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Night Babies
Not yet published
Expected 23 Apr 26'All my fears have vanished, and I realise now that my dreams were not nightmares but a sign of what was to come, how this will end. An inevitability.'
Things were looking up for Astrid Aspden and her partner, Kit, until their house flooded. With Astrid's first solo art exhibition just weeks away, her paintings are ruined and excitement has turned to despair.
She is thrown a lifeline when her best friend Flora invites her to stay in a run-down chapel she and her partner, Sim, are renovating in the Brecon Beacons. As Astrid and Kit settle into their new surroundings to salvage her work, they soon learn about the unsettling history of the chapel and what lies beneath the nearby reservoir.
As the weeks go by, tensions simmer between Astrid and Flora as sour memories flare up from their teenage past and deep wounds are laid bare from an ill-fated school trip to Florence. Her relationship with Kit begins to fray as the chapel and the surrounding hostile beauty of the valley begin to intrude on their lives.
Astrid throws herself into her work but the longer she spends in the chapel the more she begins to notice things: handprints on her paintings, shadowy figures reflected in the reservoir and voices whispering in the night. As the darkness of the Welsh valley closes in on Astrid, will she be able to run from the looming horror or be consumed by it?
Whether it is the past, the otherworldly, or the truth—they all haunt this menacing and claustrophobic novel.
Things were looking up for Astrid Aspden and her partner, Kit, until their house flooded. With Astrid's first solo art exhibition just weeks away, her paintings are ruined and excitement has turned to despair.
She is thrown a lifeline when her best friend Flora invites her to stay in a run-down chapel she and her partner, Sim, are renovating in the Brecon Beacons. As Astrid and Kit settle into their new surroundings to salvage her work, they soon learn about the unsettling history of the chapel and what lies beneath the nearby reservoir.
As the weeks go by, tensions simmer between Astrid and Flora as sour memories flare up from their teenage past and deep wounds are laid bare from an ill-fated school trip to Florence. Her relationship with Kit begins to fray as the chapel and the surrounding hostile beauty of the valley begin to intrude on their lives.
Astrid throws herself into her work but the longer she spends in the chapel the more she begins to notice things: handprints on her paintings, shadowy figures reflected in the reservoir and voices whispering in the night. As the darkness of the Welsh valley closes in on Astrid, will she be able to run from the looming horror or be consumed by it?
Whether it is the past, the otherworldly, or the truth—they all haunt this menacing and claustrophobic novel.
- GenresHorror
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2026
1 person is currently reading
174 people want to read
About the author
Lucie McKnight Hardy
19 books83 followersI am a writer of novels and short stories.
I grew up in West Wales and am a Welsh speaker. I have also lived in Liverpool, Cardiff, Zurich and Bradford, and have now settled in the far eastern reaches of Herefordshire, at the foot of the Malvern Hills, where I live with my husband, three children and other assorted creatures.
I have worked in the advertising, public relations and marketing industries, and have an MA in Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University.
I am represented by Donald Winchester at Watson Little.
I grew up in West Wales and am a Welsh speaker. I have also lived in Liverpool, Cardiff, Zurich and Bradford, and have now settled in the far eastern reaches of Herefordshire, at the foot of the Malvern Hills, where I live with my husband, three children and other assorted creatures.
I have worked in the advertising, public relations and marketing industries, and have an MA in Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University.
I am represented by Donald Winchester at Watson Little.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 11, 2026
After a house flood damages the paintings she needs for an upcoming exhibition, Astrid and her partner are invited to stay with friends. They take up residence in an abandoned chapel, and the cracks begin to show.
Right off the bat, I need to say that I found Astrid deeply unlikeable. She came across as genuinely selfish, unable to appreciate any kindness or effort made on her behalf. Around the 66% mark I actually had to take a break because I was so frustrated by her behaviour.
I really felt sorry for Flora, and Simeon, but mostly Flora. She seemed to be a very giving and generous person, consistently making an effort to ensure the happiness of others, without really receiving the same in return from Astrid.
The location and chapel setting, coupled with the artistic theme running throughout, were fantastic. I was hoping for a bit more horror. I felt a mild sense of dread at times, but it didn’t culminate in anything truly scary or even upsetting in my opinion.
I would recommend this to anyone who appreciates a slow burn and creeping psychological horror.
Thank you to John Murray Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Right off the bat, I need to say that I found Astrid deeply unlikeable. She came across as genuinely selfish, unable to appreciate any kindness or effort made on her behalf. Around the 66% mark I actually had to take a break because I was so frustrated by her behaviour.
