West Country Trilogy

Isaac Bailey returns home after four years at sea, expecting a welcome from his family. Instead, he finds his parents' graves and his sister, Scarlett, waiting to be rescued from the orphanage. Against his will, Isaac is thrust into a world of smuggling, forced into the service of wealthy syndicate boss Charles Reuben. "Prove yourself trustworthy," says Flora, the witch's daughter, "and the chance for escape will come."

They say only the brave ride Bridles Lane at night. Vicar Richard Dodge speaks of ghosts and demons, conducting elaborate exorcisms in his churchyard overlooking the lane. And with the villagers sheltering in fear, local smugglers carry their haul up the road to be hidden in the safety of the church. Isaac and Scarlett Bailey have spent their lives hiding contraband in Talland church. Forced into free trade by their father's mistakes, they want nothing more than to escape the smuggling syndicate and build a life above the law.

They say only the brave ride Bridles Lane at night. Vicar Richard Dodge speaks of ghosts and demons, conducting elaborate exorcisms in his churchyard overlooking the lane. And with the villagers sheltering in fear, local smugglers carry their haul up the road to be hidden in the safety of the church. Isaac and Scarlett Bailey have spent their lives hiding contraband in Talland church. Forced into free trade by their father's mistakes, they want nothing more than to escape the smuggling syndicate and build a life above the law.

Scarlett Bailey has left home with a knife in her hand to search for the father she has grown up believing dead. Determined to punish him for abandoning his family, Scarlett finds herself drawn into the world of a local press gang, where smugglers rub shoulders with naval officers and the revenue men are full of surprises.

Isaac and Scarlett Bailey’s attempts to escape the smuggling syndicate have left their lives in pieces. Isaac’s children are missing, and Scarlett’s battle with the darkness inside her has just become far more difficult. As the search for the children escalates, long-buried truths begin to surface, blurring the line between myth and reality, enemy and friend. Home is no longer safe, and risks must be taken.