The Hill in the Dark Grove

“A sumptuously written, dark meditation on aging, obsolescence, and the brutalizing march of time and progress . . . There’s something long buried in the mountains of North Wales; Liam Higginson expertly brings it all to the surface.”—Paul Tremblay, New York Times bestselling author of Horror Movie

“Steeped in history, anger and spirits . . . Higginson’s foreshadowing is subtle, his prose well constructed and his specificity exacting. . . . [An] impressive debut.”—The Times

“Gracefully and lovingly rendered with the heft of folklore, land, and history . . . evokes, in dazzling detail, the tribulations of everyday life and the grandeur of ancestry . . . bewitching.”—Gerardo Sámano Córdova, author of Monstrilio

“A slow-burning, reeking creep of a novel about eerie ancient places and dangerous interlopers . . . I loved it.”—Claire Fuller, author of The Memory of Animals

“[A] not-to-be-missed novel.”—Sunday Times Style

“Provides just the right combination of action, reflection and tension to accompany you through a long winter night. . . . [Blends] deep commitment to its setting—both material reality and the rhythms and changes experienced throughout the calendar year that forms its timeframe—with a lively, intriguing interest in the folklore and fantasy underpinning the characters’ lives.”—Financial Times

“Bleak but bracing . . . Higginson demonstrates remarkable tonal command of a structurally complex story, interweaving Welsh folklore and post-Thatcher regional history with a tender romance and moments of visceral and supernatural violence. . . . Higginson allows room for a variety of perspectives but keeps the focus on the powerful pull of the land, and the struggle to maintain ownership in ‘this place of hostile beauty.’ A sharply drawn, appealingly eerie tale of history, family, and companionship.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Hauntingly atmospheric, with undeniable charm at points and chilling sequences at others, Higginson’s debut is a wonderful new addition to the folk horror landscape.”—Booklist

“This darkly atmospheric novel is infused with centuries of Welsh history, myth and legend. . . . It’s a cracking, if creepy, read that left me hungry for more Welsh literature.”—Prospect magazine

“An intensely imagined and beautifully crafted novel about myth, memory, landscape, and the extraordinary, unworldly power of the deep past . . . powerful, inventive, and gripping to the very end.”—Ian McGuire, author of the Booker Prize–longlisted The North Water

“Eerie in a way that is rich and abides in the mind.”—Garrett Carr, author of The Boy from the Sea

“Evocative and deftly done; a book of echoes, haunted by the sheer vastness of time and landscape . . . a celebration of love’s persistence, a summoning of ancient lore, a superb debut.”—Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of Almost Life

“The Hill in the Dark Grove adopts familiar Welsh myths and tales -retold to build the scaffolding for Higginson’s unnerving saga. His compelling writing vibrates with unease through the intimacy of Carwyn and Rhian.”—Anthony Shapland, author of A Room Above a Shop

“Liam Higginson is a new talent in Welsh storytelling. Atmospheric, chilling, and incredibly touching, The Hill in the Dark Grove holds the reader in its arms and shows us how our stories, our objects and memories, are shaped and held by the land.”—Joshua Jones, Dylan Thomas Prize–shortlisted author of Local Fires