It has been waiting in the dark, Matthew’s history – our history. Now I must turn over the stone: that you might see it, wriggling to escape…

1645. When Alice Hopkins’s husband dies in a tragic accident, she returns to the small Essex town of Manningtree, where her brother Matthew still lives.

But home is no longer a place of safety. Matthew has changed, and there are rumours spreading through the town: whispers of witchcraft, and of a great book, in which he is gathering women’s names.

To what lengths will Matthew’s obsession drive him? And what choice will Alice make when she finds herself at the very heart of his plan?

‘Vivid and terrifying’ — Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train

‘A tense, surprising and elegantly crafted novel’ — Ian McGuire, author of The North Water

 ‘A richly told and utterly compelling tale’ — Kate Hamer, author of The Girl in the Red Coat