My Name Is Agnes

A gripping and moving novel about a young woman in 1820s Northumbria, fighting against prejudice and finding her place in the world whilst trying to find out who killed her elderly neighbour. Based on an unsolved true crime.. They call me Dizzy Agnes, but I was born Agnes Wake. This is my story. Maybe it should be Old Joe’s, but he’s not here to tell it, is he. So it’s mine, coming from my mouth. It will have to do. Agnes turns 24 on New Year’s Day, 1826. On the way to church she drops in on her beloved elderly neighbour, Joe. It’s the last time she sees him. A few days later, his body is discovered with forty-four stab wounds and a cut throat.Joe’s murder seemingly has no motive, and the village is abuzz. Agnes knows all about gossip. The Sickness she inherited from her late mother leaves her prey to wagging tongues and vulnerable to physical harm. It’s expected she’ll marry a local boy widely considered to be ‘simple’, even though she has no interest in him.As Agnes tries to find out who killed her friend, she begins to realise that she is more than just ‘Dizzy Agnes’ – she is clever, resourceful and intuitive, and her Sickness may even be the key to her empowerment…From the internationally bestselling author of THE GLASSMAKER and GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, this unforgettable novel is set to become a modern classic.