The Bone Weaver's Orchard

He’s run away home. That’s what they say every time one of Charley Winslow’s friends vanishes from The Old Cross School for Boys.

It’s just a tall tale. That’s what they tell Charley when he sees the ragged grey figure stalking the abbey halls at night.

When Charley follows his pet insects to a pool of blood behind a false wall, he could run and let those stones bury their secrets. He could assimilate, focus on his studies, and wait for his father to send for him. Or he could walk the dark tunnels of the school’s heart, scour its abandoned passages, and pick at the scab of a family’s legacy of madness and murder.

With the help of Sam Forster, the school’s gardener, and Matron Grace, the staff nurse, Charley unravels Old Cross’ history and exposes a scandal stretching back to when the school was a home with a noble family and a dark secret — a secret that still haunts its halls with scraping steps, twisting its bones into a new generation of nightmares.

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“There’s a secret in this book. It’s stunning. It’s dark. And it’s as satisfying as any unknown a horror fan could could ever hope to unearth. So well written, so well paced, Sarah Read’s The Bone Weaver’s Orchard is a thriller with class.” — Josh Malerman, author of Bird Box

“Sarah Read is one of the best authors currently writing contemporary dark fiction, and this is a journey you’ll want to take with your eyes open wide and your coat pulled tight. A haunting, lyrical, visceral story.” — Richard Thomas, author of the Thriller-nominated novel, Breaker

“Sarah Read’s THE BONE WEAVER’S ORCHARD is haunting and perfectly tuned. With her own compelling voice and an atmosphere reminiscent of del Toro’s The Devil’s Backbone, it’s hard to believe this is a debut novel. But, given that it is, I can’t wait to see what she does next. Read is someone to watch, and someone to read right now!” — Bracken MacLeod, author of STRANDED and COME TO DUST