Circle of Shadows is going on tour with Rachel's Random Resources, if you wish to participate please contact me on rachel@rachelsrandomresources.com with your name, blog name, preferred post type and availability.
Circle of Shadows by Marisa Linton
Genre: Historical gothic mystery fantasy
Tour Dates: 15th - 24th September 2026
Publication Date: 24th September 2026
Publisher: Hodderscape
Estimated Page Count: 357
Standalone First Book in a series
Formats available: Epub and Limited UK Paperbacks
Types of post available: Reviews (preferred) and basic promo/spotlight posts
Author Content Warning: There is murder and violent death, threats of violence, and a threat of sexual violence. It is scary and atmospheric rather than outright horrific
A gripping historical fantasy horror steeped in mystery, romance and the macabre.
It's 1904, and occult detection is no profession for a woman. That won't stop Evie Winstanley.
When her father, a collector of occult books, dies in strange circumstances, Evie is determined to investigate. Her only lead: a cryptic mention of the 'Circle of Shadows.' From a chilling séance on the lonely Yorkshire moors to the sinister, hedonistic halls of Oxford's elite, Evie hunts for answers, stalked by whispers of an ancient monster and an ever-shifting, ominous symbol.
But when a young woman's body surfaces in the Cherwell, bearing that same mark, Evie uncovers a truth far more terrifying than a single murder. Now, Evie isn't just seeking justice; she's fighting to save her sister who she fears might be the next victim, in a dark and twisted adventure where gilded boys unleash hell and defiant women must pick up the pieces. Nothing will stop her investigation, not outraging Edwardian notions of female propriety, and certainly not offers of romance.
Blending historical fantasy with Golden Age classic crime, Circle of Shadows is a dark and twisty adventure through an occult Edwardian England where wealthy boys toy with powers they don't understand, and a lone woman takes a stand against them.
Shoutline: Sherlock Holmes didn’t deal with the supernatural. But Evie Winstanley does.
About Marisa Linton
Marisa Linton is both a professor of history, and a prize-winning author of supernatural fiction.
In 2023 Marisa won the Times/Chicken House competition with her eerie young adult fantasy, The Binding Spell. Published by Chicken House, May 2025. She describes it as a mash-up of The Wicker Man and This Country. It’s set in a remote village, where witches and druids still abide in secret.
Marisa’s first adult novel, Circle of Shadows, is a gothic historical fantasy and dark mystery about a determined young woman in Edwardian Britain who becomes an occult detective and fights demons, both fantastical and human. Published by Hodderscape, October 2025, the paperback will be published 24 September 2026. The sequel, Domain of Darkness, will be published in December 2026. It’s been described as ‘Enola Holmes meets Dennis Wheatley’ (Greg Mosse).
Follow Marisa Linton
Instagram: @linton.marisa
Website: https://www.marisalinton.com/
Blog Tour Schedule
Maximum 3 stops per day. Confirmed blogs will appear here.
15th September
Scrapping&Playing
Stratosphere Kawaii Girl
Curling Up With a Coffee and a Kindle
16th September
jlb_books
Pen and Paper
Zoe’s Book Nook
17th September
Cozy Home Delight Reviews
SarahReads
Bookaholicbecky
18th September
Kat's Book Cave
Bookworm86
Angel's Book Nook
19th September
Staceywh_17
C L Tustin Author
@candygirl73reads
20th September
TBHonest
My Books and Crafts
redhead_reviews1
21st September
@nicolasmith1987
Bookish Jottings
The Book Magnet
22nd September
Cheryl M-M's Book Blog
Lifelong History Lover
23rd September
annette_reads_daily
Two Heads Are Better Than One
Malloch_books
24th September
Bookshortie
@sieanneslibrary
Christian Bookaholic