A presence dwells in the remote river valley of Barrowbeck. The first settlers in this northern English region sought refuge, knowing they would be at the mercy of its unpredictable moods – sometimes benevolent, often dark, even cruel. They revered its power, sent their shaman to negotiate a promise, and a covenant was struck: the newcomers were granted sanctuary so long as they remembered they were merely custodians of the land.
Andrew Michael Hurley’s folk-horror collection spans 2,000 years, following the residents of Barrowbeck, each generation toiling, struggling to live, shrugging off the strange events that visit the village. All the while, the covenant winds its way out of living memory; but not everyone forgets. The land is bewitched – children possessed, animals hexed, villagers clinging to strange rituals with no memory of their origins. The blame is always attributed to some outside, corrosive force – a passing Italian pilgrim, a travelling menagerie showman. But the presence knows – and so does the reader – a reckoning is coming.
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Hurley’s well-crafted tales have an unsettling, ominous quality, like a knock at the door on a dark evening – a stranger arriving at the hearth, thrilling the listener with stories from another world. Though described as Gothic horror, the writing leans more toward the supernatural than horror, made even more chilling by the parallels drawn to our own troubling times.
Many of the tales found in Barrowbeck emerged out of a series called Voices in the Valley, 10 short episodes commissioned for BBC Sounds. They feel rooted in the oral telling of folklore and mythology. Hurley’s growing body of work consistently immerses readers in a strong sense of place, and Barrowbeck is no exception. The landscape itself becomes the most persistent character, defined by the cold, the darkness, the remote setting and an ever-present sense of doom.
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Hurley’s latest novel offers an engaging introduction to the folk-horror genre, and with the dark evenings, new and old fans alike will find a variety of ways to immerse themselves in his storytelling. Publisher John Murray has re-released Hurley’s backlist, including The Loney, winner of the 2015 Costa First Novel Award. The film adaptation of his third novel, Starve Acre, is also available to watch on Apple TV+.
Charleen Hurtubise is the author of The Polite Act of Drowning
