The Amethyst Necklace

The amethyst necklace had been at the heart of everything. Was at the heart of everything here at Blackthorn - and had been for centuries . . . During a bitterly cold, stormy Winter's night, Meirian Penlan travels by stagecoach across country to take up a mysterious post at Blackthorn Manor. Wild and remote, Blackthorn lies amongst the great meres of Lancashire, surrounded by long-held superstitions, tales of witchcraft and uncanny occurrences. When Merian's coach is stranded at a disreputable tavern, it is Captain James Caunce, the young Squire, who comes to her rescue. Together, they embark upon a hazardous journey through the dark night before reaching their destination; the ancient, timber-framed manor-house of Blackthorn, standing on high ground overlooking the deep and treacherous Swallowhole Mere, a lonely place where eerie legends abound. Unwittingly, Meirian is drawn into a web of scandal, deception, blackmail and tragedy. Stumbling upon a bundle of old love letters and a terrible secret, Meirian risks her own life not only to set right a dreadful wrong - but to unravel the mysterious disappearance of the precious amethyst necklace . . .