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Hard Luck Jenny
“You should pay your respects to Jenny.”
On a quiet road in the Scottish Highlands, Dennis Norris stops to use the bathroom in a quaint country inn. It’s been a long weekend, and all he wants is to use the facilities before continuing the five-hour drive home to his loving wife. But something seems off in The Rockarn Inn. The people there won’t let him leave.
Why is everyone so hostile towards him? What strange ritual has Dennis accidentally stumbled into? And just who is the mysterious Hard Luck Jenny everyone keeps talking about?
Soon, Dennis will find out. And the grim events of that long, desperate night will change his life… forever.
From David Sodergren, author of The Haar and Maggie’s Grave, comes a darkly comic anxiety-drenched folk-horror nightmare.
Hard Luck Jenny.
Love her. Worship her.
Die for her.
On a quiet road in the Scottish Highlands, Dennis Norris stops to use the bathroom in a quaint country inn. It’s been a long weekend, and all he wants is to use the facilities before continuing the five-hour drive home to his loving wife. But something seems off in The Rockarn Inn. The people there won’t let him leave.
Why is everyone so hostile towards him? What strange ritual has Dennis accidentally stumbled into? And just who is the mysterious Hard Luck Jenny everyone keeps talking about?
Soon, Dennis will find out. And the grim events of that long, desperate night will change his life… forever.
From David Sodergren, author of The Haar and Maggie’s Grave, comes a darkly comic anxiety-drenched folk-horror nightmare.
Hard Luck Jenny.
Love her. Worship her.
Die for her.
124 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 3, 2025
About the author
David Sodergren
21 books3,372 followersDavid Sodergren lives in Scotland with his wife Heather and his best friend, Boris the Pug.
Growing up, he was the kind of kid who collected rubber skeletons and lived for horror movies. Not much has changed since then.
His best known books include the gory and romantic fairy tale The Haar, the blood-drenched folk-horror Maggie’s Grave, and the analog-horror fever dream Rotten Tommy. David also writes under the pseudonym Carl John Lee, publishing splatterpunk
novels such as Psychic Teenage Bloodbath and Cannibal Vengeance.
Growing up, he was the kind of kid who collected rubber skeletons and lived for horror movies. Not much has changed since then.
His best known books include the gory and romantic fairy tale The Haar, the blood-drenched folk-horror Maggie’s Grave, and the analog-horror fever dream Rotten Tommy. David also writes under the pseudonym Carl John Lee, publishing splatterpunk
novels such as Psychic Teenage Bloodbath and Cannibal Vengeance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 257 reviews
March 20, 2026
omg this book gave me the best kind of anxiety!!!! This was insane and had some seriously funny moments too😅 That ending broke my heart though💔 poor Dennis 💔
David never misses and I hope he never does💖 My fav horror author for a reason 🙌
David never misses and I hope he never does💖 My fav horror author for a reason 🙌
April 3, 2026
Once a month Dennis Norris makes the six-hour drive to spend the weekend with his elderly mother. On his way home on one of those weekends, a fallen tree in the road forces him to make a diversion. Having a weak bladder and desperate to use the bathroom, he comes across a small isolated village; the only place with any sign of life is the pub—The Rockarn Inn.
Shortly after entering to use the facilities, Dennis notices he has stumbled into the wake of a man named Colin; the pub is packed with people claiming to know Colin. Also present is the oddly attired widow Jenny, who Dennis learns from mourners is known as Hard Luck Jenny due to her recent bout of bad luck. It isn't long before he realises everyone seems a bit... weird. Not only that, but they won't let him leave.
This was pretty funny; I found myself chuckling quite a lot in the first half. It was a little bit silly and didn't take itself too seriously. Poor Dennis just wanted to go home; at the beginning he does the very British thing of trying to be really polite about it all and then tries a different tactic of playing along for a while. You can feel his patience, anxiety and fear building up to snapping point.
Maybe we could have been given some background regarding why Jenny and the villagers were like they were, which was all shrouded in mystery. That said, sometimes things are more ominous and eerie being left unknown—in this regard, it worked quite well in its novella form; any longer, probably not so much. It was short, punchy and had a little hint of foreshadowing together with a good dose of gory horror. The ending was utterly bleak, which my horror-addled brain liked. A decent enough quick read with snippets of dark humour woven throughout.
Rating it 3.5/5.
Shortly after entering to use the facilities, Dennis notices he has stumbled into the wake of a man named Colin; the pub is packed with people claiming to know Colin. Also present is the oddly attired widow Jenny, who Dennis learns from mourners is known as Hard Luck Jenny due to her recent bout of bad luck. It isn't long before he realises everyone seems a bit... weird. Not only that, but they won't let him leave.
