Why a Booktrail?
1845: A detective agency gets its first, supernatural, case
The Mermaid’s Call
What you need to know before your trail
Cornwall, 1845. Shilly has always felt a connection to happenings that are not of this world, a talent that has proved invaluable when investigating dark deeds with master of disguise, Anna Drake. The women opened a detective agency with help from their newest member and investor, Mathilda, but six long months have passed without a single case to solve and tensions are growing. It is almost a relief when a man is found dead along the Morwenstow coast and the agency is sought out to investigate. There are suspicions that wreckers plague the coast, luring ships to their ruin with false lights – though nothing has ever been proved. Yet with the local talk of sirens calling victims to the sea to meet their end, could something other-worldly be responsible for the man’s death?
Travel Guide
Travel BookTrail style around Cornwall, Boscastle and Morwenstow
Morwenstow Coast
The novel starts off here when a mystery unfolds in the waters off Morwenstow. The rough waters, the fear of the unknown is well evoked and the weather is a major character from the start.
The detective agency is new but in a remote place like Cornwall, there’s no cases as yet. Their first port of call will taken them up the coast and into the folklore and magic of the Cornish coast
Parson Hawker lives in a huge house here. There are cats, dogs, and even a pig here. Quite a house! Fascinating with a locked room too…
Interestingly, Parson is based on a real life character! He was the Vicar of Morwenstow from 1834 – 1875 and his poet’s hut (marked on the map) is a definate place readers should visit!
The mysteries of this novel comes from Cornish folklore and involve stories of ships, drowned people coming from back from watery graves and mermaids. At the time the novel is set, it was common for people to believe in mermaids and their terrifying calls to those on land who would then suffer some kind of loss following their calls.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: The Mermaid’s Call
Destination: Cornwall, Morwenstow, Boscastle Author/Guide: Katherine Stansfield Departure Time: 1845
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