Winter’s Wishfall

Ceri Houlbrook

PUT some magic into your countdown to Christmas with this thoroughly enchanting festive feast of mystery, romance and comedy from debut novelist Ceri Houlbrook.

Houlbrook (pictured below), who lives in Manchester, is a folklore and history lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire, and has published academic books and articles on contemporary folklore and domestic rituals.

But Winter's Wishfall is a whole new venture for this exciting writer who has succeeded in blending to perfection her academic interests and knowledge with a love of magical realism and a gift for creative writing.

So meet Ellie Lancaster who has lost her job, her boyfriend and her flat with only a few weeks to go before Christmas. It has forced her to make three resolutions... 1. Exact revenge on her ex. 2. Be unboring. 3. Find a job.

With number one on the list complete, Ellie manages to tick off both two and three simultaneously by accepting a mysterious archiving job on a tiny Scottish island that doesn’t seem to exist on any map. And come the new year, Ellie’s equally new bosses – celebrity baker Clementine Jones and her strait-laced twin brother Cole – introduce Ellie to the archives.

What she doesn’t expect is the archives to be a vast network of underground caverns, filled with scrolls and letters dating back centuries, and each addressed to the same person, in a multitude of languages... Dear Father Christmas. Despite the strangeness of it all, Ellie quickly falls in love with her new life but things are never simple and just as she and Cole seem to be overcoming their mutual distrust, Ellie makes a fourth resolution... one that threatens everything she’s come to hold dear. As the big day itself draws near, she has one chance to put things right and bring about her own Christmas miracle.

Even the hardest of hearts, and the most ingrained Christmas sceptics, will find themselves melting into this intriguing and entertaining festive extravaganza in which folklore and adventure jostle comfortably with all the warm and cosy vibes of the season of giving and kindness.

Set against the magical backdrop of a mysterious island, complete with its own special secrets and history, and with an alluring romance at its beating heart, Houlbrook’s vibrant and creative storytelling convinces us that maybe, just maybe, you’re never too old to believe!
(Black & White Publishing, paperback, £8.99)