I really felt sorry for Flora, and Simeon, but mostly Flora. She seemed to be a very giving and generous person, consistently making an effort to ensure the happiness of others, without really receiving the same in return from Astrid.
The location and chapel setting, coupled with the artistic theme running throughout, were fantastic. I was hoping for a bit more horror. I felt a mild sense of dread at times, but it didn’t culminate in anything truly scary or even upsetting in my opinion.
I would recommend this to anyone who appreciates a slow burn and creeping psychological horror.
Thank you to John Murray Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 7, 2025
Some books don’t creep up on you quietly. They barge straight in and start rearranging your head. Night Babies by Lucie McKnight Hardy is one of those. From the first few pages, there’s a pulse of unease, that low hum that tells you something isn’t right, and before you know it, you’re knee-deep in dread.
Astrid Aspden should be having her moment, her first solo exhibition, a fresh start with her partner, Kit. But life being life, there’s a flood, a pile of ruined paintings, and a desperate invitation to stay in her friend’s half-renovated chapel in rural Wales. What starts as a favour becomes a slow, exquisite unravelling.
The chapel, with its rotting edges and strange whispers, is a character in itself, one that doesn’t so much haunt Astrid as consume her. The landscape, too, plays its part: that wild Welsh beauty that appears picture perfect from afar but conceals something ancient and unfriendly beneath. Having walked parts of the Beacons myself, I could practically smell the damp earth and feel the cold air biting at the back of my neck. Hardy captures that kind of setting so precisely that it’s like she’s bottling dread.
Astrid’s mind starts to fray, and Hardy makes sure we feel every thread come loose. Her descent is brilliantly drawn; she’s disturbed, certainly, but the line between internal madness and external haunting is deliciously blurred. The tension between her and her old friend Flora, the echoes of their shared past in Florence, and the growing distance with her partner Kit, all pull at the seams of her sanity. Every relationship in the book feels taut, ready to snap, and when it does well, it’s not a clean break.
The horror here isn’t loud; it’s creeping, psychological, soaked in grief and guilt, the kind that gets under your skin, curls up somewhere dark, and stays there.
I read this via NetGalley, and I’m so sorry to say you’ll have to wait until April to get your hands on it, but trust me, it’ll be worth the wait. Creepy, claustrophobic, and gorgeously written, Night Babies is one of those rare reads that can make you question whether the horror is really in the house or in your own head.
Brooding, brilliant, and quietly devastating, the kind of book that seeps into your bones and doesn’t leave when you turn the last page. I’ll be hunting down everything Hardy has ever written.
Astrid Aspden should be having her moment, her first solo exhibition, a fresh start with her partner, Kit. But life being life, there’s a flood, a pile of ruined paintings, and a desperate invitation to stay in her friend’s half-renovated chapel in rural Wales. What starts as a favour becomes a slow, exquisite unravelling.
The chapel, with its rotting edges and strange whispers, is a character in itself, one that doesn’t so much haunt Astrid as consume her. The landscape, too, plays its part: that wild Welsh beauty that appears picture perfect from afar but conceals something ancient and unfriendly beneath. Having walked parts of the Beacons myself, I could practically smell the damp earth and feel the cold air biting at the back of my neck. Hardy captures that kind of setting so precisely that it’s like she’s bottling dread.
Astrid’s mind starts to fray, and Hardy makes sure we feel every thread come loose. Her descent is brilliantly drawn; she’s disturbed, certainly, but the line between internal madness and external haunting is deliciously blurred. The tension between her and her old friend Flora, the echoes of their shared past in Florence, and the growing distance with her partner Kit, all pull at the seams of her sanity. Every relationship in the book feels taut, ready to snap, and when it does well, it’s not a clean break.
The horror here isn’t loud; it’s creeping, psychological, soaked in grief and guilt, the kind that gets under your skin, curls up somewhere dark, and stays there.
I read this via NetGalley, and I’m so sorry to say you’ll have to wait until April to get your hands on it, but trust me, it’ll be worth the wait. Creepy, claustrophobic, and gorgeously written, Night Babies is one of those rare reads that can make you question whether the horror is really in the house or in your own head.
Brooding, brilliant, and quietly devastating, the kind of book that seeps into your bones and doesn’t leave when you turn the last page. I’ll be hunting down everything Hardy has ever written.
