"‘Gentle Things is a daring and devouring gothic gem of a novel’ – Lucy Rose, bestselling author of The Lamb
The plague has passed, the fire has cooled, and Lucy North is in desperate need of a husband . . . From the acclaimed author of Mere comes a thrilling new tale of medicine, marriage and madness set in seventeenth-century London.
London, 1668. Though the streets hum with promise following the restoration of the crown, Lucy North is trapped. Her father’s recent death has left her mother saddled with debts she cannot pay. Lucy must marry the first man willing to take her without a dowry.
So when she meets Thomas Ashwell, a young and charming apothecary, Lucy quickly identifies an attractive route out. She falls in love easily, and when Thomas proposes she believes her future is finally secured.
But when Lucy falls and injures her head during their wedding party, things start to warp. Confined to her bedroom her dreams refuse to leave her at daybreak, and the voice in her head no longer sounds like her own. As Thomas plies her with tinctures and cures, a creeping fear takes root: Has this marriage saved her? Or will it bring about her end?
‘One of the best things I’ve read in ages’ – Liam Higginson, author of The Hill in the Dark Grove
‘A stunning fever dream of a book . . . one of my favourite books of 2026 so far’ – Cathryn Kemp, author of A Poisoner’s Tale"
"Including an audio-exclusive Q&A between the narrator and the author, Danielle Giles.
'Beautifully written . . . A dark and disturbing tale' - Laura Shepherd-Robinson, bestselling author of The Square of Sevens
Mere by Danielle Giles is a hypnotic historical novel about fear and survival, power and position, and a love that takes hold in the darkest of places.
Norfolk, 990 AD. Deep in the Fens, isolated by a vast and treacherous mere, an order of holy sisters make their home. Under the steely guidance of Abbess Sigeburg they follow God's path, looking to their infirmarian, Hilda, to provide what comfort and cures she can.
But when the mere takes a young servant boy, Sigeburg's grip falters and Hilda quickly realizes this place holds secrets darker and more unholy than she can fathom.
Then proud Sister Wulfrun, a recent arrival to the convent, has a vision: a curse is upon them and change must be brought. Is she saint or serpent? To Hilda, Wulfrun is a signal bolder and brighter than any fire set - one she cannot help but follow . . .
'Chilling, dark and immersive' - Rosanna Pike, bestselling author of A Little Trickerie
'Haunting and beautiful' - Lucy Rose, bestselling author of The Lamb
'A gem of a novel' - Costanza Casati, bestselling author of Babylonia"
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