold, stormy night when the wind is sneaking in the cracks. A thoroughly impressive debut with fantastically timed surprises throughout

—— Lyndsay Faye

Deeply immersive, atmospheric, and a true love letter to gothic fiction. An impressive, standout debut, sure to leave readers on the edge of their seats

—— Courier

Incredibly rich prose in this absorbing, deeply atmospheric story of governess, Margaret Lennox. A brilliant love letter to classic Victorian fiction and a standout debut

—— Hazel Gaynor

Dark, twisty, gothic and full of surprises ... a deliciously atmospheric page-turner

—— Liz Hyder, author of THE GIFTS

A real blast...I really enjoyed this haunting, gothic tale

—— DINAH JEFFERIES, bestselling author of the SUNDAY TIMES number one bestseller THE TEA-PLANTER'S WIFE

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