Recently, The Ring (Book 2 of the Muldoon Mysteries) won Most Mystifying Mystery category in the Indie ’25 awards. The Ring is a Gothic mystery novel that combines historical thriller with supernatural suspense and Gothic romance. Here’s what the judge had to say:
Billed as a crime thriller, The Ring is just so much more than that. It’s got elements of supernatural horror on par with The Haunting of Hill House or The X-Files; it’s got twists of tragedy and romanticism reminiscent of Shakespeare that pulls at your heartstrings; and it’s a true piece of historical fiction that lets you taste the grungy air of Liverpool at the time of the industrial revolution, so fleshed out that you could believe that this actually happened if you didn’t know better. Not to mention the comedic relief spiced in at appropriate times throughout the novel.
What’s this Gothic mystery novel about?
The Ring tells the story of a young constable who wants to try his hand at detective work. He leads his first case investigating the disappearance of a local Scotland Road thief. This Gothic mystery leads him to the travelling circus where he meets the beautiful Ellen French. Dazzled by the magical world of the circus and unable to separate business from pleasure, Lacey is never seen again.
As though the Liverpool City Police don’t have enough to get on with, they are inundated with strange disappearances and bodies along the canal. Each body poses more questions than answers.
Only the occult detective Daniel Muldoon can help the police solve this uncanny, mysterious case.
The Ring combines Gothic horror, historical thriller and supernatural suspense on the streets of Victorian Liverpool.
I started writing the Muldoon Gothic mysteries in 2024 when I realised that there aren’t enough Gothic novels set here. I feel that the Gothic mansion is a great location… but what about something in the heart of industrial Liverpool instead?
The Ring is much more of a crime thriller than The Spider was, but both are eerie, unsettling horror stories in their own right. You can read more about the Muldoon Gothic Mystery series here.
If you’re a fan of the Gothic tales of Sarah Waters, Laura Purcell, Shirley Jackson and classics from Wilkie Collins and Sheridan Le Fanu, you’re going to enjoy these books.
Hanna is a horror author from Liverpool, UK.
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