The Greatcoat [Hardcover]

`You won't find plastic fangs or Dulux blood in Helen Dunmore's perfect little ghost story ... Dunmore conveys a shivery menace and concealed tragedy; this is the most elegant literary flesh-creeper since Susan Hill's THE WOMAN IN BLACK.' --The Times

`An atmospheric and accomplished ghost story.' --Woman & Home

`This is a haunting and exquisitely crafted tale where the line between the real and the imaginary becomes blurred.' --Glamour

`THE GREATCOAT is a well-written ghost story that observes the traditions of the genre without subsiding into pastiche ... Dunmore uses motifs and themes as a kind of Greek chorus ... these are subtly deployed, and enhance the atmosphere in this disturbing, thoughtful novel.' --The Literary Review

`A powerful evocation of the period, and the tricks the mind can play on itself, its unadorned prose builds a chilling effect reminiscent of THE TURN OF THE SCREW.'
--Prospect

`The art of the ghost story requires delicate balance. The supernatural itself does not have to be convincing. It is enough that characters in the fiction are convinced by it ... in this beautifully written tale, and because Dunmore achieves this delicate balance, it comes off splendidly.' --The Scotsman

`A taut, elegantly written ghost story ... Dunmore is on fine form here, wielding her skill at bringing history to life in the small, dismal details of the post-war period, and showing off her talents as a poet in her mesmerizing depiction of a possession ... Spines are delicately, deliciously chilled when she reveals just who is doing the possessing - ghost stories don't have to be long or gruesome, to be thoroughly scary.' --The Sunday Times

`Dunmore could take you anywhere with her otherworldly tale ... There just aren't enough serious writers publishing ghost stories. THE GREATCOAT boasts much of the power I devoured as a teen but it is a far more sophisticated example of the genre.' --Sunday Express

`Dunmore writes with passion and precision; her recreation of an early Fifties world is immaculate.' --Daily Mail

`The terror in Helen Dunmore's ghost story lurks in the title ... Dunmore truly excels in her description of a nation still clenching its teeth from the trauma of war.' --Independent

`A classic ghost story ... where the novel stands out is in its wonderful sketches of the utter creepiness of life in Carey's dark little flat ... a perfect ghost story, that will reward Hammer horror readers as well as open-minded Dunmore fans. This ghostly, literary war story could be the start of a beautiful friendship.' --Independent on Sunday

`Powerfully creepy and strangely romantic, this is a story that gets under the skin.' --Net-a-porter magazine

`The art of the ghost story requires delicate balance. The supernatural itself does not have to be convincing. It is enough that characters in the fiction are convinced by it. This was Scott's way in, to give only one example, THE BRIDE OF LAMMERMORE and also Buchan's in that remarkable and uncanny novel, THE DANCING FLOOR and in his short stories about the supernatural. It is Dunmore's here too, in this beautifully written tale, and because she achieves this delicate balance, it comes off splendidly.' --The Scotsman

`A powerful evocation of period, and the tricks the mind can play on itself, its unadorned prose builds a chilling effect reminiscent of THE TURN OF THE SCREW.'
--Prospect

`A great read, peopled with likely characters and a satisfyingly spooky outcome.' --Candis

`Wrap yourself in a blanket, pour a glass of wine and lose yourself in this atmospheric ghost story ... full of twists, turns and jump-out-of-your-skin shocks, we'd advise you leave the lights on while reading.'
--WeightWatchers magazine

'Dunmore has a sharp eye, and a fine pen ... [Her] gift, familiar from THE SIEGE and THE BETRAYAL, is to use a finely drawn domestic setting to show the great events of European history on a human scale.' --Guardian

A chilling and atmospheric ghost story by the Orange-prize-winning Helen Dunmore.

In the winter of 1952, Isabel Carey moves to the East Riding of Yorkshire with her husband Philip, a GP. With Philip spending long hours on call, Isabel finds herself isolated and lonely as she strives to adjust to the realities of married life.

Woken by intense cold one night, she discovers an old RAF greatcoat hidden in the back of a cupboard. Sleeping under it for warmth, she starts to dream. And not long afterwards, while her husband is out, she is startled by a knock at her window.

Outside is a young RAF pilot, waiting to come in.

His name is Alec, and his powerful presence both disturbs and excites her. Her initial alarm soon fades, and they begin an intense affair. But nothing has prepared her for the truth about Alec's life, nor the impact it will have on hers ...

In the winter of 1952, Isabel Carey moves to the East Riding of Yorkshire with her husband Philip, a GP. With Philip spending long hours on call, Isabel finds herself isolated and lonely as she strives to adjust to the realities of married life.

Woken by intense cold one night, she discovers an old RAF greatcoat hidden in the back of a cupboard. Sleeping under it for warmth, she starts to dream. And not long afterwards, while her husband is out, she is startled by a knock at her window.

Outside is a young RAF pilot, waiting to come in.

His name is Alec, and his powerful presence both disturbs and excites her. Her initial alarm soon fades, and they begin an intense affair. But nothing has prepared her for the truth about Alec's life, nor the impact it will have on hers ...

'Everyone should read her work' Independent on Sunday

'Intensely gripping' Sunday Times

A haunting story from a writer at the height of her powers.

"In the dark she slid back the curtain again, and there he was.

The street-lamp lit him and he raised his hand to the window again, but this time he didn't tap on it. He spread out his hand flat on the glass, all the while looking at Isabel.

She clutched the coat to her. Her brain was still fogged with the noise of engines. She shook it, but the sound would not shake out.

He was looking at her intently, waiting for something."

'An electrifying and original talent, a writer whose style is characterized by a lyrical, dreamy intensity' Guardian

Helen Dunmore is an internationally acclaimed writer whose works include novels, poetry, short stories and writing for children. She has won the Orange Prize for A Spell of Winter, the McKitterick Prize and first prize in the National Poetry Competition; she has also been shortlisted for both the T S Eliot Prize and the Whitbread Novel Award. Her books have been translated into twenty-eight languages, and she is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. The Greatcoat is her first ghost story.