An eerie, supernatural thriller set in a Victorian asylum in the heart of Wales. Warning – contains highly disturbing material!1893, and nineteen year old Flora George is admitted to a remote asylum with no idea why she is there, what happened to her child, or how her wealthy family could have abandoned her to such a fate. However, within a short space of time it becomes apparent she must save … she must save herself from something far worse than that of a harsh regime.
2018, and forty-one year old Isobel Lee moves into the gatehouse of what was once the old asylum. A reluctant medium, it is with dismay she realises there is a terrible secret here – one desperate to be heard. Angry and upset, Isobel baulks at what she must now face. But with the help of local dark arts practitioner, Branwen, face it she must.
This is a dark story of human cruelty, folklore and superstition. But the human spirit can and will prevail…unless of course, the wrath of the fae is incited…
REVIEW SUMMARY:
‘DELICIOUSLY MACABRE…’
‘A GLORIOUSLY GOTHIC NIGHTMARE. TAUT, VIVID IMAGERY AND BEAUTIFULLY LYRICAL DESCRIPTIONS CATAPULT THIS BOOK INTO A CLASS OF ITS OWN.’
‘A DARK, ATMOSPHERIC AND COMPELLING STORY THAT GRIPS YOUR SOUL. A REALLY SCARY READ FROM ONE OF MY FAVOURITE AUTHORS.’
‘JUST WHEN YOU THINK AN AUTHOR CANNOT GET ANY BETTER, BANG, SARAH ENGLAND PROVES ME WRONG!’
‘WOW, WHAT A BOOK! MADE MY SKIN CHILL…’
‘THIS IS A FABULOUS, FAST-PACED GEM OF A NOVEL. WELL WRITTEN AND VIRTUALLY UN-PUTDOWNABLE.’
‘CLEVER, CREEPY AND COMPELLING…’
‘THIS AUTHOR HAS A WAY OF SETTING A CHILLING SCENE LIKE NO OTHER. HIDDEN COMPANY TICKED ALL MY BOXES, WITH A GREAT PLOT TO BOOT, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.’
MORE BOOKS BY SARAH E. ENGLAND
OCCULT HORROR TRILOGY: BOOK 1 – FATHER OF LIES
BOOK 2 – TANNERS DELL
BOOK 3 – MAGDA
OCCULT HORROR: THE OWLMEN
SUPERNATURAL THRILLER: THE SOPRANO
‘MONKSPIKE’ – A MEDIEVAL HORROR SET IN THE FOREST OF DEAN.
COMING SOON: BABA LENKA – PURE OCCULT HORROR. PRE-ORDER NOW AVAILABLE FOR JUNE RELEASE.
Please visit sarahenglandauthor.co.uk for newsletter and blog.
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“Delightfully dark and not for the faint-hearted!”
From the curious, somewhat disquieting image on the cover, I felt sure I was in for an interesting and chilling read. I certainly wasn’t disappointed. ‘Hidden Company’ is set in the sinister, backwater village of Blackmarsh, close to the Black Mountains in mid-Wales. The narrative flits between the present day and the Victorian era, its two main protagonists both in their own way strong yet vulnerable women. Isobel Lee, our 21st century heroine, is a reluctant psychic, fleeing her old life post-divorce and seeking sanctuary by renting The Gatehouse, the lodge belonging to the towering Lavinia House, formerly an asylum. At once it becomes apparent that she is not welcome in the area, and a dark sense of foreboding dominates the book from the very beginning.
Nineteen year-old Flora George, born and bred a lady but considered a lunatic, has been incarcerated in the asylum over a hundred years earlier. She is certain that she has given birth, but there is no evidence of her child anywhere. Flora’s privileged background makes her even more of a target for the vile people running Lavinia House and her existence becomes a living hell.
Back to the present day, and Isobel starts to receive spectral visitations in The Gatehouse. She resolves to embrace her mediumistic skills and use them to discover more about the place. When she is given an unsettling painting by the enigmatic Branwen, the woman working in the local grocery store, her curiosity about Lavinia House deepens. Whilst I felt Isobel should get out and as far away from Blackmarsh as she could, I felt compelled to read on to discover what darkness lay at the soul of this Godforsaken place.
‘Hidden Company’ is a deftly woven tale of horror in the truest sense. Sarah England builds suspense from the outset and her wonderful descriptions of sights and smells are so vivid (and at times not a little disturbing) the reader cannot help but become immersed in the whole eerie experience. The very thought of the repugnant Lavinia House and the creeping evil within its walls is enough to chill anyone to the core.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great horror story. But you have been warned – you may have to sleep with all the lights on!
I love this book! It’s insanely good! I was always so engrossed in it that when I put the book down I’d be thinking of what was going to happen next. Absolutely amazing and so very original storyline.
I’m reading this at the moment and it’s absolutely riveting. I haven’t reached the end yet but it’s quite obvious that as Shakespeare said “There are more things in heaven and earth…..”
The creepiness of this story intensified as it progressed. By the end I had chills with the last scene.
I loved the two separate timelines that we were flipping back and forth between. Flora’s storyline was much more personal, sucked me in more than Isobels though. Not sure if that had to do with the 1st / 3rd switching.
There were a few questions that would have made the ending hit harder had they been answered. Some links in the present and the past that I would have liked to have read about.
But over all, if you love a good paranormal thriller, this is a great quick read.
It was good reading but it was just slow and I could not keep my interest in the book. I was 1/2 done when I quit reading it, hoping it would peek my interest. You might like to read it.
This book has a lot of violence and dark content, so if you want a sweet story about picking daisies and bunny rabbits frolicking in a sunny field, this isn’t for you. But if you love the horror genre, do NOT miss this book! The story follows two characters: one modern, one back in time. I was equally wrapped up in both story lines and dinners came late in my house because I couldn’t put it down. Loved the ending twist too!
Hard to say what is wrong about this book?
The sliding between modern day and the late 19th Century was awkward and tedious. I will say, when in the 19th Century, the story was much more interesting than modern day.
I generally look at the rating; the number of people who responded; and, read a few reviews (21 people; 90% 4-5 Stars). Not sure we were reading the same text.
A “dark psychological thriller”; hardly. Progeria; really?
Flora in the 19th Century presented a brave face enduring trial and tribulations throughout her ghastly ordeal in a barbaric 19th Century mental institution. Water boarding; force feeding; cold therapy; etc.
Isobel in the 21st Century was just whinny. You would think by this time she would be more in command of her “gift” instead of bemoaning it.
I had to keep saying to myself: “finish this book, give it a chance”. It was a chore to get 50% through; I then said enough is enough.
Sorry this does not capture me as a fan of S. E. English. It was not a thriller; it was not dark; and, it not not capture my interest.
I started this book and couldn’t finish it. There was a lot of pages that were double. One would read a page and then the same page would appear. Not sure why the author did this. It is the first time for me not to like a book. I really tried to get into it but as I said earlier could not finish.
An excellent and scary psychological thriller.