Essie Fox is the author of The Somnambulist and Elijah's Mermaid, both of which are dark Victorian novels.
Before taking up writing, Essie worked as an illustrator designing greetings cards, gift wrap and decorative ceramics. Before that she worked in a Dickensian office in Bloomsbury's Museum Street, employed as an editorial assistant by the publishers, George Allen & Unwin. So, in a way, it almost feels as if she has come full circle, returning to her very first love, which is the world of books.
Born and raised in Herefordshire, Essie now divides her time between Bow in East London and Windsor.
The Golden Hour (2024) Jacquie Bloese "A compelling Sapphic novel in which subjugated women defy society's expectations . . . Atmospheric, dark, and daring."
Once a Monster (2023) Robert Dinsdale "A labyrinthine delight of a novel . . . Dickensian darkness is infused with ancient myth. Historical writing at its finest . . . ."
Unquiet (2023) E Saxey "A brooding psychological gothic mystery, steeped in the darkest realms of folklore. Literally dripping with grief, desire, and guilt."
The Illusions (2023) Liz Hyder "Filled with wonders in all forms, in real life and in the theatre, this is a story that will mesmerise and cast its spell. I loved it."
Fyneshade (2023) Kate Griffin "A darkly delicious joy of a historical gothic novel. Mature and accomplished storytelling that's utterly compelling. I loved it."
The House of Whispers (2023) Anna Mazzola "Chilling and compelling, with echoes of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, this is a thrilling mystery with many eerie twists and turns to keep you hooked all through the night."
The Bone Flower (2022) Charles Lambert "An exquisitely eerie and sophisticated Victorian ghost story, with echoes of Poe and M. R. James."
Madwoman (2022) Louisa Treger "Nellie Bly - what a girl! In this compelling tribute to a fearless young reporter of Victorian New York, Treger brings to vivid life the way one woman's broken past gives her the strength to expose the many horrors faced by others left to rot in an asylum. Both a pioneering writer and early icon of sexual equality, Nellie's true-life story is compassionately told in this remarkable read."
The Spirit Engineer (2021) A J West "With a skilful misdirection that any Edwardian spirit medium would be proud to demonstrate, A.J. West soon turns the screw in this fascinating novel."
Born of No Woman (2021) Franck Bouysse "One of the most disturbing yet lyrically exquisite novels I’ve read in a long time. The poetic and pastoral beauty of the nineteenth-century French countryside is vividly contrasted with the often-brutal treatment of breeding livestock on the farms—which in its turn mirrors the treatment of the fourteen-year-old Rose when she is sold by her poor father to the master of a manor. Once enslaved in her new home, Rose is tormented and abused, soon forced to contemplate the horrors concealed within some hidden chambers where she discovers the true fate of her master’s absent wife. Brave, sometimes horrific, Born of No Woman is one of the most compelling novels I have read in many years. Infused with lurid elements of the most gothic fairy tales, it explores the darkest realms of human sexuality."
Perfect Kill (2020) (DI Callanach, book 6) Helen Fields "Perfect Kill is a compelling breathless read. Unflinching, brave and so well researched and considered."
The Unforgetting (2020) Rose Black "This haunting Victorian novel weaves a spellbinding web of deluded dreams and dark deceptions."
The Lost Ones (2019) Anita Frank "For fans of Henry James and Susan Hill, this chilling supernatural mystery is written in the classic mould. Intriguing, moving and assured."
Laura Purcell "Menacing, macabre and utterly gripping. Laura Purcell has done it again."
The Doll Factory (2019) Elizabeth Macneal "With strong echoes of John Fowles' The Collector, The Doll Factory is at once a vivid depiction of a morally dubious world, and a page-turning psychological thriller, with a truly compelling villain."
Miss Marley (2018) Vanessa Lafaye "A moving companion piece to the classic A Christmas Carol, with all the traditional echoes of the Dickensian festive season woven through, and with tragedy and joy in equal measure. A delight."
Wrecker (2018) Noel O'Reilly "With echoes of Du Maurier, this compelling Cornish drama weaves a tangled web of fallen faiths, of sins, seductions and deceits."
The Coffin Path (2018) Katherine Clements "Oozing with gothic symbolism, this brooding and beautiful ghost story is guaranteed to haunt your dreamslong after the cover has been closed."
Exquisite (2017) Sarah Stovell "Sarah Stovell writes beautifully. In her latest novel she combines that skill with a thrilling dramatic narrative. Exquisite in every way."
The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley (2017) Hannah Tinti "Exceptional... a tender work of art exposing the universal needs of men to survive, to love, and grieve - whether their fate is cast in stars, or submerged beneath the surface... a sure-fire hit with characters I came to love."
The Sacred River (2013) Wendy Wallace "Exquisitely written. A haunting and mystical story of three women who search for freedom, whether in Victorian England or the tombs of ancient Egypt."
The Sultan's Wife (2012) (Moroccan, book 3) Jane Johnson "Imagine the darkest 'Arabian Tale' combined with Tremain's glorious Restoration."
