Books by Daphne Du Maurier

Book SynopsisDiscover the Dark Romance classics: Daphne du Maurier's timeless novels are now available with stunning, contemporary new covers for a new generation.

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Book SynopsisA range of beautifully produced products celebrating the heritage of the Virago Modern Classics list.Trade ReviewFrom the opening sentence - "Last night I dreamed I went to Manderley again" - to the final - "And the ashes blew towards us with the salt wind from the sea" - I was hooked ... Rebecca is one of the underrated classics of the 20th century ... Rebecca is a masterpiece in which du Maurier pulls off several spectacular high-wire acts that many great writers wouldn't attempt * Guardian *Her masterpiece . . . Seldom has a dead woman exercised such power beyond the grave. Rebecca will live for ever because du Maurier touches a fearful nerve, buried deep in the unconscious * The Times *It's the perfect winter book, brooding, dangerous and engrossing -- Kit de Waal * Sainsbury's Magazine *A mesmerising novel which reveals more on each readingIt is the greatest psychological thriller of all time. I see du Maurier as a forerunner to Patricia Highsmith, Ruth Rendell, Gillian Flynn: she is the giant whose magnificent shoulders the rest of us stand uponWhat she did was build emotional landscapes that can be entered at will, in which difficult and untamable desires were given free rein. Maybe because of her relationship with gender, she was able to make worlds in which people and even houses are mysterious and mutable, not as they seem; haunted rooms in which disembodied spirits sometimes dance at absolute liberty * Guardian *I read this book more than twenty years ago, and must have read it a dozen times since. The characters are incredibly vivid, and the twists superb. It's the book every writer wishes they'd written -- Clare MackintoshThis 1930s gothic thriller is suspenseful and so well crafted. Its young, nameless heroine marries rich widower Maxim de Winter and returns with him to his mansion, Manderley, only to find the ghost of his first wife, Rebecca, still lingers * Good Housekeeping *

