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Black Toad: A British Gothic Psychological Thriller
★★★★★ “Rebecca meets The League of Gentlemen.”
★★★★★ “Riveting. Twisted. Darkly funny.”
★★★★★ “Great characters, killer pacing.”
In 1991, a mute boy vanished on Bodmin Moor.
Thirty years later, the village that buried the truth is still watching. Based on a true story, small town dread just got nasty.
When a forensic psychologist is sent to Trebrowagh — a remote Cornish village steeped in superstition and silence — he’s tasked with reopening a cold case no one wants The disappearance of a vulnerable boy last seen in the care of the Hawkey family.
The brief is simple. Re-interview the witnesses. Close the file. Help the village move on.
But Trebrowagh does not move on.
As the investigation deepens, memories fracture. Conversations repeat themselves. Voices surface where there should be none. The psychologist begins to suspect that the case isn’t just following him — it knows him.
Someone in Trebrowagh remembers who he really is.
And they’ll do anything to keep the past exactly where it belongs.
Told across two timelines that collide in devastating fashion, Black Toad is a darkly comic, psychologically charged British gothic thriller — atmospheric, unsettling, and rich with rural menace — perfect for readers who like their suspense smart, strange, and just a little bit wrong.
Thirty years of lies are about to surface.
And justice — like Trebrowagh — isn’t always just.
Buy now — and prepare to laugh in all the wrong places.
★★★★★ “Riveting. Twisted. Darkly funny.”
★★★★★ “Great characters, killer pacing.”
In 1991, a mute boy vanished on Bodmin Moor.
Thirty years later, the village that buried the truth is still watching. Based on a true story, small town dread just got nasty.
When a forensic psychologist is sent to Trebrowagh — a remote Cornish village steeped in superstition and silence — he’s tasked with reopening a cold case no one wants The disappearance of a vulnerable boy last seen in the care of the Hawkey family.
The brief is simple. Re-interview the witnesses. Close the file. Help the village move on.
But Trebrowagh does not move on.
As the investigation deepens, memories fracture. Conversations repeat themselves. Voices surface where there should be none. The psychologist begins to suspect that the case isn’t just following him — it knows him.
Someone in Trebrowagh remembers who he really is.
And they’ll do anything to keep the past exactly where it belongs.
Told across two timelines that collide in devastating fashion, Black Toad is a darkly comic, psychologically charged British gothic thriller — atmospheric, unsettling, and rich with rural menace — perfect for readers who like their suspense smart, strange, and just a little bit wrong.
Thirty years of lies are about to surface.
And justice — like Trebrowagh — isn’t always just.
Buy now — and prepare to laugh in all the wrong places.
297 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 20, 2025
27 people are currently reading
1579 people want to read
About the author
Tom Herrington
3 books12 followersTom Herrington writes dark, unsettling fiction rooted in folklore, memory, and the grotesque. His debut novel, Black Toad: A Gothic Thriller from Cornwall, blends gothic horror, black comedy, and rural crime — set in a moorland village where secrets fester and the past refuses to stay buried.
Currently, Tom is working on the sequel, along with a standalone Christmas ghost story set 200 years earlier on Bodmin Moor. Expect folkloric dread, psychological unease, and atmospheric storytelling that lingers.
He draws inspiration from writers like Daphne du Maurier, M.R. James, Shirley Jackson, and Andrew Michael Hurley. A fascination with strange weather, outsider psychology, and uncanny landscapes runs through all his work.
Tom divides his time between Sussex and Cornwall. He can usually be found walking coastal paths with a notebook in his pocket or researching lost rural folklore.
Currently, Tom is working on the sequel, along with a standalone Christmas ghost story set 200 years earlier on Bodmin Moor. Expect folkloric dread, psychological unease, and atmospheric storytelling that lingers.
He draws inspiration from writers like Daphne du Maurier, M.R. James, Shirley Jackson, and Andrew Michael Hurley. A fascination with strange weather, outsider psychology, and uncanny landscapes runs through all his work.
Tom divides his time between Sussex and Cornwall. He can usually be found walking coastal paths with a notebook in his pocket or researching lost rural folklore.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 6, 2026
4.5
*I received this book for free in a giveaway. Thank you to the author."
Only reasons it is not a true 5 star for me is I hate vernacular (even though this one was not as egregiously unreadable as others) and the last half was a bit outlandish imo.
That being said, I was kind of gripped even before the story started with the Copyright page where the author dunks on AI immediately. Gotta respect him for that.
