"When a carnival rolls into the small North Carolina town of Henley-on-Hale, it brings more than just cotton candy and merry-go-rounds. Beneath the bright lights and cheerful facade lies the key to something ancient and terrifying. Something hungry.
Two local teens have vanished, and a series of brutal attacks in the nearby forests hint at something far more terrifying than Tula could ever have imagined. As Tula, Victor, and the sisters begin to peel back the layers of the carnival's mysteries, they find themselves facing new enemies and unexpected allies. The closer they get to the truth, the more dangerous their quest becomes. Tula must navigate a treacherous path, balancing the investigation with the emotional upheaval of her personal life.
Talk about a family reunion from hell . . . The sudden return of Tula's estranged mother, the introduction to a father she never knew, and the surprise reappearance of her formidable Aunt Ruby only add to the chaos. In a town where the line between reality and nightmare blurs, Tula must harness her growing powers and lean on her loved ones to confront the entity that threatens them all. Can they unravel the carnival's deadly mysteries before it's too late, or will the darkness swallow them whole?"
"Still reeling from events that occurred on the strange little island off the coast of Savannah, Tula Whitlow returns to North Carolina hoping to find some answers to the questions now surrounding her birthright, her newfound powers, and maybe her very soul.
Even as her fear of the answers burns a hole through her heart, and the secrets she now carries threaten to crush her, Tula must first focus on possibly the most savage threat she's ever encountered.
A despised and disgraced witch has escaped from hell. But that's not even the biggest problem. That would be what decided to come along for the ride.
Will Tula's newfound powers be enough to send them back to burn, or will she have to form an alliance with an enemy in order to protect her family and her town?"
"Deep fried and deadly . . .
A Whitlow is missing, and the quest to find her takes Tula and her sisters to a dangerous and magical island off the coast of Savannah. She'll need to survive an unearthly hoard, a disappearing sun, spirits gone mad, alligators, and maybe the scariest of all, a group of drunken thespians.
In the search for her cousin, Tula will begin to scratch the surface of a mystery that could destroy the thing she holds most dear—her own birthright as a Whitlow. What she's learned could open up access to a power she never believed was possible. But it's a power born of darkness, and touching it comes at a cost."
"Three sisters, one power, and an evil out to destroy everything in its path.
The Whitlow witches often rub elbows with all things that go bump in the night, but what will they do when Hell itself comes calling?
A dangerous ritual, decades old, is about to set loose an evil on the town of Henley-on-Hale and the Whitlows are the only thing standing in the way. The sisters must untangle a web of lies to find the truth behind a series of brutal and horrific murders that are taking the lives of local teens and leaving very strange clues behind. Clues that say this is more than just your run-of-the-mill serial killer.
The witches must call on the aid of their allies—old and new—to confront a force unlike any they've ever faced before. The fate of the town and its inhabitants hangs in the balance and, should they fail, the evil that could be unleashed on the world would be cataclysmic.
Undertow is the second installment of the Carolina Files, by Willa Blackmore.
Perfect for fans of gritty, fun urban fantasy in the vein of the hit TV show Supernatural."
"My family, the Whitlows, are basically the supernatural Corleones of the Carolinas. We run a magical safe house disguised as a quaint inn, backed by more old money than sense. My sisters are more likely to start an apocalypse than prevent one—Alafair's never met a margarita she didn't like, and if Emmery had to choose between her spellbook and her heels, I'm pretty sure the stiletto sling-backs would win.
So who gets stuck with the messes? That would be me, Tula Whitlow, because I'm competent enough to be useful and way too lazy to argue.
I'm not the most powerful witch in town (that'd be my aunt Ruby, who treats dark magic like a contact sport), but I'm the only one who bothers to show up.
Now there's an FBI agent on my doorstep with a case that's way above my pay grade. His sister's life is on the line, and all signs point to an upscale vineyard with some dark secrets. Ancient curses, old gods, and the kind of magic that makes even my aunt Ruby nervous. I'm going to have to wrangle my family into helping.
Look, I know what you're thinking—why not call in the magical equivalent of SWAT? Trust me, in this town, my family IS the nuclear option. Heaven help us all."
Join our community for the latest bookish news, reading recommendations, exclusive opening extracts, author events and competitions. It\'s all free. And enter a monthly draw to win a £50 Gift Card. See past winners here
