Greater Sins

A striking and atmospheric debut * THE TIMES *With her subtle use of dialect and plain yet evocative prose, Griffiths builds a haunting picture of a small, intense environment where isolation can breed solidarity and warmth as easily as superstition and exclusion. * FINANCIAL TIMES *The unearthing of a woman’s body in a peat bog during the first world war is the catalyst for a gritty tale of secrets, guilt and desire…What begins as a rural mystery becomes, instead, an affecting love story….Griffiths’ use of the vernacular vividly conveys the period…She writes well about forbidden desire, guilt and shame. * Observer *Greater Sins sets a beautifully atmospheric scene from its opening lines to its final moments … a compelling and powerful read. * PA MEDIA *Greater Sins is a glimmering debut. A muddy, pastoral fable written with an equal measure of beauty and morbidity. Completely enthralling. * Lucy Rose, author of THE LAMB *An atmospheric and assured debut * DAILY MAIL *A striking debut, filled with folkloric mystery and yearning. Griffiths’ prose is as elegant as it is perceptive. Read it, then read it again. * Amy Twigg, author of SPOILT CREATURES *Greater Sins has an extraordinary sense of place and time, written by an exciting new voice from Scotland. * Radio Times (Best Books 2025) *I absolutely raced through it! What a beautiful book. The prose is so lyrical and the structure so cleverly pulls the reader along * Hanna Thomas Uose, author of WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER *GREATER SINS is a haunting and extraordinary debut, which will stay with me for a long time. Set during World War One and told in tender, sinuous prose, this is a simmering tale of outcasts and buried secrets, love and redemption. An incisive look at power and gender, Griffiths explores not just the darker impulses we share, but how we can find connection in unexpected places. This novel had me feeling silt between my toes and looking for ghosts in every shadow. * Danielle Giles, author of MERE *Dripping with atmosphere, GREATER SINS is a hauntingly beautiful story, set in an isolated community. The writing is stunning; every phrase, every sentence is like poetry. And the characters - they’re complex, fascinating, and oh so relatable. A truly unforgettable read. * Fiza Saeed McLynn, author of THE MIDNIGHT CAROUSEL *Beguiling and elegiac, Greater Sins unravels a tale of mystery and longing in captivating, unfurling prose that completely absorbs you. A book to sink into. * Lucy Steeds, author of THE ARTIST *This atmospheric novel set in the early 20th century in the Cabrach, an isolated community in the north east of Scotland, is beautifully written. As the mystery of a woman’s body found preserved in the peat bog unravels, we follow a darkly lyrical tale packed with secrets, intertwined relationships and a smattering of folklore. The characters are so richly woven, and the harsh rural world they inhabit so compelling, I could almost feel the chill, and taste the drams. * Emma Cowing, author of THE SHOW WOMAN *An affecting love story. Griffiths grew up in Aberdeenshire and her use of the vernacular vividly conveys the period … she writes well about forbidden desire, guilt and shame. * OBSERVER *Set in 1915, the WWI context looms darkly in the background of this Cabrach-based story, but it is the folkloric (and pretty unsettling) mystery that takes pride of place. Griffiths grew up in Aberdeenshire herself, which of course shines through in the small details and keen sense of place. * Scottish Field *

Gabrielle Griffiths grew up in Aberdeenshire and now lives in Brighton. She was a Madeleine Milburn Agency mentee in 2021 and is a graduate of the Curtis Brown Creative novel writing course. Her short fiction has been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize.