The Key In The Lock

‘The Key in the Lock is the perfect gothic novel. It has secrets, guilt, brilliant characters, and a grand old house built on a terrible past. An absolute corker’ Stuart Turton

THE PAGE-TURNING NEW NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE RICHARD AND JUDY BOOKCLUB BESTSELLING THE WITCHFINDER'S SISTER

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I still dream, every night, of Polneath on fire. Smoke unfurling out of an upper window and a hectic orange light cascading across the lawn.

By day, Ivy Boscawen mourns the death of her son Tim in the Great War. But by night she mourns another boy – one whose murder decades ago haunts her still.

For Ivy is sure that there is more to what happened all those years ago: the fire at the Great House, and the terrible events that came after. A truth she must uncover, if she is ever to be free.

Brimming with secrets, this lyrical yet haunting historical thriller is perfect for fans of Sarah Waters' Fingersmith, Diane Setterfield's Once Upon A River and Stacey Halls' The Familiars.
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‘A Cornish landscape evocative of Daphne du Maurier . . . brilliantly plotted’ Louise Hare

‘Deliciously intriguing from the very first sentence, with shades of du Maurier and Dunmore. I was hooked by this exquisitely written tale of secrets and lies’ Sara Collins

‘I was completely enthralled by this poetic, beautifully conceived and executed mystery full of secrets and subtlety’ Imogen Robertson

‘Reads as if a classic. Eerie, immersive and compelling. This is a book to savour’ Essie Fox

'The Key in the Lock is an absolute triumph! Dark, clever and utterly enthralling, this is historical fiction – and storytelling – at its absolute best. I can’t wait to read whatever Beth Underdown writes next' Elizabeth Macneal

'A masterclass in atmosphere… haunting, vivid and urgent, like The Witchfinder’s Sister, The Key In the Lock demands to be devoured whole' Stacey Halls

'This is a novel of true elegance, deftly and satisfyingly plotted. I expect impeccable prose from Beth Underdown but The Key In The Lock is also wise, thoughtful, and profoundly moving' Imogen Hermes Gowar

'Everything I enjoy in a gothic mystery’ Rosie Andrews

‘Captivating and elegant and undoubtedly a future classic’ Lucie McKnight Hardy

‘Brilliantly twisty, dripping with mystery and utterly heartbreaking’ Emily Koch

‘I was captivated by the characters, the story and the sinuous, seamless plotting’ Sarah Hilary