November 7, 2025
This was so creepy and disturbing. The atmosphere and setting made this book complete. The rugged landscape and natural beauty elevated this and just made the whole thing such a treat to read. The main character was deeply disturbed, pretty much from the outset, and her descent into 'madness' was perfect. All the peripheral characters were well written and 'fleshed out'. I loved everything about this book.
November 2, 2025
I was lucky enough to get my hands on a proof of this novel before its release next year at the same time as a visit to the Brecon Beacons, making the descriptions of this stunning location even more vivid. An incredible read full of brooding menace. The characterisation of the principal protagonist is developed in each chapter both as the story unfolds and as we glimpse into her psyche through flashbacks to a fraught school trip to Florence. The slow building horror made it impossible for me to put the book down and the gradual descent to the final conclusion was superb. A fabulous half term read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I love reading horror, even outside of October and I particularly enjoy stories which revolve around a haunted house, so I was excited to request Night Babies.
Astrid and Kit move in with their friends in their converted chapel overlooking a reservoir in the Brecon Beacons. But the longer they stay there, they begin to realise something may be wrong as they contend with whispering, weird dreams and behavioural changes…
The writing style of Night Babies is beautiful – as main character Astrid is a painter, she sees the world around her in a kaleidoscope of colour, with its beauty of shapes and edges and a need to paint everything in front of her to make sense of what she is seeing. This makes for beautiful, dark and unsettling prose which really, pardon the pun, paints a vivid picture of the setting of the chapel in the grounds of the reservoir. The narrative also alternates between the present day and flashbacks of a school trip to Italy with Astrid and her friend Flora. I liked how this flashback provided vital context to Flora and Astrid’s relationship, and more information about Astrid’s personality, decisions she has made throughout her life and the secrets she has held onto. I also enjoyed the way that Hardy keeps the reader off balance throughout – with an offhanded comment or flashback reveal that suddenly changes the entire framework that we have been viewing this story through.
Night Babies is a slow-burn horror, with emphasis on the slow burn. Although the entire book is darkly unsettling, I felt like I was constantly waiting for a twist or a reveal, and the middle of the book dragged and felt repetitive in places due to this. Although the events do build up to a shocking conclusion, I felt like I was actually left with a lot more questions than answers and the decision not to include a reference to Kit in the epilogue was an odd one – I was left wondering what happened in that side of the story.
Overall, Night Babies is a beautifully written and evocative horror, but it is a very slow-paced read and I was left with a lot of questions by the end. Thank you to NetGalley & John Murray Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For more of my reviews check out Kindig Blog
Astrid and Kit move in with their friends in their converted chapel overlooking a reservoir in the Brecon Beacons. But the longer they stay there, they begin to realise something may be wrong as they contend with whispering, weird dreams and behavioural changes…
The writing style of Night Babies is beautiful – as main character Astrid is a painter, she sees the world around her in a kaleidoscope of colour, with its beauty of shapes and edges and a need to paint everything in front of her to make sense of what she is seeing. This makes for beautiful, dark and unsettling prose which really, pardon the pun, paints a vivid picture of the setting of the chapel in the grounds of the reservoir. The narrative also alternates between the present day and flashbacks of a school trip to Italy with Astrid and her friend Flora. I liked how this flashback provided vital context to Flora and Astrid’s relationship, and more information about Astrid’s personality, decisions she has made throughout her life and the secrets she has held onto. I also enjoyed the way that Hardy keeps the reader off balance throughout – with an offhanded comment or flashback reveal that suddenly changes the entire framework that we have been viewing this story through.
Night Babies is a slow-burn horror, with emphasis on the slow burn. Although the entire book is darkly unsettling, I felt like I was constantly waiting for a twist or a reveal, and the middle of the book dragged and felt repetitive in places due to this. Although the events do build up to a shocking conclusion, I felt like I was actually left with a lot more questions than answers and the decision not to include a reference to Kit in the epilogue was an odd one – I was left wondering what happened in that side of the story.
Overall, Night Babies is a beautifully written and evocative horror, but it is a very slow-paced read and I was left with a lot of questions by the end. Thank you to NetGalley & John Murray Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For more of my reviews check out Kindig Blog
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5
One of the things I’ve noticed about McKnight Hardy is her talent for writing, shall we say, difficult as well as unlikable characters and making them completely compelling. Night Babies is no different in that regard.
Here we are introduced to Astrid Aspden and Kit, her partner. Weeks away from her first art exhibition, calamity strikes and her paintings are ruined in an unexpected accident of sorts.
