Orphans Clara and Jacob Marley live by their wits, scavenging for scraps in the poorest alleyways of London, in the shadow of the workhouse. Every night, Jake promises his little sister ‘tomorrow will be better’ and when the chance to escape poverty comes their way, he seizes it despite the terrible price.

And so Jacob Marley is set on a path that leads to his infamous partnership with Ebenezer Scrooge. As Jacob builds a fortress of wealth to keep the world out, only Clara can warn him of the hideous fate that awaits him if he refuses to let love and kindness into his heart…

In , Vanessa Lafaye weaves a spellbinding Dickensian tale of ghosts, goodwill and hope – a perfect prequel to .Miss MarleyA Christmas Carol

‘A spellbinding Dickensian tale of ghosts, goodwill and hope’Mail on Sunday

Red‘Redemptive… a fitting legacy for a writer who is so sadly missed’

‘Evocative’Heat

‘Delightful’Sunday Mirror

‘A reminder of the power of kindness and love’Stylist

A ‘gem of a tale’Sunday Express

‘A beautifully written Dickensian tale’Candis

Daily Express‘Captivating … A beautiful and tender fable’

‘Fantastic’Good Housekeeping

My Weekly‘Ghosts, goodwill and hope on every page’

‘Lafaye masterfully brings the setting of 19th-Century London to life’Woman

Woman & Home‘Love, disappointment, kindness and greed all play their parts in this delightful companion piece to Charles Dickens’ ’A Christmas Carol

Yours‘A seasonal tale of kindness and goodwill that captures the atmosphere of Dickens’

Veronica Henry‘Exquisite’

Liz Fenwick‘A beautiful, warm, rich hug of a story and bittersweet reminder to embrace life and enrich others as you go’

‘Exquisite’ Veronica Henry Before there was…A Christmas CarolMiss Marley A seasonal tale of kindness and goodwill Praise for :Miss Marley