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Book SynopsisAN UNFORGETTABLE STORY OF MURDER, MYSTERY AND PASSION, FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF REBECCA.'Jamaica Inn is a first-rate page-turner' THE TIMES'Daphne du Maurier has no equal' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'Jamaica Inn is a novel about nothing less than pure evil ... with an eerie and shocking kind of power, in the novel's astonishing final act' JULIE MYERSON, GUARDIAN In the bitter November wind, Mary Yellan crosses Bodmin Moor to Jamaica Inn. Her mother's dying wish was that she take refuge there with her Aunt Patience. But when Mary arrives, the warning of the coachman echoes in her mind. Jamaica Inn has a desolate power and behind its crumbling walls, Patience is a changed woman, cowering before her brooding, violent husband. When Mary discovers the inn's dark secrets, the truth is more terrifying than anything she could possibly imagine and she is forced to collude in her uncle's murderous schemes. Against her will, she finds herself powerfully attracted to her uncle's brother, a man she dares not trust.Jamaica Inn is a dark and gripping gothic tale that will remind readers of two other great classics, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. This was also made into a film, also called Jamaica Inn, directed by Alfred Hitchcock.Trade ReviewJamaica Inn is a first-rate page-turner * The Times *For, ultimately, Jamaica Inn is a novel about nothing less than pure evil. Not the lumpen, drunken, thuggish evil that men like Joss can effect, but something much worse - a force that Du Maurier only begins to put into words, with an eerie and shocking kind of power, in the novel's astonishing final act -- Julie Myerson * Guardian *A perfect fusion of gothic romance and a young woman's rite of passage in the vein of Twilight and Wuthering Heights * Independent *Daphne du Maurier has no equal * Sunday Telegraph *Jamaica Inn is perhaps the most accomplished historical romance ever written * Good Book Guide *A dark tale. A brilliant thriller * Daily Express *A dark tale. A brilliant thriller * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF REBECCAWith an Introduction by 'Britain's most sophisticated film critic' David Thomson, THE TIMES'A remarkable imagination continually provokes both pity and terror' OBSERVER 'One of the last century's most original literary talents' DAILY TELEGRAPH'She wrote exciting plots . . . a writer of fearless originality' GUARDIAN 'How long he fought with them in the darkness he could not tell, but at last the beating of the wings about him lessened and then withdrew . . .'A classic of alienation and horror, The Birds was immortalised by Hitchcock in his celebrated film. The five other chilling stories in this collection echo a sense of dislocation and mock man's sense of dominance over the natural world.Trade ReviewA remarkable imagination continually provokes both pity and terror * Observer *One of the last century's most original literary talents * Daily Telegraph *She wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense, and she was, too, a writer of fearless originality * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF REBECCA. 'She wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense' GUARDIAN 'One of the last century's most original literary talents' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Du Maurier employs well the assured balancing of uncanny possibilities ... and the bitterly wry sense of absurdity that were to characterise her finest fiction' HELEN TAYLOR, INDEPENDENT 'I want to know if men realise when they are insane. Sometimes I think that my brain cannot hold together, it is filled with too much horror - too much despair . . . I cannot sleep, I cannot close my eyes without seeing his damned face. If only it had been a dream.'This collection showcases the budding talent and fierce imagination of Daphne du Maurier, before she went on to write one of the most beloved novels of all time. In these tales of human frailty and obsession, a waterlogged notebook washes ashore, revealing a dark story of jealousy and passion; a vicar coaches a young couple divided by class issues and an older man falls perilously in love with a much younger woman. Each tale demonstrates du Maurier's extraordinary storytelling gifts and her deep understanding of human nature.Trade ReviewShe wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense, and she was, too, a writer of fearless originality * Guardian *One of the last century's most original literary talents * Daily Telegraph *Daphne du Maurier's early short stories reveal a talented writer finding her voice -- Natasha Tripney * Guardian *Du Maurier employs well the assured balancing of uncanny possibilities, the clever manipulation of unconscious fears and desires, and the bitterly wry sense of absurdity that were to characterise her finest fiction -- Helen Taylor * Independent *She wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense, and she was, too, a writer of fearless originality * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisA tale of love and adventure from the internationally bestselling author of Rebecca. 'She wrote exciting plots . . . a writer of fearless originality' GUARDIAN 'One of the last century's most original literary talents' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'A pure, exhilarating adventure story - a swashbuckling tale of exquisite danger and tangled love' JULIE MYERSON The Restoration Court knows Lady Dona St Columb to be ripe for any folly, any outrage that will alter the tedium of her days. But there is another, secret Dona who longs for a life of honest love - and sweetness, even if it is spiced with danger. It is this Dona who flees the stews of London for remote Navron, looking for peace of mind amid its solitary woods and hidden creeks. She finds there the passion her spirit craves - in the love of a daring pirate hunted by all Cornwall, a Frenchman who, like Dona, would gamble his life for a moment's joy.Trade ReviewShe wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense, and she was, too, a writer of fearless originality * Guardian *Du Maurier is a storyteller whose sole aim is to bewitch and beguile * New York Times *A pure, exhilarating adventure story - a swashbuckling tale of exquisite danger and tangled love . . . a tale of emotional and sexual awakening, of loss and risk . . . sophisticated in its exploration of the human heartOne of the last century's most original literary talents * Daily Telegraph *A storyteller of cunning and geniusA heroine who is bound to make thousands of friends * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisDiscover the Dark Romance classics: Daphne du Maurier's timeless novels are now available with stunning, contemporary new covers for a new generation.

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Book SynopsisDiscover the Dark Romance classics: Daphne du Maurier's timeless novels are now available with stunning, contemporary new covers for a new generation.

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Book SynopsisA COMING-OF-AGE TALE OF ADVENTURE AND LOVE, FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF REBECCA'She wrote exciting plots . . . a writer of fearless originality' GUARDIAN 'One of the last century's most original literary talents' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Amazingly vivid' SATURDAY REVIEW'The iron of the bridge felt hot under my hand. The sun had been upon it all day. Gripping hard with my hands I lifted myself on to the bar and gazed down steadily on the water passing under . . . I thought of places I would never see, and women I should never love.'As far as Richard's father, a famous poet is concerned, his son has no talent as a writer and will never amount to anything. In a moment of crisis, Richard decides to end his life, but is saved by Jake, a passing stranger. The two men, both at turning points in their lives, set out for adventure, jumping aboard a ship to Norway. Their travels take them through Europe and they form a passionate friendship. But in bohemian Paris, Richard meets Hesta, a music student who inspires him to follow his artistic dreams.Trade ReviewShe wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense, and she was, too, a writer of fearless originality * Guardian *One of the last century's most original literary talents * Daily Telegraph *No other popular writer has so triumphantly defied classification . . . She satisfied all the questionable criteria of popular fiction, and yet satisfied the exacting requirements of "real literature", something very few novelists ever doDu Maurier's descriptions of riding in Norwegian mountains, of life before the mast and in foreign capitals ring as true as her transcription of a young man's thoughts and talk * Punch *Amazingly vivid * Saturday Review *Du Maurier's descriptions of riding in Norwegian mountains, of life before the mast and in foreign capitals ring as true as her transcription of a young man's thoughts and talk * PUNCH *Amazingly vivid * SATURDAY REVIEW *

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Book SynopsisHer mother's dying request obliges Mary Yellan to make a grim journey across bleak Cornish moorland to Jamaica Inn, the home of her Aunt Patience and her overbearing husband, Joss Merlyn. With the coachman's warning echoing in her mind and affected by the inn's brooding power, Mary is thwarted in her intention to help her aunt. She finds herself drawn unwillingly into the misdeeds of Joss and his accomplices, and even more disturbing are her feelings for a man she dare not trust ...Jamaica Inn is a dark and gripping gothic tale that will remind readers of two other great classics, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.

