The Last Heir to Blackwood Library

by Hester Fox Narrated by Ell Potter

Overview

*"Weaves a spell of darkness that's mysterious and magical, and binds it with a knot of deathless love."*-New York Times*bestselling author Susanna Kearsley on A Lullaby for Witches

In post-World War I England, a young woman inherits a mysterious library and must untangle its powerful secrets...

With the stroke of a pen, twenty-three-year-old Ivy Radcliffe becomes Lady Hayworth, owner of a sprawling estate on the Yorkshire moors. Ivy has never heard of Blackwood Abbey, or of the ancient bloodline from which she's descended. With nothing to keep her in London since losing her brother in the Great War, she warily makes her way to her new home.

The abbey is foreboding, the servants reserved and suspicious. But there is a treasure waiting behind locked doors: a magnificent library. Despite cryptic warnings from the staff, Ivy feels irresistibly drawn to its dusty shelves, where familiar works mingle with strange, esoteric texts. And she senses something else in the library too, a presence that seems to have a will of its own. *

Rumors swirl in the village about the abbey's previous owners, about ghosts and curses, and an enigmatic manuscript at the center of it all. And as events grow more sinister, it will be up to Ivy to uncover the library's mysteries in order to reclaim her own story-before it vanishes forever.

Lush, atmospheric and transporting, The Last Heir to Blackwood Library*is a skillful reflection on memory and female agency, and a love letter to books from a writer at the height of her power.

Delve into the magical power of flowers in Hester Fox's captivating new novel, THE BOOK OF THORNS, where long-lost sisters reunite on opposite sides of the Napoleonic Wars and must uncover the secrets of their mother's disappearance and their mystical powers...

Look for these other gothic mysteries from Hester Fox:*

• The Witch of Willow Hall
• The Widow of Pale Harbor
• The Orphan of Cemetery Hill
• A Lullaby for Witches

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

12/19/2022

For this atmospheric historical fantasy, Fox (A Lullaby for Witches) blends the paranormal, light romance, and faintly gothic sensibilities. In 1927 London, orphan Ivy Radcliffe, daughter of an American socialite and a British scholar, is shocked to be named the heir of a Yorkshire estate, Blackwood Abbey, a grand, albeit dilapidated, manor complete with an aloof staff and the library of Ivy’s dreams. Books have always been her passion, and the library provides a welcome refuge from her new circumstances – including a very insistent suitor, Sir Arthur Mabry, who shares her literary love, though is perhaps a bit more interested in her library than he is the woman who owns it. Indeed, the library guards a secret, and Ivy soon finds herself forgetting conversations and losing time, a fact that becomes especially apparent around broodingly handsome chauffeur, Ralph. Immersive historical detail and a gripping, intricate plot combine to plunge readers headlong into a rags-to-riches tale laced with betrayal and intrigue. This is a treat for bibliophiles. Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Apr.)

From the Publisher

"Immersive historical detail and a gripping, intricate plot combine to plunge readers headlong into a rags-to-riches tale laced with betrayal and intrigue. This is a treat for bibliophiles." - Publisher's Weekly

"Weaves a spell of darkness that’s mysterious and magical, and binds it with a knot of deathless love." —New York Times bestselling author Susanna Kearsley on A Lullaby for Witches

"An atmospheric and heartbreaking tale of loss, dark magic and the power of love, this brilliant book will stay with you long after the last page." —Constance Sayers, author of The Ladies of the Secret Circus on A Lullaby for Witches

"Hester Fox transports readers to the windswept Yorkshire moors in THE LAST HEIR TO BLACKWOOD LIBRARY, delivering a magnificent and poignant tale of family curses, an ancient abbey and the wounds of war. This is every Gothic romance reader's dream come true!" - Rosanna Leo, author of DARKE PASSION


“With her trademark wit and lyricism, Hester Fox weaves a tale that is equal parts compelling and fantastical gothic mystery, swoon-worthy love story, and a genuine exploration of living with grief. The Last Heir to Blackwood Library gripped me from the very first page, keeping me on the edge of my seat and rooting for its independent and clever heroine until the very last. Rife with classic literary references and loving odes to the magic of reading, this story is a true delight for book lovers that is sure to be a new staple of the modern gothic genre!” - Marielle Thompson, author of Where Ivy Dares to Grow

“Combining history, the occult, human greed, and a touch of feminism, this is a fine addition to the gothic genre.” —ALA Booklist

author of The Ladies of the Secret Circus Constance Sayers

An atmospheric and heartbreaking tale of loss, dark magic, and the power of love, this brilliant book will stay with you long after the last page.”

New York Times bestselling author Susanna Kearsley

Weaves a spell of darkness that’s mysterious and magical, and binds it with a knot of deathless love.”

Library Journal

04/13/2023

This latest historical novel from Fox (following A Lullaby for Witches) begins in post-World War I England with recently orphaned Ivy Radcliffe learning that she's inherited Blackwood Abbey and is, in fact, Lady Hayworth—descended from an ancient bloodline. To keep the inheritance, she must live in the abbey, where she finds prickly staff and a dusty library. Rumors abound about the property and the library's secrets. Some say it is haunted, others claim the house on the Yorkshire moors is cursed. As a cult maneuvers for access to the library and its fabled holdings, Ivy learns the terrible truth of what she's inherited and must act to save herself or become its latest victim. VERDICT Fox excels at women's fiction with a supernatural twist. This title has hues of gothic romance and horror, moving at a leisurely pace before exploding into furious action. Readers of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic and Sarah Penner's The Lost Apothecary will be swept up in the story and find much to like.—Mara Shatat

Product Details

BN ID:	2940174867666
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/04/2023
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	651,035

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