Melmoth: A Novel

In a “Gothic stunner” a ghost roams through history in “a scary novel that chills to the bone even as it points the way to a warmer, more humane, place” (New York Times Book Review).

From the internationally bestselling author of The Essex Serpent, now an Apple TV+ Series starring Claire Danes

It has been years since Helen Franklin left England. In Prague, working as a translator, she has found a sanctuary. That changes when her friend Karel discovers a mysterious letter that speaks of Melmoth the Witness, who hunts her prey through the ages, dooming those she captures to timeless, itinerant solitude. To Helen it all seems the stuff of unenlightened fantasy. But then Karel disappears . . .

Spanning continents and centuries, Sarah Perry’s breathtaking novel is a masterpiece of suspense as well as a profound investigation of the eternal nature of love and compassion.

“Masterful . . . scary and smart, working as a horror story but also a philosophical inquiry into the nature of will and love. . . . complex . . . and . . . rewarding.” —The Washington Post

“A master of atmosphere.” —Wall Street Journal

“Fierce [and] full-hearted.” —NPR Book of the Year

“A gothic masterwork.” -Entertainment Weekly

“Perry is changing what a modern-day ghost story can look like. . . . A chilling novel .” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“This fever dream of a novel will prove as compelling and all-consuming as TheEssex Serpent. — Library Journal, starred review

“Rich in gothic tropes and sinister atmosphere. . . . Perry's heartbreaking, horrifying monster confronts the characters not just with the uncanny but also with the human.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review

© 2024 Custom House (Ebook): 9780062856418

Release date

Ebook: 27 February 2024