Selected as one of the Observer’s 10 Best Debut Novelists of 2022.

Richly researched, incredibly atmospheric and deliciously unsettling, Rosie Andrews’s debut novel The Leviathan is set in England during a time of political and religious turbulence.

It is a tale of family and loyalty, superstition and sacrifice, but most of all it is a spellbinding mystery and a story of impossible things.

The Leviathan is a beguiling tale of superstition, myth and murder, perfect for fans of The Binding, The Essex Serpent and Once Upon a River.

‘It’s hard to believe that such an accomplished novel could be a debut – The Leviathan is a gloriously dark story that sweeps you along to its harrowing yet satisfying conclusion. Superb.’ – Susan Stokes-Chapman, number one bestselling author of Pandora

‘Darkly compelling and dripping with atmosphere … bewitching.’ – Stacey Halls, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Familiars 

‘Skilfully blends historical detail, myth, faith and the fantastic into a dark and compelling story of huge imagination.’ – Anita Frank, author of The Lost Ones 

About the book

She is awake … 

Norfolk, 1643. With civil war tearing England apart, reluctant soldier Thomas Treadwater is summoned home by his sister, who accuses a new servant of improper conduct with their widowed father. By the time Thomas returns home, his father is insensible, felled by a stroke, and their new servant is in prison, facing charges of witchcraft.

Thomas prides himself on being a rational, modern man, but as he unravels the mystery of what has happened, he uncovers not a tale of superstition but something dark and ancient, linked to a shipwreck years before.

Something has awoken, and now it will not rest.

About the author

Rosie Andrews was born and grew up in Liverpool, the third of 12 children. She studied history at Cambridge before becoming an English teacher. She lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and daughter.

Categories Fiction International

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