<P><B>''Gothic, claustrophobic, and wonderfully dark'' </B><I>GUARDIAN</I> on Sam Hurcom''s Thomas Bexley novels..<B>.</B><br><br><B>The next stifling, atmospheric gothic crime novel following one of the world''s first forensic photographers - for fans of <I>The Woman in Black</I>, <I>The Silent Companions </I>and <I>Little Strangers</I>.</B><br><br>* * * * * * * *<br><br><B>1905</B>. A year after ''the affair'' in Dinas Powys, Thomas Bexley has become a drunkard and recluse, haunted by terrible visions of the dead. But when news of a spate of extraordinary kidnappings reaches him, Thomas is shocked to learn that his dear friend and former mentor, Professor Elijah Hawthorn, is the lead suspect.<br><br>Discovering a plea for help from Hawthorn claiming to have unearthed a gruesome conspiracy at the heart of the Metropolitan Police, Thomas embarks on a journey to prove Hawthorn''s innocence.<br><br>But wherever Thomas goes, he is followed by the dead, and as the mystery of Hawthorn''s di