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Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR FILM STARRING RACHEL WEISZ AND SAM CLAFIN 'Du Maurier is a storyteller whose sole aim is to bewitch and beguile' NEW YORK TIMES'Du Maurier has no equal' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH' One of her best novels, ingeniously contrived as to plot, successfully realized as to characters' KIRKUS REVIEWS 'I threw the piece of paper on the fire. She saw it burn . . . 'Orphaned at an early age, Philip Ashley is raised by his benevolent cousin, Ambrose. Resolutely single, Ambrose delights in making Philip his heir, knowing he will treasure his beautiful Cornish estate. But Philip's world is shattered when Ambrose sets off on a trip to Florence. There he falls in love and marries. Then he suddenly dies in suspicious circumstances. In almost no time at all, the new widow - Philip's cousin Rachel - turns up in England. Despite himself, Philip is drawn to this beautiful, sophisticated, mysterious woman like a moth to the flame. And yet . . . might she have had a hand in Ambrose's death?Trade ReviewShe wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense, and she was, too, a writer of fearless originality * Guardian *Du Maurier has no equal * Sunday Telegraph *This comes closer to Rebecca than anything Miss du Maurier has done and is, I think, one of her best novels, ingeniously contrived as to plot, successfully realized as to characters * Kirkus Reviews *From the first page . . . the reader is back in the moody, brooding atmosphere of Rebecca * New York Times Book Review *No other popular writer has so triumphantly defied classification . . . She satisfied all the questionable criteria of popular fiction, and yet satisfied the exacting requirements of "real literature", something very few novelists ever doIn the same category as REBECCA, but an even more consummate piece of storytelling * GUARDIAN 'From the first page . . . the reader is back in the moody, brooding atmosphere of Rebecca’ *NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

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Book SynopsisInspired by a grisly discovery in the nineteenth century, The King's General was the first of du Maurier's novels to be written at Menabilly, the model for Manderley in Rebecca. Set in the seventeenth century, it tells the story of a country and a family riven by civil war, and features one of fiction's most original heroines. Honor Harris is only eighteen when she first meets Richard Grenvile, proud, reckless - and utterly captivating. But following a riding accident, Honor must reconcile herself to a life alone. As Richard rises through the ranks of the army, marries and makes enemies, Honor remains true to him, and finally discovers the secret of Menabilly.Trade ReviewNo other popular writer has so triumphantly defied classification ... She satisfied all the questionable criteria of popular fiction, and yet satisfied the exacting requirements of "real literature", something very few novelists ever do -- Margaret Forster She wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense, and she was, too, a writer of fearless originality Guardian

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Book Synopsis'She wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense' GUARDIAN 'This novel catches fire' NEW YORK TIMES 'With unfailing du Maurier skill, the author has coupled family interest with dramatic sense' ELIZABETH BOWENShe set men's hearts on fire and scandalized a country. In Regency London, the only way for a woman to succeed is to beat men at their own game. So when Mary Anne Clarke seeks an escape from her squalid surroundings in Bowling Inn Alley, she ventures first into the scurrilous world of the pamphleteers. Her personal charms are such, however, before long she is noticed by the Duke of York.With her taste for luxury and power, Mary Anne, now a royal mistress, must aim higher. Her lofty connections allow her to establish a thriving trade in military commissions, provoking a scandal that rocks the government and brings personal disgrace.A vivid portrait of overweening ambition, Mary Anne is set during the Napoleonic Wars and based on the life of du Maurier's own great-great-grandmother.Trade ReviewShe wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense, and she was, too, a writer of fearless originality * Guardian *Daphne du Maurier has no equal * Sunday Telegraph *This novel catches fire * New York Times *Like its heroine the book is possessed of such unforgettably vivid charm that one is seducedWith unfailing du Maurier skill, the author has coupled family interest with dramatic sense -- Elizabeth BowenLikely to rank as the author's best book * Saturday Review *With unfailing du Maurier skill, the author has coupled family interest with dramatic sense * Elizabeth Bowen, Tatler *Like its heroine the book is possessed of such unforgettably vivid charm that one is seduced * L. S. Hilton *She wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense, and she was, too, a writer of fearless originality * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF REBECCA'What a magnificent thriller this is' NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'She wrote exciting plots . . . a writer of fearless originality' GUARDIAN 'A good original novel, well tinged with nightmare' TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT 'He turned and stared at me and I at him, and I realised, with a strange sense of shock and fear and nausea all combined, that his face and voice were known to me too well. I was looking at myself.'By chance, two men - one English, the other French - meet in a provincial railway station. Their resemblance is uncanny, and they spend the evening talking and drinking. It is not until John wakes the next morning that he realises his French companion has stolen his identity and disappeared. So John steps into the Frenchman's shoes, and faces a variety of perplexing roles - as owner of a chateau, director of a failing business, head of a fractious family, and master of nothing.Trade ReviewShe wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense, and she was, too, a writer of fearless originality * Guardian *A good original novel, well tinged with nightmare * Times Literary Supplement *What a magnificent thriller this is * New York Times Book Review *No other popular writer has so triumphantly defied classification . . . She satisfied all the questionable criteria of popular fiction, and yet satisfied the exacting requirements of "real literature", something very few novelists ever do

