Some secrets are best left in the dark... A gothic mystery with an immersive setting and strong heroine at its heart

London, 1833

Doctress Hester Reeves has been offered a life-changing commission.

But it comes at a price. She must leave behind her husband and their canal-side home in Kings Cross and move to Tall Trees – a dark and foreboding house in Fitzrovia.

If Hester can cure the ailing health of its owner, Gervaise Cherville, she will receive payment that will bring her everything she could dream of.

But on arriving at Tall Trees, Hester quickly discovers that an even bigger task awaits her. Now she must unearth secrets that have lain hidden for decades – including one that will leave Hester’s own life forever changed…

Praise for House of Shades:

A wonderful, gothic mystery with the most engaging heroine in Hester Reeves. . . Lianne Dillsworth has woven a complex, moving story, asking questions which still resonate deeply today’ Elodie Harper

Intensely moving, compulsively readable and beautifully written. Hester is a wonderful protagonist. I thoroughly enjoyed it Rosie Andrews

Gripping, heart-breaking and brilliantly told. Hester Reeves is fresh and relatable – I felt every twist and turn of her story and was rooting for her from the get-go Lucy Barker

I loved this original and compelling tale of intrigue, quest and retribution... one not to be missed Mary Chamberlain

‘A gripping Gothic tale that weaves a page-turning plot together with blazing social commentary and a protagonist, Hester, who leaps off the page Louise Hare

A cracking read and a deft (and timely) unpicking of complex questions around atonement and accountability. Wildly refreshing and full of heart Hester Musson 

Praise for Lianne Dillsworth:

A fascinating, empowering story of a young womans search for identity and justice in Victorian London Jenifer Saint

Dillsworth is a class act Woman & Home

Highly recommended for anyone who loves mystery, drama and Victorian London Louise Hare

Memorable Sunday Times