The Ghost of Lily Painter

By: Caitlin Davies

Narrated by: Annie Aldington, Jilly Bond, Julie Maisey, Mike Grady

The first time Annie Sweet sees 43 Stanley Road, the house is so perfect she almost feels as though it has chosen her. But with her husband seeming more distant, and her daughter wrapped up in her friends and new school, Annie is increasingly left alone to mull over the past.

She soon becomes consumed by the house and everyone who has lived there before her, especially a young music hall singer called Lily Painter, whose sparkling performances were the talk of London. As Annie delves further into the past she unravels the case of two notorious baby farmers, who cruelly preyed on vulnerable unmarried mothers. And until she solves the mystery at the heart of the scandal, the ghost of Lily Painter will never be able to rest.

Basing her story on true events, Caitlin Davies skilfully blends fact and fiction to bring to life part of our sinister past. Spanning an entire century, from the journals of an Edwardian police inspector to a doomed wartime love affair, The Ghost of Lily Painter is a gripping and poignant novel.

Critic reviews

I read it in two days flat and enjoyed it hugely - a wonderful combination of ghost story, detective story and social history. (Gaynor Arnold, author of 'Girl in a Blue Dress')

Big, rich and entertaining (Kate Saunders)

In this dark thriller, Caitlin Davies uses the haunted house as the frame for a disturbing story of cruelty in Victorian London

I enjoyed it so much - stories of "then" and "now", and beautifully balanced between the two (Judith Flanders, author of The Victorian House)

[A] meticulously researched and moving new novel

Unputdownable (Jenni Murray)

The author's exhaustive research has the same ability as Sarah Waters to vividly bring to life a particular period in history.

An engrossing novel

She represents historical research as exciting, romantic and as offering personal catharsis.

So enjoyed it

What made the experience of listening to The Ghost of Lily Painter the most enjoyable?

First of all it's based on a true story, which I love. Next, it went from time period to time period with ease and clarity.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Anna, because of her growth and strength, dignity and humanity.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The BABY FARMER'S

Any additional comments?

I think it's well worth the read

Excellent

The story was excellent. All of the narrators were excellent. I highly recomment this audiobook.