Following the death of her husband, Sandra Riley is left all but destitute: jobless, penniless and about to lose her home. But an encounter with an old university friend seems to offer a lifeline. Gerry McManus was always well-to-do; now he’s risen to join the landed gentry, as his wife Joy takes possession of her aristocratic family’s remote, dilapidated but undeniably impressive stately home: Hautmond Hall. 

 

Accepting Gerry’s invitation, Sandra arrives at the house intending to gather her thoughts, face her grief and plan her next move. But life at Hautmond isn’t so simple. Why is she having such dreadful dreams? Why do visitors to the house keep suffering inexplicable accidents? What’s hidden in the secret room buried deep in the lightless cellar? And who are the distant, shadowed figures she keeps glimpsing in the mirrors? 

 

As the truth about Hautmond Hall begins to reveal itself, Sandra finds herself trapped inside a waking nightmare. And

if she is going to survive, she’s going to have to put her trust in the most unlikely of places.

​

'A biting satirical takedown of class privilege, The Cracks gives the haunted house novel a razor-sharp refurbishment.'
Leigh Radford, author of One Yellow Eye

​

'An incisive exploration of the vulnerability of grief at the cross-section of poverty, The Cracks is heartbreaking and
often terrifying, a haunted house novel set to the hammering howl of a punk rock guitar chord. If you enter Hautmond
Hall be prepared - this house’s grip is so tight it bleeds.'
Christina Henry, author of The Place Where They Buried Your Heart

​

​

THE CRACKS: THE PLAYLIST

​

To accompany The Cracks, I made a playlist that not only includes songs referenced in the book but acts as a sequenced soundtrack to the story, albeit in a fairly loose and abstract way. You can find links to listen to the playlist on YouTube, Tidal and Spotify below - or feel free to go DIY and recreate it yourself.