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The Cruel Dark
by Bea Northwick

Published: 2023-10-31T00:0
Hardcover : 226 pages
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Millicent Foxboro is haunted.

Not by ghosts, but by the anguish of her past and the uncertainty of her future. After all, even in the progressive year of 1928, most people would balk at hiring a woman who'd spent two months in a mental ward for traumatic amnesia. So when an uncommon ...

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Introduction

Millicent Foxboro is haunted.

Not by ghosts, but by the anguish of her past and the uncertainty of her future. After all, even in the progressive year of 1928, most people would balk at hiring a woman who'd spent two months in a mental ward for traumatic amnesia. So when an uncommon assistantship to a reclusive Professor of mythology falls into her lap with an ungodly salary attached, her desperation for stability overrides her cautious nature.

To Millie's dismay, the widowed Professor Callum Hughes and his estate, Willowfield, are more than she bargained for. The once magnificent home, known for its sprawling gardens and dazzling parties, is falling to pieces after the death of the professor's fragile wife. What's more, the staff has been reduced to the only three people not frightened away by rumors of ghosts, leaving the halls empty and languishing in bitter memories.

The professor himself is a grim, intense man with unclear expectations, unpredictable moods, and hungry eyes that ignite Millie's own dormant passions. The closer she finds herself drawn to Professor Hughes and his strange world of flowers and folklore, the more the house closes in, threatening to reveal her secrets. But the professor is keeping secrets of his own and the most dangerous of all is hers to discover.

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Excerpt

Chapter One

I’d never questioned the presence of my wits more than the moment I stood in the frigid morning air and watched the hired car arrive. The vehicle, sleek and ostentatious, was said to be capable of going fifty miles an hour, and I pretended it was the prospect of that speed ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

Questions from the author:

How, if at all, does this book relate to your own experiences of being unsure of yourself during times of upheaval?

Who did you believe to be the villain?

How did you feel about the romance before the big reveal? After?

Was the supernatural element merely there to advance the plot, or was it a metaphor for something else?

How did the novel explore themes such as love, trust, trauma, and forgiveness?

If you were in charge of casting for the movie version, who would you choose for the roles?

How did the author portray the historical setting and period of this book?

Did you learn anything new or interesting about the time and place of the story?

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