Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling

When the nanny to the young Darrow boys is found  murdered on the outskirts of Blackfield, Charlotte Markham, the recently hired governess, steps in to take over their care. During an outing in the forest, they find themselves crossing over into The Ending, the place for the Things That Cannot Die, where Lily Darrow, the late mistress of Everton, has been waiting. She invites them into the ominous House of Darkling, a wondrous, dangerous place filled with enchantment, mystery and strange creatures that appear to be, but are not quite, human. However, everything comes with a price, and as Charlotte begins to understand the unspeakable bargain Mrs. Darrow has made for a second chance at motherhood, she uncovers a connection to the sinister occurrences in Blackfield and enters into a deadly game with the master of Darkling, one whose outcome will determine not just the fate of the Darrows, but of the world itself. Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling is a Victorian gothic tale about family ties, the realm beyond the living, and the price you pay to save those you love.

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Debut author Boccacino bowls the reader over with his note-perfect rendition of a spooky Victorian atmosphere. . . . Boccacino’s deft handling of this delicately supernatural period piece makes it a sterling genre selection.”

Booklist

“Fantasy and fact blur as Boccacino excels in twisting and turning the plot in increasingly unexpected directions. Perfect reading for a dark and stormy night.”

Katherine Webb, author of The Unseen and The Legacy

“A lyrical and visceral adventure into a realm beyond time and death.”

Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Assassin's Code and Dust & Decay

“Thanks to Michael Boccacino the Gothic is reborn! Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling is an elegant, intelligent, and compelling debut novel. Bravo!”

Christopher Ransom, international bestselling author of The Birthing House and The Fading

“Michael Boccacino has delivered a studied, enchanting, and most welcome contribution to the Gothic literary landscape rolling back to Brontë and du Maurier. . . . This is not one to miss.”

Susie Moloney, author of The Dwelling and The Thirteen

“With Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling, Boccacino has created a new vision of the Afterlife, at one moment stunningly beautiful and full of wonder, the next, darkly sinister and without pity. A remarkable book. Michael Boccacino is a writer to watch.”

From the Back Cover

When the nanny to the young Darrow boys is found mysteriously murdered on the outskirts of the village of Blackfield, Charlotte Markham, the recently hired governess, steps in to take over their care. During an outing in the forest, they find themselves crossing over into The Ending, "the place for the Things Above Death," where Lily Darrow, the late mother of the children, has been waiting. She invites them into the House of Darkling, a wondrous place filled with enchantment, mystery, and strange creatures that appear to be, but are not quite, human.However, everything comes with a price, and as Charlotte begins to understand the unspeakable bargain Mrs. Darrow has made for a second chance at motherhood, she uncovers a connection to the sinister occurrences in Blackfield and enters into a deadly game with the master of Darkling—one whose outcome will determine the fate of not just the Darrows but the world itself.Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling is a Victorian Gothic tale about family ties, the realm beyond the living, and the price you pay to save those you love.

About the Author

Born in upstate New York and raised in central Florida, Michael blames his love of books on his father, who began reading him the Lord of the Rings trilogy when he was six, but stopped when he found out his son had snuck a VHS copy of the animated adaptation because he couldn't wait to see how it ended. Eventually he learned enough patience to earn his BA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Florida and his MBA from Rollins College. In addition to writing, Michael likes to travel to far off places and pretend that he's Indiana Jones, or experiment in the kitchen and convince others that he might not do so terribly on Iron Chef. He was quite possibly British in a past life, but he lives in and loves New York City

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