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Book SynopsisA chilling story of ambition, Daphne du Maurier's third novel has lost none of its ability to unsettle and disturb.

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Book Synopsis'She wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense' GUARDIAN 'Daphne du Maurier is an excellent storyteller' KIRKUS REVIEWS'One of the last century's most original literary talents' DAILY TELEGRAPH As a tour guide, Armino Fabbio leads a pleasant, if uneventful life - until he becomes circumstantially involved in the death of a peasant in Rome. The woman, he gradually learns, was his family's beloved servant many years ago before, in his native town of Ruffano. Fabbio returns to his birthplace, and finds it is haunted by the phantom of his brother, Aldo, who was shot down in flames during the war.Over five hundred years before, the sinister Duke Claudio, known as The Falcon, lived his twisted, brutal life, preying on the people of Ruffano. The town seems to have forgotten its violent history, but have things really changed? The parallels between the past and present become ever more evident.Trade ReviewShe wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense, and she was, too, a writer of fearless originality * Guardian *One of the last century's most original literary talents * Daily Telegraph *Daphne du Maurier is an excellent storyteller and can set in motion the most wornout mechanisms of melodrama in a way that doesn't irritate * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisMary Farren went into the gun room one morning about half-past eleven, took her husband's revolver and loaded it, then shot herself. The butler heard the sound of the gun from the pantry...The fourteen haunting stories in this collection span the whole of Daphne du Maurier's writing career and explore every human emotion: an apparently happily married woman commits suicide; a steamer in wartime is rescued by a mysterious sailing-ship; a dull husband breaks loose in a surprising fashion; a con woman plays her game once too often; and a famous novelist looks for romance, only to meet with bitter disappointent. Each meticulously observed tale shows du Maurier's mastery of the genre.Trade ReviewThere is an intense and exhilarating fusion of feeling, landscape, climate, character and story. She wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense, and she was, too, a writer of fearless originality * Guardian *A magician, a virtuoso. She can conjure up tragedy, horror, tension, suspense, the ridiculous, the vain, the romantic * Good Housekeeping *One of the last century's most original literary talents * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisLast night I dreamt I went to Manderley again... Working as a lady's companion, the orphaned heroine of Rebecca learns her place. Life begins to look very bleak until, on a trip to the South of France, she meets Maxim de Winter, a handsome widower whose sudden proposal of marriage takes her by surprise. Whisked from glamorous Monte Carlo to his brooding estate, Manderley, on the Cornish Coast, the new Mrs de Winter finds Max a changed man. And the memory of his dead wife Rebecca is forever kept alive by the forbidding Mrs Danvers... Not since Jane Eyre has a heroine faced such difficulty with the Other Woman. An international bestseller that has never been out of print, Rebecca is the haunting story of a young woman consumed by love and the struggle to find her identity.Trade ReviewFrom the opening sentence - "Last night I dreamed I went to Manderley again" - to the final - "And the ashes blew towards us with the salt wind from the sea" - I was hooked ... Rebecca is one of the underrated classics of the 20th century ... Rebecca is a masterpiece in which du Maurier pulls off several spectacular high-wire acts that many great writers wouldn't attempt * Guardian *One of the most influential novels of the twentieth century, Rebecca has woven its way into the fabric of our culture with all the troubling power of myth or dream. A stunning bookWith one of the most evocative first lines ever, Daphne du Maurier's fifth novel has everything a reader could ask for . . . Psychologically astute and disturbingly romantic, Rebecca was an immediate bestseller on publication in 1938 and has cast a sinister spell ever since * Marie Claire *Her masterpiece . . . Seldom has a dead woman exercised such power beyond the grave. Rebecca will live for ever because du Maurier touches a fearful nerve, buried deep in the unconscious * The Times *It's the perfect winter book, brooding, dangerous and engrossing -- Kit de Waal * Sainsbury's Magazine *Addictive and breathtaking. Its blending of melodrama and subtlety is ingenious. The Cornish setting never quite leaves the imagination * Independent *A brilliantly constructed novel - the ultimate in psychological suspense, instantly gripping and haunting, Rebecca will stay with you for ever. * Psychologies *A mesmerising novel which reveals more on each readingIt is the greatest psychological thriller of all time. I see du Maurier as a forerunner to Patricia Highsmith, Ruth Rendell, Gillian Flynn: she is the giant whose magnificent shoulders the rest of us stand uponWhat she did was build emotional landscapes that can be entered at will, in which difficult and untamable desires were given free rein. Maybe because of her relationship with gender, she was able to make worlds in which people and even houses are mysterious and mutable, not as they seem; haunted rooms in which disembodied spirits sometimes dance at absolute liberty * Guardian *I read this book more than twenty years ago, and must have read it a dozen times since. The characters are incredibly vivid, and the twists superb. It's the book every writer wishes they'd written -- Clare MackintoshThis 1930s gothic thriller is suspenseful and so well crafted. Its young, nameless heroine marries rich widower Maxim de Winter and returns with him to his mansion, Manderley, only to find the ghost of his first wife, Rebecca, still lingers * Good Housekeeping *I am reminded of how profoundly du Maurier changed the way I felt about myself, how she engaged and excited me with her writing. * Julie Myerson *The DAILY TELEGRAPH * ‘As a new generation of readers are introduced to the wicked housekeeper Mrs Danvers and learn Maxim de Winter’s terrible secret, this chilling, suspenseful tale is as fresh and readable as it was when it was first written, more than 60 years ago.’ *Excellent entertainment . . . du Maurier created a scale by which modern women can measure their feelings. * Stephen King *

