Taxidermist's Daughter

Author(s): Kate Mosse

General

A chilling and spooky Gothic historical thriller reminiscent of Rebecca and The Turn of the Screw, dripping with the dark twists and eerie surprises that are the hallmarks of Edgar Allan Poe, from the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Citadel.

In a remote village near the English coast, residents gather in a misty churchyard. More than a decade into the twentieth century, superstition still holds sway: It is St. Mark's Eve, the night when the shimmering ghosts of those fated to die in the coming year are said to materialize and amble through the church doors.

Alone in the crowd is Constantia Gifford, the taxidermist's daughter. Twenty-two and unmarried, she lives with her father on the fringes of town, in a decaying mansion cluttered with the remains of his once world-famous museum of taxidermy. No one speaks of why the museum was shuttered or how the Giffords fell so low. Connie herself has no recollection--a childhood accident has erased all memory of her earlier days. Even those who might have answers remain silent. The locals shun Blackthorn House, and the strange spinster who practices her father's macabre art.

As the last peal of the midnight bell fades to silence, a woman is found dead--a stranger Connie noticed near the church. In the coming days, snippets of long lost memories will begin to tease through Connie's mind, offering her glimpses of her vanished years. Who is the victim, and why has her death affected Connie so deeply? Why is she watched by a mysterious figure who has suddenly appeared on the marsh nearby? Is her father trying to protect her with his silence--or someone else? The answers are tied to a dark secret that lies at the heart of Blackthorn House, hidden among the bell jars of her father's workshop--a mystery that draws Connie closer to danger . . . closer to madness . . . closer to the startling truth.

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The enthralling new Sunday Times bestselling gothic novel from the author of THE WINTER GHOSTS, CITADEL and LABYRINTH.

Shortlisted for CWA Endeavour Historical Dagger 2015 and Specsavers National Book Awards: International Author of the Year 2014.

