Laura Purcell – författare

LAURA PURCELL'S SPINE-TINGLING HOUSE OF SPLINTERS IS OUT NOWAs featured on the Radio 2 Book ClubSome doors are locked for a reason...Newly married, newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband’s crumbling country estate, The Bridge.With her new servants resentful and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie only has her husband’s awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. For inside her new home lies a locked room, and beyond that door lies a two-hundred-year-old diary and a deeply unsettling painted wooden figure – a Silent Companion – that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself...‘[An] extraordinary, memorable and truly haunting book’ Jojo Moyes‘[It] shone, for originality for the sheer quality of the writing, the characters and some masterly chills’ Peter JamesREADERS LOVE THE SILENT COMPANIONS:'Phenomenal' 'Will stay with you long after you have finished reading''Spooky, imaginative, original' 'Couldn't put it down' 'Truly creepy' 'Deserves a place on every bookshelf'

'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 The Familiars'The Corset is a contender for my Book of the Year. Beautifully written, intricately plotted, a masterpiece' Sarah HilaryIs prisoner Ruth Butterham mad or a murderer? Victim or villain?Dorothea Truelove is young, wealthy and beautiful. Ruth Butterham is young, poor and awaiting trial for murder.When Dorothea’s charitable work leads her to Oakgate Prison, she finds herself drawn to Ruth, a teenage seamstress – and self-confessed murderess – who nurses a dark and uncanny secret. A secret that is leading her straight to the gallows. As Ruth reveals her disturbing past to Dorothea, the fates of these two women entwine, and with every revelation, a new layer of doubt is cast... Can Ruth be trusted? Is she mad, or a murderer?*Laura Purcell's HOUSE OF SPLINTERS is available to preorder now*

'Impressive' The Times 'An enormous treat . . . beautifully vivid, claustrophobic and macabre . . . a masterful page-turner' Bridget Collins, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Binding 'A chilling, atmospheric read' Woman's Own Not every house is a home...Belinda Bainbridge has spent her life in the shadow of her anxious mother, so when her father-in-law dies at The Bridge, his remote ancestral seat, she is secretly thrilled. His death means she, her husband Wilfred and their children can relocate and finally begin to create their own happy home together: born a merchant’s daughter, she will now be lady of the manor.But their new home quickly proves far from ideal. The garden is a wilderness, the estate is struggling financially, there are whispers about the mysterious death of a servant many years before while their young son, Freddy, seems unusually fixated on the strange wooden figures – so-called 'silent companions' – that were once owned by his ancestors.When Wilfred's charismatic brother, Nathan, arrives unexpectedly from abroad, bringing a very different account of the family’s past, Belinda begins to question what her husband has told her. What really lies behind the sad history of the house? And are Belinda’s children truly safe here?The outstanding new haunted house story from Sunday Times bestseller and multi-award winner, Laura Purcell, author of The Silent Companions, who has reignited readers' passion for classic gothic tales for a new audience. 'Laura Purcell really is a master of the unsettling ghost story' Jen Williams

THE DAZZLING SECOND GHOST STORY COLLECTION FROM THE CREATORS OF THE HAUNTING SEASON, NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK.'Terrific - every bit as good as an MR James collection' ROSIE ANDREWS, author of THE LEVIATHANFeaturing new and original stories from:Bridget Collins Imogen Hermes Gowar Kiran Millwood Hargrave Andrew Michael Hurley Jess Kidd Natasha PulleyElizabeth Macneal Laura Purcell Susan Stokes-Chapman Laura Shepherd-Robinson Stuart Turton Catriona Ward The tradition of a haunted tale at Christmas has flourished across the centuries. These twelve stories - authored by some of today's most loved and lauded writers of historical and gothic fiction - are all centred around Christmas or Advent, boldly and playfully re-imagining a beloved tradition for a modern audience. Taking you from a haunted Tuscan villa to a remote Scottish island with a dark secret,, these vibrant haunted stories are your ultimate companion for frosty nights.So curl up, light a candle, and fall under the spell of winters past . . .

A sparkling gothic romance from award-winning bestseller Laura Purcell 'Brilliant and beautiful, Moonstone is the gothic werewolf love story we've all been waiting for. Easily one of my favourite books of the year!' JJA Harwood, author of The Thorns Remain Don’t misbehave. Beware the moon. And never go out after dark … Following a scandal at the Vauxhall pleasure gardens, Camille is sent to the woods to live with her reclusive godmother and her strange daughter, Lucy. Cast out from polite society, she must learn to live by her godmother’s strict rules.Camille has never met anyone quite like Lucy before, and as they grow closer and cross forbidden boundaries, strange things begin to happen. Mysterious deaths, claw marks raking the doors, and the nights are pierced by the howls of a creature that sounds almost … otherworldly.Should Camille be more afraid of what’s hiding in the woods – or her own heart? From the award-winning, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Silent Companions, Moonstone is a haunting gothic romance with real bite.

