' W hen I found Rice's work I absolutely loved how she took that genre and (...) made it feel so contemporary and relevant' Sarah Pinborough, bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes ' Rice wrote in the great tradition of the gothic' Ramsey Campbell, bestselling author of The Hungry Moon Herod Antipas rules Galilee, Pontius Pilate is the new Roman governor of Judea, and the Roman Empire rules the world. These are turbulent times for Israel, a troubled land of turmoil and insurrection. Now in his thirtieth year, Jesus and his tight-knit family endure a long, dusty winter of disruption and chaos. Whispers of his virgin birth still persist, and while he struggles with the demands of his family and the weight of his great destiny, those around him wait for some sign of the path he will take. But this quiet man of Nazareth is instead called upon to found a ministry which will utterly transform an unsuspecting world ...