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Book SynopsisFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF REBECCA'She wrote exciting plots . . . a writer of fearless originality' GUARDIAN'This French Revolution epic is an overlooked classic' MELISSA KATSOULIS, THE TIMES 'No other popular writer has so triumphantly defied classification . . . ' MARGARET FORSTER'Perhaps we shall not see each other again. I will write to you, though, and tell you, as best I can, the story of your family. A glass-blower, remember, breathes life into a vessel, giving it shape and form and sometimes beauty; but he can with that same breath, shatter and destroy it.'Faithful to her word, Sophie Duval reveals to her long-lost nephew the tragic story of a family of master craftsmen in eighteenth-century France. The world of the glass-blowers has its own traditions, it's own language and its own rules. 'If you marry into glass' Pierre Labbe warns his daughter, 'you will say goodbye to everything familiar, and enter a closed world'. But crashing into this world comes the violence and terror of the French Revolution against which, the family struggles to survive. The Glass-Blowers is a remarkable achievement - an imaginative and exciting reworking of du Maurier's own family history.Trade ReviewNo other popular writer has so triumphantly defied classification ... She satisfied all the questionable criteria of popular fiction and yet satisfied the exacting requirements of "real literature", something very few novelists ever doShe wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense, and she was, too, a writer of fearless originality * Guardian *The Glass-Blowers by Daphne du Maurier - this French Revolution epic is an overlooked classic -- Melissa Katsoulis * The Times *

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Book SynopsisFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF REBECCA' ... a writer of fearless originality' GUARDIAN 'Unlike many authors of popular historical biographies, du Maurier resembled Antonia Fraser in being an indefatigable researcher' FRANCIS KING'du Maurier has no equal' SUNDAY TELEGRAPHIt wasn't until he was forty-five that Bacon's feet found the first step on that staircase, when King James I made him Solicitor-General, from where he rose through the ranks to become Lord Chancellor.Many accounts of the life of Sir Francis Bacon have been written for scholars, but du Maurier's aim was to paint a vivid portrait of this remarkable man for the common reader. In The Winding Stair, she illuminates the considerable achievements of this Renaissance man as a writer, lawyer, philosopher, scientist, and politician.To her book, she brought the same gifts of imagination and perception that made her earlier biography, Golden Lads, so immensely readable, skilfully threading into her narrative extracts from contemporary documents and from Bacon's own writings. This also sets her account of his life within a vivid contemporary framework.This is truly history made alive.Trade Review... a writer of fearless originality * Guardian *Unlike many authors of popular historical biographies, du Maurier resembled Antonia Fraser in being an indefatigable researcher -- Francis Kingdu Maurier has no equal * Sunday Telegraph *Unlike many authors of popular historical biographies, du Maurier resembled Antonia Fraser in being an indefatigable researcher * Francis King *

