Camilla Bruce Knihy

V Chicagu se o ní leccos povídalo. Dobrým sousedům v Indianě se možná občas něco nezdálo, ale kdo by čekal něco zlého od dobromyslné vdovy, které v životě nepřálo štěstí, je vzorná matka a poctivě chodí do kostela? Kdyby jen věděli, čím prošla... Muži k ní přijížděli plni očekávání a nadějí s celým svým majetkem, avšak odjíždět je nikdy nikdo neviděl. Belle Gunnessová na farmě v La Porte totiž dávno přišla na to, že muži nejsou složití. Že žena se na tomhle světě musí o sebe postarat sama. A že nesmí zaváhat a pohrdnout jakýmikoli prostředky, třeba i krvavými, jinak nedosáhne toho, po čem touží a co si zaslouží.

Otec a syn přijeli na rozhrkaném voze a zabrali pozemek. Když postavili dům a stáj, připojily se k nim matka a dcera. Zorali pole, zřídili obchod a hostinec a žili z toho, že občasným pocestným nabízeli jídlo a nocleh. Vždyť kdo by v nehostinné prérii odmítl teplé sousto a přístřeší? Zvlášť když je dívka z hostince tak přívětivá a hezká a vlasy má jako oheň. A nejen to: umí mluvit s duchy mrtvých a věštit z karet a z dlaně budoucí osud. Kdo by odolal? A pak jednou lidé z města objevili v řece zohavené tělo muže. Později nalezli další dva. Začali se pravidelně ztrácet pocestní, jejich těla se však nenašla. Kdo to udělal? Stvůra, které zachutnala lidská krev? Potulná banda zločinců? Dívka z hostince nabídla, že se na to zeptá obyvatel záhrobí. Odpověď zněla: Viník je osamělý vrah. Muži z hostince ovšem vídali skupinu jezdců. Kde je pravda? Nebo je to všechno úplně jinak?

'By the end of the third page I was not only hooked, but beginning to think that this might be the best book I'd read all year.' Joanne Harris'I wanted someone to know, you see. One is a story of bloody nights and magical gifts, of children lost to the woods, of husbands made from twigs and leaves and feathers and bones .

You've never met a woman as dangerous as Bella Sorensen . . . THE FASCINATING REIMAGINING OF THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HISTORY'S ORIGINAL FEMALE SERIAL KILLER 'Extraordinary. Bruce does a marvellous job of reimagining this real-life murderer, without excusing her crimes' THE TIMES 'Dark, twisted and dangerously addictive' SAM LLOYD, bestselling author of THE MEMORY WOOD ________ 1900, Chicago. Bella Sorenson knows that the world is made for men. They control everything: jobs, property, money. Marriage makes women like her their slaves. But now Bella is fighting back. Because she's angry. She's bloodthirsty. She's willing to kill to get what she wants - starting with her husband. And then her next husband. And the next one . . . ________ 'Explosive . . . If you like true crime, you'll devour this chilling story of revenge' WOMAN'S WEEKLY 'Dark glee, tragedy . . . Fans of my story The Corset will gobble this up' LAURA PURCELL 'Come for the fabulous premise, stay for the razor-sharp portrait of a marvelously complex (and often totally terrifying) mind . . . Camilla Bruce has absolutely outdone herself' LAIRD HUNT 'Starts as a revenge story but quickly becomes so much more. Clever, shocking and horrific in places, it's the sort of book for which the phrase 'page-turner' was invented' LUCIE MCKNIGHT HARDY

The unnerving, skin-pricklingly disconcerting yet irresistibly readable new novel - a story of obsession, possession and a rivalry to the death. Over a hundred years ago, the citizens of F- did something rather bad. And local school teacher Catherine Evans has made writing the definitive account of what happened when Ilsbeth Clark drowned in the well her life's work. The town's people may not want their past raked up, but Catherine is determined to shine a light upon that shameful event. For Ilsbeth was an innocent, after all. She was shunned and ostracised by rumour-mongers and ill-wishers and someone has to speak up for her. And who better than Catherine, who has herself felt the sting and hurt of such whisperings? But then a childhood friend returns to F -. Elena is a successful author whose book, The Whispers Inside - A Reawakening of the Soul, has earned her a certain celebrity. In search of a new subject, she takes an interest in the story of Ilsbeth Clark and announces her intention to write a book about the long-dead woman, focusing on the natural magic she believes she possessed. And Elena has everything Catherine has not, like a platform and connections and no one seems to care that Elena's book will be pure speculation, tainting Ilsbeth's memory rather than preserving it. Catherine is determined that something must be done and plots to blunt her rival's pen. However she had not allowed for the fact that the past might not be so dead after all - that something is reaching out from the well, disturbing her reality. Before summer's over, one woman will be dead, the other accused of murder . . . but is she really guilty, or are there other forces at work? And who was Ilsbeth Clark, really? An innocent? A witch? Or something else entirely?

A murderess takes on the role of guardian to two extraordinary girls in this captivating gothic tale by Camilla Bruce. The story intertwines themes of darkness, mystery, and the complexities of unconventional relationships, creating an eerie yet enthralling atmosphere. As the characters navigate their intertwined fates, the novel explores the blurred lines between protector and predator, inviting readers into a world filled with suspense and intrigue.