Timeless Mysteries…

Whether you’re a longtime lover of noir and intrigue or discovering Hemlock & Ivy for the first time—welcome to a world where every page holds a secret.

Hemlock & Ivy Publishing was first established in 1924, nestled in the fog-draped lanes of London. Founded by Reginald Barclay, a reclusive bibliophile and former rare manuscripts dealer, the publishing house earned a modest reputation for publishing darkly elegant tales—mysteries whispered through candlelit corridors, gothic romances that lingered in memory, and thrillers wrapped in scandal. Its symbol, the entwined hemlock and ivy, became a quiet mark of literary distinction.

But as the decades passed, the world changed. The press, once favored by secretive authors and discerning readers, fell into disrepair. The last publication was printed in 1952. With its founder presumed dead and the archives lost to time, Hemlock & Ivy slipped into obscurity—spoken of only in rare book circles and literary footnotes.

A Revival with Purpose

Nearly a century later, author Sandra Wach stumbled across a reference to the forgotten publishing house while researching a manuscript for her fictional book. What began as a curiosity became a calling. With a reverence for the past and a bold eye toward the future, Sandra breathed life back into Hemlock & Ivy, reimagining it not as a relic, but as a home for stories that stir the soul and ignite the mind.

Under her guidance, Hemlock & Ivy now publishes timeless mysteries, atmospheric thrillers, and literary works that echo with secrets and suspense. The name may be vintage—but the stories are as fresh, fierce, and unforgettable as ever.

Welcome to Hemlock & Ivy Publishing.


Founder: Reginald Emmerson Barclay (1871–1952)

A former rare manuscript dealer with a penchant for secrecy and scandal, Reginald Barclay was both gentleman and ghost—known in elite literary circles but rarely seen in public. Born into old money but disenchanted with society, he chose to hide away in his London estate, where he built a modest empire of forgotten voices and forbidden tales.

Fascinated by the power of language to expose or conceal, Barclay founded Hemlock & Ivy in 1924 with the intention of publishing works “not meant for the faint or the fashionable.” His press specialized in atmospheric mysteries, tragic romances, and controversial thrillers—books whispered about more than reviewed.

He was known for writing cryptic rejection letters, wearing velvet house coats at all hours, and claiming to have once outbid Aleister Crowley for a cursed first edition. When he vanished in 1952, many assumed he had faked his death—just one final plot twist in a life full of them.

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