This was pretty funny; I found myself chuckling quite a lot in the first half. It was a little bit silly and didn't take itself too seriously. Poor Dennis just wanted to go home; at the beginning he does the very British thing of trying to be really polite about it all and then tries a different tactic of playing along for a while. You can feel his patience, anxiety and fear building up to snapping point.
Maybe we could have been given some background regarding why Jenny and the villagers were like they were, which was all shrouded in mystery. That said, sometimes things are more ominous and eerie being left unknown—in this regard, it worked quite well in its novella form; any longer, probably not so much. It was short, punchy and had a little hint of foreshadowing together with a good dose of gory horror. The ending was utterly bleak, which my horror-addled brain liked. A decent enough quick read with snippets of dark humour woven throughout.
Rating it 3.5/5.
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August 28, 2025My new novella Hard Luck Jenny is out October 3rd 2025! It's pure awkward anxiety wrapped up in a darkly comic folk-horror cocoon. I hope you enjoy it.
January 27, 2026
A quick, entertaining read with a dark as hell ending! It kind of reminded me of the movie Dead End in a way.
January 18, 2026
Ooh, this was a skeevy affair. Our lead, Dennis, has some awfully shit luck. Like some of the worst I’ve seen. Just wanted to get home to his wife. And, by God, he was pulled into all sorts of horrific shenanigans. Our antagonist, Hard Luck Jenny, is nuttier than squirrel shit, too. The whole situation went from bad to worse, leaving the reader wondering what the bloody hell was going on. Plenty of intrigue, with some purposeful loose ends left open, but enough tightened up to bring this story full-circle. David Sodergren is one of my favorite authors. And the way he develops his stories, each unique in its own way, perfectly balancing the horror elements, character development, and each plot point is a sight to behold. Not an easy feat, but he always manages to do it. This is yet another strong showing from the author.
October 14, 2025
This gets five stars for making me feel dirty and disgusted , and for the great slam bang writing that Sodergren always delivers in his work. Turning that last page, mouth agape, I kept thinking to myself- what the fuck did I just read, and why, oh why, did I enjoy it so much! All kidding aside, David Sodergren is always a must buy, and he remains the only horror author who has ever received 5 stars from me for every book I’ve read by him. This is a sick, nasty tale that made me laugh out loud more than once, and I’m really not sure what that says about me. Lessons learned from this story- don’t go into strange countryside pubs to take a piss; take the wife’s advice and use the woods. And secondly, people are fucking crazy!
November 12, 2025
★★★
A strange and anxious story that captures discomfort better than most. From the opening scene there is a steady sense of unease, helped by the claustrophobic setting of a remote Highland inn and the unsettling behaviour of the people inside it. Sodergren is good at writing that creeping awkwardness where every conversation feels slightly wrong, and there are flashes of dark humour that make the tension worse in the best way.
It does lose its footing in the second half. The ritual and the town’s behaviour never feel properly explained, and the ending comes without much weight. Still, it moves quickly and has some sharp moments of panic and absurdity that stay with you. Not one of his best, but still recognisably his.
A strange and anxious story that captures discomfort better than most. From the opening scene there is a steady sense of unease, helped by the claustrophobic setting of a remote Highland inn and the unsettling behaviour of the people inside it. Sodergren is good at writing that creeping awkwardness where every conversation feels slightly wrong, and there are flashes of dark humour that make the tension worse in the best way.
It does lose its footing in the second half. The ritual and the town’s behaviour never feel properly explained, and the ending comes without much weight. Still, it moves quickly and has some sharp moments of panic and absurdity that stay with you. Not one of his best, but still recognisably his.
January 2, 2026
what a nasty book, i really enjoyed it!! it was genuinely disgusting and actually made me a little stomach sick by the end there. like what a sequence of events 😭
April 13, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Well, this is why my boyfriend and I have each other’s locations shared.
Well, this is why my boyfriend and I have each other’s locations shared.
February 28, 2026
That was wild! That ending was so messed up!
October 9, 2025
That ending was wild! Loved it! 😂
October 8, 2025
This is a an odd and grisly little gem. Loved it!
May 13, 2026
4,5*
Between this novella and Rest Stop by Nat Cassidy, there is no more pleasure to be found on road trips for me, just fear.
Dennis is on his way home and he also has a very small bladder that makes him pee way too often. He can also not pee just anywhere and is desperate to find a place to pee before his bladder explodes.
He thinks himself lucky when he finds a quaint country inn and decides to quickly go in to use their facilities. Just a quick pit stop and back on the road…. or so he thought.
Once he entered the inn, he noticed a really weird atmosphere and the place was full of people that look at him, talk to him and will not let him leave.
If this was your first David Sodergren book I am so sorry for all the nightmares you are about to have. This novella was straight up anxiety inducing, gory and disturbing in the best possible way.
