A school girl possessed by evil spirits and a savage murder; Merrily is once again drawn into the deadly tangle of deceit and mystery in rural Herefordshire...

Lies, cover-ups, danger and the unexplainable. The pace is fast and plot twists await the reader around every corner. Even sceptics will shudder. - Publishers Weekly

'Black poles against the pale night . . . like a site laid out for a mass crucifixion.'

A summer of oppressive heat in Herefordshire's hop-growing country, where the river flows as dark as beer. A converted kiln is the scene of a savage murder. When the local vicar refuses to deal with its aftermath, diocesan exorcist Merrily Watkins is sent out to a village with a past as twisted as the hop-bines which once enclosed it.

Merrily Watkins: late thirties, single mum, parish priest. Cosy? I don't think so... 'A haunting quality unique in crime fiction... rich in atmosphere and practically unique' Great British Fictional Detectives, Russell James 'The paranormal investigator with a down-to-earth attitude. This is no rural paradise' Sunday Telegraph

About the Author
Phil Rickman was born in Lancashire and lives on the Welsh border where he writes and presents the book programme Phil the Shelf on BBC Radio Wales. He is the acclaimed author of Dr Dee, The Bones of Avalon, Midwinter Spirit (now a major ITV series), the Merrily Watkins Mysteries and the John Dee papers. Visit his website at: www.philrickman.co.uk

Reviews

Lies, cover-ups, danger and the unexplainable. The pace is fast and plot twists await the reader around every corner. Even sceptics will shudder.

* Publishers Weekly *

A can't-put-it-downer. Magnificent in its evocation of the sinister countryside along the Welsh border.

-- Prof. Bernard Knight * Tangled Web *
Highly-entertaining . . . delivered with a panache we have come to expect. * Crimetime *

Mysteries in the classic sense . . . cleverly combining the supernatural and criminal elements to illuminate the darkest corners of our imaginations.

* John Connolly *



Book Information
ISBN 9780857890122
Author Phil Rickman
Format Paperback
Page Count 560
Imprint Corvus
Publisher Atlantic Books
Weight(grams) 386g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 33mm