I was so impressed by Hawthorn. Elaine Thomson’s style is elegant and highly readable, her period detail is deftly touched in, and she immerses the reader in the unsettling atmosphere of her remote, marshy setting — Michelle Paver, author of WAKENHYRST

Delightfully brooding and gloriously gothic, Hawthorn sucked me in like the deepest bog, refusing to let me go. Sly, evocative, atmospheric writing that slips under the skin. — CJ Cooke, author of THE BOOK OF WITCHING

A new classic — Sara Seridan, author of THE FAIR BOTANISTS

Hawthorn is a joy – if I can say that about such a creepy, atmospheric, menacing book – and reminded me of The Mist in the Mirror and The Little Stranger, which are two of my very favourite novels. I particularly loved the vividness of the setting – the sense of place as a character in itself – and the narrative voice, with its sly not-quite-trustworthy ambiguity. It’s a hugely entertaining and evocative treat for anyone who loves ghost stories. — Bridget Collins, Sunday Times bestselling author of THE BINDING

I have long loved Elaine Thomson’s work and Hawthorn is no exception. You’ll find a masterful rendering of time and place, a compelling central character, a vivid supporting cast – and best of all – the promise of more books in the quartet to come. Twisty, atmospheric and unsettling, this is an absolute fireside treat — Jess Kidd, author of THE NIGHT SHIP

I loved Hawthorn. It succeeds on so many levels: ghost story, thriller, brilliantly realised historical setting and acute psychological study. At the centre of everything, invading our senses from beginning to end, are the haunting, haunted black peat bogs of the wild Caithness moors. Bravo! I can’t wait for the rest of the series. — Sally Magnusson, author of THE NINTH CHILD

I thoroughly enjoyed Hawthorn. It was creepily addictive and visually stunning and authentic in its descriptions of place and time. A great read. — Lin Anderson, author of the Rhona MacLeod series

Hawthorn is one of the most deliciously eerie ghost stories you’ll ever read; a tale of the Uncanny soaked in the icy darkness of the north-east, it’s a deadly bog that sucks you in and freezes your breath with every beautifully chilling word! — Lesley Mcdowell, author of CLAIRMONT

Lyrical, beautifully written, and gripping — Philip Miller, author of THE GOLDENACRE

Chilling and enthralling – Elaine Thomson at the top of her game — Olga Wojtas, author of MISS BLAINE’S PREFECT

Hawthorn is unsettling and wonderfully atmospheric. A combination of dark psychology and inexplicable happenings will keep you guessing. Victorian gothic at its best. — Carly Reagon, author of THE TOLL HOUSE

Meticulously researched, magnificently atmospheric, and written with Dickensian charm, this intriguing novel proves that sometimes the best stories lie hidden under ground. — Abir Mukherjee on UNDER GROUND

E. S. Thomson has done it again. A cast of vivid characters, gorgeously gritty settings and a rollicking plot, all backed up by meticulous research worn lightly. Immersive from the start and satisfying to the finish, a faultless tale from one of our best writers of historical crime fiction. — Jess Kidd on UNDER GROUND

I LOVED it. Fantastic characters – I never guessed!  So good … Underground is brilliantly steeped in the lore of Victorian London, i couldn’t take my eyes off it! — Sara Sheridan on UNDER GROUND

Civil engineering rarely features in gothic fiction but ES Thomson has taken the tropes of gothic fiction and fused them seamlessly with cutting edge Victorian engineering in this assured and deeply immersive book. … Under Ground abounds with satisfyingly Dickensian characters.A definite five star read. — Alis Hawkins on UNDER GROUND

Jem Flockhart’s London is vivid, pungent and perilous. The Blood takes you to places you will love to picture but be grateful you can’t smell — Chris Brookmyre on BELOVED POISON

ES Thomson’s Jem Flockhart books are the best I’ve read in years. Jem is just my kind of heroine: scarred, smart, complex, and unapologetically queer — Kirsty Logan, author of The Gracekeepers

Jem Flockhart is a marvel. Cautious yet daring, a pursuer of the truth yet steeped in deceit herself, she is the best kind of detective – flawed, clever, conflicted, principled and determined to get to the bottom of whatever mystery comes her way. Her latest foray into the filth and grime of 1840s London is an atmospheric dissection of prejudice past and present set aboard a decaying hospital ship. With snakes, pox, strange tattoos and the scent of Henbane in our nostrils, this vivid journey into the dark side of the human soul is a thoroughly engrossing tale. — Mary Paulson Ellis, author of The Other Mrs Walker

Beloved Poison is a marvellous, vivid book with a thoughtful, engaging protagonist at its centre – and a fascinating story to tell. It’s immaculately researched and breathtakingly dark. Elaine Thomson’s descriptive powers are so great that that I was surprised to see twenty-first century London rather than grimy, smelly St Saviour’s around me when I – eventually – looked up from its pages — Janet Ellis, author of The Butcher’s Hook

Following on from the events of acclaimed debut Beloved Poison, Dark Asylum vividly portrays the Gothic horror and questionable science of Victorian mental asylums in chilling detail. Meticulously researched and masterfully plotted, E.S. Thomson has written a complex, harrowing and highly enjoyable tale — Daily Express

Dark Asylum positively oozes gothic menace, and the author’s evocation of the city at that time is visceral and engagingly morbid . . . A first class piece of historical crime writing — Doug Johnstone, Big Issue

From the first page to the last, I enjoyed every brilliantly written, and often hideous, detail … A splendid read — Cambridge Magazine

A historical novel to be savoured — Lesley McDowell, The National

Here’s a tale of Victorian London to freeze your blood on a cold winter’s night — Alex Gordon, Evening Telegraph on Beloved Poison

After a while the Grand Guignol effects start to get under your skin – unless that’s just the leeches crawling out of their jar – Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review

A debut mystery chock full of mysterious doings, riveting historical detail, and so many horrifying anecdotes that you can almost feel the evil miasma rising from the pages – Kirkus Reviews

This outstanding historical enthrals with its meticulously researched details of nineteenth-century hospitals; the result is a dismal portrait of unrelenting bleakness that will make readers grateful to be living in the twenty-first century. This is Showtime’s Penny Dreadful brought to life! – Library Journal (starred review)