What do you think?
Rate this book
Tales from the Dark Past #3
Dark Capital
Edinburgh, 1820s. On one side is the Old Town; ancient, crumbling and full of poverty. On the other is the New Town - elegant, refined and prosperous.
When newly qualified Doctor Martin Elliot arrives, he discovers that the duality goes deeper. There is more darkness in the streets than he could have imagined. Ghosts of the long-dead haunt the houses, and nightmares soon fill Martin’s head.
Only a relic of the past - a dark, carved staff - seems to give Martin respite. But can be balance its power with the burden that comes with it, or will evil overcome his good intentions?
Dark Capital is a standalone novel, and can be enjoyed even if you haven't read other books in the series.
When newly qualified Doctor Martin Elliot arrives, he discovers that the duality goes deeper. There is more darkness in the streets than he could have imagined. Ghosts of the long-dead haunt the houses, and nightmares soon fill Martin’s head.
Only a relic of the past - a dark, carved staff - seems to give Martin respite. But can be balance its power with the burden that comes with it, or will evil overcome his good intentions?
Dark Capital is a standalone novel, and can be enjoyed even if you haven't read other books in the series.
- GenresHorrorHistoricalMystery
372 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 2020
6 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Helen Susan Swift
26 books39 followersBorn and bred in Scotland, I live in the north east of the country. My interests include history and folklore, as well as nature and animals.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 26, 2021
3.5 stars.
A Victorian murder mystery with paranormal elements that took me back to Scotland and those times.
Dr. Elliot arrives to Edinburgh and finds a great house to live in. However, there are surprises waiting for him there. He does not believe in the supernatural either -I think that's why I was so invested- and he anyway has his best friend and a beautiful woman he falls in love with, to help. He starts changing and doubting everyone, but he does not understand what's wrong with him.
Even though there are ghosts and religious elements, I loved how the author transported me to another time and place. She made the story engaging and made me need to know more from it. Characters are relatable, the scenes are seen as in a film and coincidences turn out not to be as coincidental.
George Ellington, the narrator, made this book so well that I felt I was there and even got scared a couple of times! Wonderful job there.
I was quite invested in the story, even though I do not believe in ghosts or the supernatural. Found myself needing to know what would happen. I'd recommend to those who like a Gothic Victorian setting.
A Victorian murder mystery with paranormal elements that took me back to Scotland and those times.
Dr. Elliot arrives to Edinburgh and finds a great house to live in. However, there are surprises waiting for him there. He does not believe in the supernatural either -I think that's why I was so invested- and he anyway has his best friend and a beautiful woman he falls in love with, to help. He starts changing and doubting everyone, but he does not understand what's wrong with him.
Even though there are ghosts and religious elements, I loved how the author transported me to another time and place. She made the story engaging and made me need to know more from it. Characters are relatable, the scenes are seen as in a film and coincidences turn out not to be as coincidental.
George Ellington, the narrator, made this book so well that I felt I was there and even got scared a couple of times! Wonderful job there.
I was quite invested in the story, even though I do not believe in ghosts or the supernatural. Found myself needing to know what would happen. I'd recommend to those who like a Gothic Victorian setting.
September 7, 2020
Bought the kindle edition yesterday and read the story last night until the wee hours of the morning. It's the third of Swift's 'Dark' series and set in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, hence the title. As I was born in Edinburgh, I knew the places involved. This is an atmospheric, supernatural story based around Weir the Warlock, one of Edinburgh's most notorious people. It's well done, with believable characters and a tad gore.
April 19, 2021
DARK CAPITAL TALES FROM THE DARK PAST BOOK THREE BY HELEN SUSAN SWIFT begins in Edinburg 1820's when new graduatuated doctor Martin Elliot , looking for a home in the seedier side of town finds what he thinks is the perfect place. The locals, on the other hand,try to tell him that the place is evil at its darkest but Elliot doesnt listen. He should have! The longer Elliot lives there the more corrupt he becomes,after he is taken over by the former owner, an evil man who is more powereful than Elliot. As Elliots life progresses he becomes more evil,resorting to murder . Even Elliots love fight what Elliot has become.
Martin Elliot makes Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde look like a girl scout(s)! I found I could not put the book down. I had to know just how far the evil was going to win. Great read. The narrator (this is an audiobook), George Ellington did a fantastic job. Just enough creepy into the voices to make it a really good listen
I received this audiobook free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Martin Elliot makes Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde look like a girl scout(s)! I found I could not put the book down. I had to know just how far the evil was going to win. Great read. The narrator (this is an audiobook), George Ellington did a fantastic job. Just enough creepy into the voices to make it a really good listen
I received this audiobook free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
April 27, 2021
I absolutely loved this tale, with enough atmosphere of 1820s Edinburgh, and enough sinister and sympathetic characters to keep me entertained and engaged throughout. Ms. Swift captured so well the darkness and the mystery of this beautiful and compelling city, with its dark closes and wynds. This is the perfect setting for a tale of supernatural suspense, and the tie in with actual historical figures and legends about them makes this otherwise fictional tale all the more engrossing. Well done!
July 10, 2022
This was an amazing book! The imagery was wonderful. A young doctor moves to a haunted house.Everyone warns him to leave it and leave behind everything that was in there when he moved in.He does not listen.He finds a surgery,of course it was once owned by the same sinister man.His life goes from good to bad in a blink of an eye.The narration by George Ellington was terrific! I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Read
December 5, 2024I really enjoy her writing, and I enjoyed her first book as well in fact even more because I liked the plot more. I will give this 3 1/2 stars but I didn’t care for the plot line or that damn staff… hopefully the books are better regarding plot lines.
February 3, 2021
Fantastic! I must visit Edinburgh and get scared to death. What an amazing atmosphere this author created.
September 17, 2020
The Depth of Darkness
Ms Swift's extraordinary ability to create a dark and forbidding atmosphere is the equal of any great writer in the genre of horror. In this novel she once again skilfully combines historical fact with imaginative and disturbing fiction. Set in the early nineteenth, we follow the adventures of Dr Martin Elliot, a newly qualified doctor who's fortunes rise dramatically after he takes possession of a house once owned by a notorious warlock. However, his rise in material wealth is counterbalanced by his fall into the depths of depravity as he explores the dark side of Edinburgh city.
Although the content is rarely graphic, this is not a book for children. To be enjoyed to its fullest it's best taken at night, alone in a dark house, with a large glass of blood red wine.
Ms Swift's extraordinary ability to create a dark and forbidding atmosphere is the equal of any great writer in the genre of horror. In this novel she once again skilfully combines historical fact with imaginative and disturbing fiction. Set in the early nineteenth, we follow the adventures of Dr Martin Elliot, a newly qualified doctor who's fortunes rise dramatically after he takes possession of a house once owned by a notorious warlock. However, his rise in material wealth is counterbalanced by his fall into the depths of depravity as he explores the dark side of Edinburgh city.
Although the content is rarely graphic, this is not a book for children. To be enjoyed to its fullest it's best taken at night, alone in a dark house, with a large glass of blood red wine.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews