To marry is madness. To escape is impossible. Noel O'Reilly returns with a gripping historical novel about a woman locked in a Victorian asylum against her will. I must pull myself together. I had to find Dr Rastrick and demand my immediate release. My stomach knotted at the prospect, but I knew I was perfectly sane and that he must see reason. In 1886, a respectable young woman must acquire a husband. But Violet Pring does not want to marry.

She longs to be a professional artist and live on her own terms. When her scheming mother secures a desirable marriage proposal from an eligible Brighton gentleman for her daughter, Violet protests. Her family believes she is deranged and deluded, so she is locked away in Hillwood Grange against her will. In her new cage, Violet faces an even greater challenge: she must escape the clutches of a sinister and formidable doctor and set herself free. This tantalizing Gothic novel from Noel O'Reilly tells a thrilling story of duty and desire, madness and sanity, truth and delusion, told from within a Victorian asylum. Praise for Noel O'Reilly: 'Written with a blazing energy and a Gothic edge, this portrait of 19th-century Cornwall is a cracker' Daily Mail 'Noel O'Reilly's lyrical writing brilliantly evokes the struggles of life in such a dramatic setting, as well as the hypocrisy and jealousy of society and Church' Sunday Express 'Compelling' Sunday Times 'Full of secrets, suspicions and rumour' Woman & Home 'With perfect prose, a fast-paced, intricate plot . this is fiction of a literary standard that can't fail to please the reader' My Weekly 'With echoes of Du Maurier, this compelling Cornish drama weaves a tangled web of fallen faiths, of sins, seductions and deceits' Essie Fox, author of The Last Days of Leda Grey 'A gripping historical tale. Laced with Cornwall and menace in equal measure.

I loved it' Liz Fenwick, author of The River Between Us 'Intense and immersive' Nicola Cornick, author of The Last Daughter Gold title * For readers who love the dark and uncanny * THE DARLINGS OF THE ASYLUM is a mesmerising gothic historical novel about duty vs. desire and truth vs. delusion told from within a Victorian asylum * A gripping tale of a strong woman who refuses to conform * Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Macneal, Beth Underdown, and Anna Mazzola * A creepy, edgy, but utterly gorgeous hardback, perfect for Waterstones and indies * In 2018, HQ published Noel's compelling debut WRECKER, which was strongly supported by West Country indies Competition: The;Mrs England;Doll Factory;Daughters of Night;Clockwork Girl;Key in the Lock;Birdcage;Mad Women's Ball;Spirited;Strange Adventures of H;Shape of Darkness;Asylum;Sanatorium. by;Elizabeth Macneal;Beth Underdown;Anna Mazzola;Stacey Halls;Eve Chase;Laura;Shepherd-Robinson;Purcell;Emma Stonex;Anita Frank.