The fever of the world : Merrily Watkins Mystery Series, Book 17

'Brilliantly eerie' PETER JAMES 'Engrossing and beautifully dark . . . a cracking good read' JO BRAND 'A most original sleuth' THE TIMES Welcome to the River Wye: a place of poetry, historic obsession... and occult murder. The curious death of an estate agent is being investigated by detective David Vaynor who, before joining the police, studied the famous 18th century poet William Wordsworth. As Vaynor is discovering, the dark paganism that changed Wordsworth's life still lingers on the banks of the River Wye today - and there are some killings even the police can't approach... Enter Merrily Watkins, parish priest, single mum, and diocesan exorcist for Hereford. Called away from her local hauntings, Merrily finds herself confronting the riverside ghosts who, as Wordsworth puts it, 'promote ill purposes and flatter foul desires'. In the ancient heart of the Wye Valley, a buried grudge is about to come to light. *Book 16 in the Merrily Watkins series - now a critically acclaimed ITV drama starring Anna Maxwell-Martin!* More praise for Phil Rickman 'Cleverly illuminates the darkest corners of our imagination' John Connolly 'The layers, the characters, the humour, the spookiness - perfect' Elly Griffiths 'First rate crime with demons that go bump in the night' Daily Mail 'No one writes better of the shadow-frontier between the supernatural and the real world' Bernard Cornwell THE SIXTEENTH INSTALMENT IN THE MERRILY WATKINS SERIES 'Merrily Watkins is the most singular of crime fiction protagonists... As ever [Rickman]'s supremely skillful at teasing out the menace that lies behind English folk customs and legends and weaving them into a compelling contemporary narrative.' Mail on Sunday ''I called on Darkness-but before the word Was uttered, midnight darkness seemed to take All objects from my sight...' William Wordsworth England's most famous poet once thought of himself as a modern druid and found his deepest inspiration on the banks of the River Wye, where Celtic magic can still be found and an old darkness lingers. Now, as the world is at the mercy of the coronavirus pandemic, diocesan exorcist Merrily Watkins learns that the ghosts of the lower Wye Valley still need some attention... "'Merrily Watkins is the most singular of crime fiction protagonists... As ever [Rickman]'s supremely skillful at teasing out the menace that lies behind English folk customs and legends and weaving them into a compelling contemporary narrative.' Mail on Sunday ''I called on Darkness-but before the word Was uttered, midnight darkness seemed to take All objects from my sight...' William Wordsworth England's most famous poet once thought of himself as a modern druid and found his deepest inspiration on the banks of the River Wye, where Celtic magic can still be found and an old darkness lingers. Now, as the world is at the mercy of the coronavirus pandemic, diocesan exorcist Merrily Watkins learns that the ghosts of the lower Wye Valley still need some attention..."--OverDrive The River Wye, According To Local Folklore, Takes A Life Every Year. But In The Lower Wye Valley Something Truly Evil Is Stirring And The Locals Can Sense It. Tv Star Arlo Ripley Seeks Solace In A Church At The Water's Edge. But A Famous Face Always Attracts Attention, And If He Thinks He Can Hide His Failings, He Couldn't Be More Wrong. Up River, An Ambitious Writer Thinks She's Uncovering Wordsworth's Stranger Secrets While An Urban Career-criminal, Newly Out Of Prison, Assures A Skeptical Di Frannie Bliss That He's Left His Old Life Behind To Find An Unlikely Pastoral Peace. Enter Diocesan Exorcist Merrily Watkins. As She Wades Into The Murky Depths, Merrily Discovers That The Darkest And Most Disturbing Evil Doesn't Always Involve Murder. The latest eerie supernatural thriller featuring the unforgettable Merrily Watkins - parish priest, single mother and exorcist. Perfect for fans of John Connolly, Ruth Rendell and Midsomer Murders.