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Book Synopsis'A marvellous celebration of du Maurier's life, work and cultural legacy' SARAH WATERS 'She wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense' GUARDIAN 'One of the last century's most original literary talents ' DAILY TELEGRAPH Daphne du Maurier is one of Britain's best-loved bestselling authors. Her writing captured the imagination in a way that few have been able to equal. Rebecca, her most famous novel was a huge success on first publication and brought du Maurier international fame. This enduring classic remains one of the nation's favourite books. In this celebration of Daphne du Maurier's life and achievements, today's leading writers, critics and academics discuss the novels, short stories and biographies that made her one of the most spellbinding and genre-defying authors of her generation. The film versions of her books are also explored, including Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca and The Birds and Nicholas Roeg's Don't Look Now. Featuring interviews with du Maurier's family and a long-lost short story by the author herself, this is the indispensable companion to her work.Contributors include Sarah Dunant, Sally Beauman, Margaret Forster, Antonia Fraser, Michael Holroyd, Lisa Jardine, Julie Myerson, Justine Picardie and Minette Walters.Trade ReviewShe wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense, and she was, too, a writer of fearless originality * Guardian *One of the last century's most original literary talents * Daily Telegraph *A marvellous celebration of du Maurier's life, work and cultural legacy; an indispensable guide to the writer and her art -- Sarah WatersA storyteller of cunning and genius -- Sally BeaumanNo other popular writer has so triumphantly defied classification . . . She satisfied all the questionable criteria of popular fiction, and yet satisfied the exacting requirements of "real literature", something very few novelists ever do -- Margaret ForsterA marvellous celebration of du Maurier's life, work and cultural legacy; an indispensable guide to the writer and her art * Sarah Waters *

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Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR NETFLIX FILM starring Lily James, Armie Hammer, Kristin Scott Thomas and Lily Collins. 'The moment I finished this story, I turned to page one and started it over again' MALORIE BLACKMAN'Excellent entertainment . . . du Maurier created a scale by which modern women can measure their feelings' STEPHEN KING'Rebecca is a masterpiece in which du Maurier pulls off several spectacular high-wire acts that many great writers wouldn't attempt' JIM CRACE, GUARDIAN On a trip to the South of France, the shy heroine of Rebecca falls in love with Maxim de Winter, a handsome widower. Although his proposal comes as a surprise, she happily agrees to marry him. But as they arrive at her husband's home, Manderley, a change comes over Maxim, and the young bride is filled with dread. Friendless in the isolated mansion, she realises that she barely knows him. In every corner of every room is the phantom of his beautiful first wife, Rebecca, and the new Mrs de Winter walks in her shadow.Not since Jane Eyre has a heroine faced such difficulty with the other woman. An international bestseller that has never gone out of print, Rebecca is the haunting story of a young girl consumed by love and the struggle to find her identity.This beautiful cover design on this deluxe edition is by textile designer Neisha Crosland.'As a new generation of readers are introduced to the wicked housekeeper Mrs Danvers and learn Maxim de Winter's terrible secret, this chilling, suspenseful tale is as fresh and readable as it was when it was first written' DAILY TELEGRAPHTrade ReviewFrom the opening sentence - "Last night I dreamed I went to Manderley again" - to the final - "And the ashes blew towards us with the salt wind from the sea" - I was hooked ... Rebecca is one of the underrated classics of the 20th century ... Rebecca is a masterpiece in which du Maurier pulls off several spectacular high-wire acts that many great writers wouldn't attempt * Guardian *One of the most influential novels of the twentieth century, Rebecca has woven its way into the fabric of our culture with all the troubling power of myth or dream. A stunning bookWith one of the most evocative first lines ever, Daphne du Maurier's fifth novel has everything a reader could ask for . . . Psychologically astute and disturbingly romantic, Rebecca was an immediate bestseller on publication in 1938 and has cast a sinister spell ever since * Marie Claire *Her masterpiece . . . Seldom has a dead woman exercised such power beyond the grave. Rebecca will live for ever because du Maurier touches a fearful nerve, buried deep in the unconscious * The Times *It's the perfect winter book, brooding, dangerous and engrossing -- Kit de Waal * Sainsbury's Magazine *Addictive and breathtaking. Its blending of melodrama and subtlety is ingenious. The Cornish setting never quite leaves the imagination * Independent *A brilliantly constructed novel - the ultimate in psychological suspense, instantly gripping and haunting, Rebecca will stay with you for ever. * Psychologies *A mesmerising novel which reveals more on each readingIt is the greatest psychological thriller of all time. I see du Maurier as a forerunner to Patricia Highsmith, Ruth Rendell, Gillian Flynn: she is the giant whose magnificent shoulders the rest of us stand uponWhat she did was build emotional landscapes that can be entered at will, in which difficult and untamable desires were given free rein. Maybe because of her relationship with gender, she was able to make worlds in which people and even houses are mysterious and mutable, not as they seem; haunted rooms in which disembodied spirits sometimes dance at absolute liberty * Guardian *I read this book more than twenty years ago, and must have read it a dozen times since. The characters are incredibly vivid, and the twists superb. It's the book every writer wishes they'd written -- Clare MackintoshThis 1930s gothic thriller is suspenseful and so well crafted. Its young, nameless heroine marries rich widower Maxim de Winter and returns with him to his mansion, Manderley, only to find the ghost of his first wife, Rebecca, still lingers * Good Housekeeping *

