A secret hidden in the past.
A family bound by a dark legacy…
‘What a fascinating story. I enjoyed every moment of it. Intriguing and with a lovely time-slippery twist’ Barbara Erskine, Sunday Times bestselling author
Ever since her sister disappeared eleven years ago, Serena Warren has been running from a ghost, haunted by what she can’t remember about that night.
When Caitlin’s body is discovered, Serena returns to her grandfather’s house, nestled beside the ruins of Minster Lovell Hall in Oxfordshire, determined to uncover the truth. But in returning to the place of her childhood summers, Serena stands poised at the brink of a startling discovery – one that will tie her family to a centuries-old secret…
Taking readers from the present day to the Wars of the Roses in the 1400s, and with an enthralling mystery at its heart, The Last Daughter is a spellbinding novel about family secrets, perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Victoria Hislop and Kate Morton.
Praise for Nicola Cornick’s captivating historical mysteries:
‘A most engaging novel, full of intrigue and atmosphere’ Anne O’Brien
‘Weaves the past and present together skilfully’ Sarah Morgan
‘A real page-turner; I couldn’t put it down’ Tracy Rees
‘Transporting and imaginative’ Woman
‘A gorgeous novel, so fresh and original. And the tension! I was on the edge of my seat’ Jenny Ashcroft
‘A most engaging novel, full of intrigue and atmosphere’ Anne O’Brien
‘A real page-turner; I couldn’t put it down’ Tracy Rees
‘Weaves the past and present together skilfully’ Sarah Morgan
‘Transporting and imaginative’ Woman
One woman’s secret will shape another’s destiny…
1560: Amy Robsart is trapped in a loveless marriage to Robert Dudley, a member of the court of Queen Elizabeth I. Surrounded by enemies and with nowhere left to turn, Amy hatches a desperate scheme to escape – one with devastating consequences that will echo through the centuries…
Present Day: When Lizzie Kingdom is forced to withdraw from the public eye in a blaze of scandal, it seems her life is over. But she’s about to encounter a young man, Johnny Robsart, whose fate will interlace with hers in the most unexpected of ways. For Johnny is certain that Lizzie is linked to a terrible secret dating back to Tudor times. If Lizzie is brave enough to go in search of the truth, then what she discovers will change the course of their lives forever.
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Moving between the Tudor era and the present day,The Forgotten Sister is a stunning historical novel that draws on one of history’s most compelling and enduring mysteries. Perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Barbara Erskine, Victoria Hislop and Kate Morton.
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Readers love Nicola Cornick:
‘Alluring and hypnotising… I was hooked from page one.’
‘A haunting and mesmerising story.’
‘Atmospheric and filled with tension and danger.’
‘Full of dark twists and spooky turns. Brilliantly written, unguessable and page-turning.’
‘Spellbinding, with a narrative that left me bewitched. Not to be missed!’
‘A fabulous read. I was completely enthralled, and kept guessing throughout.’
For fans of Kate Morton and Tracy Rees comes a captivating novel about two women, separated by centuries, whose fates are bound together by one haunting secret.
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'A fascinating tale with intriguing twists.' Barbara Erskine
'I was hooked from the first pages.' Gill Paul
'Atmospheric and compelling' Sarah Morgan
'You just can't put it down. Brilliant!' Katie Fforde
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'I see it all again: the silver moon swimming beneath the water and the golden gown billowing out about her...'
1765: Lady Isabella Gerard asks her maid to take her new golden gown and destroy it. Its shimmering beauty has been tainted by the actions of her husband the night before.
Three months later: Lord Eustace Gerard stands beside the lake looking down at the woman in the golden gown. As the body slowly rolls over to reveal her face, it's clear this is not his intended victim...
1996: Fenella Brightwell steals a stunning gown from a stately home. Twenty years later and reeling from the end of an abusive marriage, she wonders if it has cursed her all this time. Now she's determined to discover the history behind the beautiful golden dress...
