Broken Ghosts: a haunting, gothic coming-of-age story from the bestselling author of the Inspector McLean series

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'A beautifully written novel imbued with empathy, spirits and magic' Scottish Daily Mail

Spring, 1985. Twelve year old Phoebe MacDonald's world is falling apart.

She has just buried her parents, a fire at their family home claiming both in a freak accident. Now she must leave Scotland, the only place she has ever known, and go to live with her uncle Louis and aunt Maude in their home in the Welsh woods.

As spring turns to summer, Phoebe falls slowly into the rhythm of life with her eccentric guardians in their curious home. But there is no one her age in the nearby village, and she is lonely until she meets a strange girl, Gwyneth, who wanders the surrounding forest barefoot and alone.

Outsiders both, the two girls form a strong bond, though nobody else seems to believe that Gwyneth is real. Phoebe knows better, and soon with her new friend's help, she begins to see the woods for what they truly are - a place of magic and wonder, where the line between life and death is blurred. Where spirits roam and secrets fester.

Something happened here, a lifetime ago. A wrong that yearns to be put right. The answer is within Phoebe's grasp, but will revealing it put her in grave danger

For the woods hold a dark truth, and some will do anything to keep it in the shadows.

Reviews

A mesmerising meditation on the border between childhood and adulthood, between this world and the world beyond. * Meg Clothier, bestselling author of The Book of Eve *
A beautifully written novel imbued with empathy, spirits and magic * Scottish Daily Mail *
A spellbinding tale and an incredible sense of place, imbued with the magic of folklore: beautiful and dangerous in equal measure. * Andrew Reid, author of The Hunter *
Spooky and moving * Peterborough Telegraph *

Author Bio

J. D. Oswald is the pseudonym for James Oswald, author of the Sunday Times-bestselling Inspector McLean series of detective mysteries, as well as the DC Constance Fairchild series. James's first two books, NATURAL CAUSES and THE BOOK OF SOULS, were both short-listed for the prestigious CWA Debut Dagger Award.

James farms pedigree Highland cows by day, writes disturbing fiction by night.