Melmoth by Sarah Perry

THE STUNNING NEW NOVEL FROM THE NUMBER 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE ESSEX SERPENT

Twenty years ago, Helen Franklin did something she cannot forgive herself for, and she has spent every day since trying to hide from its memory. But the sheltered life she has crafted for herself is about to change.

A strange manuscript has come into her possession, filled with testimonies from the darkest chapters of human history. Each one records sightings of a tall, silent woman in black, with unblinking eyes and bleeding feet: Melmoth, the loneliest being in the world. Condemned to walk the Earth forever, she tries to beguile the guilty and lure them away for a lifetime wandering alongside her.

Everyone that Melmoth seeks out must make a choice: to live with what they've done, or be led into the darkness. Despite her scepticism, Helen can't stop reading, or shake the feeling that someone is watching her. As the past finally catches up with her, she too must choose which path to take.

Exquisitely written, and gripping until the very last page, this is a masterpiece of moral complexity, asking us profound questions about mercy, redemption and how to make the best of our conflicted world. 

Genres: Historical Fiction - Gothic - Horror - Fantasy - Literary Fiction - Mystery - English Author