'Genuine escapism - I couldn't put it down!' Reader review
'Best read on a cold winter night with hot chocolate' Reader review
'An instant favourite' Reader review

The rambling house called Thornyhold is like something out of a fairy tale.

Left to Gilly Ramsey by the cousin whose occasional visits brightened her childhood, the cottage, set deep in a wild wood, has come just in time to save her from a bleak future.

With its reputation for magic and its resident black cat, Thornyhold offers Gilly more than just a new home. It offers her a chance to start over...

Curl up by the fire and get ready to be transported in this magical, escapist read by the Queen of the Romantic Mystery.

Praise for Mary Stewart:
'Mary Stewart is magic' New York Times

'Comfort food in book form' Reader review

'A comfortable chair and a Mary Stewart: total heaven. I'd rather read her than most other authors' Harriet Evans

'A lovely, happy, gently magical book' Reader review

'One of the great British storytellers of the 20th century' Independent

'A timeless classic' Reader review

Mary Stewart was one of the 20th century's bestselling and best-loved novelists. She was born in Sunderland, County Durham in 1916, but lived for most of her life in Scotland, a source of much inspiration for her writing. Her first novel, Madam, Will You Talk? was published in 1955 and marked the beginning of a long and acclaimed writing career. In 1971 she was awarded the International PEN Association's Frederick Niven Prize for The Crystal Cave, and in 1974 the Scottish Arts Council Award for one of her children's books, Ludo and the Star Horse. She was married to the Scottish geologist Frederick Stewart, and died in 2014.