Circle of Shadows

An occult symbol. A deadly secret. Some mysteries go too deep . . .
Private detection is no profession for a woman of standing. Evie Winstanley doesn't care.
When Evie's father, a collector of occult books, dies in suspicious circumstances, she decides to uncover the truth. Her only clue is a mysterious reference to the 'circle of shadows.' Her investigation takes her from a séance in a manor house on the Yorkshire moors to a sinister cult hidden amongst the elite of an Oxford University college . . . and all the while, she is haunted by whispers of an ancient monster, and an ominous, ever-changing symbol.
When the body of a young woman is discovered floating in the Cherwell, marked with the same occult symbol, Evie realises that her investigation is far bigger than one death - and that her own life, and the lives of those she loves, might very well be in danger . . .
Blending historical fantasy with Golden Age classic crime, Circle of Shadows is a dark and twisty adventure through an occult Edwardian England where wealthy boys toy with powers they don't understand, and women are forced to pick up the pieces. Perfect for fans of Sarah Painter, Michelle Paver, and Laura Shepherd-Robinson.

Marisa Linton is a Brighton-based professional historian, professor (Kingston University), writer and academic, specialising in the history of witchcraft and magical beliefs, revolution and terror. She has worked as a historical adviser, including for the TV series, Dangerous Liaisons (Starz/Lionsgate, 2022). Her previous published books have all been historical non-fiction, including Choosing Terror (Oxford University Press), about Terror in the French Revolution. She also writes for the popular history market such as BBC History Magazine. Marisa won the Times/Chicken House Prize in 2023 for her YA folk horror The Pouka King.