Undine and Cross
Action-packed supernatural/cosmic horror in 1970s London
Note: all Undine and Cross books are stand-alone novels
Book 1. The Horror at Lavender Edge
London, October 1971
Reluctant psychic Harry Undine has problems.
Hippies would doubtless consider his sixth sense 'cool', but Undine fears and is ashamed of the soul-wrenching anguish his unwanted sensitivity brings. He is not the man he wanted to be.
Seeking a cure has become an obsession: a lonely quest more important than the paranormal research he is supposed to be carrying out as an investigator for the Corsi Institute.
The last person Undine needs in his life right now is Jo Cross – a young policewoman who visits the Institute determined to get help for a terrified old lady.
And the last place Undine should ever visit is the sinister house known as Lavender Edge – where something more ancient and more horrifying than any of them could imagine has already begun to stir.
... Henderson's tale manages to take all the very best things of a haunted house story then gives it all an almighty twist. [...] The other-worldly descriptions and the horrors they contain are truly the stuff of nightmares ... (Morgan K. Tanner)
... Henderson presents a wildly imaginative, terrifying antagonistic force of massive cosmic scope. [...] The Horror At Lavender Edge is fresh, original, and certainly worth a look ... (Home Grown Horror Reviews)
... Haunted house stories always get to me, always make me question the noises I hear outside of the bedroom while reading. What was that that just brushed my foot? Henderson does it with the best of them ... (Kendall Reviews)
... A thoroughly enjoyable read [..] If you enjoy supernatural fiction with lots of action you can't go far wrong with this one ... (Catherine McCarthy at Goodreads)
... I love this genre and haven't read any recently with as much character and heart as Lavender Edge. The story has many layers and the descriptive language is finely crafted to give a sense of real immediacy. Would definitely recommend giving this a read ... (Helen Culyer at Goodreads)
... I really enjoyed this book ... Great characters and location. The author makes you feel as if you are right beside the characters watching the horror unravel ... (Cindylou at Goodreads)
... grabs you and pulls you in from the very first page! The writing is smooth and polished and incredibly easy to read. The characters are well developed, quirky but relatable and likable - not in spite of, but because of their flaws. A very enjoyable read for any horror fan! ... (Nikki at Goodreads)
Book 2. The Church on Wormhill Street
London, April 1972
Six months have passed since the horrifying events at Lavender Edge. Paranormal investigator and reluctant psychic Harry Undine has finally gained some control over the sixth sense that plagues his life. At least, he hopes he has.
Ex-WPC Jo Cross now works with Undine and she is finding it more than a full-time job. Each month sees an increase in the reports of ghosts, poltergeists, flying saucers, and Lord-only-knows what else reaching the Corsi Institute's office in Shad Thames.
The world is a stranger place than Jo had imagined – but that strangeness is a welcome distraction from darker forces abroad in the city, where the ultra-nationalist Excalbion party is on a mission to Make England Great Again.
Then a mysterious charred corpse is found at the old Empire Textiles factory in a run-down area of Vauxhall. Is it a case of Spontaneous Human Combustion, or is the truth even more bizarre? And, out of all the weird goings-on to choose from, why does Undine feel compelled to investigate this incident in particular?
The Church on Wormhill Street is the second stand-alone novel in the Undine and Cross series.