From the internationally bestselling author of The Nanny and What She Knew comes a thrilling dark academic tale of murder, obsession and ruthless ambition, set in remote St Andrews, Scotland.
A deadly rivalry.
A chilling secret.
One woman who can decipher the truth.
On a frigid, windswept day in Scotland's Western Hebrides, Eleanor Bruton's body is discovered on the shore. To her family Eleanor was an ordinary middle-aged woman. She did flower arrangements and plumped kneeler cushions at church. Little did they know she was harboring a dark and all-consuming secret. A scrap of fraying embroidery that seems worthless at first glance.
For over a century, two rival organizations of women have gone to deadly lengths to secure the valuable artifact in the hopes of finding the original medieval manuscript from which it was torn. The Order of St Katherine: devoted to the belief that women must pull strings in the shadows to exercise control. And the Fellowship of the Larks: determined to amass as many overt positions of power for women as possible…so long as their methods of doing so never come to light.
When Dr. Anya Brown garners international attention for her translation of the cryptic Folio 9, she is handpicked by Diana Cornish, a professor and high-ranking member of the Fellowship, to join the exclusive Institute of Manuscript Studies in St Andrews. Unbeknownst to Anya she's been recruited at great personal danger to translate ancient texts that the Fellowship believes critical to their mission.
Meanwhile at Scotland Yard, Detective Clio Spicer begins a private investigation into the death of Eleanor Bruton.
As all of them grow further entangled in this ancient web, circumstances are spinning wildly out of control and their lives may be in grave danger.
Perfect for fans of Alex Michaelides and Ruth Ware, The Burning Library is the story of a centuries-old secret set to divide and consume those who seek to unearth it.
"A standout psychological thriller…Ms. Macmillan skillfully keeps all her story's plates spinning in the air until they come crashing down in a smashing finale." - Wall Street Journal
"Macmillan is such a good writer that we're constantly guessing, believing one thing and then another, right up until the book's final moments. A treat for the author's fans, and, for those who are new to her, a wonderful introduction to this fine writer." - Booklist
"Remarkably complex…. [The Manor House] dissects everything from family to friendship, from snobbery to ruthless power…. In the talented hands of Gilly Macmillan, the novel is also a striking, cautionary tale about the intrinsic dangers of 'being played.'" - Anniston Star
"On a private peninsula on the border of Wales, a lottery winner builds a glass house…The neighbors aren't quite what they seem-but then nobody and nothing is in this gripping new thriller by Gilly Macmillan-the mistress of classy suspense." - ?Shari Lapena, internationally bestselling author
"Huge praise for The Manor House. Great characters and a clever plot make for a highly engaging read. Storytelling at its best!" - B. A. Paris, New York Times bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors and The Therapist
"There aren't many books that deliver a twist I didn't see coming. But this was one of them! A one-sit read! Creepy, compelling and superbly plotted!" - Sarah Pearse, New York Times bestselling author of The Sanatorium and The Retreat, on The Manor House
"Perhaps [Gilly Macmillan's] most confounding and rewarding psychological thriller yet." - Bookreporter on The Manor House
"In addition to a whodunit, The Manor House is a con game. There is a lovely little twisted ending that makes this a satisfying mystery." - Denver Post
"The Manor House is a thrill ride with twists and turns you could never see coming. Be transported, but never become too complacent. With this book, you never know who to trus
