The Taxidermist's Daughter

Used
Paperback
2014
$4.20

Sussex, 1912.
In a churchyard, villagers gather on the night when the ghosts of those who will die in the coming year are thought to walk. Here, where the estuary leads out to the sea, superstitions still hold sway.
Standing alone is the taxidermist's daughter. At twenty-two, Constantia Gifford lives with her father in a decaying house: it contains all that is left of Gifford's once world-famous museum of taxidermy. The stuffed birds that used to grace every parlour are out of fashion, leaving Gifford a disgraced and bitter man. The string of events that led to the museum's closure are never spoken of and an accident has robbed Connie of any memory of those days.
The bell begins to toll and all eyes are fixed on the church. No one sees the gloved hands holding a garotte. As the last notes fade into the dark, a woman lies dead.
While the village braces itself against rising waters and the highest tide of the season, Connie struggles to discover who is responsible - and why the incident is causing memories to surface from her own vanished years. Does she know the figure she sees watching from the marshes? Who is the mysterious caller that leaves a note without being seen? And what is the secret that lies at the heart of Blackthorn House, hidden among the bell jars of her father's workshop?
The Taxidermist's Daughter is the stunning new novel from the multi-million copy bestselling author, Kate Mosse.

Synopsis

Sussex, 1912.

In a churchyard, villagers gather on the night when the ghosts of those who will die in the coming year are thought to walk. Here, where the estuary leads out to the sea, superstitions still hold sway.

Standing alone is the taxidermist's daughter. At twenty-two, Constantia Gifford lives with her father in a decaying house: it contains all that is left of Gifford's once world-famous museum of taxidermy. The stuffed birds that used to grace every parlour are out of fashion, leaving Gifford a disgraced and bitter man. The string of events that led to the museum's closure are never spoken of and an accident has robbed Connie of any memory of those days.

The bell begins to toll and all eyes are fixed on the church. No one sees the gloved hands holding a garotte. As the last notes fade into the dark, a woman lies dead.

While the village braces itself against rising waters and the highest tide of the season, Connie struggles to discover who is responsible - and why the incident is causing memories to surface from her own vanished years. Does she know the figure she sees watching from the marshes? Who is the mysterious caller that leaves a note without being seen? And what is the secret that lies at the heart of Blackthorn House, hidden among the bell jars of her father's workshop?

The Taxidermist's Daughter is the stunning new novel from the multi-million copy bestselling author, Kate Mosse.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 432
Edition: 0
Publisher: Orion
Published: 11 Sep 2014
ISBN 10: 1409153762
ISBN 13: 9781409153764
Book Overview: The enthralling new novel from the bestselling author of The Winter Ghosts, Citadel and Labyrinth

