The Haunting of Hero's Bay: in conversation with Amanda Block

Join us at The Harbour Chapel in Dunbar on Monday, 10th November at 7.30 pm, when we'll be in conversation with author Amanda Block, discussing her new novel The Haunting of Hero's Bay. 

The event will include a Q&A with Amanda, followed by a book signing.

Order a copy of either The Haunting of Hero's Bay or The Lost Storyteller via this page for free entrance to the event. 

Alternatively, please select an 'entrance-only' ticket.

About Amanda Block:

Originally from Devon, Amanda Block moved to Edinburgh in 2007, where she attained a master’s degree in creative writing. Her work is often inspired by myths and fairy tales, which she uses as starting points to tell new stories. Amanda’s writing has been shortlisted in contests such as the Bridport Prize and the Mslexia Short Story competition. Her debut novel, The Lost Storyteller (Hodder), was published in 2021 and was a Waterstones Scottish Book of the Month. The Haunting of Hero’s Bay is her second novel, and will be published in October 2025.

About The Haunting of Hero's Bay:

The sea doesn't forget. It knows all of this has happened before. And will happen again...

1840

As a vast ship loses its way in the night-time mist, shattering against the cliffs of Crescombe, North Devon, a daring young artist dives into the murky sea. But it's not for heroism he is risking all: something - or someone - is drawing him into those dark, perilous waters...

By dawn, only his legacy will survive.

Now

When Finley arrives in Crescombe for the summer, he suspects he's not alone in his attic bedroom.

Before long, he is uncovering secrets the remote seaside town has kept for almost two centuries: about ghosts and curses, about a ruthless old smuggling family, and about the young women whose bodies have washed up along the town's rocky shoreline, just below his porthole window. Yet the more Finley learns, the further he's bonded to those who have gone before him - and the closer he comes to meeting the same watery end...

But this is not just a story about death. It's about love.

It's about fate. And how, ultimately, the past can pull you under . .

Hardback, 400 pages, published 9th October 2025.

About The Lost Storyteller:

Rebecca hasn't seen her father Leo since she was six. Her family never talk about him, and she has long since pushed him to the back of her mind. But when a journalist turns up asking strange questions, Rebecca starts to wonder whether there is more to Leo's absence than she realised.

Looking for answers, she unearths a book of fairy tales written by Leo and dedicated to her. Tentatively, Rebecca tries to piece together her father's life, and her mind keeps returning to the magical, melancholic fairy tales, which seem to contain more truth than make-believe. Are they key to unlocking the mystery of her father, the lost storyteller? Could they reveal who he was, what he went through - and even where he might be now...?

Paperback, 400 pages, published April 2022.

EVENT DETAILS:

Please note, copies of The Haunting of Hero's Bay will be available for collection/delivery from around publication day, 9th October 2025.

Please select 'local pick up' at the checkout if you would like to collect your copy/copies from Night Owl Books, or at the event. Alternatively, please select a Royal Mail option and we'll post your book(s) to you.

FAQs

- Will I be sent an e-ticket before the event?

Please note that we will have a guest list on the door on the night of the event, and you will not be sent an e-ticket for it - simply let us know your name/the name of the person who booked your ticket when you arrive, and we'll check you in! 

- Can I collect my book at the event?

Copies can be collected on the night at the event, or alternatively if you would like to read the book before attending copies can be collected or posted to you in advance.

A note on Covid precautions: if you feel unwell on the day, please err on the side of caution, and please take a lateral flow test before attending, if you can.