Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Zilla: Darkness blends with crime and murder mysteries in Lucy A McLaren’s latest novel, Echoes of the EtherStone. Lucy, can you tell us about your gothic book?

Lucy: Absolutely! Echoes of the EtherStone is a dual-POV gothic horror fantasy book. Here’s the blurb:

Beth lives a seemingly perfect life of luxury in the city of Alpinside. Her upcoming betrothal to the eligible Lord Ashford is all she can focus on… until she meets El, a young woman from the slums whose father was a victim of the Scrubbers’ Stalker, the ruthless killer haunting the city. 

Thrown together by the dreadful murders, the two decide to investigate. The catch? The evidence points towards Beth’s own brother as the Stalker. Their new-found friendship is tested as their investigation begins to reveal far deeper secrets than either of them were prepared for, uncovering a truth which rots the very core of Alpinside.

Zilla: What inspired you to write this book?

Lucy: This story was inspired by Jack the Ripper and came about after I’d read The Five by Hallie Rubenhold, a book exploring the traumatic and tragic lives of the victims of the infamous killer. This left me wanting to write a story about two women being empowered to bring down the murderer and, in doing so, fighting the patriarchal system in which he operates… and Echoes of the EtherStone was born. This story is dark, exploring themes of religious and patriarchal oppression, childhood trauma, grief and addiction, as well as the more hopeful elements of found family and fighting oppression. 

Zilla: What drives you to write?

Lucy: I write because I love stories (obviously!!) but, more than that, I use my writing to explore societal, political, and mental health issues. With everything going on in the world, writing is both my escape and my means of trying to process what is going on. And I hope my stories also provide that for readers, too. 

Zilla: What’s your next writing project?

Lucy: My next project is This Loathsome Monster (another gothic horror fantasy), a story of love, obsession, rage, repression, and revenge, where two women must learn to embrace their powers in order to free themselves from their oppressors. I’m currently querying it in the hope of finding a literary agent.

Zilla: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Lucy: Thank you for featuring me!

If you’re interested in checking out Echoes of the EtherStone on ebook or paperback, you can do so here: https://linktr.ee/lucyamclaren 

I have a newsletter which you can sign up for at the bottom of my author website (https://lucyamclarenauthor.co.uk). On this I share writing and book news as well as my latest reads/watches/games. You can also follow me on Instagram to keep up to date with my book and writing news: https://www.instagram.com/lucy_a_mclaren/