The Last Handmaid
the unmissable gothic suspense from the award-winning author of People of Abandoned Character
The Last Handmaid
the unmissable gothic suspense from the award-winning author of People of Abandoned Character
Buying pre-order items
Ebooks and Audiobook
You will receive an email with a download link for the ebook or audiobook on the publication date.
Payment
You will not be charged for pre-ordered books until they are available to be shipped. Pre-ordered ebooks will not be charged for until they are available for download.
Amending or cancelling your order
For orders that have not been shipped you can usually make changes to pre-orders up to 72 hours before the publishing date.
Payment for this pre-order will be taken when the item becomes available
Description
There's more than one way to feed her hunger.
'An evocative and unsettling tale ... Chilling and thought-provoking' ANNA MAZZOLA, author of The Clockwork Girl
'Richly-drawn and atmospheric.... Whitfield is a masterful storyteller who shines a light on the darkest of themes' NIKKI MARMERY, author of Lillith
THE HANDMAID
Hungary, 1604. Orphaned and alone, Catalina arrives at Csejte Castle with no protection and no power. It is a place of shifting loyalties, and girls who displease the household simply vanish. Survival here depends on obedience – and silence.
THE COUNTESS
Catalina is summoned to serve Countess Erzsébet Báthory, a woman as volatile as she is feared. Only she seems able to soothe her moods, drawing Catalina into the Countess' private chambers and her interest in strange 'medicines'.
THE COMPULSION
As more girls disappear, Catalina knows there is a cost to staying alive. She must decide whether to try and escape her mistress' hunger, be consumed by it – or learn to feed it herself…
Inspired by the alleged most prolific female serial killer of all time, told through the eyes of their most trusted companion, this gothic historical suspense is perfect for fans of Carmilla and Weyward.
'A blood-tinged treasure of a novel… Clever and atmospheric.' SONIA VELTON author of The Nightingales Castle
'Capturing a sense of Gothic splendour tempered with humour and suspense. An epic in every sense' TOM MEAD, author of The House at Devil's Neck
Praise for Clare Whitfield
'Fast-paced and dark' ELODIE HARPER
'Brave and bold' ARAMINTA HALL
'A compulsive read' CAITLIN DAVIES
'An addictive, thrilling five-star read' ELENI KYRIACOU
'An exuberant and atmospheric read' THE TIMES
Accessibility Information
Additional accessibility information
- EPUB 3.0
- Conforms with the requirements of EPUB Accessibility Spec v1.1
- WCAG level AA
- WCAG v2.2 compliant
- accessibility@bloomsbury.com
Hazards
The publication contains no hazards
Support for non-visual reading
- No accessibility features offered by the reading system, device or reading software are disabled or otherwise unusable with the product
- Has alternative text descriptions for images
Visual adjustments
Appearance of the text and page layout can be modified according to the capabilities of the reading system (font family and size, spaces, as well as color of background and text)
Navigation
- Page list to go to pages from the print source version
- Elements such as headings, tables, etc for structured navigation
- All or substantially all textual matter is arranged in a single logical reading order
- Content is enhanced with ARIA roles to optimize organization and facilitate navigation
- Purposes of all links are made clear
Rich content
Language tagging provided
Product details
| Published | 05 Nov 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Ebook (Epub & Mobi) |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 384 |
| ISBN | 9781837930890 |
| Imprint | Head of Zeus -- an Aries Book |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |

























