The Black Candle

A Flicker in the Darkness

In The Black Candle, Catherine Cookson weaves a tale of love, betrayal, and hidden secrets set against the rugged coastline of Northumberland in the late 19th century. When young seamstress Margaret “Maggie” Mallory inherits a single black candle—an enigmatic relic from her estranged mother—she embarks on a journey that will reveal the truths carefully concealed by both family and community. Drawn to the flickering flame’s uncanny ability to illuminate more than mere shadows, Maggie must confront a past marred by abandonment, suspicion, and whispered superstitions among the fishing folk of Greyhaven.

Shadows of Vengeance

As Maggie tends the candle each night, its light exposes clandestine liaisons, clandestine meetings on the windswept cliffs, and a long-buried grudge that reached back two generations. When a ruthless landowner’s son, Edward Carrick, returns to Greyhaven bent on reclaiming his family’s lost fortune, Maggie finds herself torn between a burgeoning attraction and the fear that he may become the next victim of the candle’s ominous power. Cookson’s evocative prose captures every gust of sea spray, every flicker of lamplit windows, and every beating heart as the candle draws out the darkest corners of Greyhaven’s collective memory.

Redemption’s Final Flame

In a breathtaking climax beneath a storm-wracked sky, Maggie and Edward race against time to decipher the candle’s final secret before its light burns out forever. Through candlelit confrontations in crumbling abbey ruins and desperate midnight voyages across churning waves, they learn that forgiveness can be as potent as vengeance—and that love itself may be the only force strong enough to triumph over ancient shadows. With each revelation, Cookson reaffirms her gift for richly atmospheric storytelling and unforgettable characters bound by fate and fire.

. Catherine Cookson was one of Britain’s most beloved novelists, whose richly drawn narratives and keen understanding of the human spirit have inspired generations of readers with tales of resilience, passion, and renewal.