by George Mann (Author)
After losing her job and her partner in one fell swoop, journalist Elspeth Reeves is back in her mother's house in the sleepy village of Wilsby-under-Wychwood, wondering where it all went wrong. Then a body is found in the neighbouring Wychwoods: a woman ritually slaughtered, with cryptic symbols scattered around her corpse. Elspeth recognizes these from a local myth of the Carrion King, a Saxon magician who once held a malevolent court deep in the forest. As more murders follow, Elspeth joins her childhood friend DS Peter Shaw to investigate, and the two discover sinister village secrets harking back decades.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 400
Edition: 1
Publisher: Titan Books
Published: 12 Sep 2017
ISBN 10: 1783294094
ISBN 13: 9781783294091
Though less explicit than in Mann's Newbury and Hobbes occult mysteries (The Executioner's Heart, 2013), there are some unexplainable events here that may have supernatural roots. Readers will be as interested in discovering what's next for Elspeth and Peter as they are to unravel the mysteries of the forest. -- Booklist
An ancient pagan legend concerning a murderous mage casts its dark shadow over contemporary events in this sinuous occult thriller....Mann's characters are well drawn, and the culprit's genuine occult powers add a frisson of the uncanny -- Publishers Weekly
A dark and menacing crime drama with just a hint of paranormal activity to keep the reader on their toes...Mann does a wonderful job of constructing his sleepy little English village. - Seattle Book Review & Manhattan Book Review
A fun read, with something for fans of the cozy mystery, the thriller, and the supernatural investigation genres. -- Anthony Cardno blog review