The third book from ‘the master of Victorian drama’ Essie Fox, THE GODDESS AND THE THIEF, is out in paperback today from Orion. With its stunning new cover, THE GODDESS AND THE THIEF has been chosen as Orion’s ‘Paperback of the Month,’ and is available to reviewers on Netgalley. The book has also been selected to be the One Book Lane community’s book club Book of the Month.
THE GODDESS AND THE THIEF is a dramatic, exotic tale of madness and desire, of séances in Queen Victoria’s Windsor, a cursed diamond from the Raj, and the daring plot to steal it. Uprooted from her home in India, Alice is raised by her aunt, a spiritualist medium in Windsor. When the mysterious Lucian Tilsbury enters their lives, Alice is drawn into a plot to steal a sacred Indian diamond. Both blessed and cursed, the stone exudes a power over all who encounter it: a glamorous deposed maharajah, a man hell-bent on discovering the secrets of eternity, and a widowed queen who hopes the jewel can draw her husband’s spirit back. In the midst of all this madness, Alice must find a way to regain control of her life and fate.
Essie has been appearing recently with The Memento Moriatas, a group of authors and musicians whose work explores death, dreams and destiny. Essie, Kate Mayfield, Kirsten Morrison and Lloyd Shepherd appeared at a sold out event at the Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garrett in Southwark on Hallowe’en, and she talked at the Birmingham Coffin Works on 8 October. See Essie’s website for more appearances from this beguiling group!
Essie will be appearing at The Richmond Literature Festival on 21 November at Horace Walpole’s old residence, Strawberry Hill House in Richmond-upon Thames. Essie will be talking with Lynn Shepherd about the English obsession with vampires.
Essie’s debut novel, THE SOMNAMBULIST, was shortlisted at the National Book Awards for New Writer of the Year and was picked up by TV Book Club and optioned for film by Hat Trick Productions.
Praise for THE GODDESS AND THE THIEF:
‘The plot of this addictive novel is intricate and beautifully turned… Fox’s raids on the story-box cleverly enhance the sense of mystery.’ – The Times
'A richly textured, highly coloured and entirely pleasurable read.' – Metro
'A beguiling, imaginative and original tale.’ – Hello