I love the way this book is written, the story has twists, and it keeps you interested the whole time. Highly recommend to anyone who likes a dark mystery, that does have a bit of comedy to it to at least try to lighten the serious and dark things in the book.
Definitely will be reading the books to come.
*I received this book for free in a giveaway. Thank you to the author."
Only reasons it is not a true 5 star for me is I hate vernacular (even though this one was not as egregiously unreadable as others) and the last half was a bit outlandish imo.
That being said, I was kind of gripped even before the story started with the Copyright page where the author dunks on AI immediately. Gotta respect him for that.
I love the way this book is written, the story has twists, and it keeps you interested the whole time. Highly recommend to anyone who likes a dark mystery, that does have a bit of comedy to it to at least try to lighten the serious and dark things in the book.
Definitely will be reading the books to come.
February 17, 2026
I certainly wasn’t expecting this story to unfold the way it did. What begins as a mysterious but brutal narrative spirals into an equally brutal conclusion, leaving you feeling deeply unsettled long after finishing. It’s an incredibly effective exploration of morality, playing with - and at times subverting - the traditional revenge narrative to great effect.
Herrington really succeeds in crafting a story that forces the reader to question their own sympathies and judgments, blurring the line between justice and cruelty.
What I found particularly interesting was the novel’s classification as Gothic. While it may lack some of the more traditional Gothic conventions, there’s no denying the modernisation of the genre that Herrington achieves here. I didn’t fully recognise it at first, but by the end it became clear how the story is built around bleakness, memory, and psychological unease, leaving you in a strange space between satisfaction and discomfort.
The ties to the Cornwall moors further enhance that Gothic atmosphere. However, I did find myself wishing for slightly richer descriptive detail in these moments, as a stronger sense of place could have heightened the eerie tone and elevated the novel even further.
Thoroughly enjoyed this and I’ll certainly be returning to Herrington’s work in the future!
Herrington really succeeds in crafting a story that forces the reader to question their own sympathies and judgments, blurring the line between justice and cruelty.
What I found particularly interesting was the novel’s classification as Gothic. While it may lack some of the more traditional Gothic conventions, there’s no denying the modernisation of the genre that Herrington achieves here. I didn’t fully recognise it at first, but by the end it became clear how the story is built around bleakness, memory, and psychological unease, leaving you in a strange space between satisfaction and discomfort.
The ties to the Cornwall moors further enhance that Gothic atmosphere. However, I did find myself wishing for slightly richer descriptive detail in these moments, as a stronger sense of place could have heightened the eerie tone and elevated the novel even further.
Thoroughly enjoyed this and I’ll certainly be returning to Herrington’s work in the future!
February 17, 2026
Exceptional
Firstly, I must say thank you to Goodreads, where I won this kindle edition of Black Toad in a giveaway.
Black Toad is an exceptionally well written novel about a small town with terrible secrets. It tells the story of a missing boy from two separate timelines.
The descriptive language the author uses paints a detailed picture of this story every step of the way. It absolutely exceeded my expectations. With that being said, I do recommend checking trigger warnings. There is some graphic details that some may not be able to handle.
Much gratitude that the author and Goodreads made this book free to me!
Firstly, I must say thank you to Goodreads, where I won this kindle edition of Black Toad in a giveaway.
Black Toad is an exceptionally well written novel about a small town with terrible secrets. It tells the story of a missing boy from two separate timelines.
The descriptive language the author uses paints a detailed picture of this story every step of the way. It absolutely exceeded my expectations. With that being said, I do recommend checking trigger warnings. There is some graphic details that some may not be able to handle.
Much gratitude that the author and Goodreads made this book free to me!
February 15, 2026
Cruely to a child leads us on quite a tale of retribution. This was so well written. I did not suspect how it would end until the end.
October 20, 2025
I've kept this on my book shelf so I can go back and look again, there is something gritty and real here that I didn't quite get the first time as I was distracted and reading quickly , I should of spent more time with it and I will do in the future. This is good writing don't rush it
June 17, 2025
brilliant, clever, witty and wonderful! love this book, a real page turner!
November 9, 2025
This is written very well, there are some beautiful sections of description. However, it is very dark, and it gets darker as it goes. I would actually almost call it horror rather than thriller.
November 19, 2025
If your idea of Cornwall is clotted cream, fishing harbours and jolly folk -think again as Tom Herrington exposes the dark, sinister underbelly of the county and weaves a tale so imaginative and beguiling with such appalling characters set in an atmospheric hinterland of revenge and disbelief you will be visually transported to another world - as I was until the very last page.
January 29, 2026
ummmm
no
no
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews