The Perfect World: A romance of strange people and strange places

"The Perfect World: A Romance of Strange People and Strange Places" by Ella M. Scrymsour is a late 19th-century novel that unfolds in the superstitious village of Marshfielden, where the arrival of cousins Alan and Desmond Forsyth sparks a series of unsettling events. The story introduces an isolated community gripped by an ancient "Curse" that targets outsiders, and as the cousins begin working in a local coal mine, their presence ignites both excitement and fear among the villagers. When a child vanishes, fueling suspicions against the newcomers and creating a frantic panic. More disappearances follow, escalating the tension as Alan and Desmond find themselves battling not just the villagers' paranoia, but also the strange and supernatural forces lurking within Marshfielden, turning their quest into a terrifying fight for survival.