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The Cloisters
The Cloisters
Oct 6, 2024 4:28 AM

Author:Katy Hays

The Cloisters

The Secret Historymeets Ninth House . . . the discovery of a mysterious deck of tarot cards lays bare shocking secrets within a close-knit circle of researchers at New York's famed Met Cloisters museum.

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'Glamour, power, seduction, ambition – The Cloisters has it all. I adored this deliciously gothic, beautifully written novel.' LOUISE O'NEILL,

'Dark and enigmatic . . . a story of academic obsession, Renaissance magic and the ruthless pursuit of power. Captivating in every sense.' SARAH PEARSE

'Elegant and atmospheric and suffused with brooding menace.' LUCY CLARKE

'Sultry and sinister . . . teems with sexual tension, the secrets of divination, and scholarly obsessiveness . . . jaw-dropping.' SARAH PENNER

‘Beguiling andatmospheric, an entrancing and gripping tale.’ KATE MOSSE

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Ann Stilwell arrives in New York City, hoping to spend her summer working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instead, she is assigned to The Cloisters, a gothic museum and garden renowned for its collection of medieval and Renaissance art.

Drawn into a small circle of charismatic but enigmatic researchers, Ann happy to indulge some of their more outlandish theories, including the museum's curator who is fixated on tarot and the real possibility of predicting the future.

But when Ann discovers a mysterious, once-thought lost deck of 15th-century Italian tarot cards she finds herself at the centre of a dangerous game of power, toxic friendship and ambition.

And as the game being played within the Cloisters spirals out of control, Ann must decide who she trusts . . .

Reviews

Beguiling and atmospheric, an entrancing and gripping tale.

—— KATE MOSSE, author of Labyrinth

Elegant and atmospheric and suffused with brooding menace, The Cloisters transports us to the dark corridors of museum life, embroiling the reader in a twisting mystery, while also intelligently exploring the nature of fate versus freewill.

—— LUCY CLARKE, author of The Castaways

Glamour, power, seduction, ambition - The Cloisters has it all. I adored this deliciously gothic, beautifully written novel.

—— LOUISE O'NEILL, author of Idol

This is a modern, Gothic masterpiece. Successfully linking modern critical thinking with the divinity of the past, and human nature's desire to believe that there is something else out there. 9/10

—— INDEPENDENT

The dark and enigmatic world of The Cloisters captured me from the off . . . a story of academic obsession, Renaissance magic and the ruthless pursuit of power. Captivating in every sense.

—— SARAH PEARSE, author of The Sanatorium

Sultry and sinister . . . Hays' debut teems with sexual tension, the secrets of divination, and scholarly obsessiveness . . . jaw-dropping.

—— SARAH PENNER, author of The Lost Apothecary

A sinister slow burn tale of obsession, power, secrets and academic rivalry . . . it's been weeks since I finished the book and I'm still impressed by how much it affected me. ****

—— CULTUREFLY

'Dark and compelling . . . richly atmospheric and full of historic detail, it draws the reader into its world of the archive and the occult. As its central mystery unfolds amid the stifling heat of a New York Summer it soon becomes clear that nobody in it is quite who they first appear.'

—— SALLY HINCHCLIFFE, author of Hare House

Like the moment before a thunderstorm on a summer afternoon, The Cloisters is sultry, lush, and trembling with menace.

—— JULIA MAY JONAS, author of Vladimir

In Hays' hands, the subject of tarot is a fascinating one and the twists and turns come thick and fast. It's full of menace.

—— DAILY EXPRESS

The Cloisters blew me away. A one sitting read. Absolutely stunning, brilliant twists and gorgeous sensual writing. Adored it.

—— HEATHER DARWENT, author of The Things We Do to Our Friends

This sharp, twisty piece of 'dark academia' is like a museum-set 'All About Eve'.