Media Reviews

Glossy as a crow's wing. Sure as a surgeon's scalpel. I bloody loved it. * JOANNE HARRIS - Author of CHOCOLAT *
THE TAXIDERMIST'S DAUGHTER is amazing - atmospheric, gripping . . . I can't put it down * MARIAN KEYES - Author of THIS CHARMING MAN *
I loved the atmosphere: the time, the place, the weather, the cold. An unholy collision of Daphne du Maurier and Agatha Christie * ANTHONY HOROWITZ - Creator and Writer of FOYLE'S WAR *
[A] classic tale of marshland murder and madness ... The strength of this book likes as much in the startling imagery and atmospheric description as it does in the story ... A deliciously dark novel that races towards its grotesque conclusion * DAILY EXPRESS *
It is a cleverly constructed thriller, keeping its secrets for a good two thirds of the book. Mosse excels at building up clammy, dank suspense while keeping her readers in the dark ... A seriously satisfying read * METRO *
A new novel from Kate Mosse is always a treat. Set in a Sussex village where a grisly murder has taken place, The Taxidermist's Daughter is part ghost story, part psychological thriller and will send shivers down your spine. * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *
This latest tale from the bestselling author of Labyrinth, Sepulchre and Citadel (a mere 5 million in sales) is set in Sussex in 1912 and filled with grizzly murders, stuffed birds and suspicious villagers. It's a compulsive read reminiscent of Daphne Du Maurier. * STYLIST *
A beautifully told story of revenge, justice and secrets. If you haven't read any Kate Mosse then this is a gem to start with ... Cast with a Victorian darkness, filled with taxidermy, cemeteries and shifty types it is everything you could possibly want from this genre * WE LOVE THIS BOOK *
This is magnificent. A gothic tale of murder, superstition and mystery that will really keep you glued to your seat ... The build is superbly done. The author is excellent on drawing out the tension, a real page-turner and a thrilling read * LOVEREADING *
Nestled in among the feathers and flesh is a dark and mysterious tale, but one that is also touching and passionate. Mosse strikes a fine balance between character and concept, creating a thriller so unique that her talent is indisputable * THE LIST *
A spine-tingling tale * SUN ON SUNDAY FABULOUS MAGAZINE *
Mosse's rich prose will drag the reader from any sunny poolside to water logged West Sussex and - tellingly - they won't even mind * EASYJET TRAVELLER MAGAZINE *
This haunting and atmospheric Gothic novel sweeps you along to its dramatic conclusion * HEAT MAGAZINE *
Mosse is an engaging storyteller, deftly dealing with the intricacies of her involving, gruesome plot * SUNDAY EXPRESS *
Fans of Mosse will love this haunting tale of murder and suspicion * ELLE *
[A] creepy chiller of a novel * SUNDAY EXPRESS *
Mosse grew up on the edge of Fishbourne's muddy estuary, and she writes beautifully about its flora and fauna and flowing tides. Against this lyrical background her complex plot moves at rocket speed. Unputdownable, romantic, this is sure to be a bestseller. * THE TIMES *
This novel drips with Edgar Allen Poe-style gothic touches * METRO *
A cleverly constructed thriller . . . Mosse excels at building up clammy, dank suspense while keeping her readers in the dark. A seriously satisfying read * METRO *
Mosse throws one bravura scene after another. This is a book full of heart and superb twists, with an unforgettable heroine and a mystery that will have you thinking long after you've turned the last page * THE INDEPENDENT *
MILL ON THE FLOSS meets PSYCHO * OBSERVER SERIES (CHICHESTER) *
Laden with life, death and destruction, this novel oozes with a character that shows Mosse's passion for the place where she grew up * THE LIST *
Cassie is a character you warm to very quickly and others are so brimming with personality they leap off the page * WE LOVE THIS BOOK *
Kate Moss may have been hitting the front pages as one of the stars of London Fashion Week, but it's the author Kate Mosse who's making headlines in the books world this week -- Stacey Bartlett * THE SUN - FABULOUS MAGAZINE *
[Mosse] excels at horror, using language and imagery to create a truly original page-turner and is at her best when creating character * THE LIST *
A superb, atmospheric thriller, its Gothic overtones commanding attention from the very first page, and the feathery motifs of the birds - crows, jackdaws, magpies - who fly through its pages growing more menacing with every turn * DAILY MAIL *
The Taxidermist's Daughter is a jeu d'esprit in which ghosts and ghoulish patriarchal secrets, estranged female psyches and tumultuous bird-life coexist in a compulsively readable yarn with elements of folklore and beast fable ... Mosse's prose is often exceptionally lyrical in its description of the natural world * THE GUARDIAN *
Difficult to put down . . . thrilling, mysterious * THE BOOK CLUB BLOG *
From the first page, The Taxidermist's Daughter will have you looking over your shoulder, as Mosse draws you into her gothic, chilling world -- Stacey Bartlett * THE SUN - FABULOUS MAGAZINE *
Fans of Mosse will not be disappointed - her ability to draw you in and keep you hooked until the very end makes this novel an addictive read, and the themes of strong women living in a man's world as well as pre-forensics murder investigations are fascinating. Read, but be warned - you may be seriously spooked... -- Stacey Bartlett * THE SUN - FABULOUS MAGAZINE *
This spooky and enthralling gothic thriller focuses on a village murder mystery. When 17 year old Constantia, who lives in her fathers decaying house (once a world famous taxidermy museum), turns detective, she soon realises she's the one under suspicion. * GLAMOUR *
this cleverly constructed and wonderfully atmospheric mystery won't disappoint * WOMAN *
Kate Mosse's deliciously hokey new spinetingler ... anybody seeking a good, gothic spooker to snuggle into as the nights draw in need look no further ... The Taxidermist's Daughter is her best yet * DAILY TELEGRAPH *
Murder, haunting, superstition and fear stalk the pages of this superior gothic thriller set in the Sussex salt marshes. An unputdownable read. * WOMAN & HOME *
This eerie thriller centres around Connie, who lives in a house containing all that's left of the once world-famous museum of taxidermy. * MARIE CLAIRE *
a serpentine yarn about blackmail, murder and dark secrets, told with brio * MAIL ON SUNDAY EVENT MAGAZINE *
bridged the literary-commercial divide * THE OBSERVER *
a heady sense of atmosphere throughout * THE SUNDAY TIMES *
Mosse weaves some difficult themes into the narrative, such as the effects of sexual violence, murder and grief, and her descriptions of the marshlands of Fishbourne - where she herself grew up - are outstanding. Her writing in these passages comes alive and, in turn, breathes life into the setting. The dangers of the marshland - the wind has teeth , and the water pulses - cleverly echo and magnify the suspenseful and precarious nature of its inhabitants' lives. * THE OBSERVER *

Author Bio

Kate Mosse is an international bestselling author with sales of more than five million copies in 42 languages. Her fiction includes the novels Labyrinth (2005), Sepulchre (2007), The Winter Ghosts (2009), Citadel (2012), and The Taxidermist's Daughter (2015), as well as an acclaimed collection of short stories, The Mistletoe Bride & Other Haunting Tales (2013).

Kate is the Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction (previously the Orange Prize) and in June 2013, was awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to literature. She lives in Sussex.