Laura Purcell to revisit the setting of The Silent Companions with a new haunted house novel

Laura Purcell will revisit the setting of The Silent Companions (Raven Books) with the new haunted house novel, House of Splinters.

The book was announced at last night’s Raven Books Showcase at the Gothic Bar in St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London, where it was unveiled as the publisher’s lead title for autumn 2025.

Publishing director Alison Hennessey acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Juliet Mushens at Mushens Entertainment. The book will be published on 9th October 2025.

The synopsis says: "House of Splinters will transport readers back to the early days of The Bridge, the same eerie stately home featured in The Silent Companions, and introduce them to mother Belinda Bainbridge who moves into the house after her father-in-law dies. But when her brother-in-law arrives, bringing with him rumours of a curse, Belinda finds herself beset with questions. What happened to her husband’s sister in childhood? What led to her father-in-law’s sudden death? And what part do the strange carved figures around the household have to play in the unsettling events around the house?"

Hennessey said: “I am so excited to be publishing House of Splinters. The Silent Companions is one of the cornerstones of the Raven Books’ list, the book that I press into everyone’s hands at this spooky time of year, and I can’t wait to take readers new and old back to its iconic setting for another truly terrifying tale. Laura really is the Queen of the Gothic."

Purcell added: “My readers have asked me for more silent companions and I’m delighted to give them another spooky trip to The Bridge, exploring the haunted generations between Anne and Elsie Bainbridge. Partly inspired by Sheridan Le Fanu’s Uncle Silas, this new novel explores the dark secrets, dangers and psychological toll of trying to raise a family inside a cursed home.”