by Catriona Ward

Weidenfeld and Nicolson, out now

A story of murder, mystery, magic and deceit.

Little Eve is the follow-up to Catriona Ward’s award-winning debut, Rawblood. Like that novel, Little Eve is a gloriously gothic tale of murder, betrayal and secrets long hidden, this time on the remote Scottish island of Altnaharra and in the nearby coastal town of Loyal.

The eponymous Eve is one of a group of orphaned, unwanted children, taken in and raised on Altnaharra by the mysterious ‘Uncle’. He believes ‘the old religion’ is the only true faith, and keeps the children half-starved and brainwashed into sharing those beliefs – afraid and in awe, in turn, of the great snake-god that swims in the depths around the island they inhabit and who will return when the time is right. His own pet snake, Hercules, and their ability to brave the ordeal of his bite, is key to this.

Reality breaks in when a delivery boy finds the gate to Altnaharra open and braves their anger to find out what’s wrong – only to find one of the girls, Dinah, the sole survivor of what she says were Little Eve’s murderous actions. The novel then becomes an exercise in gradually revealing the intricate relationships between the inhabitants of Altnaharra and the reality of everyday life under Uncle’s rules, as well as unravelling the truth of what happened that final day on the island and what its ramifications are.

The author has written a tale of murder, mystery, magic and deceit – it’s richly atmospheric, with beautifully realised characters, and draws you inexorably towards the final revelation. Little Eve isn’t just a worthy successor to the excellent Rawblood; it surpasses it.

Verdict: A gothic masterpiece. 10/10

Marie O’Regan