Luckily, her best friend Flora throws the couple a lifeline in the form of a refurbished chapel she and her husband are renovating, hoping to rent it out as a retreat. The chapel has a dark history — so do Flora and Astrid. When unexpected and tragic news arrives, an already frayed situation begins to unravel at a rapid rate.
Hardy also excels at crafting almost painful, deeply uncomfortable tension between characters and an atmosphere so thick it can be cut with a knife. Night Babies has this in abundance.
Admittedly, there is perhaps a touch too much foreshadowing in this novel, and for fans of classic horror, it is fairly easy to see how things will go. The fun, however, is in the journey, and it is quite the jaunt.
Recommended.
With thanks to John Murray Press for the ARC.
One of the things I’ve noticed about McKnight Hardy is her talent for writing, shall we say, difficult as well as unlikable characters and making them completely compelling. Night Babies is no different in that regard.
Here we are introduced to Astrid Aspden and Kit, her partner. Weeks away from her first art exhibition, calamity strikes and her paintings are ruined in an unexpected accident of sorts.
Luckily, her best friend Flora throws the couple a lifeline in the form of a refurbished chapel she and her husband are renovating, hoping to rent it out as a retreat. The chapel has a dark history — so do Flora and Astrid. When unexpected and tragic news arrives, an already frayed situation begins to unravel at a rapid rate.
Hardy also excels at crafting almost painful, deeply uncomfortable tension between characters and an atmosphere so thick it can be cut with a knife. Night Babies has this in abundance.
Admittedly, there is perhaps a touch too much foreshadowing in this novel, and for fans of classic horror, it is fairly easy to see how things will go. The fun, however, is in the journey, and it is quite the jaunt.
Recommended.
With thanks to John Murray Press for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Night Babies is a deeply unsettling and atmospheric read that lingers long after you’ve turned the last page. Lucie McKnight Hardy is a master at blending psychological horror with a creeping sense of dread, creating a story that feels both intimate and terrifying. The writing is sharp and evocative, it pulls you into a world where paranoia thrives.
The novel excels at building tension, every chapter feels like a slow descent into something dark and unknowable. It’s genuinely psychologically scary in places, but not because of cheap shocks, it's haunting and disturbing.
One lingering frustration: though it also adds to the book’s eerie ambiguity.
Thanks to Netgalley and John Murray Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The novel excels at building tension, every chapter feels like a slow descent into something dark and unknowable. It’s genuinely psychologically scary in places, but not because of cheap shocks, it's haunting and disturbing.
One lingering frustration: though it also adds to the book’s eerie ambiguity.
Thanks to Netgalley and John Murray Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Not sure what to make of this. It’s undeniably well written, and it captures the Powys landscape and the atmosphere of Bannau Brycheiniog very convincingly. But the problem is if you’ve got any sort of background in horror there is nothing new here. The overall shape of the story is obvious from about fifty pages in, and it becomes frustrating waiting for the twists and upheavals you know are coming. Hardy is clearly inspired by old masters like M.R.James, Algernon Blackwood, Arthur Machen and more recently the likes of Ramsey Campbell and Andrew Michael Hurley, but she seems content to reproduce these influences rather than than build on them. It’s like watching a tribute band - it’s well done and you’ll enjoy the hits, but maybe there’s another band doing something exciting and new in a smaller venue down the road.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I couldn't wait to get an advance copy of LMcH's new novel, so I'm hugely grateful to the publishers and to Netgalley for the ARC -- and having just finished it, I know that I'll be creeped out for a VERY LONG TIME. I am in awe of the way that LMcH can invoke the dread and uncanniness of what appears, at first, to be a perfectly 'normal' situation. She unravels the complexities of a woman's life and isn't afraid to take the reader into all the dark corners. It's horror, it's thriller, it's family drama. You have to be a brilliant writer to get that right, and she is, and she has. Highly, HIGHLY recommended.
November 22, 2025
Holyyyy shit I’m gonna need everyone to read this when it comes out. This is the type of horror I want to read, literary horror. This was a slow burn until it wasn’t and holy shit the ending!! Nothing prepared me for that.
Thanks so much to John Murray for my copy, review to come soon on insta!
Thanks so much to John Murray for my copy, review to come soon on insta!
December 18, 2025
Oh my days! What a creepfest. So many eerie elements coming together. Foreshadowing for days. It felt like the evil was alive and creeping closer. So claustrophobic!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews