The Strange Fate of Kitty Easton by Elizabeth Speller

In 1924 former infantry officer, WW1 veteran and expert on churches Laurence Bartram is invited to the village of Easton Deadall by William Bolitho, a disabled architect, to advise on the restoration of the church on the Easton estate. Bartram is struck by the beauty of the place with its stately home, Easton Hall, and a church with unusual historic and artistic features. A recently planted maze is a memorial to the men of the village who almost all died in one heroic battle in 1916.

It soon becomes apparent to Bartram that while the rest of the country is alive with hope following the end of the War, the village of Easton Deadall is haunted by its tragic past. In 1911 five year old Kitty Easton disappeared and has not been seen since. Only her mother believes she is still alive, while others speculate that she was murdered. Things begin to take an increasingly sinister turn; a maid disappears and Bartram finds a body in the church. Bartram struggles to find out what has happened as it becomes apparent that the fate of the house, the dead men and of Kitty may be part of a long, dark story of love, betrayal and violence.

If you enjoy this book you may also enjoy Elizabeth Speller’s first novel, featuring Laurence Bartram, ‘The Return of Captain John Emmett’.