Bonecreake: The Strange Tale of Maudy Jiller

December 1878. North Sea gales batter the wash estuary of England’s east coast, covering the desolate marshes and riverbanks under a near impenetrable blanket of snow and ice. Isolated and alone, the impoverished fishing community of Bonecreake faces hardship like never before.

But when the warmth of spring thaws the freezing conditions of a prolonged winter, a terrible secret is revealed: four children of Bonecreake are missing.

Investigating their disappearance falls on the youthful shoulders of Constable Hollins. With both the inhabitants of Bonecreake and his superiors demanding answers, is the inexperienced Constable Hollins capable of solving the macabre puzzle of the children’s disappearance?

What part does the widowed mother, Maudy Jiller, have to play in an investigation exposing the hypocrisy at the heart of the social and moral values of Victorian England?

As disturbing as it is engaging, Bonecreake: The Strange Tale of Maudy Jiller is every parent’s fear, and every mother’s nightmare.

Kevin Ground is a third age author and spoken word performer. With a love of Ghostly Victorian Gothic, and contemporary horror crime fiction.

As a self-taught author, Kevin Ground has published essays, flash fiction, and short stories to anthologies of his own creation. Being well-travelled and well-read, he draws upon past and present experiences to create the characters and scenarios in his work. Re-imagining the everyday routine of life into unsettling, thought provoking stories.

Customer Reviews

4.8

4 reviews

Alana

This book is not for the faint-hearted. With great descriptive detail, it’s not hard to picture the gory events throughout the tale of Bonecreake. Truly mesmerizing - I couldn’t put the book down!
Beth

Well, that certainly was strange! But in a fascinating way. I was instantly pulled into this book. The weird, creepy storyline. The interesting characters. All the intense moments.

Children have died in the awful winter conditions, but who has taken their bodies? And why? Constable Hollins is on a mission to discover this information and he's in for a gruesome time. Set in 1878, we see a tale that's quite disturbing, but quite sad too.

I was fully invested in this short story but particularly taken by the drama on the day of the arrest, and the court scene. Especially when we see instantly take over a character as they scream and shout. I felt quite emotional at some points, especially during the "conversations" with their father. The ending was very movie-worthy indeed.

Very Stephen King-like with the idea, but written in a unique way. Interesting, disturbing, engaging, and overall a very quick read that I would recommend.
Georgia

Well wasn't this a welcome surprise, I didnt know what to expect when I picked up this book but there was something about it I just couldn't put down. The level of detail makes you feel like you are right in the story, its an emotional yet chilling roller coaster, that I couldn't get off. Id love to see more of Hollins in the future, we need to see him continue to grow. All round an excellent read
Gill

An intriguing and original story, the product of a rich imagination. All the characters were rounded and relatable, even that of the 'villain'. It kept my interest to the very end and kept me thinking for some time even after I had read the last page and closed the book.

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