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The Girl in the Tower
When the past lies buried beneath the waves, and the present hides behind a veneer, what power do we have over the future?
As high-flying energy magnate, Parsley Ringland, prepares for maternity leave, tragedy strikes. She passes out after a health complication and wakes up elsewhere. In the tower that sustained the life she had once known.
As she fights to protect herself and her unborn child, Parsley begins to fear for humanity itself. She is faced with an impossible dilemma. Does she keep the world in comforting darkness? Or expose a cruel truth that might destroy it?
Is it better to endure a terrible truth than to lounge inside a lie?
As high-flying energy magnate, Parsley Ringland, prepares for maternity leave, tragedy strikes. She passes out after a health complication and wakes up elsewhere. In the tower that sustained the life she had once known.
As she fights to protect herself and her unborn child, Parsley begins to fear for humanity itself. She is faced with an impossible dilemma. Does she keep the world in comforting darkness? Or expose a cruel truth that might destroy it?
Is it better to endure a terrible truth than to lounge inside a lie?
285 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 26, 2025
1 person want to read
About the author
Harrison Murphy
5 books13 followersHarrison Murphy is a writer from Motherwell, Scotland. He specialises in downbeat, and often provocative, speculative fiction with elements of sci-fi and fantasy thrown into the mix. The Girl in The Tower – a cli-fi Rapunzel story – is his most recent novel. His fourth novel, IV, is an exploration of the afterlife, as well the limited agency we have in affecting this life. He also wrote the Chrysalis trilogy, set in a world where we can design our own minds.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 4, 2026
I really wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book. I was so excited to find that it was like a dystopian/scifi/cyber fiction mash up.
The story follows Parsley, CEO of the leading renewable energy company that uses salt water (tears) instead of gasoline and fossil fuels. But it also follows a few other characters and slowly you get to figure out how all their stories connect and how Parsleys world is far from straight forward… or even real.
At first I felt very confused and had to keep re reading some parts to make sense of the story.. which usually would ruin a book for me HOWEVER… when you DO understand what’s going on it’s like a lightbulb goes off in your head and you NEED to keep reading to figure out the rest!
I really loved and hated Parsleys character, she was a massive b*tch but when you figure out why you end up loving her!
Honestly I really enjoyed this book and it was written so well I highly recommend if you like this genre!
The story follows Parsley, CEO of the leading renewable energy company that uses salt water (tears) instead of gasoline and fossil fuels. But it also follows a few other characters and slowly you get to figure out how all their stories connect and how Parsleys world is far from straight forward… or even real.
At first I felt very confused and had to keep re reading some parts to make sense of the story.. which usually would ruin a book for me HOWEVER… when you DO understand what’s going on it’s like a lightbulb goes off in your head and you NEED to keep reading to figure out the rest!
I really loved and hated Parsleys character, she was a massive b*tch but when you figure out why you end up loving her!
Honestly I really enjoyed this book and it was written so well I highly recommend if you like this genre!
January 5, 2026
What a read it is! Dystopia isn’t my usual genre but the author writes it in such a way that I always get completely involved in the characters and the story. And when a story feels a million miles from my every day, yet also something that could easily happen given the current state of our planet and priorities, it equals me being enthralled.
The plot twists and flows between different times and places, and I love how as you progress you see the threads coming back together. Time is identified by the birth of Driscoll, either days before or days since. Driscoll is a very important baby, belonging to our main character, Parsley. I had a love/hate thing going on with Parsley, but she is brilliant and goes through such a journey.
Once finished the book truly left me thinking, pondering what my own decisions would be, and that’s definitely the sign of a talented author.
The plot twists and flows between different times and places, and I love how as you progress you see the threads coming back together. Time is identified by the birth of Driscoll, either days before or days since. Driscoll is a very important baby, belonging to our main character, Parsley. I had a love/hate thing going on with Parsley, but she is brilliant and goes through such a journey.