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Book SynopsisThe definitive biography of Daphne Du Maurier, one of history''s greatest psychological thriller novelistsRebecca, published in 1938, brought its author instant international acclaim, capturing the popular imagination with its haunting atmosphere of suspense and mystery. Du Maurier was immediately established as the queen of the psychological thriller. But the more fame this and her other books encouraged, the more reclusive Daphne du Maurier became.Margaret Forster''s award-winning biography could hardly be more worthy of its subject. Drawing on private letters and papers, and with the unflinching co-operation of Daphne du Maurier''s family, Margaret Forster explores the secret drama of her life - the stifling relationship with her father, actor-manager Gerald du Maurier; her troubled marriage to war hero and royal aide, ''Boy'' Browning; her wartime love affair; her passion for Cornwall and her deep friendships with the last of her father''s acTrade ReviewAltogether a model biography - human sympathy tempered with honesty and spiced with real intelligence -- Lorna Sage * Observer *A startlingly good biography * The Times *Convincing throughout ... Margaret Forster's interpretation of her subject is so complete and so persuasive that it leaves nothing for the reader to do except admire and enjoy * Independent on Sunday *Forster's acute and sensitive book succeeds on many levels ... Its most important achievement is to disprove the highbrow assumption that bestsellers are shallow ... and do not ... engage the depths of the psyche -- John Carey * Sunday Times *Margaret Forster can do no wrong ... The story is as gripping as Rebecca, as full of surprises as My Cousin Rachel ... affectionate, honest, unsentimental and perceptive * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisCollecting five stories of suspense, mystery and slow, creeping horror, Daphne Du Maurier''s Don''t Look Now and Other Stories includes an introduction by Susan Hill, author of The Woman in Black, in Penguin Modern Classics.John and Laura have come to Venice to try and escape the pain of their young daughter''s death. But when they encounter two old women who claim to have second sight, they find that instead of laying their ghosts to rest they become caught up in a train of increasingly strange and violent events. The four other haunting, evocative stories in this volume also explore deep fears and longings, secrets and desires: ''Not After Midnight'', in which a lonely teacher investigates a mysterious American couple; ''A Border Line Case'', in which a young woman confronts her father''s past and his associations with the IRA; ''The Way of the Cross'', in which a party of pilgrims to Jerusalem encounter strange phenomena in the Garden of Gethsemane; and ''Th

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Book SynopsisDispatch the maimed, the old, the weak, destroy the very world itself, for what is the point of life if the promise of fulfilment lies elsewhere?On the windswept coast of rural Suffolk, a deranged scientist attempts to extract the essence of life itself.Penguin Modern: fifty new books celebrating the pioneering spirit of the iconic Penguin Modern Classics series, with each one offering a concentrated hit of its contemporary, international flavour. Here are authors ranging from Kathy Acker to James Baldwin, Truman Capote to Stanislaw Lem and George Orwell to Shirley Jackson; essays radical and inspiring; poems moving and disturbing; stories surreal and fabulous; taking us from the deep South to modern Japan, New York''s underground scene to the farthest reaches of outer space.

