DORSET author Kathleen McGurl's newest novel is an evocative and haunting story set in the parallel timeline of the Irish famine and present day.

Publisher HQ says The Girl from Ballymor is perfect for fans of Kate Morton, Lulu Taylor and Lucinda Riley and is said to have a historical atmosphere and deftly drawn characters making it a novel that readers won’t be able to forget.

As famine grips Ireland, Kitty McCarthy in Ballymor, 1847, is left widowed and alone. Fighting to keep her two remaining children alive against all odds, Kitty must decide how far she will go to save her family.

In present day Ballymor, Maria is researching her ancestor, Victorian artist Michael McCarthy – and his beloved mother, the mysterious Kitty who disappeared without a trace. Running from her future, it’s not only answers about the past that Maria hopes to find in Ireland. As her search brings her closer to the truth about Kitty’s fate, Maria must make the biggest decision of her life.

Kathleen McGurl lives near the sea in Bournemouth, with her husband, sons and cats. She began her writing career creating short stories, then she got sidetracked onto family history research.

She has always been fascinated by the past, the ways in which the past can influence the present, and enjoys exploring these links in her novels.

See kathleenmcgurl.com for more information, or follow her on Twitter @KathMcGurl.

*The Girl from Ballymor, published by HQ, paperback £7.99 / eBook £8.99 / audio download £12.99. Available now.