Release: February 20th, 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Flame Tree Press
Source: Flame Tree Press
Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N.
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In 1893, Evelyn and Claire leave their home in a Yorkshire town for life in a rural retreat on their beloved moors. But when a strange toy garden mysteriously appears, a chain of increasingly terrifying events is unleashed. Neighbour Matthew Dixon befriends Evelyn but seems to have more than one secret to hide. Then the horror really begins. The Garden of Bewitchment is all too real and something is threatening the lives and sanity of the women. Evelyn no longer knows who – or what – to believe. And time is running out.
FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018, the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.
About the Author:
Cat first started writing when someone thrust a pencil into her hand. Unfortunately, as she could neither read nor write properly at the time, none of her stories actually made much sense. However, as she grew up, they gradually began to take form, and, at the tender age of nine or ten, she sold her dolls’ house and various other toys to buy her first typewriter – an Empire Smith Corona. She hasn’t stopped bashing away at the keys ever since, although her keyboard of choice now belongs to her laptop.
The need to earn a living led to a varied career in sales, advertising, and career guidance. Still, Cat is now the full-time author of several paranormal, ghostly, and Gothic horror novels and novellas, including Waking the Ancients, Wrath of the Ancients, The Devil’s Serenade, Dark Avenging Angel, The Pendle Curse, Saving Grace Devine, and Linden Manor. The Haunting of Henderson Close is her first novel for Flame Tree Press.
She lives with her longsuffering husband and a black cat (who remembers that her species used to be worshipped in ancient Egypt and sees no reason why that practice should not continue). Also, they divide their time between Liverpool and a 260-year-old haunted apartment in North Wales.
When not slaving over a hot computer, Cat enjoys rambling around stately homes, circles of standing stones, and traveling to favorite haunts such as Vienna and Orkney.
The Garden of Bewitchment Review:
“The Garden of Bewitchment” is the second one I read of the author, and I feel she is a fantastic horror writer.
There are so many things which I loved about this story. Firstly, the story itself is eerie and gave me goosebumps. Many scenes gave me shivers. For instance, I loved the Evelyn sees the mysterious man outside in the middle of the night. Or when she moves into the Inn and sees a pair of eyes staring at her. I’m regretting reading this alone at night, and hope I fall asleep now.
The author also includes some exciting subplots like the ghosts of Jeremy Ackroyd and Black Lion Boy. Moreover, I loved the author’s creativity in including Branwell Bronte, brother of the Bronte sisters, as a prominent character. Frankly, I didn’t even know about him until I read this book. I thought it was genius how the author included a real person into this fictional tale.
Then, there are twists and turns. The author throws shades on all the characters throughout the story. You don’t even know who to trust midway into the storyline. Claire is twisted and manipulative and was so entertaining! Likewise, even Matthew acts suspicious at times, like the way he conveniently shows up whenever something is wrong. The plot hooked me to the very end to find out exactly what was happening. Also, the climax is fantastic, and one that I did not see coming.
If I ever move into a new house and find and find a toy game called “The Garden of Bewitchment,” I am going to run out of there! Overall, this is a very entertaining story for horror fans!
Click here to read my review of The Haunting of Henderson Close by Catherine Cavendish
