'Echoes of Daphne Du Maurier . . . an intriguing, elegantly constructed gothic mystery' Sunday Times
'The Key in the Lock demands to be devoured whole' Stacey Halls, author of Mrs England

A captivating story of burning secrets and buried shame, and of the loyalty and love that rises from the ashes.
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'I still dream, every night, of Polneath on fire...'

By day, Ivy Boscawen mourns the loss of her son Tim in the Great War. But by night she mourns another boy - one whose death decades ago haunts her still.

For Ivy is sure that there is more to what happened all those years ago: the fire at the Great House, and the terrible events that came after. A truth she must uncover, if she is ever to be free.

A SUNDAY TIMES HISTORICAL FICTION PICK

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'Intriguing, beguiling and surprising until the very end - I was transfixed' Claire Fuller, author of Unsettled Ground

'Absorbing, beautifully written . . . Everything I enjoy in a gothic mystery' Rosie Andrews, author of The Leviathan

'The Key in the Lock is an absolute triumph! Dark, clever and utterly enthralling, this is historical fiction - and storytelling - at its absolute best' Elizabeth Macneal, author of The Doll Factory and Circus of Wonders

'A beautifully observed novel. Intriguing, beguiling and surprising until the very end - I was transfixed and moved by Underdown's storytelling' Claire Fuller, author of Unsettled Ground

'Brilliantly twisty, dripping with mystery and utterly heartbreaking' Emily Koch, author of Keep Him Close

'A gothic mystery of the highest order. Chilling, sad, beautiful, and so elegantly conjured' Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters

'The perfect gothic novel' Stuart Turton

'Deliciously intriguing from the very first sentence' Sara Collins, author of The Confessions of Frannie Langton

'Captivating and elegant and undoubtedly a future classic' Lucie McKnight Hardy, author of Water Shall Refuse Them

'A masterclass in atmosphere... haunting, vivid and urgent. The Key in the Lock demands to be devoured whole' Stacey Halls, author of Mrs England

'Atmospheric and rich with evocative detail, I found myself in tears by the end' Harriet Tyce, author of Blood Orange

'A Cornish landscape evocative of Daphne du Maurier . . . brilliantly plotted' Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City

'I was captivated by the characters, the story and the sinuous, seamless plotting' Sarah Hilary, author of Fragile

'This is a novel of true elegance, deftly and satisfyingly plotted' Imogen Hermes Gowar, author of The Mermaid and Mr Hancock

'An ingenious page-turner' The Times

'A compelling gothic mystery' - Good Housekeeping

'An evocative, emotional and compelling gothic read' - CultureFly, Books to Look Forward to Reading in 2022

'With echoes of Daphne du Maurier from its very first, Underdown's second novel is an intriguing, elegantly constructed gothic mystery' Sunday Times

'A captivating and atmospheric read' My Weekly

'Packed full of secrets, eerily atmospheric, this is a darkly gothic tale' Daily Mail

'The gloriously Gothic second novel from Beth Underdown tells a story of smouldering secrets, lingering guilt and hidden love' Daily Express

'A clever, chilling and emotionally charged journey makes The Key In The Lock the perfect novel for a winter's night' Buzz Magazine