Clio Gray Knihy

A compelling debut from the winner of the 2015 Luke Bitmead Bursary exploring the physical and emotional damage that is caused by childhood abuse. It has been called raw and unflinching by reviewers.

Astonishment Hall, a country estate in the Pennines full of extraordinary exhibitions, is truly a place of wonder. But when a valuable exhibit is stolen, it is only the first in a series of unpleasant and seemingly unconnected events. A bell tower is burnt to the ground, trapping a young boy inside, an outbreak of thefts plagues the valley, and a man is violently murdered and left to the crows and the snow.When his own investigations come to a dead end, the owner of Astonishment Hall sends to London for help. And so Whilbert Stroop journeys north to find the answers to both his own search for a missing glass-worker, and the perplexing events at Astonishment Hall. Before long, Stroop finds himself embroiled in one man's terrifying and warped desire for vengeance against ancient wrongs, and another man's fight for survival.

Toskana, 1805: Napoleon steht vor den Toren Luccas, und die Stadt bangt um die Entdeckung ihres Geheimnisses: Seit Jahrhunderten verbergen Luccheser Seidenhändlern im fernen London ihr Heiligtum. Doch Lucca hat einen unbekannten Feind. Noch weiß die junge Mabel Flinchurst nicht, dass das Schicksal der kleinen italienischen Stadt in ihren Händen liegt. Gemeinsam mit dem verschrobenen Whilbert Stroop macht sie sich auf, das Geheimnis von Lucca - und das ihres eigenen Lebens - zu lüften.