The Marsh House

The haunting second novel from the author of The Night of the Flood. Two women, separated by decades, are drawn together by one, mysterious house on the North Norfolk coast. 'Part ghost story, part thriller, I loved it' Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City December, 1962. Desperate to create a happy Christmas for her young daughter, Franny, after a disastrous year, Malorie rents a remote house on the Norfolk coast. But once there, the strained silence between them feels louder than ever. As Malorie digs for decorations in the attic, she comes across the notebooks of the teenaged Rosemary, who lived in the house thirty years before. Trapped inside by a blizzard, and with long days and nights ahead of her, Malorie begins to read. Though she knows she needs to focus on the present, she finds herself inexorably drawn into the past... July, 1931. Rosemary lives in the Marsh House with her austere father, surrounded by unspoken truths and rumours. So when the glamorous Lafferty family moves to the village, she succumbs easily to their charm. Dazzled by the beautiful Hilda and her dashing brother, Franklin, Rosemary fails to see the danger that lurks beneath their bright facades... As Malorie reads Rosemary's diary, past and present begin to merge in this moving story of mothers and daughters, family obligation and deeply buried secrets. Praise for The Marsh House: 'Zoe Somerville is a born storyteller and this page-turner delivers plenty of creepy thrills' The Times 'A satisfyingly dark, gothic tale where the past is never far behind you' Rhiannon Ward, author of The Quickening 'Beautifully written, atmospheric as hell, and elegantly constructed, the story of The Marsh House will draw you into its grip and never let go till the final word' Jane Johnson, author of The Sea Gate 'Deliciously eerie and unsettling, The Marsh House had me bewitched from page one. I loved its layers of history and secrets. A haunting gem of a book' Susan Allott, author of The Silence 'A fabulous read, deft and precise, with a satisfying mystery at its centre, based upon a beautifully compassionate reading of the tradition of English folk magic' Amanda Mason, author of The Hiding Place 'Immersed in the landscape of the North Norfolk coast, this is a clever, suspenseful novel that kept me intrigued. Part ghost story, part thriller, I loved it' Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City