The Poison Thread

A Novel

By: Laura Purcell

Narrated by: Jayne Entwistle, Elizabeth Knowelden

"[An] uncanny Gothic mystery... Satisfying." (The New York Times Book Review)

"A romping read with a deliciously dark conceit at its center... Reminded me of Alias Grace." (Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Deathless Girls)

From the author of The Silent Companions, a thrilling Victorian gothic horror story about a young seamstress who claims her needle and thread have the power to kill

Dorothea Truelove is young, wealthy, and beautiful. Ruth Butterham is young, poor, and awaiting trial for murder.

When Dorothea's charitable work brings her to Oakgate Prison, she is delighted by the chance to explore her fascination with phrenology and test her hypothesis that the shape of a person's skull can cast a light on their darkest crimes. But when she meets one of the prisoners, the teenaged seamstress Ruth, she is faced with another strange idea: that it is possible to kill with a needle and thread - because Ruth attributes her crimes to a supernatural power inherent in her stitches.

The story Ruth has to tell of her deadly creations - of bitterness and betrayal, of death and dresses - will shake Dorothea's belief in rationality, and the power of redemption. Can Ruth be trusted? Is she mad, or a murderer? For fans of Shirley Jackson, The Poison Thread is a spine-tingling, sinister listen about the evil that lurks behind the facade of innocence.

©2019 Laura Purcell (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Suspenseful.... This smart and sophisticated historical thriller will appeal to fans of Sarah Waters’s Fingersmith and Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace." (Publishers Weekly)

"A potent, powerful novel: seductive, spellbinding, and - in every sense of the word - haunting. As atmospheric as Sarah Waters, as psychologically astute as Tana French." (A.J. Finn, number one New York Times best-selling author)

“[The Poison Thread is] a compelling slice of early Victorian gothic.... Vivid and well researched, this book is an evocative portrait of a society that punishes women who dare to contravene social norms...a splendid mystery with suitably melodramatic flourishes.” (The Guardian)

absolutely fantastic introduction to Ms Purcell

I grabbed this book by chance and I am beyond glad that I did! not only is the story enthralling, the characters interesting and well-developed, but the performance is fantastic. 10/10 would recommend for any fan of slow burning horror.

Compelling read!

Very compelling read with twists and turns. Good performances, excellent story. Well executed overall. Recommended.

Dark Story, but I really liked it

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the different voices of the two characters. Really well done!

A perfect escape

An artfully woven tale well performed. A perfect escape from reality in these uncertain times.

Great Performance

The story was well written and unique. The performance was absolutely fantastic. I would recommend listening to this book

Great Gothic Story

The Poison Thread is a fantastic tale that will keep you guessing until the very end. Couldn’t recommend it enough!

10/10

loved it! will def listen to more by the author. the readers were wonderful as well

Really, really great!

Had me fooled at every turn, every time I thought I knew.....Nope! Very clever, very entertaining!

Raw story, swifted away in a time machine

I was gripped by this story. it was like I was there experiencing it myself.

Great story, great narration

This was an unexpected pleasure. I’ve never read (or listened to) a work by Laura Purcell, but I will be buying more in the future. I will not say anything about the book itself, so as not to spoil it, but heartily recommend that you download it immediately.