In the tradition of the lush historical dramas of Kate Morton, Philippa Gregory and Barbara Erskine, USA TODAY bestselling author Nicola Cornick's The Woman in the Lake is a delicious tale of jealousy, greed, plotting and revenge that spans the generations between decadent Georgian society and present day.
Discover why Publishers Weekly calls Nicola Cornick 'a rising star'—watch for The Woman in the Lake, coming soon from Graydon House.
For fans of Barbara Erskine and Kate Morton comes an unforgettable novel about three women and the power one lie can have over history.
London, 1662:
There was something the Winter Queen needed to tell him. She fought for the strength to speak.
'The crystal mirror is a danger. It must be destroyed - '
He replied instantly. 'It will'.
Ashdown, Oxfordshire, present day: Ben Ansell is researching his family tree when he disappears. As his sister Holly begins a desperate search, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to an ornate antique mirror and to the diary of Lavinia, a 19th century courtesan who was living at Ashdown House when it burned to the ground over 200 years ago.
Intrigued, and determined to find out more about the tragedy at Ashdown, Holly's only hope is that uncovering the truth about the past will lead her to Ben.
'Fans of Kate Morton will enjoy this gripping tale.'
- Candis
Browsing an antiques shop in Wiltshire, Alison Bannister stumbles across a delicate old portrait—identified as the doomed Tudor queen, Anne Boleyn. Except Alison knows better. The subject is Mary Seymour, the daughter of Katherine Parr, who was taken to Wolf Hall in 1557 and presumed dead after going missing as a child. And Alison knows this because she, too, lived at Wolf Hall and knew Mary...more than four hundred years ago.
The painting of Mary is more than just a beautiful object for Alison—it holds the key to her past life, the unlocking of the mystery surrounding Mary’s disappearance and how Alison can get back to her own time. To when she and Mary were childhood enemies yet shared a pact that now, finally, must be fulfilled, no matter the cost.
Bestselling author of House of Shadows Nicola Cornick offers a provocative alternate history of rivals, secrets and danger, set in a time when a woman’s destiny was determined by the politics of men and luck of birth. A spellbinding tale for fans of Kate Morton, Philippa Gregory and Barbara Erskine.
The wooded hills of Oxfordshire conceal the remains of the aptly named Ashdown House a wasted pile of cinders and regret. Once home to the daughter of a king, Ashdown and its secrets will unite three women across four centuries in a tangle of romance, deceit and destiny.
In the winter of 1662, Elizabeth Stuart, the Winter Queen, is on her deathbed. She entrusts an ancient pearl, rumored to have magic power, to her faithful cavalier William Craven for safekeeping. In his grief, William orders the construction of Ashdown Estate in her memory and places the pearl at its center.
One hundred and fifty years later, notorious courtesan Lavinia Flyte hears the maids at Ashdown House whisper of a hidden treasure, and bears witness as her protector Lord Evershot - desperate to find it - burns the building to the ground.
Now, a battered mirror and the diary of a Regency courtesan are the only clues Holly Ansell has to finding her brother, who has gone missing researching the mystery of Elizabeth Stuart and her alleged affair with Lord Craven. As she retraces his footsteps, Holly's quest will soon reveal the truth about Lavinia and compel her to confront the stunning revelation about the legacy of the Winter Queen.
'Fans of Kate Morton will enjoy this thrilling tale.' - Candis Magazine
'There is much to enjoy in a sumptuous novel that slips between present day and 1557.' - Sunday Mirror
"My name is Mary Seymour and I am the daughter of one queen and the niece of another."
Browsing antiques shops in Wiltshire, Alison Bannister stumbles across a delicate old portrait - supposedly of Anne Boleyn. Except Alison knows better... The woman is Mary Seymour, the daughter of Katherine Parr who was taken to Wolf Hall in 1557 as an unwanted orphan and presumed dead after going missing as a child.
The painting is more than just a beautiful object from Alison's past - it holds the key to her future, unlocking the mystery surrounding Mary's disappearance, and the enigma of Alison's son.
But Alison's quest soon takes a dark and foreboding turn, as a meeting place called the Phantom Tree harbours secrets in its shadows...
