Medlock

A chilling, atmospheric horror novel to read as the nights grow longer and ever darker

By: S. G. Hartnell

Narrated by: Abbie Andrews, Kate Handford, Sarah Durham

'Macabre and frightening' PAULA HAWKINS
'Twisted, exhilarating and very, very creepy' LOUISE CANDLISH
'Had me hooked from the start to the unexpected and terrifying end' CARLY REAGON

1978. Mrs. Medlock is the dutiful housekeeper at Marwood Manor. One of the few remaining staff, she protects a dying aristocratic order, serving the Lord and Lady and caring for their sickly young son.

Over the past twenty years, Mrs. Medlock has become the keeper of secrets. Secrets of the family. Secrets of her own. Secrets that may be found in the manor's walled garden, out of sight but not forgotten.

When a distant relative, Mary, arrives at the property in need of a place to live and with a determination to explore, Mrs. Medlock fears the secrets of Marwood are no longer safe. And digging up the past may have deadly consequences for them all . . .

An atmospheric, contemporary Gothic horror story, Medlock is a dark and frightening reimagining of the classic novel The Secret Garden that will enrapture readers until the turn of the very last page.

WHAT REAL READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT MEDLOCK

'This book brought me out of my reading slump and restored my faith in the power of books' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'S. G. Hartnell, you have converted me to the horror genre!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Utterly consuming. I couldn't put this one down' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'From its opening line "Everybody died that night" to the final pages, Medlock is a beautifully crafted and deeply atmospheric novel - a must-read for fans of gothic fiction' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'I was gripped by this book. I raced through it with a growing sense of terror throughout' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐©2025 S. G. Hartnell

Critic reviews

Macabre and frightening, S. G. Hartnell's shocking retelling of the children's classic The Secret Garden will have you on the edge of your seat from the first page until the last (PAULA HAWKINS)

With its haunting ambience and psychological tension, Medlock offers a chilling exploration of hidden truths and the darkness lurking within

If you grew up on The Secret Garden, park your nostalgia and prepare for a seriously hair-raising revisit. Twisted, exhilarating and very, very creepy, Medlock is a triumph. I raced through it (LOUISE CANDLISH)

Want to scare yourself silly this Halloween? This Gothic reimagining of The Secret Garden will send shivers down your spine

S. G. Hartnell's update of The Secret Garden brings a stylish contemporary twist to a much-loved classic. A thoughtful and engaging read (JOHN BOYNE)

The Secret Garden but not as you know it. Sinister, mysterious, twisty and pulling out all the Gothic stops, this had me hooked from the start to the unexpected and terrifying end (CARLY REAGON)

A deliciously dark, Gothic mystery. Kept me up beyond my bedtime! (JANE CORRY)

This bold reimagining of The Secret Garden is a darkly perfect slice of contemporary gothic. It takes the bones of a classic and rebuilds them into something entirely wild and horrifying and new, tightening the screws on the reader at every turn. I can't wait to see what S. G. Hartnell's imagination conjures next . . . (ALEX HAY)

I LOVED this book. Once I started, I simply could not stop. Such a clever reimagining, and so beautifully written. It was tense, evocative, moody and shocking (LOUISE SWANSON)

A gothic reimagining of The Secret Garden to keep you reading well into the night and awake well beyond that - dark, scary and unexpected (CATHERINE COOPER)

A beautifully written tale of good and evil. Restless, relatable and utterly absorbing. Just make sure you read it with all the lights on (MARION TODD)

A spine-chilling, nerve-jangling web of secrets and illusions. S.G. Hartnell's Medlock is a thing of beauty, draped in darkness. Breathtaking (HELEN FIELDS)

A dark, sinister, cleverly constructed tale, disturbingly gripping and not for the faint hearted. Hartnell is a shining new talent in the Gothic horror genre (A. A. CHAUDHURI)