This is peak folk horror. Think Midsommar. It was supposed to be a full length novel and I can see why the author decided to keep it a novella. The intensity and the reveals would have lost too much fuel if this story kept going.
The only thing I missed was knowing more about Jenny and get into her mind a little bit more.
Between this novella and Rest Stop by Nat Cassidy, there is no more pleasure to be found on road trips for me, just fear.
Dennis is on his way home and he also has a very small bladder that makes him pee way too often. He can also not pee just anywhere and is desperate to find a place to pee before his bladder explodes.
He thinks himself lucky when he finds a quaint country inn and decides to quickly go in to use their facilities. Just a quick pit stop and back on the road…. or so he thought.
Once he entered the inn, he noticed a really weird atmosphere and the place was full of people that look at him, talk to him and will not let him leave.
If this was your first David Sodergren book I am so sorry for all the nightmares you are about to have. This novella was straight up anxiety inducing, gory and disturbing in the best possible way.
This is peak folk horror. Think Midsommar. It was supposed to be a full length novel and I can see why the author decided to keep it a novella. The intensity and the reveals would have lost too much fuel if this story kept going.
The only thing I missed was knowing more about Jenny and get into her mind a little bit more.
November 21, 2025
review to come.
March 22, 2026
Not what I expected, and sadly what I got was really underwhelming. It's like , but duller, and the author himself mentions the former in the afterword.
It's a very frustrating read, and though a lot of it is very much on purpose to mirror the protagonist being royally fucked over, some of it just comes out of nowhere (no idea what any of the Nigel scenes were, he never amounted to anything. There was also another guy that I thought was Nigel, but nope, it's two different "bully" aggressive characters) The writing is very vague and confusing, and most of it just feels amateurish instead of deliberate.
Things just keep escalating but I couldn't bring myself to care about any of it, because I didn't really care about the main character. His only character traits are needing to pee a lot and being a people pleaser who's afraid to ever be assertive. I didn't feel anything for him. Of course there's pity, as is for every character that ends up in a horrible fate, but that's about it. We didn't really know him.
The ending was pretty good, However, I really disliked one aspect of it, and that was
Go read David Sodergren's Night Shoot, The Forgotten Island, Rotten Tommy. Not this.
It's a very frustrating read, and though a lot of it is very much on purpose to mirror the protagonist being royally fucked over, some of it just comes out of nowhere (no idea what any of the Nigel scenes were, he never amounted to anything. There was also another guy that I thought was Nigel, but nope, it's two different "bully" aggressive characters) The writing is very vague and confusing, and most of it just feels amateurish instead of deliberate.
Things just keep escalating but I couldn't bring myself to care about any of it, because I didn't really care about the main character. His only character traits are needing to pee a lot and being a people pleaser who's afraid to ever be assertive. I didn't feel anything for him. Of course there's pity, as is for every character that ends up in a horrible fate, but that's about it. We didn't really know him.
The ending was pretty good, However, I really disliked one aspect of it, and that was
Go read David Sodergren's Night Shoot, The Forgotten Island, Rotten Tommy. Not this.
December 28, 2025
Another winner from Sodergren. Really tense up until the point it goes mental. Loved it! Much shorter than his usual books but I do love a novella.
January 14, 2026
Quick, quirky, and gritty! Oh this makes me never want to pull over for a bathroom break ever again... that ENDING though... yikes! Love some folk horror with these comedic elements interspersed throughout as well.
January 1, 2026
This was my first book of the new year and it did not disappoint. Short, gory, and funny story about a man with some really bad luck after an encounter with “Hard Luck Jenny”after stopping at a bar for a quick pee. Fantastic Sodergren short story, well worth the read!
September 4, 2025
First, I want to thank David for an advance copy!
What can I say? Another 5 star book from Sodergren. This is just seeping with anxiety and dread and touched on so many of my own anxieties (and maybe made them even worse!)
Seriously a great and quick read that anyone that has ever experienced anxiety before should read!
What can I say? Another 5 star book from Sodergren. This is just seeping with anxiety and dread and touched on so many of my own anxieties (and maybe made them even worse!)
Seriously a great and quick read that anyone that has ever experienced anxiety before should read!
April 19, 2026
Well at least they didn't make him eat Haggis.
Poor Dennis get's diverted onto a Scottish country back road and that damn weak bladder of his means he has to stop at a teeny wee pub where the Scottish equivalent of Rednecks are having a booze-soaked wake. Only the bride seems more interested in who her next husband will be rather than mourning the last (deceased) one.
Okay, this novella put the weirdometer into the red zone, but great writing carries it to a four star conclusion...despite making me feel very uncomfortable. Now where's my 12 year old Lagavulin?
Poor Dennis get's diverted onto a Scottish country back road and that damn weak bladder of his means he has to stop at a teeny wee pub where the Scottish equivalent of Rednecks are having a booze-soaked wake. Only the bride seems more interested in who her next husband will be rather than mourning the last (deceased) one.