From award-winning bestseller Laura Purcell comes her YA debut, MOONSTONE. 'Brilliant and beautiful, Moonstone is the gothic werewolf love story we've all been waiting for. Easily one of my favourite books of the year!' JJA Harwood, author of The Thorns Remain Don’t misbehave. Beware the moon. And never go out after dark … Following a scandal at the Vauxhall pleasure gardens, Camille is sent to the woods to live with her reclusive godmother and her strange daughter, Lucy. Cast out from polite society, she must learn to live by her godmother’s strict rules.Camille has never met anyone quite like Lucy before, and as they grow closer and cross forbidden boundaries, strange things begin to happen. Mysterious deaths, claw marks raking the doors, and the nights are pierced by the howls of a creature that sounds almost … otherworldly.Should Camille be more afraid of what’s hiding in the woods – or her own heart? From the award-winning, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Silent Companions, Moonstone is a haunting gothic romance with real bite.

From award-winning bestseller Laura Purcell comes her YA debut, MOONSTONE. 'Brilliant and beautiful, Moonstone is the gothic werewolf love story we've all been waiting for. Easily one of my favourite books of the year!' JJA Harwood, author of The Thorns Remain Don’t misbehave. Beware the moon. And never go out after dark … Following a scandal at the Vauxhall pleasure gardens, Camille is sent to the woods to live with her reclusive godmother and her strange daughter, Lucy. Cast out from polite society, she must learn to live by her godmother’s strict rules.Camille has never met anyone quite like Lucy before, and as they grow closer and cross forbidden boundaries, strange things begin to happen. Mysterious deaths, claw marks raking the doors, and the nights are pierced by the howls of a creature that sounds almost … otherworldly.Should Camille be more afraid of what’s hiding in the woods – or her own heart? From the award-winning, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Silent Companions, Moonstone is a haunting gothic romance with real bite.

A twisty Gothic historical fantasy by the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Silent Companions Tabitha would do anything to remain at her ancestral home of Reynard’s Hollow. So, while marrying her cousin Vincent isn’t an inspiring proposition, things could be worse. He doesn’t hold a candle to Kit, the gamekeeper’s son and her childhood friend, but nothing would ever come of that anyway; she’s the lady of the manor, after all, and Kit is a servant. ​Tabitha’s world is thrown upside down when her cousin dies in a hunting accident. He was her best – and only – chance to remain at the Hollow… so what will happen to her now? Why do his injuries look like the result of a brutal attack, rather than a bad fall? Is there something out there – some sort of monster, still lurking in the woods? ​Meanwhile, Kit is wrestling with demons of his own. His mother is acting strangely, and the other servants’ mutterings about his true parentage are growing louder. The household, already under strain, reaches a breaking point as loyalties are put to the test and long-buried secrets are unearthed. And then Kit makes a discovery: there is something in the woods, although he doesn’t think it’s a monster. ​But at Reynard’s Hollow, things are not always as they appear…

A twisty Gothic historical fantasy by the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Silent Companions Tabitha would do anything to remain at her ancestral home of Reynard’s Hollow. So, while marrying her cousin Vincent isn’t an inspiring proposition, things could be worse. He doesn’t hold a candle to Kit, the gamekeeper’s son and her childhood friend, but nothing would ever come of that anyway; she’s the lady of the manor, after all, and he’s a servant. ​Tabitha’s world is thrown upside down when her cousin dies in a hunting accident. He was her best – and only – chance to remain at the Hollow… so what will happen to her now? Why do his injuries look like the result of a brutal attack, rather than a bad fall? Is there something out there – some sort of monster, still lurking in the woods? ​Meanwhile, Kit is wrestling with demons of his own. His mother is acting strangely, and the other servants’ mutterings about his true parentage are growing louder. The household, already under strain, reaches a breaking point as loyalties are put to the test and long-buried secrets are unearthed. And then Kit makes a discovery: there is something in the woods, although he doesn’t think it’s a monster. ​But at Reynard’s Hollow, things are not always as they appear. Sometimes it pays to look a gift horse in the mouth…

