The Corset

A compelling slice of early Victorian gothic Vivid and well researched, this book is an evocative portrait of a society that punishes women who dare to contravene social norms as well as a splendid mystery with suitably melodramatic flourishes * Guardian * The Silent Companions was a chillingly note-perfect take on Victorian gothic and [Purcell] makes a brilliant return to the genre with this much-anticipated tale ... Heart-pounding A classic Victorian tale of murder most foul, twisted with a curious supernatural thread * Stylist * Laura is a masterful writer, her deliciously gothic stories so skilfully woven that you can't get them out of your head even if you wanted to -- Stacey Halls, author of Sunday Times bestseller, The Familiars The Corset [sent] chills shooting down my spine ... Nods to the classic gothic novel and Sarah Waterss Affinity * Red * This gothic chiller casts an addictive spell * Sunday Mirror * Intricate, atmospheric and chilling with a wonderfully dark premise at its heart * Woman & Home * [A] thrilling, chilling Gothic tale [A] deliciously dark mystery * Psychologies * Chilling ... All but the most cynical will find it hard to stop turning the pages * Observer * The Silent Companions was a gothic masterpiece and The Corset follows with confidence ... 16-year-old Ruth is on trial for murder but finds herself on the receiving end of Dorothea Trueloves charitable ministrations ... their joint narrative twists and turns, leading readers to the most haunting of endings * Emerald Street * Deliciously creepy and atmospheric with a gripping plot, this book will disturb your sleep. And I didn't see THAT ending coming -- Sarah J. Harris, author of 'The Colour of Bee Larkhams Murder' Purcells tale brilliantly captures the restricted lives of Victorian women, while pitting magical thinking against scientific rationale * Mail on Sunday * The Corset is a contender for my Book of the Year. Ruth and Dorothea will live in my mind for a long time. Beautifully written, intricately plotted, a masterpiece -- Sarah Hilary Shes done it again. More macabre magnificence from Laura Purcell - intricately stitched together like one of seamstress Ruths terrifying creations. The Corset will have you crushed within its vice. Brilliant -- Anna Mazzola An intriguing premise deftly executed, The Corset is genuinely thrilling -- Elizabeth Haynes A romping read with a deliciously dark conceit at its centre. Reminded me of Alias Grace. A worthy successor to The Silent Companions -- Kiran Millwood Hargrave With the skill of a born story teller Laura Purcell has crafted a tale as intricate and flawless as Ruth's stitches. By turns horrifying and humorous, The Corset is a darkly compelling, unsettling and fascinating book, where pseudo-science meets needlework in the most chilling and unexpected ways ... The Corset is the very best kind of gothic fiction. Reminiscent of Sarah Waters and Margaret Atwood, but uniquely and unmistakably Laura Purcell -- ES Thomson The Corset is a sharp-edged, emotionally freighted mystery, rooted in the pitch-black darkness of Victorian poverty. An intriguing, page-turning gothic tale of murder and the supernatural -- Sophia Tobin Praise for The Silent Companions: 'A sinister slice of Victorian gothic Creepy and page-turning * The Times * A perfect read for a winter night An intriguing, nuanced and genuinely eerie slice of Victorian gothic * Guardian * This intriguingly plotted novel is the full-blown gothic, maintaining throughout an unsettling claustrophobic atmosphere mixed with some unusual historical detail * Daily Mail * The nights are drawing in, low mists hang over the ground What you really need is something to terrify the bejeezus out of you. And Laura Purcell has nailed it with a story that conjures up Susan Hills The Woman in Black, Henry Jamess The Turn of The Screw and a little bit of Rebecca by Daphne du Maur

Laura Purcell is a former bookseller and lives in Colchester with her husband and pet guinea pigs. The Silent Companions was a Radio 2 and Zoe Ball ITV Book Club pick and was the winner of the WHSmith Thumping Good Read Award, while The Corset was acclaimed as a 'masterpiece' by readers and reviewers alike. Her third novel for Raven Books, Bone China, will be published in Autumn 2019. laurapurcell.com @spookypurcell