“I could not put Agnes, Murderess down. Gothic horror meets feminist history in this deceptively spare novel of a 19th century Scottish waif turned serial killer. Along the way, the characters and the reader alike are haunted by considerations of power stolen away and seized back, colonialism, loneliness, desire, obsession, friendship, and even love.”

ANNABEL LYON, author of
The Golden Mean and The Sweet Girl

“Agnes, Murderess haunted me in a way only brilliant stories can do. What a rich portrait of a mysterious and exceptional woman! Sarah Leavitt’s drawings are so delicate, fragile and beautiful that I feel for every single character in this book. I want to get them warm clothes and a bowl of soup. I wish them everlasting happiness and peace, but I am old enough to know that this is a childish wish that doesn’t make a great and epic tale like Agnes.”

 ANNA HAIFISCH, author of The Artist