'If you like dark, atmospheric, historical fantasy, then this is definitely one for you' Daily Mail
The Plague Charmer, by Karen Maitland, Queen of the Dark Ages and bestselling author of Company of Liars, will chill and delight fans of The Essex Serpent and Graeme Macrae Burnet's His Bloody Project in equal measure.

'A dark read ... fear and hysteria are portrayed with claustrophobic skill' The Times

Riddle me this: I have a price, but it cannot be paid in gold or silver.

1361. Porlock Weir, Exmoor. Thirteen years after the Great Pestilence, plague strikes England for the second time. Sara, a packhorse man's wife, remembers the horror all too well and fears for the safety of her children.
Only a dark-haired stranger offers help, but at a price that no one will pay.

Fear gives way to hysteria in the village and, when the sickness spreads to her family, Sara finds herself locked away by neighbours she has trusted for years. And, as her husband - and then others - begin to die, the cost no longer seems so unthinkable.

The price that I ask, from one willing to pay... A human life.

About the Author
Karen Maitland is an historical novelist, lecturer and teacher of Creative Writing, with over twenty books to her name. She grew up in Malta, which inspired her passion for history, and travelled and worked all over the world before settling in the United Kingdom. She has a doctorate in psycholinguistics, and now lives on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon.

Reviews
A brilliant writer, with a real sense of history -- Susanna Gregory
If you like dark, atmospheric, historical fantasy, then this is definitely one for you * Daily Mail *
A dark read... fear and hysteria are portrayed with claustrophobic skill * The Times *
A really good read... as much one for first time Maitlanders as it is for the fans * Bookbag *
Karen Maitland is the go-to writer for gruesome medieval murk * Writing Magazine *
Written in dark but engaging prose, it is historical fiction with an apocalyptic twist * Lady *
You will feel like you have been there and witnessed at first hand the blend of horror, superstitious terror and medieval chaos * Jaffareadstoo *



Book Information
ISBN 9781472235831
Author Karen Maitland
Format Paperback
Page Count 576
Imprint Headline Review
Publisher Headline Publishing Group
Weight(grams) 750g
Dimensions(mm) 233mm * 156mm * 42mm