Publisher's Synopsis
The Former World: Book One in the Little Forest paranormal mystery series.Jessica Grace Coleman brings you the first novel in the paranormal mystery 'Little Forest' series, setting the stage for the follow ups: Memento Mori, The Exalted, Carnival Masquerade, and The Gloaming. If you'd like to get the next Little Forest novel - Memento Mori - for free, sign up to the mailing list at www.jessicagracecoleman.com. You can also get the first four novels in the Little Forest series for a discounted price by buying the box set of The Former World, Memento Mori, The Exalted and Carnival Masquerade."Little Forest is the only place I've ever lived, and it's the place where I'm going to die. Tonight." These are the words of Beth Powers, long-time resident of Little Forest. On the surface, she's just an ordinary English girl in a typical English village, but appearances can be deceiving... extremely deceiving.There's something lurking beneath the picturesque façade of the English village of Little Forest, something dark and disconcerting, something the vast majority of the residents are refusing to see...Fed up with living in the tiny, gossip-fuelled village, twenty-one-year-old Beth resolves to escape to London with her best friend, Veronica Summers. That is, until something throws a spanner in the works. A rather large spanner. A dead body, to be exact. A dead body found early one morning in the spooky surroundings of the Great Specton Woods.The apparently accidental death of Beth's work colleague sets off the small community's well-oiled rumour mill, and Beth soon finds herself in the middle of a bizarre village conspiracy. Potential suspects start appearing in all shapes and sizes - including the handsome new resident, mystery man Connor Maguire, who has conveniently just arrived in Little Forest - and with the police refusing to consider murder, Beth takes it upon herself to investigate. At least it's a good distraction from the other strange and unusual things that have started happening in her generally boring life; let's just say that Beth's work colleague isn't the only dead person she has to deal with these days. After all, it isn't always something as innocent as the ghosts of past memories that come to get you...With the help of rather unlikely ally Will Wolseley, Beth delves into the village's sinister secrets and, in turn, uncovers a terrifying truth about herself that could change her life forever. Unfortunately, she might not have much of 'forever' left, as when it comes right down to it, it's not a question of whether or not she'll decide to leave her childhood home. The question is whether or not Little Forest will let her go.The Former World is reminiscent of a good old-fashioned English mystery thriller, updated to the twenty-first Century but still relying on the quaint locations of the beautiful English countryside: close-knit villages, local pubs, ancient castles, large, looming forests, and magnificent Stately homes. This enchanting rural environment gives Beth the perfect setting to explore the ominous events that threaten to shake up her small village - and her life. A fan of mystery books and horror writers, Coleman delves into the world of legends and paranormal activity in this supernatural series, leading her own investigation into the fictional fantasy landscape that permeates readers' darkest fears. The Little Forest series isn't just concerned with spirits of the dead or other ghost stories; it's about how we would react if these terrifying spectres actually came into our own world. How would you react? "Jessica Grace Coleman is one of the most exciting new writers around. Her stories inspire, entertain and mesmerise. An absolute must-read." - Adam Croft, English author.Use the 'look inside' feature to read the first few chapters!