Once finished the book truly left me thinking, pondering what my own decisions would be, and that’s definitely the sign of a talented author.
December 23, 2025
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the blurb but this book is so twisty and detailed! I had to keep going back so have your stickers ready, it’s so worth it!
Parsley is a character you want to dislike but you can’t! I did really enjoy her story and the history behind it - that isn’t a spoiler!
It is so intricately written, sensitive, intense and mysterious!
In a world buried beneath the waves what would you do? Endure a terrible truth or lounge inside a lie?
Such a series of life decisions! Love it!
Parsley is a character you want to dislike but you can’t! I did really enjoy her story and the history behind it - that isn’t a spoiler!
It is so intricately written, sensitive, intense and mysterious!
In a world buried beneath the waves what would you do? Endure a terrible truth or lounge inside a lie?
Such a series of life decisions! Love it!
January 15, 2026
Well, what an unexpected read this was, pleasantly unexpected that is.
Going into the read, I thought it was your standard Sci-fi ( which by the way, is one of my favourite genres ), but as I got into the read, I was excited to discover it's more of a dystopian, cyber punkish blend, which is even better.
One of my favourite aspects about this type of read is how it makes your think and ponder on the future and what it holds, which this does wonderfully. And I also enjoy the feeling of stories like this being so far removed from my own life, and our wider society, which again, this does brilliantly.
There's also some great plot twists and turns and the world building is evocative, vivid and marvelously descriptive.
The characters were believable and felt real and the story flowed well.
4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
Going into the read, I thought it was your standard Sci-fi ( which by the way, is one of my favourite genres ), but as I got into the read, I was excited to discover it's more of a dystopian, cyber punkish blend, which is even better.
One of my favourite aspects about this type of read is how it makes your think and ponder on the future and what it holds, which this does wonderfully. And I also enjoy the feeling of stories like this being so far removed from my own life, and our wider society, which again, this does brilliantly.
There's also some great plot twists and turns and the world building is evocative, vivid and marvelously descriptive.
The characters were believable and felt real and the story flowed well.
4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
Review of advance copy
💜 Blurb -
When the past lies buried beneath the waves, and the present hides behind a veneer, what power do we have over the future?
As high-flying energy magnate, Parsley Ringland, prepares for maternity leave, tragedy strikes. She passes out after a health complication and wakes up elsewhere. In the tower that sustained the life she had once known.
As she fights to protect herself and her unborn child, Parsley begins to fear for humanity itself. She is faced with an impossible dilemma. Does she keep the world in comforting darkness? Or expose a cruel truth that might destroy it?
Is it better to endure a terrible truth than to lounge inside a lie?
💚 Review -This was such a action packed and entertaining read. From the very first page the author's writing had me hooked and I kept reading until the end as I wanted to know what happened. I loved following the characters journey through the story. I found the story easy to follow and had brilliant pacing. Overall, a brilliant novel that I highly recommend to other readers.
💝 Thank you to Random Things Tours, the author and publisher for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
When the past lies buried beneath the waves, and the present hides behind a veneer, what power do we have over the future?
As high-flying energy magnate, Parsley Ringland, prepares for maternity leave, tragedy strikes. She passes out after a health complication and wakes up elsewhere. In the tower that sustained the life she had once known.
As she fights to protect herself and her unborn child, Parsley begins to fear for humanity itself. She is faced with an impossible dilemma. Does she keep the world in comforting darkness? Or expose a cruel truth that might destroy it?
Is it better to endure a terrible truth than to lounge inside a lie?
💚 Review -This was such a action packed and entertaining read. From the very first page the author's writing had me hooked and I kept reading until the end as I wanted to know what happened. I loved following the characters journey through the story. I found the story easy to follow and had brilliant pacing. Overall, a brilliant novel that I highly recommend to other readers.
💝 Thank you to Random Things Tours, the author and publisher for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews