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The Poison Thread: A Novel Audiobook
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"[An] uncanny Gothic mystery... Satisfying."—New York Times Book Review
"A romping read with a deliciously dark conceit at its center... Reminded me of Alias Grace."—Kiran Millwood Hargrave
From the author of The Silent Companions, a thrilling Victorian gothic horror story about a young seamstress who claims her needle and thread have the power to kill
Dorothea Truelove is young, wealthy, and beautiful. Ruth Butterham is young, poor, and awaiting trial for murder.
When Dorothea's charitable work brings her to Oakgate Prison, she is delighted by the chance to explore her fascination with phrenology and test her hypothesis that the shape of a person's skull can cast a light on their darkest crimes. But when she meets one of the prisoners, the teenaged seamstress Ruth, she is faced with another strange idea: that it is possible to kill with a needle and thread--because Ruth attributes her crimes to a supernatural power inherent in her stitches.
The story Ruth has to tell of her deadly creations—of bitterness and betrayal, of death and dresses—will shake Dorothea's belief in rationality, and the power of redemption. Can Ruth be trusted? Is she mad, or a murderer? For fans of Shirley Jackson, The Poison Thread is a spine-tingling, sinister read about the evil that lurks behind the facade of innocence.
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"Laura Purcell weaves a classic tale of gothic horror. . . . Purcell has all the finest ingredients of the gothic tradition. . . . Reminiscent of Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black and even du Maurier’s Rebecca, The Silent Companions will chill readers who fall under its spell."
— Shelf Awareness
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[A] well-wrought chiller.
— Wall Street Journal -
Suspenseful... This smart and sophisticated historical thriller will appeal to fans of Sarah Waters’s Fingersmith and Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace.
— Publishers Weekly -
“A dark, gothic story… Purcell alternates character narratives to question motives, reality, and truth on a ‘bumpy’ ride full of violence and death.
— Booklist"A fascinating mystery that’s rich in disquieting detail and atmosphere. -
"A chilling and engrossing read.
— Kirkus -
"A potent, powerful novel: seductive, spellbinding, and - in every sense of the word - haunting. As atmospheric as Sarah Waters, as psychologically astute as Tana French.
— A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author -
[The Poison Thread is] 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… a splendid mystery with suitably melodramatic flourishes.
— The Guardian“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 Poison Thread is a darkly compelling, unsettling and fascinating book... the very best kind of gothic fiction. Reminiscent of Sarah Waters and Margaret Atwood, but uniquely and unmistakably Laura Purcell. -
“Intricate, atmospheric and chilling – with a wonderfully dark premise at its heart.
— Woman & Home -
"Phantasmic thrills... A true page-turner.
— Times Literary Supplement -
If The Silent Companions lands on your night table, don’t plan on leaving your bed anytime soon. Immersive, meticulous, and reminiscent of the masters of gothic fiction—not only a compulsively readable ghost story, but a skillful, loving ode to the entire genre.
— Lyndsay Faye, bestselling author of Jane Steele -
Purcell crafts a virtually flawless work of Gothic fiction with this deeply atmospheric, foreboding story. . . . reminiscent of the work of all the greats, particularly Shirley Jackson and Daphne du Maurier, but Purcell has a style all her own. A must for all lovers of Gothic literature.
— Library Journal (starred review) -
This perfect fireside read combines all the best characteristics of the gothic genre.
— Booklist
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About Laura Purcell
Laura Purcell is an award-winning former bookseller living in Colchester, Essex, with her husband and pet guinea pigs. She is the author of novels including The Silent Companions, which was a Radio 2 and Zoe Ball ITV Book Club pick, and The Shape of Darkness, winner of the inaugural Fingerprint Award for Historical Crime Book of the Year. Her short stories have been included in The Haunting Season and The Winter Spirits anthologies, which were both instant Sunday Times bestsellers. She also wrote Roanoake Falls, a dramatic podcast for Realm, working with John Carpenter and Sandy King Carpenter. Her novel The Whispering Muse was the 2023 winner of The Dracula Society’s Children of the Night Award.
About the Narrators
Jayne Entwistle is a voice talent and Earphones Award–winning narrator.
Elizabeth Knowelden is an Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator who has been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. As an actress, she trained in London at the Webber Douglas Academy where she received a Sir Laurence Olivier Commendation. Her acting credits include theater, musicals, and national tours in the United Kingdom. Also a film actress, she has participated in BAFTA’s Newcomers Program.