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Bea Northwick's Books
The Cruel Dark
Millicent Foxboro is haunted.
Not by ghosts, but by the anguish of her past and the uncertainty of her future. After all, even in the progressive year of 1928, most people would balk at hiring a woman who’d spent two months in a mental ward for traumatic amnesia. So when an uncommon assistantship to a reclusive Professor of mythology falls into her lap with an ungodly salary attached, her desperation for stability overrides her cautious nature.
To Millie’s dismay, the widowed Professor Callum Hughes and his estate, Willowfield, are more than she bargained for. The once magnificent home, known for its sprawling gardens and dazzling parties, is falling to pieces after the death of the professor’s fragile wife. What’s more, the staff has been reduced to the only three people not frightened away by rumors of ghosts, leaving the halls empty and languishing in bitter memories.
The professor himself is a grim, intense man with unclear expectations, unpredictable moods, and hungry eyes that ignite Millie’s own dormant passions. The closer she finds herself drawn to Professor Hughes and his strange world of flowers and folklore, the more the house closes in, threatening to reveal her secrets. But the professor is keeping secrets of his own and the most dangerous of all is hers to discover.
"This gothic is sumptuous, jolting, and occasionally—like Willowfield’s gardens—blooming with hope."
-BookLife
Writer's Digest Grand Prize Award Winner, Amazon Bestseller
Praise for
THE CRUEL DARK
"Spooky, sexy, enthralling."
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Ame, Goodreads Reviewer​
"A debut novel with flashes of brilliance, and a deliciously Gothic vibe, "The Cruel Dark" drew me in at once and I devoured the book in a single sitting./Blending themes from both "Rebecca" and "My Cousin Rachel" (Daphne du Maurier), the author delivers the pervasive suspense that grips readers of Gothic fiction."
Regency Chronicle
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"This historical gothic romance will have you obsessed! I feel converted. I have never been a historical fan but this book dropped the mic for me! Now I’m questioning if I've missed out on other great books."
Alexandria, Goodreads Reviewer​
"The Cruel Dark is a wonderfully rich 1920’s gothic romance mystery, with an abundance of spice and intrigue to keep you glued from beginning to end. The author has done amazing work at creating a very well paced story, quickly developing a cast of peculiar characters with dark secrets culminating in an absolute hammer-blow of a twist at the end."
Gemma, Netgalley Reviewer
"Heartwrenching"
LOVER follows the plot of THE CRUEL DARK from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, in Callum Hughes' POV.
This novella is bonus content, meant to be read after THE CRUEL DARK, as it contains huge spoilers to the plot in chapter 1. This book
is only available to purchase here at Northwick Books.