Set in the era 1946 in old London, England, teenager Judith Alio has been admitted to Brookhaven Asylum on the grounds of insanity and possible murder. She claims to not have committed these crimes and swears to not remember the incidents, but the evidence drowns out her tireless argument. Many methods, some small, others treacherous, are used in the twisted hospital to help her remember her misdeeds, but so far they have done nothing but cause her pain and anguish. Her family was mercilessly killed, her friends have turned their back on her, the doctors are cold and cruel, all in the battle of her trying desperately to repair her shattered mind. In the long, dark, corrupted journey, Judith battles the odds, sheds much blood, both hers and her enemies, and clashes with the man behind it all in search for the truth.
Antique store owner Liz brings home a Victorian taxidermy hound from auction, unwittingly unleashing dark forces on her wife and son.
*****
Nat Loman has finally married the love of her life, Liz, and is getting used to her role as stepmother to Liz's 5-year-old son, Liam. The Loman family runs a bustling antique business so they attend a sale where a striking, black taxidermied hound is up for auction. Liz picks it up for the business, but it ends up being stored in their home, where Nat notices strange things occurring. She quickly discovers the past residents had died violently. Then she hears from a friend about the myth of "the devil's dog", a hound that perches in the shadows, tearing families apart from the inside. Soon, people around the Lomans are dying, and Liz is changing, darkening. It's up to Nat to save the woman she loves from the darkness closing in, and to save Liam from danger no matter what she has to sacrifice.
[[Winner of the 2018 Wattys "Hidden Gems" category]]
[[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]]