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Book SynopsisDaphne du Maurier's chilling short-story collection, the title story was famously made into a film by Hitchcock - perfect for the Halloween and Christmas markets.Trade ReviewBuilding from an almost pastoral scene of autumnal Cornwall, this carefully realistic story builds into unfathomable horror -- Lisa Allardice The Guardian

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Book SynopsisUsing the cover artwork of our much-loved Virago Modern Classics hardback range, these elegant notebooks celebrate three of our most popular titles: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier; Excellent Women by Barbara Pym and Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann. They are a must-have for all Virago fans, and are surely the most stylish way of collecting notes on your favourite books. Or maybe it will inspire you to write a novel of your own . . . Each notebook features a ribbon bookmark, high-quality paper and matching endpapers. Rebecca and Excellent Women feature artwork by award-winning textile designer Neisha Crosland: www.neishacrosland.com Valley of the Dolls features artwork by textile designer and founder of Biba, Barbara Hulanicki: www.barbarahulanickidesign.comTrade ReviewFrom the opening sentence - "Last night I dreamed I went to Manderley again" - to the final - "And the ashes blew towards us with the salt wind from the sea" - I was hooked ... Rebecca is one of the underrated classics of the 20th century ... Rebecca is a masterpiece in which du Maurier pulls off several spectacular high-wire acts that many great writers wouldn't attempt * Guardian *Her masterpiece . . . Seldom has a dead woman exercised such power beyond the grave. Rebecca will live for ever because du Maurier touches a fearful nerve, buried deep in the unconscious * The Times *It's the perfect winter book, brooding, dangerous and engrossing -- Kit de Waal * Sainsbury's Magazine *A mesmerising novel which reveals more on each readingIt is the greatest psychological thriller of all time. I see du Maurier as a forerunner to Patricia Highsmith, Ruth Rendell, Gillian Flynn: she is the giant whose magnificent shoulders the rest of us stand uponWhat she did was build emotional landscapes that can be entered at will, in which difficult and untamable desires were given free rein. Maybe because of her relationship with gender, she was able to make worlds in which people and even houses are mysterious and mutable, not as they seem; haunted rooms in which disembodied spirits sometimes dance at absolute liberty * Guardian *I read this book more than twenty years ago, and must have read it a dozen times since. The characters are incredibly vivid, and the twists superb. It's the book every writer wishes they'd written -- Clare MackintoshThis 1930s gothic thriller is suspenseful and so well crafted. Its young, nameless heroine marries rich widower Maxim de Winter and returns with him to his mansion, Manderley, only to find the ghost of his first wife, Rebecca, still lingers * Good Housekeeping *

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Book SynopsisBased on the true story of one of du Maurier's own distant relatives, Mary Anne's love of money and the men who spend it embroil her in risks that threaten her very existence.

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Book SynopsisA novel of the loyalties, betrayals and rivalries of a glittering theatrical family - and the secrets they hide. From the author of the bestselling novel Rebecca.

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Book SynopsisA coming-of-age novel of adventure and love, ranging over early twentieth century Europe, told by a master storyteller.

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Book SynopsisA STUNNING NEW HARDBACK COLLECTION OF DAPHNE DU MAURIER''S THIRTEEN DARKEST STORIES - INTRODUCED BY INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER STEPHEN KING''Her talent is a bright light that will guide you. These remarkable stories await'' STEPHEN KING''A marvellously dark, unsettling collection. I loved it'' SARAH WATERS''Unputdownable . . . After Midnight promises to never let you sleep again'' LUCY ROSE''Daphne du Maurier is the Godmother of Fear'' ALICE SLATER***On a sharp December day, the wind changes - and the birds begin to gather. In the twisting alleyways of Venice, a grieving couple catch a glimpse of their lost child. A woman returns home to find no trace of her existence. From the inimitable imagination of Daphne du Maurier, these thirteen stories pierce to the dark heart of our relationships: between men and women, humanity and nature, love and obsession, the future and the past. Uncanny, provocative and spine-crawlingly terrifying, these tales will keep you up long after midnight. Whatever you do, don''t look now . . .PRAISE FOR DAPHNE DU MAURIER:''Masterful, troubling and wickedly seductive'' Sarah Perry''Du Maurier is mistress of the sleight of hand in fiction'' Maggie O''Farrell''She was able to make worlds in which people and even houses are mysterious and mutable, not as they seem'' Olivia Laing''The master of slow-burning menace'' Stacey Halls''Daphne du Maurier remains the indisputable queen of the sophisticated literary thriller . . . often imitated and never, ever surpassed'' Laura Shepperson''A glittering collection of dark gems . . . Du Maurier was the queen of creepiness, and a writer of extraordinary talent. These stories will introduce you to her dark imaginings and keep you up well into the night. Do have nightmares. They''ll be good ones'' Anna Mazzola

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Book SynopsisClassic / British English After the death of his beautiful wife Rebecca, Maxim de Winter goes to Monte Carlo to forget the past. There he meets and marries a quiet young woman and takes her back to Manderley, his family home in Cornwall. But will the memory of Rebecca destroy the new marriage?

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