Encounters

A captivating volume of over forty short stories full of love, hope, and fear, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Lady of Hay.

Barbara Erskine is a born storyteller. The tales in 'Encounters' illustrate her extraordinary talent for capturing the spirit of a place and drawing us into the hearts and minds of her characters. Some are humorous, some thrilling, while others are unashamedly sentimental. Old-fashioned love stories such as 'A Face in the Crowd' follow ingenious ghost stories, and in 'A Step Out of Time' the past and present come together, drawing back the curtain that separates us from our ancestors.

No one who has enjoyed Barbara Erskine’s best-selling novels – Lady of Hay, Kingdom of Shadows, Child of the Phoenix and Midnight is a Lonely Place – will be able to resist this gripping collection.

Readers LOVE Barbara Erskine:

‘Atmospheric’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Enthralling’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Spellbinding’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Another fabulous read from the mistress of the genre’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Immensely and deeply immersive fiction’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I loved every minute’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘An exceptional writer of great books’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘You can rely on this author to keep you wanting more’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A joy to read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Captivating and engrossing’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

© 2026 HarperCollins (Audiobook): 9780008587734

Release date

Audiobook: 12 March 2026