August 07, 2024
Get your first look inside the Target adaptation of the Season 1 adventure, released 8th August 2024.
Today marks the release of four novelisations of the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday's onscreen adventures. Space Babies, 73 Yards and Rogue all join the Target range of novelisations, while The Church on Ruby Road also gets an additional paperback release.
To celebrate the release of Rogue, written by Kate Herron and Briony Redman, you can read an exclusive excerpt from the novelisation below. There are also extracts from Space Babies and 73 Yards available to read here and here.
Get your copy of Rogue, written by Kate Herron and Briony Redman, in paperback or audiobook here.
Alice the housekeeper walked at a pace, trying not to make eye contact with guests as she went.
This wasn’t a matter of shyness. She simply understood that locking eyes with a guest would invite conversation and any conversation with a friend of the Duchess would result in a ‘small’ request (which was never small and never not
annoying).
For the last hour, one of these ‘small’ requests had been to find Daphne, the Duchess’s lady-in-waiting. Daphne, she assumed, was probably off with Lord Barton (again), or some other terrible five-foot-nine-sized choice that the young women on her staff continually seemed to make.
Alice felt her shoulders drop as she headed up the grand staircase to the second floor. She had been saving the quiet part of the house for the end of her search. A reward after the loud party below.
Samuel, the butler, passed her. By the expression on his face, she could see he was also counting down the minutes till the carriages left and all that would be heard was the ticking of the clock.
‘You seen Her Grace’s lady-in-waiting?’ Alice asked. ‘She was sent for by the Duchess, over an hour ago.’
Samuel smiled warmly at her. ‘Probably hiding. Wise girl. I’ve been told to find a juggler. How?’
They both laughed. She liked Samuel, a lot. Sometimes she fantasised about the Duchess and her merry-go-round of friends perishing suddenly, leaving her to run the manor with Samuel. It would be perfect.
Such fantasies would have to wait, thought Alice, as she continued to the second floor. It was, to Alice’s delight, extremely quiet. She walked down a long and dark corridor. The orange glow of the candles lit up the walls, illuminating the garish pictures that the Duchess claimed were art. The rest of the space fell into shadow.
‘Daphne?’ Alice called, hoping that a door would fly open and Daphne stumble out. But there was no such response.
Then … a creak from behind her.
Alice turned. No one. ‘Daphne, if you’ve “fallen asleep” in Her Grace’s bed again, you will not hear the end of it!’
No response. Alice tsked to herself. There was something wrong with this younger generation, something deeply rotten, she couldn’t—
Her thoughts stopped. Dead.
In the shadows, ahead, Alice could see the shape of something. Something almost human.
‘Daph?’ Alice’s voice trembled. The shadow did not respond as it darted back into the darkness. She was alone again. At least, so she thought.
Before Alice could turn around, a bird-like claw grabbed her. She tried to run but it was no use, and she was dragged back into the corridor.
Then it made its call – a piercing, otherworldly bird caw. The party guests below did not hear it, or Alice’s screams, over their fun, as the shadow on the second floor feasted.
Get your copy of Rogue, written by Kate Herron and Briony Redman, in paperback or audiobook here.
