The Small Blue
Available now in paperback and ebook
“If you are looking for a read that is by turns tender and thrilling, this is it!” - JB via Amazon
Love. Regret. Redemption.
July 1943.
Seventeen-year-old Gracie Wells’ life is about to change. The sleepy Sussex village of Barnfield seems a million miles away from the horrors of war, but Gracie’s brother Alec and boyfriend Cliff are about to be called up and her concerns for them are heightened when local enigma Wilfred Whitman unexpectedly returns on medical leave with shocking scars.
The Whitmans have always been the talk of the village – there are rumours of madness, adultery, and even murder – but Gracie has her own reasons for avoiding the family; she’s shaken by the memory of nearly drowning in their lake years before, spooked by old Captain Whitman on the shore. It was Cliff who saved her back then, and he never lets her forget it: without him, she’d be dead. But Cliff can’t save her in her nightmares, where the captain’s face still haunts her and the lake whispers an ominous warning. What force keeps drawing Gracie back to that water, to the Whitmans, and to the mysterious and magnetic Wilfred?
Soon everything Gracie thinks she knows about love and duty is called into question, and the cold reality of war threatens to destroy everything.
“Beautifully written love story, deeply soul searching, with an undercurrent of unease” - JS via Amazon
About me
I have been writing fiction since my teens, spending my summer holidays in my parent’s attic, typing out short stories and novellas on an old 90’s Apple Mac! (Yes, I really have always been this cool!) In my thirties, I completed a six year History degree with the Open University, which really helped my research skills. I love history, and bringing everyday voices from the past alive in my writing. My writing style falls into the historical fiction genre, but I also love reading gothic fiction, so don’t be surprised to find veins of suspense and mystery running through my stories.
Some of my favourite contemporary authors include Stacey Halls, Diane Setterfield, Bridget Collins, and Erin Morgenstern. I’m also a Jane Austen fan, and like to revisit one of her novels every now and then - Persuasion is my absolute favourite.
The Small Blue is my first published novel, and I’ve love you to read it and tell me what you think. If you like historical fiction and atmospheric love stories, I think it’ll be right up your street. You can buy it now on Amazon, or get a signed copy directly from my website.
If you’re on Instagram, you can follow me at @hshelbournebooks