Swell by Kat Gordon

‘Spellbinding . . . I could not put The Swell down’ Anya Bergman
‘A deeply satisfying, deftly woven novel of female power and resistance’ Anna Hope
‘Bewitching . . . as beautiful as it is haunting’ Freya Berry
‘Addictive and twisty’ Liza Klaussman
‘Gripping, bewitching and laced with atmosphere’ Harriet Constable
‘Atmospheric . . . Kat Gordon is a master storyteller’ Cathryn Kemp

IN PLACES OF DARKNESS, WOMEN WILL RISE . . .

Iceland, 1910. In the middle of a severe storm two sisters – Freyja and Gudrun – rescue a mysterious, charismatic man from a shipwreck near their remote farm.

Sixty-five years later, a young woman – Sigga – is spending time with her grandmother when they learn a body has been discovered on a mountainside near Reykjavik, perfectly preserved in ice.

Moving between the turn of the 20th century and the 1970s as a dark mystery is unravelled, The Swell is a spellbinding, beautifully atmospheric read, rich in Icelandic myth.

A spellbinding, atmospheric mystery, rich with Icelandic myth and perfect for fans of Burial Rites and The Witches of Vardo.

About the Author: Kat Gordon grew up in London, a short distance from Charles Dickens’s house on Doughty Street. Great Expectations has always been one of her favourite books, and at Oxford she studied and fell in love with his others. After graduating, she worked briefly at Time Out, as a gymnastics coach and an HIV counsellor before publishing her first novel, The Artificial Anatomy of Parks. Her second novel, An Unsuitable Woman, was picked by Richard and Judy for their Book Club. Having lived in Reykjavik, her third novel, The Swell, was set in Iceland. Her novels have been translated into multiple languages. She is currently settled in London with her partner, their son, and two cats but no hedgehog.

22 Jan 2026
 

The Swell: The captivating, beautifully atmospheric Iceland-set dual-timeline mystery by Kat Gordon ISBN 9781786585110