A PhD student uncovers dark secrets in this 'richly atmospheric and irresistibly readable' (Joyce Carol Oates) Gothic mystery set in Scotland, Italy, and France. For fans of Donna Tartt and Elizabeth Kostova. Fleeing a disastrous affair with a colleague, Isabel Henley leaves the US to begin a PhD in Scotland. There she reconnects with the charismatic scholar Rose Brewster, a former classmate, who becomes a much-needed friend. When Rose reveals she’s in trouble, Isabel decides to help her. Then Rose vanishes. At first it seems she has taken her own life, but then Isabel receives a coded message: Rose is alive but held captive by people who don’t want her to complete her research. Isabel realises she must finish it if she wants to save her friend's life - and her own. Isabel's search takes her to Italy and France where she uncovers a chain of betrayal and treason lasting centuries. She must solve a 400-year-old mystery... or risk being claimed by it too. For fans of The Cloisters, The Secret History and The Maidens, and combining epistolary elements, this is a gripping literary thriller set in the world of dark academia. Reviews for The Bequest 'A brilliant debut, as smart as it is compelling' Tasha Alexander 'A first rate mystery by a first time author. Intriguing plot and well drawn characters' Martin Cruz Smith