Good health should be a goal of all children and adolescents, as well as the parents and guardians who care for them. Regular physical activity is part of achieving this goal. Sports can provide manifold benefits, including fitness, motor skill development, teamwork, and of course, fun. As with any pursuit that provides such benefits, however, there are risks involved, p- ticularly for growing athletes. Physicians and other health professionals caring for active children should be able to provide appropriate care and advice for sport and fitness related medical issues. This book is written as a practical guide for those of us who provide care for young athletes. The focus ison musculoskeletal injuries that occur in this unique population, as well as conditions that may present as a musculosk- etal injury, but may have more serious consequences. The first section of the book focuses on rehabilitation and diagnostic imaging of musculoskeletal conditions in adolescents. The secondsection organized according to a- tomical region addresses specificinjuries that adolescents may sustain as a result of sport/activity participation. Each of these body part specific ch- ters begins with a review of the relevant anatomy, followed by details of clinical evaluation. Specific injuries, such as acute and chronic injuries, are described in detail, including the management/treatment of each condition.

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERDon't miss the brand new collection of never-before-seen ghostly tales from these eight authors plus four more. The Winter Spirits is out in October 2023 and available to pre-order now. 'You won't find a more thrilling winter read this year, or a better line up of writers who have mastered the gothic and ghostly.' SARA COLLINS, Costa Award-winning author of The Confessions of Frannie Langton Featuring new and original tales from:Bridget Collins Sunday Times bestselling author of The Binding | Imogen Hermes Gowar Sunday Times bestselling author of The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock | Kiran Millwood Hargrave Sunday Times bestselling author of The Mercies | Andrew Michael Hurley Sunday Times bestselling author of The Loney | Jess Kidd International award-winning author of Things in Jars | Elizabeth Macneal Sunday Times bestselling author of The Doll Factory | Natasha Pulley Sunday Times bestselling author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street | Laura Purcell Award-winning author of The Silent Companions ______________Long before Charles Dickens and Henry James popularized the tradition, the shadowy nights of winter have been a time for people to gather together by the flicker of candlelight and experience the intoxicating thrill of a ghost story.Now eight bestselling, award-winning authors - all of them master storytellers of the sinister and the macabre - bring the tradition to vivid life in a spellbinding new collection of original spine-tingling tales.Taking you from the frosty Fens to the wild Yorkshire moors, to the snow-covered grounds of a haunted estate, to a bustling London Christmas market, these mesmerizing stories will capture your imagination and serve as your indispensable companion to the cold, dark nights.So curl up, light a candle, and fall under the spell of winters past . . .

*LAURA PURCELL'S HOUSE OF SPLINTERS IS OUT NOW*A Daphne Du Maurier-esque chiller set on the mysterious Cornish coast, from the award-winning author of The Silent Companions.'Du Maurier-tastic' GUARDIAN'Deliciously sinister' HEAT 'A clever, creepy read' SUNDAY EXPRESS Consumption has ravaged Louise Pinecroft’s family, leaving her and her father alone and heartbroken. But Dr Pinecroft has plans for a revolutionary experiment: convinced that sea air will prove to be the cure his wife and children needed, he arranges to house a group of prisoners suffering from the same disease in the cliffs beneath his new Cornish home. Forty years later, Hester Why arrives at Morvoren House to take up a position as nurse to the now partially paralysed and almost entirely mute Miss Pinecroft. Hester has fled to Cornwall to try and escape her past, but she soon discovers that her new home may be just as dangerous as her last…

*LAURA PURCELL'S HOUSE OF SPLINTERS IS OUT NOW*Winner of the Historical Crime Book of the Year 2021 Award at the 2022 Fingerprint Crime Awards‘Dripping with atmosphere with a corkscrew plot, Laura Purcell just gets better and better’ STACEY HALLS‘It truly kept me guessing to the very last page’ SONIA VELTONWicked deeds require the cover of darkness...A struggling silhouette artist in Victorian Bath seeks out a renowned child spirit medium in order to speak to the dead – and to try and identify their killers – in this beguiling new tale from Laura Purcell.Silhouette artist Agnes is struggling to keep her business afloat. Still recovering from a serious illness herself, making enough money to support her elderly mother and her orphaned nephew Cedric has never been easy, but then one of her clients is murdered shortly after sitting for Agnes, and then another, and another... Desperately seeking an answer, Agnes approaches Pearl, a child spirit medium lodging in Bath with her older half-sister and her ailing father, hoping that if Pearl can make contact with those who died, they might reveal who killed them. But Agnes and Pearl quickly discover that instead they may have opened the door to something that they can never put back...What secrets lie hidden in the darkness?

