Hearth of Darkness

*Shortlisted for Book of the Year & Best New Author in the TRUE CRIME AWARDS 2026TIME OUT ‘BEST BOOKS OF 2025’'Captivating. What begins as a modern horror story slowly reveals itself as something more ambiguous and, ultimately, heartening. Blake is a very winning narrator.’ Julie MyersonA haunting blend of true crime, psychological thriller and paranormal investigation, Hearth of Darkness is a razor-sharp exploration of what it means to feel unsafe… in your own home. What would you do if your radio turned on by itself in the middle of the night? If slugs started to fall from the ceiling?If some rooms stayed stubbornly cold, no matter how high the heating? If you constantly felt an eerie presence following you around from room to room?And what if, quite by chance, you then found out that a notorious murderer used to live in your home?Journalist Matt Blake tells the powerful true story of how he discovered that his new house was once the lair of the E17 Nightstalker. It was meant to be a refuge for him and his four-year-old daughter after a painful divorce. But unravelling the chilling secrets of the past threatens to suffocate the present. Instinctively sceptical, Matt sets out on a scientific quest to make sense of the paranormal and find peace at home. In his quest, he speaks to the Church of England’s Deliverance Ministry for advice on ‘place memories’, scientists on the theory of ‘emotional residue’, property lawyers about how they sell ‘cursed’ properties (and whether he can get his money back) and psychologists about the human brain’s ineptitude in processing the ocean of electromagnetic radiation that surrounds us – finding that the truth is much more complicated and conflicting than he’d anticipated. For fans of investigative writing, domestic noir, and those fascinated by the horrors that lurk behind closed doors, this book speaks to our innate desire to feel safe at home. ‘Expertly crafted and blisteringly honest … I was drawn in from the very first sentence.’ Manni Coe, author of brother.do.you.love.me?A TALKSPORT BOOK OF THE WEEK