Greater Sins

Gabrielle Griffiths

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Doubleday
25 March 2025

Fiction & Literature; Historical mysteries; Thriller & suspense; Historical fiction; Fiction: special features; Rural communities

For fans of Burial Rites and Elmet, when the preserved body of a woman is discovered in a bog near an isolated village community, rumours begin to fly. To some, the body is an omen, heralding misfortune to come. To others, hers is a story waiting to be told.

'A striking debut, filled with folkloric mystery and yearning. Read it, then read it again' Amy Twigg, author of Spoilt Creatures

'A muddy, pastoral fable written with an equal measure of beauty and morbidity. Completely enthralling.' Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb

'An extraordinary sense of place and time, written by an exciting new voice' Radio Times (Best Books 2025)

Who will cast the first stone? 1915, the Cabrach, Aberdeenshire. An isolated Scottish community is disturbed by a strange discovery- a body in a peat bog, perfectly preserved. Two people haul the body from the ground- Lizzie, the wife of a wealthy local landowner, and Johnny, a nomadic singer and farm hand. At hearthside and inn, people whisper- what have we unearthed?

One unveiling brings others. For Lizzie, tenacious but trapped, the discovery reveals unanswered questions about her past while for Johnny, it threatens to uncover a history he's trying to outrun.

As their stories entwine, a series of unsettling events befalls the isolated community- ruinous weather, a damaged soldier, strange occurrences that cannot be explained. Against the echoes of distant war, and with the boundaries blurring between right and wrong, everyone is looking for someone to blame...

By: Gabrielle Griffiths
Imprint: Doubleday
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 228mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 32mm
Weight: 420g
ISBN: 9781529929089
ISBN 10: 1529929083
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 25 March 2025
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Gabrielle Griffiths grew up in Aberdeenshire and now lives in Brighton. She was a Madeleine Milburn Agency mentee in 2021 and is a graduate of the Curtis Brown Creative novel writing course. Her short fiction has been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize.

Reviews for Greater Sins

Greater Sins is a glimmering debut. A muddy, pastoral fable written with an equal measure of beauty and morbidity. Completely enthralling. * Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb * A striking debut, filled with folkloric mystery and yearning. Griffiths' prose is as elegant as it is perceptive. Read it, then read it again. * Amy Twigg, author of Spoilt Creatures * I absolutely raced through it! What a beautiful book. The prose is so lyrical and the structure so cleverly pulls the reader along. * Hanna Thomas Uose, author of Who Wants to Live Forever * GREATER SINS is a haunting and extraordinary debut, which will stay with me for a long time. Set during World War One and told in tender, sinuous prose, this is a simmering tale of outcasts and buried secrets, love and redemption. An incisive look at power and gender, Griffiths explores not just the darker impulses we share, but how we can find connection in unexpected places. This novel had me feeling silt between my toes and looking for ghosts in every shadow. * Danielle Giles, author of MERE * Dripping with atmosphere, GREATER SINS is a hauntingly beautiful story, set in an isolated community. The writing is stunning; every phrase, every sentence is like poetry. And the characters - they’re complex, fascinating, and oh so relatable. A truly unforgettable read. * Fiza Saeed McLynn, author of THE MIDNIGHT CAROUSEL *