Fifteen-year-old Agnes Cotter, aka Aggie, always expected to
live the rest of her life in the village on the Eastern Edge, where
she grew up under the care of her Aunt Jennet, a recently retired
schoolteacher. Aggie has never questioned the rule of the
Ministration or the power of the divine beings --- the Birds. Aggie
and her Aunt Jennet, like many of the villagers, wear amulets as a
source of protection from the Birds of the Night and a symbol of
devotion for the Eagle, even though Aggie is fearful of his
absolute power. When the Master of Murkmere Hall, a member of the
Ministration, seeks Aggie to be a companion to his ward, she
accepts, seeing the job as an opportunity to improve her life and
that of her aunt's. Little does she realize just how difficult the
job will be.

When Aggie passes through the gates of Murkmere, she immediately
has an uneasy feeling as she sees the rooks nesting above her. She
continues to feel out of place when she meets the estate's steward
Silas Seed and the housekeeper Miss Crumplin, whose disdainful
remarks about Aggie's deceased mother Eliza makes Aggie
uncomfortable but curious to know more about the life her mother
had while working at Murkmere years before. Then Aggie meets the
mysterious Mr. Tunstall, the Master bounded to a wheelchair as the
result of a terrible accident, and his ward Leah. A moody, restless
girl who prefers to visit the mere and its swans every chance she
gets, Leah often eludes her sour-faced maid Doggett, aka Dog, who
quickly sees Aggie as an enemy rather than a friend.

Leah makes it clear that she would rather not have a companion or
be at Murkmere at all. When Aggie voices her concern about Leah to
the Master, she sees that the Master cares for Leah even though his
protectiveness makes Leah --- and later Aggie --- feel imprisoned
behind the gates of the estate, just as the Master himself seems to
be from behind the iron bars that restrain him in his wheelchair.
The Master's overprotectiveness, his rumored secret "blasphemous"
book collection, and the dangerous machine in the estate's
watchtower add to the mystery that surrounds Murkmere.

While Aggie settles into her new life, she soon discovers that the
devout charming Silas is not as dutiful as he seems and becomes
entangled in a deadly web of secrets and lies involving Murkmere,
the village, and even the Capital. As the celebration of Leah's
16th birthday approaches, Aggie realizes she must save Leah and
herself, or else be trapped in the mysterious Murkmere
forever.

MURKMERE is a well-crafted fantasy that teems with suspense,
intrigue and symbolism --- all the while remaining descriptive of
the haunting scenery that brings Aggie and Leah's story to
life.

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