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Gentle Things
- Author
- Danielle Giles
- Narrator
- Aysha Kala
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Publish Date
- 23 July 2026
- Run Time
- 10 hours 12 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
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What to expect
‘A tense descent into madness until the final page’
– Lucy Rose, bestselling author of The Lamb
From the acclaimed author of Mere comes a thrilling tale of medicine, marriage and madness set in seventeenth-century London. The plague has passed, the fire has cooled, and Lucy North is in desperate need of a husband . . .
London, 1668. Though the streets hum with promise following the restoration of the crown, Lucy North is trapped. Her father’s recent death has left her mother saddled with debts she cannot pay. Lucy must marry the first man willing to take her without a dowry.
So when she meets Thomas Ashwell, a young and charming apothecary, Lucy quickly identifies an attractive route out. She falls in love easily, and when Thomas proposes she believes her future is finally secured.
But when Lucy falls and injures her head during their wedding party, things start to warp. Confined to her bedroom her dreams refuse to leave her at daybreak, and the voice in her head no longer sounds like her own. As Thomas plies her with tinctures and cures, a creeping fear takes root: Has this marriage saved her? Or will it bring about her end?
‘One of the best things I’ve read in ages’
– Liam Higginson, author of The Hill in the Dark Grove
‘A stunning fever dream of a book . . . one of my favourite books of 2026 so far’
– Cathryn Kemp, author of A Poisoner’s Tale
Critics Review
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Gentle Things is a radiant historical novel filled with longing and madness. Beautifully drawn, it’s a tense descent into madness until the final page. A daring and devouring gothic gem of a novel
Lucy Rose, bestselling author of The Lamb
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A dark, atmospheric read
The Times
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Gentle Things - A gripping multilayered tale bringing 17th century London vividly to life, interwoven with strong characters and fascinating research
Sir Tony Robinson, author of The House of Wolf
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One of the best things I’ve read in ages. Giles weaves together multiple genres to craft a story that manages to be both cosy and menacing, historical and fresh. The flawed but relatable characters come across as real people reaching out through time. There’s an intriguing slow-burn mystery that seethes between the pages until it finally erupts, but I never felt impatient for answers, because the setting is so richly and believably drawn that it’s simply a joy to inhabit – plague and fire and boils and all. I’d recommend it without hesitation.
Liam Higginson, author of The Hill in the Dark Grove
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Gentle Things is a cleverly constructed, beautifully written, addictive, dark dream of a novel. Bold, chilling, and nightmarish in all the best ways. Another brilliant piece of storytelling from Danielle Giles
Elizabeth Lee, author of Cunning Women
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Gentle Things is a stunning fever dream of a book, at once brutal and beguiling, with a creeping sense of horror as the nightmare of Lucy's marriage - and her husband's business - is revealed. Enchanting, gorgeous, deeply sinister and one of my favourite books of 2026 so far
Cathryn Kemp, author of A Poisoner's Tale
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Meticulously researched, tightly plotted, and beautifully written: Gentle Things starts as the gentlest of possessions but will soon haunt you incessantly. I, for one, couldn't get enough, and will gladly allow this rare novel to live within my skull for years to come
Johanna van Veen, author of Blood on Her Tongue
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Creepy and twisty
Mail on Sunday
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A sophomore novel that you won't be able to put down, Gentle Things combines a heady story of desire with stomach-turning twists and a strong dose of Gothic horror. Danielle Giles writes with a deliciously immersive historical voice that pulls you deep into this compelling tale of medicine and madness
Carmella Lowkis, author of Spitting Gold
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A dark and disturbing tale . . . beautifully written, you will be drawn into the claustrophobic world of the mere, where sinners fear the retribution of both God and the devil
Laura Shepherd-Robinson, bestselling author of The Square of Sevens, on Mere
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It is rare for an author to fully recreate the strangeness of the past, but Danielle Giles has done exactly that. Through eerie, beautiful writing, she takes readers on a mystery . . . a gem of a novel
Costanza Casati, bestselling author of Babylonia, on Mere
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Chilling, dark and immersive . . . I loved the originality of the story and the brave and unexpected use of language. Such a treat of a novel
Rosanna Pike, Women's Prize longlisted author of A Little Trickerie, on Mere
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Artful and atmospheric
Annie Garthwaite, author of Cecily, on Mere
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Danielle Giles
- Narrator
- Aysha Kala
- Duration
- 10 hours 12 minutes
- Release Date
- 23 July 2026
- ISBN
- 9781035051311
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Genre
- Historical fiction, Historical romance, Romantic suspense, Psychological thriller
Synopsis
‘A tense descent into madness until the final page’ – Lucy Rose, bestselling author of The LambFrom the acclaimed author of Mere comes a thrilling tale of medicine, marriage and madness set in seventeenth-century London. The plague has passed, the fire has cooled, and Lucy North is in desperate need of a husband . . .London, 1668. Though the streets hum with promise following the restoration of the crown, Lucy North is trapped. Her father’s recent death has left her mother saddled with debts she cannot pay. Lucy must marry the first man willing to take her without a dowry.So when she meets Thomas Ashwell, a young and charming apothecary, Lucy quickly identifies an attractive route out. She falls in love easily, and when Thomas proposes she believes her future is finally secured.But when Lucy falls and injures her head during their wedding party, things start to warp. Confined to her bedroom her dreams refuse to leave her at daybreak, and the voice in her head no longer sounds like her own. As Thomas plies her with tinctures and cures, a creeping fear takes root: Has this marriage saved her? Or will it bring about her end?‘One of the best things I’ve read in ages’ – Liam Higginson, author of The Hill in the Dark Grove‘A stunning fever dream of a book . . . one of my favourite books of 2026 so far’– Cathryn Kemp, author of A Poisoner’s Tale
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