The murder of Jennifer Southern in her cottage on the outskirts of a Lancashire village re-ignites a legacy of witchcraft that was thought to have ended four hundred years ago when the Pendle Witches were hanged at Lancaster Castle in 1612. But their descendants have lived on, following the old ways and keeping themselves to themselves until now it seems someone is determined to wipe them out. As the death toll rises, events finally force the police to work with the modern-day witches in a bid to hunt down the killer.

How come my new computer panics when I type the word 'poltergeist'? What would happen if the spiral of history brought two famous star-crossed lovers back together again in the 21st century? How would you deal with a toddler who started to show magical powers at pre-school? What if your daughter's imaginary friend suddenly started to become all too real? What is the secret of the isolated Inn discovered by a group of hikers on the Lancashire Moors? And how has Private Investigator Kat Hewitt's dead granddad ended up in the local police station on Christmas Day? Six strange stories of magic and the paranormal from the author of the Detective Inspector Stone Supernatural Crime novels.

Examines how themes and trends associated with the early Gothic novels were diffused in many genres in the Victorian period, including the ghost story, the detective story and the adventure story.

On the edge of a playing field in the Lancashire town of Longridge is an abandoned railway tunnel that is reputedly haunted. It used to serve an old stone quarry that has now been given a new lease of life as a holiday park. Six eighteen-year-old friends are staying in a static caravan at the park when one night a violent storm forces them to stay indoors. One of the girls downloads a talking Ouija Board app to her laptop for 'a bit of fun', but the following morning the three boys in the group have gone missing. Detective Sergeant Pauline Pilkington is handed the job of finding out what has happened to them but has little luck until DCI Stone calls in the Unusual Investigations team of former Detective Constable Jerry Ratcliffe and his partner, the corporeal spirit of murdered witch Kat Hewitt. Their enquires lead them to an encounter with a boggart known as The Headless Woman of Longridge. Then Sergeant Pilkington disappears as well.

A succubus is stalking the streets of Preston. But she's not just giving certain young men erotic dreams: she's leeching the life out of them. With Detective Chief Inspector Alf Stone still on paternity leave after the birth of his son, it's down to DI Alexandra Johnson to investigate. But why are all the victims called Ryan? And how on earth do you bring an entity to justice? With the help of young witch Mary Conway, the newly formed 'Unusual Investigations' team of Ratcliffe and Kat, her new sergeant and a computer whizz of a PCSO, Johnson begins to unravel a web of intrigue that goes back fifteen years. Then Stone returns and starts digging into a cold case...

In a tarn in a country park in the heart of the Lancashire countryside lies the body of a young man. His death causes all sorts of problems for Detective Chief Inspector Alf Stone and his team because, according to the police pathologist, this his not the first time he has appeared on the autopsy slab. The investigation brings to light the ancient 'were' tradition of the county where witches became hares to escape the attention of the law. Now Mary Conway has chosen to learn the art of becoming a were herself for the sole purpose of halting the resurgence of the illegal so called 'sport' of hare coursing. But her intervention uncovers a far more sinister threat: camped not far from the country park are a group of renegade Romani, led by the wolf-witch Daciana Lupescu, who have fled the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania and plan to set up a colony on Wolf Fell not far from the country park.

John Smith is what is known as a 'placeholder name', like the American term John Doe. It is the name bestowed on unidentified corpses, amnesiacs and hospital patients - which is why the odd young man staked out to die in the remains of a 4,000-year-old Neolithic Circle on the edge of the Lancashire Fells ends up with it. However his violent allergic reaction to iron and steel causes problems for his rescuers and when he refuses to co-operate with the police, Detective Chief Inspector Stone washes his hands of him. So 'John Smith' simply disappears - literally. And that's when strange things start to happen around the city of Preston.

A chance encounter with a charismatic fortune teller called Marcus at a psychic fair in Manchester leads Emma Craine into a situation that imperils her soul. For he has a familiar - an incubus which is the reincarnation of Sinistrari, the infamous 17th century Vicar General of Avignon. To maintain his youth, and power over women, Marcus has struck a deal with Sinistrari: every seven years he must mark someone out for him - to do with as he will - and Emma is his latest victim. But in attempting to open Emma's psychic senses he inadvertently awakens her to the power of the Earth Mother. She also finds allies in her sister and her husband and they desperately fight back when the incubus tries to collect on the pledge. Subtle help is also supplied by the enigmatic witches of Pendle who recognise Emma as one of their own, but will it be enough to save her when the demon comes to call for the final time?

From the author of The Dark Lady, a novel of England’s trial of the Pendle witches of 1612 and a family struggling to survive the hysteria. Bess Southerns, an impoverished widow living in Pendle Forest, is haunted by visions and gains a reputation as a cunning woman. Drawing on the Catholic folk magic of her youth, Bess heals the sick and foretells the future. As she ages, she instructs her granddaughter, Alizon, in her craft, as well as her best friend, who ultimately turns to dark magic. When a peddler suffers a stroke after exchanging harsh words with Alizon, a local magistrate, eager to make his name as a witch finder, plays neighbors and family members against one another until suspicion and paranoia reach frenzied heights. This e-book includes a sample chapter of Illuminations. “Daughters of the Witching Hill offers a fresh approach with witches who believe in their own power and yet, in many ways, are still innocent. Sharratt’s readers—like the magistrate who took the women’s confessions—are likely to be spellbound by their stories.”—San Francisco Chronicle “Full of the reality of the day, this story is stark and real, but Sharratt’s descriptions of landscape and the daily life of the poor at the time are rich enough to feed the senses. The author weaves this vast canvas of changing culture into the personal stories of these women, and in the process transports us to a distant land, a distant time—and deep into the story of people we sympathize with and care about.”—Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Wallace Notestein's 'A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558 to 1718' is a comprehensive exploration of the cultural and legal contexts surrounding the infamous witch hunts during the Early Modern period. Notestein meticulously examines the beliefs, accusations, and persecutions of individuals accused of practicing witchcraft, shedding light on the socio-political climate that fueled such hysteria. Drawing from archival records and contemporary accounts, Notestein's scholarly approach delves deep into the psychological and societal motivations behind the witch trials, offering valuable insights into this dark chapter of English history. Notestein's writing is engaging, with a clear and concise style that appeals to both academics and general readers interested in the topic. His meticulous research and thoughtful analysis elevate this book from a mere historical account to a nuanced exploration of the human psyche and the power dynamics at play in witchcraft accusations. Wallace Notestein, a renowned historian of Early Modern England, brings his expertise to bear in this authoritative study of witchcraft, providing readers with a compelling narrative that challenges conventional assumptions and encourages critical reflection. For anyone interested in the history of witchcraft, Notestein's 'A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558 to 1718' is an essential read that offers valuable insights into a complex and enduring phenomenon.