Harriet Hitchen

'We give it various names. Fey magic. Fell magic ...' 1947. A police manhunt is underway in the Marlborough Downs above Swindon. Their target is no ordinary suspect. When the soldiers came home, they brought something unexpected back with them - a spark of power in their fingertips - and the fearful public uses the language of fairy tales to describe it. Now a body has been found, partially transformed. He has been murdered by magic. Eleanor Elliot shares her firsthand account of events at her farm and the race to reveal the origins of this new era of enchantment. With footnotes by magical literature expert Helen E. Sutton Magic merges with mystery in an enchanting 1940s crime novel of transformation and illusion in the downlands of Wiltshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire - from the author of Bert's Books 2025 bestselling read SWINDON MOUNTAIN **Praise for Harriet Hitchen**'Unique and captivating''Definitely left its mark on me ... 5 stars''Fascinating''Absorbing'About the author: Harriet Hitchen is a former archaeological illustrator and writer. She has a degree in Fine Art, particularly focusing on figure painting. She loves to unpick the emotional stories behind the facts of great artworks and heritage locations, trips to London and exploring rambling country houses. Her first novel nude reimagines the secret life of a female Pre-Raphaelite artist. Swindon Mountain combines her passion for archaeology with Science Fiction. Fey Fell Fo Fum is her third novel. She lives near Cheltenham with her husband.

A mountain unexpectedly appears in the Marlborough Downs, overshadowing the city of Swindon. It arrives quietly, straddling the boundary between Oxfordshire and West Berkshire. It looks as if it has always been there. But it hasn't. No one knows where it has come from. Clare Holworth joins an archaeological investigation alongside a multi-agency team tasked with understanding and managing the site - before public pressure grows out of control and the truth is lost in the stampede for the summit. 'The mountain appeared overnight behind that ridge. It arrived five months ago without fuss or storm or earthquake' Science Fiction merges with archaeology in this sublime exploration of mystery, landscape and personal rediscovery **As seen in New Scientist's 'The best new science fiction books of February 2025'****Bestselling Book of the Year 2025 at Bert's Books, Swindon - independent bookshop** PRAISE FOR HARRIET HITCHEN'Definitely left its mark on me ... 5 stars''Fascinating''Absorbing' Original Paperback edition with artboard cover with flaps, and archaeological maps created by the author.