Isabel Burning

As a young woman raised in the soot-covered mediocrity of an English industrial town, Isabel has led a common and directionless life. Secretly she yearns to be the center of something, anything, that is momentous and vital. She dreams of making marks on the world. Her new job as housekeeper at Grace mansion is hardly exciting but does surround her with the accouterments of aristocratic lineage while allowing her to observe the habits of the enigmatic Dr. Edward Grace. Captivated by his tales of travel to Africa, Isabel is inexorably drawn into a tumultuous relationship which eventually reveals the Grace family's dark heritage and lays bare every secret, even the ones she keeps from herself.

From Booklist

Lynch’s alternate/indie-rock music career serves her well in this lyrical first novel about some unsettling supernatural secrets that might be better left concealed. Isabel is a solitary young woman who burns with inner fires of intuition that guide her during life-altering decisions. One such fire urges her to accept a housekeeping position at a sprawling estate owned by the reclusive Dr. Grace. Since neither has a wealth of family or friends, a bond quickly forms between the two that blossoms into an intimate relationship and the inevitable discovery of each other’s darker nature. When Dr. Grace reveals his involvement in macabre African experiments focused on harnessing the soul’s energies, Isabel’s intuitive flame burns brighter than ever, warning her to flee his influence. Yet, once Isabel agrees to a bizarre experiment involving soul transfer, Dr. Grace’s spell becomes overpowering, and his hidden knowledge even more gruesome. An imaginative blend of dreams, fertility rites, and arcane magic gives Lynch’s story a deliciously gothic flavor that readers with a taste for more highbrow horror will find irresistible. --Carl Hays

From the Inside Flap

"With ghosts, dark family secrets, growing paranoia at every turn and realistic characters to die for, ISABEL BURNING is one of the best debut novels I've read in quite some time." --Horror Fiction Review

From the Back Cover

"If this was an ordinary book, I would feel quite comfortable in spilling each and every secret it has to offer. However, it is not an ordinary book, it is not just a simple read. Isabel Burning is a journey, not from point A to point B on a map, but rather a journey of looking into someone else's soul and watching their experience from that vantage point."--ZombieMall.com

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