'The rarest of things: a book which sets out unashamedly to entertain, and does so with wit, style and erudition.'
Description
It’s summer in Adders Fork. The sun is out, the sky is blue and things are going swimmingly for Rosie Strange, thank you very much. The Essex Witch Museum has been relaunched with a new Ursula Cadence wing and picnic grounds.
Then developers roll into the sleepy village to widen the road. When the centuries-old Blackly Be boulder, said to mark the grave of a notorious witch but now in the car park of the Seven Stars, is moved, all hell breaks out. Within hours a slew of peculiar phenomena descends and, when a severed head is discovered atop the boulder, the locals can take no more and storm the Museum to demand someone take action.
Can Rosie and Sam unravel the mystery? And what of the ancient treasure that could drastically change someone’s fortunes and offer a motive for murder?
Genres
Pages400
Released2018
LanguageEnglish
PublisherOneworld Publications
ISBN9781786072580
SellerSimon & Schuster
About the author(s)
Syd Moore is best known for her Essex Witch Museum Mysteries (Strange Magic, Strange Sight, Strange Fascination, Strange Tombs and later in 2020, Strange Tricks). The series was shortlisted for the Good Reader Holmes and Watson Award 2018. She has twice been shortlisted for the CWA Short Story Dagger in 2019 and 2020. Her debut screenplay, Witch West, which she developed from an original idea, has been optioned by Hidden Door Productions and will be released in Autumn 2021. She lives in Essex.
Reviews
‘It was fun to spend time in this little corner of Essex. There was some real threat and excitement as well as a few spooky chills. And proof, as if it needed repeating, that you shouldn’t mess with an Essex girl or her family.’
'Strange Fascination is the most entertaining, intricate, ingeniously structured and beautifully written entry so far... Moore’s storytelling has once again achieved a level most other supernaturally-themed mysteries can only dark-dream about.'
‘It makes for a thoroughly good read… Very much recommended.’
‘Like an episode of Midsomer Murders, we get local rivalries, protestors, sexual undercurrents and nasty deaths – and that's even before the supernatural seems to breaking loose… All in all I think this book – and the series its part of - an absolute triumph, with its own distinct voice, humour and – at the centre – a rather sweetly romantic story.’
Praise for Syd Moore:
'A fun and thrilling read, one hugely impressive element is that Moore uses her light tone and intricate character relationships to address some serious points - ranging from people trafficking through to the derogatory stereotype of the Essex Girl. Lead character Rosie Strange is a woman to be admired with her ballsy, no-nonsense attitude, excellent boots and compelling family history. I can't wait to see more of Rosie, Sam and the Essex Witch museum in the future.' Cathi Unsworth, author of Weirdo
‘Dennis Wheatley meets Caitlin Moran.’ Starburst
'The Strange novels are a breath of fresh air for fans of supernatural mysteries...all fantastic books...I can’t recommend them highly enough' Paranormal Underground
