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The Silence of Herondale


Synopsis


A child in danger, an isolated house in the depths of winter - and a killer on the loose...
'Don't miss ... guaranteed unputdownable' Observer

Snow-covered fields and moors stretch away on all sides of Herondale House. Despite rumours of an escaped killer on the run, Deborah Lindsay knows that she must control her fear - she has a young charge, 13-year-old prodigy Carreen, to care for.

But the isolated Yorkshire farmhouse already holds the terrible secret of one death - and after an increasing number of sinister 'accidents', Deborah begins to wonder how long it will be before evil strikes again...

'A splendidly romantic first thriller' Times Literary Supplement

Joan Aiken

Summary

Chapter 1: The Shadow of Herondale

* Jem Carstairs, a Shadowhunter with Downworlder blood, investigates a series of murders targeting Herondale family members.
* He suspects the involvement of Zara Dearborn, a demon-possessed warlock who was once in love with him.

Chapter 2: The Lost Herondale

* Jem and his companions, Brother Zachariah and Tessa Gray, track down Zara and confront her.
* They learn that she is seeking revenge on the Herondales for what they did to her in the past.
* Jem realizes that his own brother, Gabriel, is a Herondale and may be Zara's target.

Chapter 3: The Shadowhunter's Curse

* Jem and his friends infiltrate the Herondale manor on Blackthorn Hill.
* They encounter a mysterious curse that prevents them from speaking the name "Herondale."
* Tessa discovers that the curse was cast by Asmodeus, a demon who possessed her ancestor, Will Herondale.

Chapter 4: The Spiral Labyrinth

* Jem and Gabriel become trapped in a deadly labyrinth under the manor.
* They face challenges designed to test their wills and loyalty to each other.
* Zara appears and reveals her true intentions: she wants to destroy the Herondale bloodline and claim Gabriel for herself.

Chapter 5: The Silence of Herondale

* Jem and Gabriel confront Zara and Asmodeus in the labyrinth's heart.
* Asmodeus reveals that the curse of silence was a way to prevent the Herondales from summoning their true power.
* Jem breaks the curse by speaking the name "Herondale," unleashing the power of his blood and defeating Asmodeus.

Chapter 6: The Broken Circle

* Zara's demonic possession is broken, and she is reunited with Jem.
* Gabriel's memory of his past is restored, and he chooses to remain a Shadowhunter.
* Jem, Tessa, and their friends establish a new Shadowhunter conclave in London, dedicated to protecting the Downworld and bridging the divide between humans and Shadowhunters.

Chapter 7: The Legacy of Herondale

* Years later, Jem and Tessa pass their knowledge and wisdom to a new generation of Shadowhunters.
* The Herondale legacy continues, as Jem's daughter Anna becomes a renowned Shadowhunter and passes on the stories of their past to generations to come.