Elizabeth McNeal Books

'A sharp, scary, gorgeously evocative tale of love, art and obsession.' - Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train.The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal is the intoxicating story of a young woman who aspires to be an artist, and the man whose obsession may destroy her world for ever. London. 1850. The Great Exhibition is being erected in Hyde Park and among the crowd watching the spectacle two people meet. For Iris, an aspiring artist, it is the encounter of a moment - forgotten seconds later, but for Silas, a collector entranced by the strange and beautiful, that meeting marks a new beginning. When Iris is asked to model for pre-Raphaelite artist Louis Frost, she agrees on the condition that he will also teach her to paint. Suddenly her world begins to expand, to become a place of art and love. But Silas has only thought of one thing since their meeting, and his obsession is darkening . . .

"1866. In a coastal village in southern England, Nell picks violets for a living. Set apart by her community because of the birthmarks that speckle her skin, Nell's world is her beloved brother and devotion to the sea. But when Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders arrives in the village, Nell is kidnapped. Her father has sold her, promising Jasper Jupiter his very own leopard girl. It is the greatest betrayal of Nell's life, but as her fame grows, and she finds friendship with the other performers and Jasper's gentle brother Toby, she begins to wonder if joining the show is the best thing that has ever happened to her. In London, newspapers describe Nell as the eighth wonder of the world. Figurines are cast in her image, and crowds rush to watch her soar through the air. But who gets to tell Nell's story? What happens when her fame threatens to eclipse that of the showman who bought her? And as she falls in love with Toby, can he detach himself from his past and the terrible secret that binds him to his brother?"--Publisher

Step right up for the most captivating read of the year . . . Filled with the sights and sounds of Victorian England, Circus of Wonders is the instant Sunday Times bestseller from Elizabeth Macneal, author of The Doll Factory. 'Intensely satisfying' - Stacey Halls, author of The Familiars England, 1866. When Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders arrives in a coastal village, Nell soon catches the showman's eye. Shunned by her community because of the birthmarks speckling her skin, to Jasper she is a prize - she could be his very own leopard girl. But how to make her his? Soon Nell finds herself the star of Jasper's show. Suddenly she is famous. Crowds rush to watch her soar through the air. Even Queen Victoria wants to see her perform. But is Nell free to live and love as she chooses? And when her fame begins to eclipse Jasper's own, could she be in danger? After all, the higher you fly, the steeper the fall . . . 'Filled with character and life' - The Times 'Utterly beguiling' - Daily Mail 'Brilliantly involving' - Daily Express 'Exhilarating' - Sunday Times, Books of the Year 'An immersive gem' - Red 'Joyous, frightening, heartbreaking' - Independent 'Deliciously vivid' - Woman & Home The Burial Plot, Elizabeth's latest cat-and-mouse thriller, is available to pre-order now!

A cat-and-mouse thriller set in Victorian London, The Burial Plot is the third novel from Sunday Times bestseller Elizabeth Macneal, about murder, manipulation, and a young woman wrestling power from the hands of a dangerous man.

Südengland, 1866. Die junge Nell, von Muttermalen gezeichnet, wird von den anderen Dorfbewohnern gemieden - bis "Jasper Jupiters Zirkus der Wunder" im Ort kampiert. Nells skrupelloser Vater wittert ein Geschäft und verkauft sie als "Leopardenmädchen" an Jasper. Doch was als traumatische Erfahrung beginnt, scheint sich als Glücksfall zu erweisen: Erstmals findet Nell eine echte Heimat. Sie schließt Freundschaften, verliebt sich in den sensiblen Toby - und wird, als "achtes Weltwunder" gefeiert, zum Star des Zirkus. Doch mit dem Ruhm stellen sich neue Probleme ein.