Katie Lumsden read Jane Eyre at the age of thirteen and never looked back. She spent her teenage years devouring nineteenth century literature, reading every Dickens, Brontë, Gaskell, Austen and Hardy novel she could find. She has a degree in English literature and history from the University of Durham and an MA in creative writing from Bath Spa University. Her short stories have been shortlisted for the London Short Story Prize and the Bridport Prize, and have been published in various literary magazines. Katie's YouTube channel, Books and Things, has more than 26,000 subscribers. She lives in London and works as an editor.
I loved this fresh take on the gothic genre. Vivid, haunting, surprising -- Stacey Halls, author of <i>Sunday Times</i> bestsellers <i>The Familiars</i>, <i>The Foundling</i> and <i>Mrs England</i> 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 <i>Sunday Times</i> bestseller <i>A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting</i> 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