Windmill Hill

'Charming and shocking' MICK HERRON

'Intriguing, brilliantly told' NINA STIBBE

'Compulsive' CLARE CHAMBERS

'Rich in charm and surprises' GUARDIAN

'Mysterious, moving and ingenious' PHILIP PULLMAN

In the 1970s, a single night in a remote hunting lodge with a Hollywood director and his leading lady sparks an international scandal. It wrecks Astrid's dazzling stage career and destroys her marriage to charismatic Scottish actor Magnus Fellowes.

Magnus becomes globally famous, while Astrid retreats to a dilapidated Sussex windmill. Now 82, she lives there still, in eccentric poverty, with her housekeeper turned best friend, Mrs Baker. But Mrs Baker has a dark past too. There is an 'Awful Incident' at the windmill; police come knocking. Are these two 'old ladies' really as innocent and vulnerable as they seem?

Then Astrid learns that Magnus, now on his death bed, is writing a memoir that will expose the glamour and forgotten crimes of her past. Furious, she heads to Scotland, determined to stop him, whatever it takes . . .

Part literary thriller, part love story, Windmill Hill is a captivating exploration of unseen lives, the histories that shape us, and the unyielding strength of two indomitable women.

Praise for Lucy Atkins:

'A deft display of Lucy Atkins's talents as a delicate observer of human nature' ARIFA AKBAR

'Intelligent and gripping' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

'Mesmerising . . . beautifully written' LITERARY REVIEW

'Cleverly constructed' WOMAN & HOME

'It was an utter joy to relish Atkins's wonderfully skilled and unobtrusive writing' SARAH PERRY

'Sly, witty and gripping . . . I loved it' NAOMI ALDERMAN

'A sinewy, supple and gorgeously satisfying triumph' LUCY MANGAN

Windmill Hill is enormous fun and Atkins delivers an emotionally satisfying climax Guardian
A transporting and entertaining read The Times
Atkins's enjoyably cosy yarn builds to a powerful and deftly denouement as she pursues themes of friendship, memory, perception and truth Daily Mail
What a fabulous character Lucy Atkins has created in Astrid! 82 with a wandering mind, she is eccentric, determined, loyal, and wholly believable. This novel, ultimately about female friendship is playful, brilliantly observed, and with a plot that leaps and skips and surprises in the best possible ways. I loved it Claire Fuller
Windmill Hill is a compulsive and skilfully woven story of loyal female friendship, memories, regrets and secrets that will not stay buried. Lucy Atkins keeps the reader turning the pages hungrily Clare Chambers
I loved Windmill Hill. Glorious characters in an intriguing, brilliantly told story. And so funny! Nina Stibbe
Lucy Atkins, a one-of-a-kind writer, has reached new heights. Packed with story, character, sadness, friendship and joy, Windmill Hill is charming and shocking by turns, and never fails to delight Mick Herron
Utterly gorgeous - a lush, rich mystery peopled by unforgettable characters JP Delaney
I've been a firm fan of Lucy Atkins since The Night Visitor and the superb Magpie Lane, but Windmill Hill propels her into a different league. Exquisitely written, with a protagonist who leaps off the page, it's comic, astute, heart-warming and powered by two dark strands of suspense that tug you as strongly as the wind beneath the mill's sails. I loved it Sarah Vaughan
Windmill Hill is a propulsive read about the lives of theatre actors; their loves, long buried secrets and what they are willing to do for fame. It is written with all the addictive energy of a whodunit but also the elegance and poise of literary fiction. A deft display of Lucy Atkins's talents as a delicate observer of human nature and a master of intrigue Arifa Akbar
Lucy Atkins is such a skilled storyteller, creating compelling, interesting characters who remain with the reader long after the last word is read. I loved the story of friendship at the heart of Windmill Hill and I was entranced by this exquisitely written novel. It's a novel I will be giving to all my friends. Beautifully written, it has stayed with me a long time Clover Stroud
In Windmill Hill, Lucy Atkins has created two unforgettable characters in a setting so vivid you'll be googling 'how to live in a windmill' even as you turn the last page. At turns funny, poignant and fierce, the novel is a thrilling pageturner which showcases Atkins' beautiful prose. I loved this book and am hoping for further adventures for our protagonists! Sarah Franklin
Lucy Atkins is an author at the top of her game with Windmill Hill. This is a compelling and multi-layered novel with so much to say about love and friendship, about being young and growing old - and how the concept of home can be found in another human being while companionship can be found in an old, irritable windmill Freya North
A beautifully written story about the endurance and strength of female friendship, and how we can set the past free if we find the courage to face it. Lucy Atkins writes place and character with such skill, I feel as though I have sat by the windmill with Astrid and Mrs Baker, watching the downs unfold before us and drinking a shot (or two) of Jim Beam. A truly memorable story, I loved it Joanna Cannon
A triumph. Funny, mysterious, moving and ingenious - a Shakespearian knot of happiness all round Philip Pullman
A fascinating exploration of the resilience of the aged and the determination to confront the ghosts of the past. The book keeps you in suspense until the final page Michael Billington
I'm a big Lucy Atkins fan and Windmill Hill is a brilliantly structured tale of complicated lives which moves cleverly between several timelines. The protagonists are fascinating and the windmill almost a character in its own right. A really absorbing read Adèle Geras
Intelligent and gripping Good Housekeeping
Mesmerising . . . beautifully written Literary Review
Make sure you read this funny, moving book before it becomes a film, for the pleasure of Atkins's delicious writing Daily Express
Funny, moving and original Best
With wonderfully drawn characters, this female character-led story is humorous and charming Candis
Its warmth and roundness is one that'll keep you turning the pages Belfast Telegraph
Cleverly constructed Woman & Home
Wonderful, warm and funny Peterborough Telegraph

Lucy Atkins is an award-winning author, feature journalist and Sunday Times book critic. She has written for newspapers including the Guardian, The Times, the Sunday Times and the Telegraph as well as many UK magazines. She teaches on the Masters in Creative Writing at Oxford University.

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