Overview

1950s Flanders- A master forger transforms a young woman's life, but will the price be too high? Combining the cinematic allure of The Queen's Gambit with the seductive intrigue of Jessie Burton's The Muse, The House with Nine Locks is a compelling and sweeping historical novel with characters you won't soon forget. A master forger. A hidden fortune. A dangerous game of cat and mouse... In post-war Flanders, Adelais de Wolf's family is slowly, inexplicably, falling apart- her mother evermore lost to religious devotion, her father to alcohol. But with the death of a beloved uncle, Adelais finds herself in receipt of an unexpected legacy- a shuttered house in a rundown district and its contents - contents that hold the promise of independence and wealth. All that is required is application, nerve, and a willingness to break the law. Adelais stifles her doubts and her fortunes are transformed. But with her rise comes complications- her victimless crimes may not be as victimless as she supposed. Nor has she counted on the singular fanaticism of Major de Smet of the Federal Gendarmerie, a brutal detective who never forgives and never forgets. Embroiled in a game that has gone on too long, will Adelais find the cost of her fortunes too high?

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9781529922943

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Reviews

A riveting detective story that turns the genre on its head. Gray captures the complexity of postwar Belgium with empathy and ruthless precision. And he gives us an unforgettable heroine to root for at the heart of his superbly crafted novel -- Alice Austen, author of 33 PLACE BRUGMANN In Two Storm Wood Philip Gray brought the scarred post-Great-War battlefields of France to life; in The House with Nine Locks he moves to a grimy post-Second-World-War Flanders. Adelais de Wolf reinvents herself at the glamorous heart of society by embracing life at its murky edges. A page-turner: morally complex and beautifully written. -- Leonora Nattrass, bestselling author of BLUE WATER Adelais is a tremendous central character ... Beautifully realised ... Enchanting ... Has [the] power to compel and intrigue * Time & Leisure * 'This intriguing, pacy novel contains a host of memorable characters [and a] magical evocation of place … Adelais de Wolf, a heroine worthy of the name … makes fantasy into a reality and captures everyone’s heart, the reader’s included' -- Virginia Baily, author of EARLY ONE MORNING

Author Information

Philip Gray studied modern history at Cambridge University, and went on to work as a journalist in Madrid, Rome and Lisbon. He has tutored in crime writing at City University in London and serves as a director at an award-winning documentary film company, specialising in science and history. He lives in London. https-//www.philipgraybooks.com/

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