LAURA PURCELL'S HAUNTING HOUSE OF SPLINTERS IS AVAILABLE TO OUT NOW----------------------------------------'Spooky, atmospheric, brilliant' Bridget Collins'Glitteringly dark and mesmerising' Jennifer SaintBe careful what you wish for... it may just come true.At The Mercury Theatre in London's West End, rumours are circulating of a curse. It is said that the lead actress Lilith has made a pact with Melpomene, the tragic muse of Greek mythology, to become the greatest actress to ever grace the stage. Suspicious of Lilith, the jealous wife of the theatre owner sends dresser Jenny to spy on her, and desperate for the money to help her family, Jenny agrees. What Jenny finds is a woman as astonishing in her performance as she is provocative in nature. On stage, it's as though Lilith is possessed by the characters she plays, yet off stage she is as tragic as the Muse who inspires her, and Jenny, sorry for her, befriends the troubled actress. But when strange events begin to take place around the theatre, Jenny wonders if the rumours are true, and fears that when the Muse comes calling for payment, the cost will be too high.'Gloriously gothic' Erin Kelly'Immersive' Beth Underdown 'Fantastic' Rebecca Netley 'Darkly seductive and artfully realised' Susan Stokes-Chapman

'Impressive' The Times 'An enormous treat . . . beautifully vivid, claustrophobic and macabre . . . a masterful page-turner' Bridget Collins, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Binding 'A chilling, atmospheric read' Woman's Own Not every house is a home...Belinda Bainbridge has spent her life in the shadow of her anxious mother, so when her father-in-law dies at The Bridge, his remote ancestral seat, she is secretly thrilled. His death means she, her husband Wilfred and their children can relocate and finally begin to create their own happy home together: born a merchant’s daughter, she will now be lady of the manor.But their new home quickly proves far from ideal. The garden is a wilderness, the estate is struggling financially, there are whispers about the mysterious death of a servant many years before while their young son, Freddy, seems unusually fixated on the strange wooden figures – so-called 'silent companions' – that were once owned by his ancestors.When Wilfred's charismatic brother, Nathan, arrives unexpectedly from abroad, bringing a very different account of the family’s past, Belinda begins to question what her husband has told her. What really lies behind the sad history of the house? And are Belinda’s children truly safe here?The outstanding new haunted house story from Sunday Times bestseller and multi-award winner, Laura Purcell, author of The Silent Companions, who has reignited readers' passion for classic gothic tales for a new audience. 'Laura Purcell really is a master of the unsettling ghost story' Jen Williams

'Impressive' The Times'Shivers aplenty... brilliant' Daily Mail'A chilling atmospheric read' Woman's OwnNot every house is a home...Belinda Bainbridge has spent her life in the shadow of her anxious mother, so when her father-in-law dies at The Bridge, his remote ancestral seat, she is secretly thrilled. His death means she, her husband Wilfred and their children can relocate and finally begin to create their new happy home together: born a merchant's daughter, she will now be lady of the manor. But their new home quickly proves far from ideal. The garden is a wilderness, the estate is struggling financially, and there are whispers about the mysterious death of a servant many years before while their young son, Freddy, seems unusually fixated on the strange wooden figures – so-called silent companions – that were once owned by his ancestors. When Wilfred's charismatic brother, Nathan, arrives unexpectedly from abroad, bringing a very different account of the family's past, Belinda begins to question what her husband has told her. What really lies behind the sad history of the house? And are Belinda's children truly safe here? The outstanding new haunted house story from Sunday Times bestseller and multi-award winner, Laura Purcell, author of The Silent Companions.'Laura Purcell really is a master of the unsettling ghost story' Jen Williams

LAURA PURCELL'S SPINE-TINGLING HOUSE OF SPLINTERS IS OUT NOWAs featured on the Radio 2 Book ClubSome doors are locked for a reason...Newly married, newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband’s crumbling country estate, The Bridge.With her new servants resentful and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie only has her husband’s awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. For inside her new home lies a locked room, and beyond that door lies a two-hundred-year-old diary and a deeply unsettling painted wooden figure – a Silent Companion – that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself...‘[An] extraordinary, memorable and truly haunting book’ Jojo Moyes‘[It] shone, for originality for the sheer quality of the writing, the characters and some masterly chills’ Peter JamesREADERS LOVE THE SILENT COMPANIONS:'Phenomenal' 'Will stay with you long after you have finished reading''Spooky, imaginative, original' 'Couldn't put it down' 'Truly creepy' 'Deserves a place on every bookshelf'

London 1788. The calm order of Queen Charlotte's court is shattered by screams. The King of England is going mad. Left alone with thirteen children and with the country at war, Charlotte has to fight to hold her husband's throne. It is a time of unrest and revolutions but most of all Charlotte fears the King himself, someone she can no longer love or trust. She has lost her marriage to madness and there is nothing she can do except continue to do her royal duty. Her six daughters are desperate to escape their palace asylum. Their only chance lies in a good marriage, but no prince wants the daughter of a madman. They are forced to take love wherever they can find it, with devastating consequences. The moving true story of George III's madness and the women whose lives it destroyed.

