Unquiet - by E Saxey (Paperback)

About the Book

"London 1893. Judith lives a solitary life, save for the maid who haunts the family home in which she resides. Mourning the death of her brother-in-law, Sam, who drowned in an accident a year earlier, she distracts herself with art classes, books and strange rituals, whilst the rest of her family travel the world. One icy evening, conducting a ritual in her garden she discovers Sam, alive. He has no memory of the past year, and remembers little of the accident that appeared to take his life. Desperate to keep his reappearance a secret until she can discover the truth about what happened to him, Judith journeys outside of the West London Jewish community she calls home, to the scene of Sam's accident. But there are secrets waiting there for Judith, things that have been dormant for so long, and if she is to uncover all of them, she may have to admit to truths that she has been keeping from herself."--

Book Synopsis

An intrepid young woman journeys across Victorian London and beyond in search of the truth behind the presumed death, and reappearance one icy evening, of her brother-in-law, in this gripping and mysterious gothic horror.

Perfect for fans of The Haunting of Hill House and readers of Sarah Waters.

London 1893. Judith lives a solitary life, save for the maid who haunts the family home in which she resides. Mourning the death of her brother-in-law, Sam, who drowned in an accident a year earlier, she distracts herself with art classes, books and strange rituals, whilst the rest of her family travel the world.

One icy evening, conducting a ritual in her garden she discovers Sam, alive. He has no memory of the past year, and remembers little of the accident that appeared to take his life.

Desperate to keep his reappearance a secret until she can discover the truth about what happened to him, Judith journeys outside of the West London Jewish community she calls home, to the scene of Sam's accident. But there are secrets waiting there for Judith, things that have been dormant for so long, and if she is to uncover all of them, she may have to admit to truths that she has been keeping from herself.

Review Quotes

"Delicate and undeniably beautiful" -Publishers Weekly

'Unquiet deceptively presents itself like a frozen lake: The further one treads across E. Saxey's haunting, delicate text, the closer to cracking the ice one gets. I fell through this
gorgeously gothic novel and still haven't come up for air.' Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Ghost Eaters

'A wonderful gothic novel rife with mystery and unease; perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson.' A.C. Wise, award-winning author of Wendy, Darling and Hooked.

'Told with beguiling lyricism and compelling intensity, E. Saxey's novel Unquiet is an artful and complex masterwork of contemporary Gothic fiction that will leave readers unsettled and clamoring for more written by such an exciting and unique voice in horror.' Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes

'An exquisite gothic piece. Wrap yourself up and try and decide whether it's warm like bedsheets or cold like a shroud.' Kieron Gillen, Hugo-nominated author of The Wicked + the Divine, DIE and Once & Future

'Elegantly and compellingly written, Unquiet draws upon Victorian occultism and English folk tradition to create a contemporary masterwork of uncanny literature. Quiet horror lives in Saxey's work and haunts us long after the last page is turned. Reading it feels like rediscovering a classic.' Ramsey Campbell

'A brooding psychological gothic mystery, steeped in the darkest realms of folklore. Literally dripping with grief, desire, and guilt.' Essie Fox, bestselling author of The Sonambulist

"A richly atmospheric, beautifully written period piece that is both an exploration of stuffy Victorian morality and an eerie Gothic mystery." Starburst Magazine

Beautifully written, dark, subtle and curious, Unquiet is one to savour and savour again. I loved it.' A.J. Elwood, author of The Cottingley Cuckoo and The Other Lives of Miss Emily White

'I loved this glimpse into Judith's interior world of loneliness and secrets. The ghostly scenery and mesmeric prose make this one of my favourite books of the year so far.' Verity M. Holloway, author of The Others of Edenwell

'Disquieting, atmospheric - a novel that will keep you on edge throughout.' Marie O'Regan, author of best-selling novel Celeste and The Last Ghost, editor of Phantoms, The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women, Twice Cursed and The Other Side of Never

'Unquiet is a sly, enigmatic incantation of a book, full of mysteries and half-truths. E. Saxey creates something unique, both Gothic and quietly folk-horror-inflected, in their tale of
grief, loss, unquiet spirits and outsiders.' Ally Wilkes, Bram Stoker Award(R)-nominated author of All the White Spaces

'With its deft prose, vivid characters and compelling plot, Unquiet really got under my skin. Tense, haunting and evocative, this is a gothic tale that won't let you rest until you've unearthed every last one of its secrets.' Louise Carey, co-author of The Steel Seraglio

'An engrossing, delicately atmospheric mystery' Kit Whitfield, author of Benighted and In the Heart of Hidden Things

'Dreamlike happenings, unexplained footsteps, and muddy trails: suffused with dread, and very elegantly written, Unquiet is a Gothic mystery to become mired in.' Aliya Whiteley, author of The Beauty and Skyward Inn

PRAISE FOR THE AUTHOR

[A] vast array of speculative ideas, which, even when wildly inventive and unfamiliar, all stem from grounded human struggles. Saxey is a writer to watch. - Publishers Weekly

[A] core sense of unease and uncertainty. And it's in that in-between place that this collection thrives. - Ancillary Review of Books

Lost in the Archives will bear up for multiple rereadings, its entries speaking to a variety of moods. - The Future Fire

About the Author

E. Saxey is an ungendered Londoner who works in universities. Their fiction has appeared in Daily Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, Queers Destroy Science Fiction and in anthologies including Tales from the Vatican Vaults and The Lowest Heaven. They live in London and tweet at @esaxey