Larkswood

Author Valerie Mendes
Narrator Katie Scarfe
Publisher Orion
Run Time 12 hours and 48 minutes
Format Audio
Genre Modern and contemporary fiction.

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What to expect

Larkswood House. The very name suggests birdsong, peace and elegance. It is home to the Hamilton children - Edward, Cynthia and Harriet - who enjoy the freedom and excitement of privilege. But in the glorious summer of 1896, with absent parents and a departed governess, disaster strikes the family, leaving it cruelly divided.

More than forty years later, on the eve of the Second World War, Louisa Hamilton, newly presented at court but struck down with glandular fever, is sent to Larkswood to recuperate. There, for the first time, she meets her grandfather, Edward, home after decades in India.

But as Louisa begins to fall under the spell of Larkswood, she realises it holds the key to the mystery that shattered her family two generations before. Will she find the courage to unravel the dark secrets of the past? And can Larkswood ever become home to happiness again?

Read by Katie Scarfe. Katie Scarfe trained at LAMDA and has appeared on stage at the National Theatre. She is an experienced audiobook narrator.

(p) 2014 Orion Publishing Group

Critics Review

4 stars – When Louisa Hamilton is sent to Larkswood, her family home, to convalesce she meets her grandfather Edward, home from decades in India. She soon realises the house holds the key to the mystery that shattered her family.
DAILY EXPRESS
This impressive debut captures the period beautifully, but also delivers a gripping mystery that’ll keep you hooked until the end
CANDIS
If there’s a beautiful old house on a book’s cover, I want a family saga of richness and breadth, a mystery that runs through that family like a San Andreas fault, captivating characters and gorgeous atmosphere. And this has it all …. Scrumptious storytelling.
SAGA MAGAZINE
An enjoyable family saga with tones of a darker Downtown Abbey
WE LOVE THIS BOOK
A very readable family drama with enough mystery to keep you hooked
OXFORD TIMES
Larkswood is a mystery stretching back over three generations
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
I have reread LARKSWOOD and wanted to say I enjoyed it even more the second time than the first. I was genuinely touched by it. By the end you really care about them all. The characters are terrifically well drawn, especially Edward, and it has a powerful atmosphere that lingers long after it ends. You should be tremendously proud of it. It’s a really wonderful achievement.
Sam Mendes, CBE

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