Glossy as a crow's wing. Sure as a surgeon's scalpel. I bloody loved it. JOANNE HARRIS - Author of CHOCOLAT THE TAXIDERMIST'S DAUGHTER is amazing - atmospheric, gripping ... I can't put it down MARIAN KEYES - Author of THIS CHARMING MAN I loved the atmosphere: the time, the place, the weather, the cold. An unholy collision of Daphne du Maurier and Agatha Christie ANTHONY HOROWITZ - Creator and Writer of FOYLE'S WAR [A] classic tale of marshland murder and madness ... The strength of this book likes as much in the startling imagery and atmospheric description as it does in the story ... A deliciously dark novel that races towards its grotesque conclusion DAILY EXPRESS It is a cleverly constructed thriller, keeping its secrets for a good two thirds of the book. Mosse excels at building up clammy, dank suspense while keeping her readers in the dark ... A seriously satisfying read METRO A new novel from Kate Mosse is always a treat. Set in a Sussex village where a grisly murder has taken place, The Taxidermist's Daughter is part ghost story, part psychological thriller and will send shivers down your spine. GOOD HOUSEKEEPING This latest tale from the bestselling author of Labyrinth, Sepulchre and Citadel (a mere 5 million in sales) is set in Sussex in 1912 and filled with grizzly murders, stuffed birds and suspicious villagers. It's a compulsive read reminiscent of Daphne Du Maurier. STYLIST A beautifully told story of revenge, justice and secrets. If you haven't read any Kate Mosse then this is a gem to start with ... Cast with a Victorian darkness, filled with taxidermy, cemeteries and shifty types it is everything you could possibly want from this genre WE LOVE THIS BOOK This is magnificent. A gothic tale of murder, superstition and mystery that will really keep you glued to your seat ... The build is superbly done. The author is excellent on drawing out the tension, a real page-turner and a thrilling read LOVEREADING Nestled in among the feathers and flesh is a dark and mysterious tale, but one that is also touching and passionate. Mosse strikes a fine balance between character and concept, creating a thriller so unique that her talent is indisputable THE LIST A spine-tingling tale SUN ON SUNDAY FABULOUS MAGAZINE Mosse's rich prose will drag the reader from any sunny poolside to water logged West Sussex and - tellingly - they won't even mind EASYJET TRAVELLER MAGAZINE This haunting and atmospheric Gothic novel sweeps you along to its dramatic conclusion HEAT MAGAZINE Mosse is an engaging storyteller, deftly dealing with the intricacies of her involving, gruesome plot SUNDAY EXPRESS Fans of Mosse will love this haunting tale of murder and suspicion ELLE [A] creepy chiller of a novel SUNDAY EXPRESS Mosse grew up on the edge of Fishbourne's muddy estuary, and she writes beautifully about its flora and fauna and flowing tides. Against this lyrical background her complex plot moves at rocket speed. Unputdownable, romantic, this is sure to be a bestseller. THE TIMES This novel drips with Edgar Allen Poe-style gothic touches METRO A cleverly constructed thriller ... Mosse excels at building up clammy, dank suspense while keeping her readers in the dark. A seriously satisfying read METRO Mosse throws one bravura scene after another. This is a book full of heart and superb twists, with an unforgettable heroine and a mystery that will have you thinking long after you've turned the last page THE INDEPENDENT MILL ON THE FLOSS meets PSYCHO OBSERVER SERIES (CHICHESTER) Laden with life, death and destruction, this novel oozes with a character that shows Mosse's passion for the place where she grew up THE LIST Cassie is a character you warm to very quickly and others are so brimming with personality they leap off the page WE LOVE THIS BOOK Kate Moss may have been hitting the front pages as one of the stars of London Fashion Week, but it's the author Kate Mosse who's making headlines in the books world this week -- Stacey Bartlett THE SUN - FABULOUS MAGAZINE [Mosse] excels at horror, using language and imagery to create a truly original page-turner and is at her best when creating character THE LIST A superb, atmospheric thriller, its Gothic overtones commanding attention from the very first page, and the feathery motifs of the birds - crows, jackdaws, magpies - who fly through its pages growing more menacing with every turn DAILY MAIL The Taxidermist's Daughter is a jeu d'esprit in which ghosts and ghoulish patriarchal secrets, estranged female psyches and tumultuous bird-life coexist in a compulsively readable yarn with elements of folklore and beast fable ... Mosse's prose is often exceptionally lyrical in its description of the natural world THE GUARDIAN Difficult to put down ... thrilling, mysterious THE BOOK CLUB BLOG From the first page, The Taxidermist's Daughter will have you looking over your shoulder, as Mosse draws you into her gothic, chilling world -- Stacey Bartlett THE SUN - FABULOUS MAGAZINE Fans of Mosse will not be disappointed - her ability to draw you in and keep you hooked until the very end makes this novel an addictive read, and the themes of strong women living in a man's world as well as pre-forensics murder investigations are fascinating. Read, but be warned - you may be seriously spooked... -- Stacey Bartlett THE SUN - FABULOUS MAGAZINE This spooky and enthralling gothic thriller focuses on a village murder mystery. When 17 year old Constantia, who lives in her fathers decaying house (once a world famous taxidermy museum), turns detective, she soon realises she's the one under suspicion. GLAMOUR this cleverly constructed and wonderfully atmospheric mystery won't disappoint WOMAN Kate Mosse's deliciously hokey new spinetingler ... anybody seeking a good, gothic spooker to snuggle into as the nights draw in need look no further ... The Taxidermist's Daughter is her best yet DAILY TELEGRAPH Murder, haunting, superstition and fear stalk the pages of this superior gothic thriller set in the Sussex salt marshes. An unputdownable read. WOMAN & HOME This eerie thriller centres around Connie, who lives in a house containing all that's left of the once world-famous museum of taxidermy. MARIE CLAIRE a serpentine yarn about blackmail, murder and dark secrets, told with brio MAIL ON SUNDAY EVENT MAGAZINE bridged the literary-commercial divide THE OBSERVER

Kate Mosse is an international bestselling author with sales of more than five million copies in 42 languages. Her fiction includes the novels Labyrinth (2005), Sepulchre (2007), The Winter Ghosts (2009), Citadel (2012), and The Taxidermist's Daughter (2014), as well as an acclaimed collection of short stories, The Mistletoe Bride & Other Haunting Tales (2013). Kate is the Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction (previously the Orange Prize) and in June 2013, was awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to literature. She lives in Sussex.

General Fields

  • : 9781409153771
  • : Orion Publishing Group, Limited
  • : Orion
  • : 03 September 2015
  • : 198mm X 129mm
  • : 01 November 2015
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Kate Mosse
  • : Paperback
  • : 1115
  • : English
  • : 432