THE DREAM WEAVERS
By Barbara Erskine (HarperCollins £14.99, 512 pp)
Sequestered away in a secluded cottage on the Welsh/English border, Simon Armstrong is attempting to work on a history of the ruthlessly ambitious Anglo-Saxon ruler Offa, but he s continually interrupted by doors banging and an eerie voice calling out the name Elisedd.
He enlists the help of Bea Dalloway, a sensitive soul who s adept at dealing with ghosts, to banish the bothersome visions.
But Simon finds himself enmeshed in a web of the ancient past, as his teenage daughter is haunted by scenes from the life of vengeful, murderous Eadburh, Offa s youngest daughter.