19世紀末，信仰與科學的衝突已張開血盆大口。拿下多項大獎的瑰麗小說即將登上小螢幕。甫搬至艾塞克斯的業餘博物學者和虔誠的教區牧師出於不同的信念，一心找出傳說中嗜人巨蛇的真相，而過程與真相又會將分別代表理性思維和信仰力量的兩人推往何處？'A blissful novel of unapologetic appetites ... here is a writer who understands life' JESSIE BURTON, author of THE MINIATURISTLondon, 1893. When Cora Seaborne's controlling husband dies, she steps into her new life as a widow with as much relief as sadness.Along with her son Francis - a curious, obsessive boy - she leaves town for Essex, in the hope that fresh air and open space will provide refuge. On arrival, rumours reach them that the mythical Essex Serpent, once said to roam the marshes claiming lives, has returned to the coastal parish of Aldwinter. Cora, a keen amateur naturalist with no patience for superstition, is enthralled, convinced that what the local people think is a magical beast may be a yet-undiscovered species.As she sets out on its trail, she is introduced to William Ransome, Aldwinter's vicar, who is also deeply suspicious of the rumours, but thinks