Orphaned and trapped in an abusive marriage, Henrietta Howard has little left to lose. She stakes everything on a new life in Hanover with its royal family, the heirs to the British throne. Henrietta's beauty and intelligence soon win her the friendship of clever Princess Caroline and her mercurial husband, Prince George. But, as time passes, it becomes clear that friendship is the last thing on the hot-blooded young prince's mind. Dare Henrietta give into his advances and anger her violent husband? Dare she refuse? Whatever George's shortcomings, Princess Caroline is determined to make the family a success. Yet the feud between her husband and his obstinate father threatens all she has worked for. As England erupts in Jacobite riots, her family falls apart. She vows to save the country for her children to inherit - even if it costs her pride and her marriage. Set in the turbulent years of the Hanoverian accession, Mistress of the Court tells the story of two remarkable women at the centre of George II's reign.

Now in a revised and updated second edition, this practical text on the adolescent athlete provides penetrating insights into musculoskeletal care for growing athletes. Chapters are logically organized by anatomical region and are written by experts in the field, focusing on improved clinical decision-making and addressing both chronic and acute injuries in addition to congenital conditions. Fundamentals, including basic anatomy, physical examination, and patient history, are covered in detail, with emphasis on the recognition of injury patterns unique to adolescent athletes. User-friendly tables are incorporated to assist with diagnosis. Prevention, patient management, and clinical pearls are each outlined, and return-to-play guidelines are highlighted. To further facilitate comprehensive patient care, musculoskeletal diagnostic imaging and principles of rehabilitation are covered as well. Anatomical drawings, photos of examination maneuvers, and diagnostic images,such as x-rays and MRI scans, complete the text by illustrating key concepts.Intended for sports medicine physicians, primary care physicians, orthopedists, physiotherapists and athletic trainers, this second edition of The Adolescent Athlete: A Practical Approach continues to be a sought-after resource for all who aim to improve the musculoskeletal health of active children and adolescents.

Providing a state-of-the-art account of the nature, distribution and determinants of sports injury in children and adolescents, this unique volume uses the public health model to describe the scope of the injury problem and the associated risk factors and evaluate the current research on injury prevention strategies as described in the literature. Thoughtfully divided in six sections, the nature of the young athlete and epidemiology of pediatric and adolescent sports injury are described first. Then an overview of the most common types of youth sports injuries as well as more serious injuries (e.g., concussions) and outcomes is presented, followed by a discussion of injury causation and prevention. Suggestions for future research rounds out the presentation. Each chapter is illustrated with tables which make it easy to examine injury factors between studies. Throughout, the editors and contributors have taken an evidence-based approach and adopted a uniform methodology to assess the data available. Ideal for physicians, physical therapists, athletic trainers and sports scientists alike, Injury in Pediatric and Adolescent Sports concisely and accurately presents the situation faced by clinicians treating young athletes and the challenges they face in keeping up with this growing and active population. Furthermore, the information in this book will be useful to allied health researchers and sport governing bodies as an informed basis for continued epidemiological study and implementation of injury prevention initiatives designed to reduce the incidence and severity of injuries encountered by young athletes.

Providing a state-of-the-art account of the nature, distribution and determinants of sports injury in children and adolescents, this unique volume uses the public health model to describe the scope of the injury problem and the associated risk factors and evaluate the current research on injury prevention strategies as described in the literature.

Now in a revised and updated second edition, this practical text on the adolescent athlete provides penetrating insights into musculoskeletal care for growing athletes. Chapters are logically organized by anatomical region and are written by experts in the field, focusing on improved clinical decision-making and addressing both chronic and acute injuries in addition to congenital conditions. Fundamentals, including basic anatomy, physical examination, and patient history, are covered in detail, with emphasis on the recognition of injury patterns unique to adolescent athletes. User-friendly tables are incorporated to assist with diagnosis. Prevention, patient management, and clinical pearls are each outlined, and return-to-play guidelines are highlighted. To further facilitate comprehensive patient care, musculoskeletal diagnostic imaging and principles of rehabilitation are covered as well. Anatomical drawings, photos of examination maneuvers, and diagnostic images,such as x-rays and MRI scans, complete the text by illustrating key concepts.Intended for sports medicine physicians, primary care physicians, orthopedists, physiotherapists and athletic trainers, this second edition of The Adolescent Athlete: A Practical Approach continues to be a sought-after resource for all who aim to improve the musculoskeletal health of active children and adolescents.