What secrets do the dark bones of Dundrennan Abbey hold?
A year ago, she was happily married, bringing up her beloved son, running her successful beauty salon and living with her loving husband in her dream house.
Now Ali McGovern’s dreams are slipping away and all her old ghosts are coming back to haunt her. A job at Howell Hall, the private psychiatric facility near her rented cottage and the ruined abbey, seems too good to be true. But why has the couple who run the place employed her when she is clearly not qualified to do it? How can they afford to pay her so well? And what are they hiding?
When a body is discovered in a shallow grave by the abbey on Ali’s first day at work, it feels like one last horror. But it’s just the beginning of her descent into a nightmare world she never imagined existed so close to home.
‘An unnerving and suspenseful novel, THE WEIGHT OF ANGELS is McPherson’s best yet’ – Karin Slaughter, New York Times and International Bestselling author
A year ago, she was happily married, bringing up her beloved son, running her successful beauty salon and living with her loving husband in her dream house.
Now Ali McGovern’s dreams are slipping away and all her old ghosts are coming back to haunt her. A job at Howell Hall, the private psychiatric facility near her rented cottage and the ruined abbey, seems too good to be true. But why has the couple who run the place employed her when she is clearly not qualified to do it? How can they afford to pay her so well? And what are they hiding?
When a body is discovered in a shallow grave by the abbey on Ali’s first day at work, it feels like one last horror. But it’s just the beginning of her descent into a nightmare world she never imagined existed so close to home.
‘An unnerving and suspenseful novel, THE WEIGHT OF ANGELS is McPherson’s best yet’ – Karin Slaughter, New York Times and International Bestselling author
Newsletter Signup
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Reviews
'A delight . . . just the right mixture of spookiness and mystery'
Deeply resonant, utterly original, compelling and satisfying, Catriona McPherson's The Child Garden is the work of a master - of character, tone, setting and plot - writing at the thriller-most top of her form
McPherson keeps the suspense level high
This is a terrific mystery thriller, a gothic tale for the smartphone age, with some of the most fully human characters I've read this year. I loved every page.
Intricate [and] deeply claustrophobic
A deliciously disturbing tale of deception and self-deception
In her novels, Catriona McPherson spins webs of intrigue so beautiful and intricate she puts spiders to shame. With The Child Garden, she once again proves why she has rapidly become a star in the thriller genre. Her voice is seductive, her characters odd and engaging, her sense of place spot on, and I dare anyone to be able to predict where any of the story's dark but delightful twists are going to lead. This is a book you will absolutely devour
Weaving strands of literary mystery, horror, and magical realism, The Child Garden is a twisting, now-you-see-it-now-you-don't tale about the ripple effect of tragedy. But the tremulous miracle at the heart of this novel is its heroine, Gloria Harkness, a phoenix rising from the ashes of a life that's tried to drag her down. When justice is meted out after long decades, you have the makings of a very satisfying mystery. When that justice brings with it a second chance at life, you have a book that will make any reader cheer
I loved this book so much I can barely speak. From page one, it's seamlessly told, beautifully original, and the voice, well, the voice is proof that Catriona McPherson is a powerful force and major talent in crime fiction. And the last page? I cried
Quite simply, McPherson is a terrific story teller
If you like your thrillers twisty and twisted, then you will love The Child Garden'
McPherson is a master of creating psychological tension and doubts about the motives of her characters . . . The clever way McPherson reveals each hint of the truth makes this a one-sitting read
A warm-hearted character study that shivers with suspense
An unnerving and suspenseful novel, [The Weight of Angels] is McPherson's best yet