Although nominally crime fiction, it is only so in the most abstract sense. The disappearance of a little girl is just the catalyst for a darkly hilarious and relentlessly misanthropic take on the human condition and its general lack of empathy. Our narrator is a completely unsympathetic, alcoholic misogynist who can barely tolerate his wife, daughter or mistress. At first he appears merely insensitive towards the murder of a local child, yet as the story progressed we begin to suspect he may be more deeply involved than he is admitting. Meanwhile the wife, anticipating our modern day internet sleuths, becomes inappropriately obsessed with the case, stalking the family with her catatonic, psychologically-damaged daughter in tow. Nobody come out of this novel well, but I love it for the relish with which it exposes our worst flaws. It also still has something relevant, if unpleasant, to say about life in little Britain.
From the Booker-shortlisted author of Great Granny Webster, this twisted modern classic is perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson and Celia Dale.
'One of the greatest, darkest writers who ever lived' Virginia Feito 'This chillingly profound story drips with classy darkness. . . a one-way descent into the abyss' Janice Hallett 'A dark masterpiece' Camilla Grudova 'I absolutely loved this . . . Creepy, atmospheric and dark as a village green at midnight' Alice Slater 'A devastating investigation of neurosis, hysteria and cruelty' Observer 'I read it with wide eyes and unsavoury glee' Sunday…
From the author of 'Black Narcissus', 'The Diddakoi' & 'The Dolls' House', this coming of age tale with a macabre twist does not seem to have garnered as much attention as some of the author's other works, but I liked it a lot. A family of English children plan an extended holiday in France, but once mother gets sick on the train they are put up in a hotel (with an orchard) & left to fend for themselves. The narrator, 13 year old Cecil, experiences culture shock, her first period & a growing jealousy of her older sister who attracts the attentions of a suave, older English gentleman (who might not be all he seems). The tone lies somewhere between 'The Railway Children' & one of Gaston Leroux's detective novels, nostalgia as a wistful dream turned a little sour.
Following on from her excellent collection 'All The Fabulous Beasts', this novella tunnels more towards folk horror than fairytale gothic. It's a coming of age fable, focusing on the experiences of a young boy whose family reluctantly relocate from the city to the open countryside...yet open to what? The rugged, unfamiliar landscape itself soon becomes a central character as well as a confidant to Gideon as he struggles to adjust to this new way of life (and his budding sexuality). The tone vaguely reminded me of Thomas Hardy, yet I found more similarities with the cinema. This could almost be Robert Eggers 'The VVitch' re-imagined with a male protagonist or one of those defiantly earthy fairytales from East European directors: 'Beauty And The Beast' by Juraj Herz or 'Three Wishes For Cinderella' by Václav Vorlíček. Folklore as escapist revenge fantasy.
Winner of the 2019 Shirley Jackson Novella Award Winner of the 2020 BFS Award
Acclaimed author Priya Sharma transports readers back in time with Ormeshadow, a coming-of-age story as dark and rich as good soil.
Burning with resentment and intrigue, this fantastical family drama invites readers to dig up the secrets of the Belman family, and wonder whether myths and legends are real enough to answer for a history of sin.
Uprooted from Bath by his father's failures, Gideon Belman finds himself stranded on Ormeshadow farm, an ancient place of chalk and ash and shadow. The land crests the Orme,…
The Ominous Omnibus…two ‘AfterWitch’ books in one!
AFTERWITCH Felicity ‘Tea’ Greene is a new kind of witch, an ‘AfterWitch’, although she may not yet know it. Living in the isolated village of Blight, Tea feels bored and frustrated, yet every time she attempts to leave something goes wrong. At first the reasons appear accountable, mundane. Yet, after a while, Tea begins to suspect she is being made a prisoner. Could there really be an occult conspiracy to prevent her from leaving the village or are her fears unfounded, triggered by her mental health issues? ‘AfterWitch’ is a new kind of witch story - a teenager’s struggle for identity and her fight against the oppressive forces who want to ‘take back control’.
AFTERWITCH IN THE CITY Ten years have passed since Tea Greene was forced to flee her rural hometown for the big city. She has spent that time building a new life, but can she ever truly escape the past? After all, if she has made such a clean break, why does she feel compelled to reach out to her estranged cousins, reclusive twins once referred to by the family as ‘The Indoors Children’? It’s not as if she ever enjoyed her childhood visits. In fact, Tea has the vague impression something bad once happened to her whilst there. Wasn’t their house supposed to be haunted? Whispers of a ghost in ‘The Unpainted Gallery’? As Tea battles to piece together long buried memories, and master the triggers to her mental health, she begins to realise the only way forward is to go back to the beginning one final time. To confront whatever so frightened her in the first place…
