The Asylum

By John Harwood

Book Overview

"Harwood, master of creeping Victorian horror, does it again . . . Twisted in every sense of the word and wonderfully atmospheric."--Booklist

Confused and disoriented, Georgina Ferrars awakens in a small room in Tregannon House, a remote asylum in England. She has no memory of the past few weeks. The doctor, Maynard Straker, tells her that she admitted herself under the name Lucy Ashton, then suffered a seizure. When she insists he has mistaken her for someone else, Dr. Straker sends a telegram to her uncle, who replies that Georgina Ferrars is at home with him in London: "Your patient must be an imposter." Suddenly her voluntary confinement becomes involuntary. Who is the woman in her uncle's house? Georgina's perilous quest to free herself takes us from a cliffside cottage on the Isle of Wight to the secret passages of Tregannon House and into a web of hidden family ties on which her survival depends.

"Redolent with a sense of foreboding . . . This gothic tale will sweep you up into the very heart of Victorian England. A splendid read "--Historical Novel Society, Editors' Choice

"A richly textured . . . and] masterfully constructed narrative . . . Readers are guaranteed a thoroughly diverting time in Harwood's not-to-be-trusted hands."--The Independent (UK)

"The crisp prose and twisty plot will encourage many to read this in one sitting."--Publishers Weekly

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0544227727
• ISBN13: 9780544227729
• Release Date: May 2014
• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.2" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Good Read

the thing that intrigued me is I could see this happening back in those times. Good characters and was a page turner for me. Mystery even though I figured out the villain early on.