[Yorkshire Ghost Stories 03] • Parliament of Rooks

"Lush and atmospheric, this novel is dark and moody with supernatural elements and accurate historical details." - The BookLife Prize by Publishers Weekly

Parliament of Rooks, the new historical paranormal novel by Karen Perkins, contrasts the beautiful, inspiring village of Haworth today with the slum – or rookery – it was during the industrial revolution: rife with disease, heartache, poverty, and employing child slavery in the mills.

In 2017, life expectancy in the UK is 81.

In 1848 Haworth, it was 22.

Nine-year-old Harry Sutcliff hates working at Rooks Mill and is forever in trouble for running away to the wide empty spaces of the moors – empty but for the song of the skylark, the antics of the rabbits, and the explorations of Emily Brontë. Bound together by their love of the moors, Emily and Harry develop a lasting friendship, but not everyone is happy about it – especially Martha, Harry’s wife.

As Martha's jealous rages grow in ferocity, Harry does not realise the danger he is in. A hundred and fifty years later, this danger also threatens Verity and her new beau, William. Only time will tell if Verity and William have the strength to fight off the ghosts determined to shape their lives, or whether they will succumb to an age-old betrayal.

The Yorkshire Ghost Stories are all stand-alone books and can be read in any order.