Unhallowed Ground

More about the book

Gillian White’s novel begins quietly, almost romantically, before escalating into intense suspense. It follows Georgie, an attractive, fortyish widow, who inherits her brother’s cottage in rural Devon while fleeing unwanted tabloid attention after a child in her care is killed. The press accuses her of negligence, and although an inquiry clears her, she remains haunted by guilt. Eager to escape, she settles into her brother's cottage and assesses her eccentric neighbors: Chad Cramer, a petty thief living with the disturbed Donna; the Buckpits, a menacing dairy farming family; and the Horsefields, a wealthy couple hiding a tragic secret. Initially, Georgie finds solace in restoring the cottage and gardening, but unease soon creeps in. A mysterious stranger appears, Chad becomes hostile, and Donna grows overly attached to Georgie. As summer fades, the atmosphere darkens—her dog is stolen, her art takes a sinister turn, and an intruder lurks at night. Tension escalates to a chilling climax when a snowstorm isolates the village, leaving Georgie vulnerable to an unknown killer as terror envelops her world.