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Hecate Cavendish and the Angel of Death
Not yet published
Expected 10 Nov 26The final adventure in the atmospheric Hecate Cavendish series from New York Times bestselling Paula Brackston - a magical series about an eccentric young Victorian woman who can see ghosts.
In her role as Assistant Librarian at Hereford Cathedral, Hecate continues to be guardian of the magical medieval map, and custodian of the ancient chained library. Equally important to her is her family of ghosts; the lost souls who haunt the centuries-old building, and who she has come to care about deeply. When a heartbroken Welsh warrior appears to her seeking her assistance, she sees it as her duty to help. As her friendship with the glassworker, Gil Wheatley, deepens, she understands the suffering of the lovelorn spirit. However, the arrival of a new Master of the Library throws her position into doubt, and may mean she must leave the cathedral.
Meanwhile, a savage murderer is terrorizing the city. When a second killing shows similarities and no clear explanation, Inspector Winter suspects something supernatural at work and calls on Hecate and her singular skills to help him.
With Hecate’s place in the cathedral no longer secure, her best friend soon to be wed, a growing relationship, everything in Hecate’s life seems in a state of flux. She must put aside her own personal concerns, however, if she is to fulfil her promise to the Welsh nobleman and succeed in stopping the murderous progress of the vengeful phantom who is terrorizing her city.
In her role as Assistant Librarian at Hereford Cathedral, Hecate continues to be guardian of the magical medieval map, and custodian of the ancient chained library. Equally important to her is her family of ghosts; the lost souls who haunt the centuries-old building, and who she has come to care about deeply. When a heartbroken Welsh warrior appears to her seeking her assistance, she sees it as her duty to help. As her friendship with the glassworker, Gil Wheatley, deepens, she understands the suffering of the lovelorn spirit. However, the arrival of a new Master of the Library throws her position into doubt, and may mean she must leave the cathedral.
Meanwhile, a savage murderer is terrorizing the city. When a second killing shows similarities and no clear explanation, Inspector Winter suspects something supernatural at work and calls on Hecate and her singular skills to help him.
With Hecate’s place in the cathedral no longer secure, her best friend soon to be wed, a growing relationship, everything in Hecate’s life seems in a state of flux. She must put aside her own personal concerns, however, if she is to fulfil her promise to the Welsh nobleman and succeed in stopping the murderous progress of the vengeful phantom who is terrorizing her city.
304 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication November 10, 2026
About the author
Paula Brackston
25 books5,390 followersPaula Brackston (aka PJ Brackston)is the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch's Daughter, The Winter Witch, and The Midnight Witch(2014).
Paula has an MA in Creative Writing from Lancaster University, and is a Visiting Lecturer for the University of Wales, Newport. In 2007 Paula was short listed in the Creme de la Crime search for new writers. In 2010 her book 'Nutters' (writing as PJ Davy) was short listed for the Mind Book Award, and she was selected by the BBC under their New Welsh Writers scheme.
https://www.youtube.com/c/PaulaBracks...
Paula lives in Wales with her partner and their two children.
Paula has an MA in Creative Writing from Lancaster University, and is a Visiting Lecturer for the University of Wales, Newport. In 2007 Paula was short listed in the Creme de la Crime search for new writers. In 2010 her book 'Nutters' (writing as PJ Davy) was short listed for the Mind Book Award, and she was selected by the BBC under their New Welsh Writers scheme.
https://www.youtube.com/c/PaulaBracks...
Paula lives in Wales with her partner and their two children.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 23, 2026
Thank you St. Martin’s Press Group and Goodreads for the advanced readers copy. I’ve been reading Paula Brockton’s books for a long time. She can make you feel like you have time traveled into her novels.
This book is the last of the series and I’ll miss Hecate, a strong female character who was committed to her work and also to a gift given to her by the goddess Hekate allowing her to communicate with ghost. So we have a strong female character, a ghost who wants revenge, a murder mystery and a little romance all in a beautiful and historical setting. What else does one need.
This book is the last of the series and I’ll miss Hecate, a strong female character who was committed to her work and also to a gift given to her by the goddess Hekate allowing her to communicate with ghost. So we have a strong female character, a ghost who wants revenge, a murder mystery and a little romance all in a beautiful and historical setting. What else does one need.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This is the third book in this series and I believe it is the last. Although I would love to see more written about Hecate and her adventures with her lost souls.
I truly loved the strong female character of Hecate who has an inquisitive mind and independent spirit. She is passionate about the cathedral library and her work there but also about learning and using the gifts bestowed upon her by the Goddess Hekate, helper of lost souls, guardian of the threshold between this world and the next.
The story pits Hecate against a creature of the dead who was wrongfully convicted and publicly hung for the crime of murder. He is in a rage and is back to seek revenge. Hecate must find a way to stop him and send him to his rest. With the help of her father, Inspector Winter and Gil the man who shares the gift of being able to see ghosts and who loves her, she proceeds to seek answers and solve the problem.
The book is fun, exciting and I enjoyed reading it.
I strongly recommend you read the first two books before this one as it refers back to many things that happened in them.
I truly loved the strong female character of Hecate who has an inquisitive mind and independent spirit. She is passionate about the cathedral library and her work there but also about learning and using the gifts bestowed upon her by the Goddess Hekate, helper of lost souls, guardian of the threshold between this world and the next.
The story pits Hecate against a creature of the dead who was wrongfully convicted and publicly hung for the crime of murder. He is in a rage and is back to seek revenge. Hecate must find a way to stop him and send him to his rest. With the help of her father, Inspector Winter and Gil the man who shares the gift of being able to see ghosts and who loves her, she proceeds to seek answers and solve the problem.
The book is fun, exciting and I enjoyed reading it.
I strongly recommend you read the first two books before this one as it refers back to many things that happened in them.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I loved this final novel for this series. Such a light fun read with a lot of intrigue. Always fun to have a strong female character that has really good strong values. I flew through this and finished it quick, I wish it was not the final book for this series as it’s such a fun bunch of characters
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews