The Shadows of Hawthorn Vale

When a young journalist is found dead in the peaceful village of Hawthorn Vale, it sets off a chain of events that will uncover a dark, centuries-old secret buried deep within the village’s history. Inspector Daniel Harcourt, a seasoned detective haunted by unsolved cases, and Detective Sergeant Lucy Redgrave, a sharp-witted investigator with her own ties to rural life, are called in to solve the case. What begins as a seemingly straightforward murder investigation quickly spirals into something far more sinister.

As Harcourt and Redgrave dig deeper, they uncover whispers of the Covenant an ancient, secret society that has controlled the village from the shadows for generations. Bound by dark rituals and blood oaths, the Covenant has long been the unseen force behind Hawthorn Vale's prosperity. But now, with their secrets exposed, the Covenant is desperate to protect its legacy, and anyone who gets too close to the truth is in grave danger.

From the eerie woods surrounding the village to the crumbling ruins of the Ashcroft estate, Harcourt and Redgrave follow a trail of cryptic clues, unearthing the village’s hidden past and the twisted rituals that have kept the Covenant alive. But as they close in on the truth, the line between friend and foe blurs, and they soon realize that the quiet villagers are hiding far more than they ever imagined.

In Shadows of Hawthorn Vale, the first instalment of The Cursed Grounds series, Harcourt and Redgrave must navigate a web of lies, betrayals, and ancient rites. Time is running out, and as the Covenant’s enforcers close in, they are faced with a chilling reality: the village’s past is far darker than they could have imagined, and its future may be even more deadly.

Haunting, atmospheric, and full of unexpected twists, Shadows of Hawthorn Vale is a gripping mystery thriller where history refuses to stay buried, and the shadows of the past loom larger than ever.