The original story
A historical mystery to draw you into the lives of the people involved. Some endings settle the matter. Others leave a question lingering.
OLD HOUSES. VILLAGE SECRETS. CURIOUS POST.
Some secrets
arrive by post.
Step into a fictional England of old houses, village secrets and things left unsaid. Original historical mysteries, private letters and a newspaper with rather a lot to say, delivered by post.
Discover the first editionBlackthorn Letters · A story club coming soon
FOR THE CURIOUS READERA LITTLE WORLD TO UNFOLD, READ & KEEPEDITION No. 01
01 / THE CLUBREAD SLOWLY. LOOK CLOSER.
A good story.
A little intrigue.
Something to keep.
Blackthorn Letters is a historical fiction club delivered by post, with original mysteries set in England’s past.
Each edition takes you into a different historical mystery. The story, a character’s personal letter and pages from our fictional newspaper all belong to the same world, revealing its secrets, rumours and hidden lives.
For people who love old houses, village secrets and an atmospheric tale, it’s a small escape from the ordinary post.
02 / INSIDE THE ENVELOPEFIVE PIECES. ONE MYSTERY.
Open an envelope.
Enter another time.
Every piece has its place in the story. Here’s what you’ll unfold.
The private letter
A character’s personal correspondence, revealing thoughts and secrets that don’t belong in the newspaper.
The Blackthorn Observer
A folded newspaper-style insert, with reports, notices and adverts connected to that edition’s mystery.
The matching bookmark
A keepsake designed around the setting or story, ready to slip into whatever you’re reading next.
The crow sticker
Our Blackthorn Letters crow carrying its sealed envelope, a small finishing touch to keep.
03 / THE FIRST EDITIONBLACKTHORN, LANCASHIRE · 1891
THE BLACKTHORN OBSERVERMissing young woman
Twenty pounds offered for information.
EDITION ONE · COMING SOON
The Lodger
of Narrow Street
Clara Bell has disappeared. Her former landlady knows more than she tells.
Lancashire, 1891. A young woman leaves her lodgings, a gentleman offers a reward, and the local newspaper begins asking questions.
Between the public reports and a private letter from Harcourt Hall, a more troubling story begins to emerge.
AN ORIGINAL SHORT STORYONE CONNECTED ENVELOPE
Take a look at the reading desk04 / THE READING DESKA GLIMPSE INSIDE EDITION ONE
The public story.
The private words.
Three ways into the same mystery. Browse a small preview of the first edition.
BLACKTHORN LETTERSTHE OPENING LINES
The Lodger of Narrow Street
Clara Bell came home before supper, which was the first unusual thing.
The second was that she wiped her boots.
Mrs Agnes Foss watched from the kitchen doorway as the girl bent over the mat, one hand against the wall. Rain had darkened her shoulders. Beneath her crooked hat, a loose strand of copper-red hair clung to her cheek.
“You’ll wear a hole in it,” Agnes said.
An extract from the first edition.
HARCOURT HALLOCTOBER 1891
My dear Clara,
I have made enquiries concerning the cottage. The roof has been attended to, and there is a small garden which I think you would like. It will be ready before the cold weather sets in.
You need not trouble yourself about the rent. My agent will see to that, and an allowance will be paid to you each month.
An extract from Edward’s private letter. The rest belongs in your envelope.
THE BLACKTHORN OBSERVER
A village has
its own version.
Missing-person reports, correspondence and small notices. Read between the lines of our fictional newspaper.
A preview for Edition One.
05 / BEHIND THE LETTERSA NOTE FROM KATE
Meet the person
behind the letters.
I’m Kate, a writer from Lancashire with a love of old houses, English history and stories with something quietly unsettling beneath the surface.
I created Blackthorn Letters to bring those interests together, a little fictional world arriving through your letterbox, full of private correspondence, village rumours and people who might not be telling the whole truth.
06 / A FEW PARTICULARSBEFORE THE POST ARRIVES
For enquiring
minds.
Is Blackthorn a real place?
The Blackthorn in our first edition is fictional, as are its inhabitants and newspaper. The stories are works of historical fiction set in England’s past, rather than accounts of real missing people.
Does every edition follow the same story?
Each edition introduces a different historical mystery. Its story, private letter and newspaper connect to one another, so you can step into that edition without collecting earlier ones.
Will every mystery have a neat ending?
Not always. Some tales offer answers; others leave space for your imagination.
What will I receive?
An original short story, a character’s private letter, The Blackthorn Observer newspaper-style insert, a matching bookmark and a Blackthorn Letters logo sticker.
When can I subscribe, and what will it cost?
Blackthorn Letters is coming soon. The subscription price, delivery details and opening date will be announced before subscriptions open.
BLACKTHORN LETTERS · COMING SOON
There’s something
in the post.
The first envelope begins on Narrow Street.
Join the email list to hear when subscriptions open.