—— Wendy Holden , DAILY MAIL

A tour de force by an important new voice . . . a rich tapestry that speaks to issues of privilege, power, and ambition-and, more than anything, the darkness lurking just inside ivory towers . . . incredibly compelling, The Cloisters grabbed me in a way that no book has done since The Secret History.

—— RACHEL KAPELKE-DALE, author of The Ballerinas

A beguiling, intoxicating tale of obsession. ****

—— HEAT 'Book of the Week'

Mesmerizing . . . like the air before a summer storm - thick and sinister, shimmering with tension. A seductive unfurling of lies, envy, and the pull of the occult . . . this sharp, shadowy book held me in thrall from beginning to star-crossed end.

—— SARA SLIGAR, author of Take Me Apart

Brimming with intrigue and mystery . . . an atmospheric debut with a gripping premise.

—— IRISH TIMES

A gripping debut . . . Hays is a writer who can skilfully navigate the narrow territory between suspense and melodrama.

—— GUARDIAN

A sharply smart, engaging debut . . . Hays' smooth narration deftly conjures the complex, sexy webs between her characters . . . a fun, seductive, intelligent read.

—— NICOLA DeROBERTIS-THEYE, author of The Vietri Project

Prepare to lose your entire afternoon to The Cloisters . . . good luck staying ahead of this one and have a great time poring over the many treasures inside.

—— MARIA HUMMEL, author of Reese’s Book Club Pick, Still Lives

Atmospheric, intoxicating and original; a stunning debut.

—— MY WEEKLY

Moody and suspenseful . . . readers will be fascinated by the evocative setting as well as the behind-the-scenes glimpses into museum curatorship and the cutthroat games of academia . . . an accomplished debut.

—— PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

A teasing, atmospheric mystery set against the background of a hot summer in New York.

—— SAGA 'Book of the Month'

The tension and foreboding builds gradually in this outstanding gothic debut, allowing readers to savour Ann's voice. The disturbing account plays with class differences and women friendship, set against a medieval, academic atmosphere sheltered from the city.

—— LIBRARY JOURNAL *Starred Review

'Beginning with every parent's worst nightmare, Andrea Mara's new book serves up another terrific hook that immediately draws the reader in. No One Saw a Thing is a fast paced family thriller that will keep you turning the pages'

—— Sinead Crowley

'Incredible thriller, amazing premise, Andrea Mara always delivers on twisty addictive pageturners. An adrenaline rush of a book.'

—— Sophie White

'Another delicious slice of domestic noir from Andrea Mara, No One Saw A Thing has a great hook, an ultra-satisfying ending and all manner of twists, lies and deceit in between.'

—— Catherine Kirwan

'A palpable sense of menace hangs over Andrea Mara's latest thriller which packs punch after shocking punch. Talk about suspense! No One Saw A Thing is a gloriously tangled, whiplash-inducing, electrifying read. I couldn't put it down and I can't recommend it highly enough.'

—— Amanda Cassidy

'Andrea Mara smashes it yet again with a story you simply cannot set aside! A pacy gritty acutely observed nightmare chase through London - helped or is it hindered by a group of toxic friends. My heart was thumping right to the end!'

—— Gill Purdue

Praise for Andrea Mara

—— :

'Next-level domestic suspense - even the twists have twists. I loved it - Andrea Mara is a star.'

—— Lee Child

'Original, clever, and unputdownable.'

—— Sarah Pearse

'A relentless, twisting page-turner, Hide and Seek delves deeply into every parent's worst nightmare. A first-class thriller.'

—— Chris Whitaker

The twists keep coming as the action rockets back and forth in time exposing the terrible truth that binds the friends together and eventually wrenches them apart.

—— The Gloss

Mara is truly gifted at this kind of story, and this is a proper page-turner, with several cliff hangers and plenty of red herrings. As the action progresses, the pace intensifies to a pulse-rising intensity . . . A most satisfying thriller.

—— Sunday Independent
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