A contemporary gothic debut with a feminist edge, for fans of Naomi Alderman and Madeline Miller
‘The simmering menace and mystery kept me absolutely gripped‘ Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne
‘Rebecca meets The Secret History. Gloriously dark, gloriously gothic‘ Sara Collins, author of The Confessions of Frannie Langton
For 150 years, Caldonbrae Hall has loomed high above the Scottish cliffs as a beacon of excellence. A boarding school for girls, it promises that its pupils will emerge ‘resilient and ready to serve society’.
New to the school, Classics teacher Rose Christie is soon overwhelmed by the institution’s arcane traditions and terrifyingly cool, vindictive students. Her classroom becomes her haven, until her lessons about fearless women starts to draw the suspicions of the powers that be.
As Rose uncovers the darkness that beats at the very heart of Caldonbrae, the lines between myth and reality grow ever more blurred. Can Rose – and the fierce young women she has come to love – find a way to escape the fate the school has in store for them, before it is too late. . .
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‘A highly entertaining and atmospheric read‘ Kate Sawyer, author of The Stranding
‘Imagine if Donna Tartt and Margaret Atwood got together to write a creepy, suspenseful novel . . . ‘ Chandler Baker, author of Whisper Network
‘Strange, dark, and utterly consuming . . . I loved it‘ Katie Lowe, author of The Furies
‘Chilling, eerie and very clever. I devoured it‘ Polly Crosby, author of The Illustrated Child
‘A thrilling debut, reminiscent of Du Maurier. Leaves us breathless at each twist and turn‘ Nydia Hetherington, author of A Girl Made Of Air
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Reviews
Rebecca meets The Secret History. Gloriously dark, gloriously gothic
Imagine if Donna Tartt and Margaret Atwood got together to write a creepy, suspenseful novel about a school for young women in the Scottish Highlands. The result is Madam, a book I couldn't for the life of me put down. Brooding and unsettling, Wynne paints a gorgeous picture that only serves to camouflage the dark secrets she's hidden within
The simmering menace and mystery kept me absolutely gripped. It gave me the same feeling as when I read The Secret History and put me in mind of The Furies. I loved the clever interweaving stories of the classical women of ancient myth and history with the tantalising reveal of the horrifying truth behind the impressive facade of the grand boarding school. This was a smouldering slow burn of a novel that I could not put down
Strange, dark, and utterly consuming... I loved it
Chilling, eerie and very clever. I devoured it
Full of fire and light, written with a passionate intensity . . . Madam is a book that shimmers . . . This is a chilling and shocking read that shouts of the abuse of power. Yet the warmth of its writing and the spell it holds is more powerful than the words give way to. It's an extraordinary achievement
I ripped through it and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. It had real echoes of Jean Brodie and a flavour of one of my favourite films Heathers, too! A highly entertaining and atmospheric read
A thrilling debut, reminiscent of Du Maurier. The narrative, written in precise prose with beautifully crafted characters, barrels along at pace, leaving us breathless at each twist and turn. A truly wonderful read
Brooding, creepy and suspenseful... Perfect for fans of The Handmaid's Tale
I was immersed in the bleak landscape and terrifying atmosphere...from beginning to end... A wonderful, refreshing, beautifully written novel, and I cannot wait to read Wynne's next
Chilling, unsettling with strong messages about femininity, Madam shocks as it builds from subtle hits to its big satisfying crescendo . . . An interesting mix of modern gothic, the anticipation of a thriller and a strong female voice
Thick with Gothic intrigue and menace, this is also a novel with a feminist heart
One of my favourite reads of 2021 so far and I found it thoroughly addictive, sickeningly disturbing at times and endlessly fascinating
Madam is a sinister and utterly compelling boarding school mystery
A dazzling slice of dark, Gothic feminism
A book that's truly hard to put down
A pitch-perfect debut with a feminist twist
Latin and Greek myths echo throughout, in a story that will not let you go