Emma recommends... The House of Barbary - Isabelle Schuler | SIGNED INDIES EXCLUSIVE EDITION

Emma recommends... A fantastically original, feminist reimagining of the tale of Bluebeard (La Barbe bleu / Barbary... get it?!?) with an incredible cast of characters. This is such a satisfyingly plotted and paced read while also being full of nuance and really interesting detail, probably because of the slightly unusual, less well-known geographical and historical setting. Fierce, uncompromising, and full of moral ambiguity, this is a great follow-up from the Lady Macbethad author. And those sprayed edges and end-papers are pretty special, too...

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Beatrice has been lied to her whole life. Beatrice Barbary has been raised to believe that while education will set her mind free, there are some questions better left unanswered. But when her father, one of the most powerful men in Bern, is brutally murdered in their own home, she is left reeling, unprotected and vulnerable. Her future is uncertain.

Plunging head first into the mysteries surrounding her father and her own upbringing, Beatrice discovers The Order of St. Eve and the violent secrets they have been hiding her entire life. It's time for her to take control. Will she be able to right the wrongs of her father, or will the Order silence her first?

Set in a city at breaking point, Beatrice's story toes the dangerously thin line between retribution and revenge, and the choice we must make when confronted by evil.