Beyond the Welsh village of Laidlow, St. Jude's Church stands empty and abandoned. For decades now, nobody has dared to go near the place. But as the Second World War erupts, two priests are dispatched with a simple mission: to open the church up again and determine whether anything of value might be stripped away to be used as part of the war effort.

Desperately keen to impress his superiors, Father Harry Stone is determined to do a good job. Soon after setting foot in St. Jude's, however, he starts to notice an ominous presence. Father Stanley Neville, meanwhile, has begun to act strangely and seems to be keeping secrets. A strange force lurks in the church's shadows, linked to a woman who once devoted her life to worship. But as the two priests are about to discover, sometimes the best of intentions can still lead to the most devastating horror.

St. Jude's was once home to an anchoress, who had herself walled inside a small chamber so that she could avoid the temptations of the world. Over time, however, the mind of this anchoress became warped and twisted. Eventually she was left to rot, but now the church has been disturbed and the ghostly figure of Margaret Crake is out for revenge against the people who shunned and mocked her. As her evil influence grows, will Harry realise the truth in time – or is history set to repeat itself yet again, this time with the most horrifying consequences of all?

First published: March 2025
Genre: Ghost / Horror
Series or Standalone: Standalone