Chiselbury announces release of Chips Hardy's latest novel 'Seaton's Orchid'

The latest novel from the co-writer of the BBC/FX award-winning series “Taboo” - a powerful tale of a man haunted by a crime against nature

Chiselbury Publishing is pleased to announce the release of SEATON’S ORCHID, the latest novel by author and screenwriter Chips Hardy (“Taboo”), on sale now and available globally at Amazon and at good booksellers.

Set between the First and Second World War, SEATON’S ORCHID tells the story of the enigmatic Captain Ainsley Seaton – a retired and much decorated professional solider, amateur explorer and talented artist living a reclusive life in the peaceful community of Highleigh, a charming English village in West Sussex. But one evening Seaton’s quiet existence is shattered when he finds his well-buried past unexpectedly resurrected over dinner by a shadowy Church diplomat, who seems to know more about Seaton’s history than he does.

Forced to re-open chapters of his life that he has been at such pains to forget – from the phantasmal, savage events that unfolded in the deep jungle of the North West Amazon to the horrors of the Western Front – Seaton withdraws into characteristic seclusion. But the diplomat refuses to let matters lie, and for his own secret purpose will stop at nothing to get to the truth; a truth which reverberates through the village itself, and beyond, with devastating results.

As Captain Seaton battles with a dark past so dubiously resurrected – reliving acts of savagery, dislocation and despair – a powerful and haunting tale of love, loss, and personal redemption unfolds, throwing up powerful and disturbing insights into human nature, desire, truth, art, sexuality, civilization, and the forces of nature and decay.

As Hardy’s latest work, SEATON’S ORCHID reflects upon many of the same preoccupations the author developed in the acclaimed TV series “Taboo,” expanding upon his investigation into dislocation and social dysfunction, the dark processes of Empires and their institutions, and the quest for personal redemption for those who have crossed a line of no return.

In a story rich with historical insight, vivid detail, and emotional intensity – Hardy moves the action backwards and forwards in time, deftly weaving the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) workings of English country life with the narcotic pull of jungle life, as two parallels stories seamlessly unfold and entwine. Hardy’s visceral and evocative writing immerses readers into Seaton’s world, taking them on an intimate and moving (hypnotic) journey through the heady memories of Seaton’s time in the jungle, his descent into madness, and the resulting struggles he faces to overcome the anguish he feels over his own savagery.

At its heart, SEATON’S ORCHID is a powerful, provocative, and emotionally raw character portrait of a man haunted by a crime against nature, denied all redemption, confronted by polite society, and forced to reconcile memories of a self he can no longer recognize.

SEATON’S ORCHID is available directly from Chiselbury, from Amazon and all good booksellers using ISBNs 978-1-908291-60-8 (Hardback), 978-1-908291-61-5 (Paperback) and 978-1-908291-62-2 (Kindle). If you would like a review copy please email info@chiselbury.co.uk.

For more detail, please visit www.seatons-orchid.com. To download hi-res images, please visit HERE