Guest post written by The Estate author Sarah Jost
Sarah Jost is a Swiss national who has been living in the UK since 2008. She has a MA in medieval French and minored in the history of art. Pursuing family history in Brittany, France, Sarah had the opportunity to visit castles and places of interest in Broceliande, which is the birthplace of Arthurian legend and the inspiration for her novel’s titular estate. Sarah has always been fascinated by her studies of the French sculptor Camille Claudel, who inspired the legendary artist in THE ESTATE.
The Estate is a simmering speculative suspense for fans of The Cartographers following art historian Camille Leray, whose secret ability to enter artwork lands her in the middle of the dangerous schemes of the most powerful players in the industry…
Gothic fiction, old and new, thrives in castles: their ancient, thick walls act as porous dividers between the world of the living, and the kingdom of the dead. Their drafty rooms are haunted by those who came before and might not have left yet. Their confusing lay-outs might conceal plenty of locked rooms, dungeons and secret passages. They are awe-inspiring, terrifying, difficult to leave. Therefore I never really questioned that I would set my new novel, The Estate, a gothic-inspired Art mystery (and suspense), in such a castle.
Once I had decided to set the novel in Brittany, the North-Western most region of France, I set on a quest to find the ‘perfect’ castle. I undertook a research trip in July 2023 and set off on a castle-hopping quest, accompanied by a knowledgeable (and perhaps slightly bemused) guide. Two of the castles I explored had actually belonged to famous French writers: Les Rochers-Sévigné, as is obvious in the name, to Madame de Sévigné, and Combourg, to Chateaubriand (whose name actually contains the French word for ‘castle’). This felt infinitely pleasing and perhaps like a good omen for my own literary endeavours. All of these places were fascinating and hugely inspiring, but none felt completely right for my book, so I ended up forging my very own castle, le château D’Arvor, and building its history and lay out brick by brick on the page.
D’Arvor does borrow many aspects of those sites: it has the awe-inspiring medieval turrets of Combourg and its grand, ancient reception room. The fact that Chateaubriand was forced to sleep in an isolated turret as a child by his overbearing father also added to the gothic inspiration for my novel. It has the French elegance of Les Rochers and its windy gardens, and, of course, Comper’s lake, in which Viviane’s crystal castle, gifted to her by Merlin, is allegedly to be found. Without wanting to be too trite, in true gothic tradition, I wanted D’Arvor to be a real character in the story. My protagonist, Art expert Camille Leray, has been obsessed with it since childhood and felt its call ever since. When she has the opportunity to return to authenticate recently discovered sculptures by her favourite artist, she jumps at the chance of saving her career, and working with the man of her dreams. But of course, not everything is as it seems, and D’Arvor harbors many secrets, some which might be dangerous to uncover.
To mark the publication of The Estate this November, I have curated a short list of five spine-tingling novels, old and new, set in castles or grand estates that are perfect to cosy up to this winter. Grab a cup of cocoa and let’s get lost in a maze of corridors while the wind howls outside…
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Who hasn’t dreamt of Manderley? The sprawling, atmospheric Cornish estate is vividly described by Du Maurier, and becomes symbolic of the overbearing presence of Maxim De Winter’s lost wife, Rebecca. A masterpiece of obsession, power dynamics and manipulation.
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
I adore all works by Austen, but Northanger Abbey holds a special place in my heart. There’s something about Mr Tilney’s wits that has me weak at the knees. With his good humour and sensible demeanour, he is the antithesis of a gothic love interest; however, his father seems to be the perfect vampire-like antagonist of the tale. In this gothic parody, Austen demonstrates her genius once more, taking her novels-mad heroine Catherine Morland on a coming-of-age adventure where she might realise that not all abbeys have skeletons in their closets.
The Familiars by Stacey Halls
Fleetwood Shuttleworth is seventeen and mistress of Gawthorpe Hall, desperate to give her husband the heir he needs. However, when she finds out she might die from her pregnancy, she decides to take on a strange midwife, Alice Gray. Then Alice is accused of witchcraft, but Fleetwood still desperately needs her help… set against the 1612 Pendle witches trials, this evocative, haunting novel is perfect to curl up with in the colder, darker months.
The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
Widowed only a few weeks after her wedding, Elsie Bainbridge moves to the family ancestral estate, The Bridge, to see out her pregnancy. Behind a locked door, she finds an ancient diary, as well as a painted wooden figure that weirdly resembles her and whose eyes seem to be watching her… This chilling novel is a masterpiece of gothic creepiness and atmosphere.
The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden
Pitched as perfect for fans of Jane Eyre… need I say more? Margaret Lennox takes up a job as a governess in an isolated country house. This estate comes in with shadowy figures and a derelict wing, and Margaret soon feels that something about it isn’t quite right… This chilling gothic mystery will keep you reading during cold winter nights.
