Savage Magic

From the author of The English Monster comes Savage Magic, a brilliant new historical thriller, a riveting tale of villainy, madness and murder.

Covent Garden, 1814: the winding city streets are a centre of vice, to which rich and poor alike are drawn by the promise of gin, ale and other carnal diversions. In opulent private rooms, several fashionable young men have been found murdered, each wearing a satyr's mask, each behind a locked door.

Constable Charles Horton of the River Police Office is called in to investigate, using his startling new detection methods, and soon finds himself at Thorpe Lee House in Surrey, where accusations of witchcraft have swept through the village. What connects these London aristocrats, turned savage in the pursuit of pleasure, and a country backwater suddenly awash with folklore and talk of burning witches? In this strange and captivating world, it is a savage magic indeed that holds its victims in its thrall.

'Wonderful … clever, lyrical, atmospheric and tells a damn fine story' Joanne Harris

'A superbly creepy supernatural thriller. Shepherd has a talent for creating atmospheres that chill the spine. Perfect reading for a cold night' The Times

'Splendid entertainment, delivered, despite the echoes of Dickens and Wilkie Collins, with a crisp, modern flourish' Independent on Sunday