The Taking of Irene Hart

By: Madeleine Reiss

Narrated by: Rosalind Lailey

A gothic historical novel perfect for fans of Sarah Waters, Stacey Halls and Laura Purcell

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1859. Somerset, England.

When widow Hester Hart decides to sign over all her family’s worldly goods – and their freedom – to a secretive religious community, her daughters, headstrong Ruby and fragile Irene, have little say in the matter.

Led by the charismatic Reverend Peters, the women enter a world with its own set of rules and where Irene, cursed with seizures and ill health, is believed to have second sight. But as Hester and Irene are drawn into the community’s twisted philosophy, Ruby detects a darker truth stalking its shadowy corners.

When a shocking discovery throws the community open to scrutiny, the stakes are raised and Ruby realises that it is not only their souls that must be saved…

©2025 Madeleine Reiss (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

'Gorgeous and Emotional' Fern Britton

'I found it deeply moving and couldn't stop reading' Susan Lewis

‘Will send a chill down your spine.’ The Sunday Mirror