Okay, this novella put the weirdometer into the red zone, but great writing carries it to a four star conclusion...despite making me feel very uncomfortable. Now where's my 12 year old Lagavulin?
October 17, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
This one was such a fun ride. It’s a short novella, and I flew through it in about a day. It follows this guy named Dennis who stops at a little country inn in the Scottish Highlands just to use the bathroom before heading home to his wife. He unknowingly walks into a wake for a man he doesn’t know, and things start to get weird fast.
There’s this woman named Jenny, the widow, and from there the whole situation spirals into something strange, uncomfortable, and darkly funny. Dennis finds himself trapped in this inn, playing along with locals who feel a little off. The anxiety and awkwardness in those scenes were spot on. I could feel how uneasy it must have been for him. And even though it’s a creepy setup, there were moments that genuinely made me laugh.
Sodergren really nailed that mix of offbeat horror and humor. The whole story surrounding Jenny, her family, and the town was wild, and I loved how it all came together. The eerie Highland setting added so much to the story, and I love how the author always packs so much into a short page count. As per usual when it comes to David Sodergren’s work, please check all triggers before just jumping in. If you’ve read his more intense books, this one is still in the same ballpark when it comes to unease and intensity, just told through a quicker, sharper story.
This one was such a fun ride. It’s a short novella, and I flew through it in about a day. It follows this guy named Dennis who stops at a little country inn in the Scottish Highlands just to use the bathroom before heading home to his wife. He unknowingly walks into a wake for a man he doesn’t know, and things start to get weird fast.
There’s this woman named Jenny, the widow, and from there the whole situation spirals into something strange, uncomfortable, and darkly funny. Dennis finds himself trapped in this inn, playing along with locals who feel a little off. The anxiety and awkwardness in those scenes were spot on. I could feel how uneasy it must have been for him. And even though it’s a creepy setup, there were moments that genuinely made me laugh.
Sodergren really nailed that mix of offbeat horror and humor. The whole story surrounding Jenny, her family, and the town was wild, and I loved how it all came together. The eerie Highland setting added so much to the story, and I love how the author always packs so much into a short page count. As per usual when it comes to David Sodergren’s work, please check all triggers before just jumping in. If you’ve read his more intense books, this one is still in the same ballpark when it comes to unease and intensity, just told through a quicker, sharper story.
January 11, 2026
dennis and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day
April 24, 2026
Never trust a Jenny
October 4, 2025
Absolutely wild but I will eat up anything David writes, it’s always so good!
September 15, 2025
Review to come but HOLY. FUCK.
January 22, 2026
4.5
"Normally, fear and embarrassment were his default emotions, constantly jostling for supremacy. But in the face of this insanity, this torture, their weight lifted like the soul leaving a dead body, and in their place was a less familiar feeling… one that seemed to cloud his mind like an impenetrable fog. It was anger. It was fury. It was rage."
This was so hilarious and terrifying at the same time! Such an anxiety-inducing story that sometimes reminded me of Midsommar and mother!. I was cackling in my bed reading this, I was laughing so hard I cried 😂. I did not expect to be as invested in the story as I was, I loved seeing the main character descend into madness against his will. The people in this Scottish small town are insanely mad.
The ending was absolutely heartbreaking, I felt so bad for Dennis and it made me think of other bleak endings in horror movies/books.
I hope that Sodergren keeps using that kind of humor in his next stories, because it was perfectly catered to my taste!
"Normally, fear and embarrassment were his default emotions, constantly jostling for supremacy. But in the face of this insanity, this torture, their weight lifted like the soul leaving a dead body, and in their place was a less familiar feeling… one that seemed to cloud his mind like an impenetrable fog. It was anger. It was fury. It was rage."
This was so hilarious and terrifying at the same time! Such an anxiety-inducing story that sometimes reminded me of Midsommar and mother!. I was cackling in my bed reading this, I was laughing so hard I cried 😂. I did not expect to be as invested in the story as I was, I loved seeing the main character descend into madness against his will. The people in this Scottish small town are insanely mad.
The ending was absolutely heartbreaking, I felt so bad for Dennis and it made me think of other bleak endings in horror movies/books.
I hope that Sodergren keeps using that kind of humor in his next stories, because it was perfectly catered to my taste!
February 5, 2026
3 stars because I'm genuinely traumatised. This story sends you down a merry path with the first 80% being quite funny. The last few pages were awful and I wish I didn't read it before trying to sleep.
October 6, 2025
4.75 stars ⭐️ For only 105 pages this book packs a punch. Holy crap! This is cuckoo banana pants crazy! Nothing like being trapped and you can’t get out. So completely messed up. LOVED IT!
October 12, 2025
What a fun little chaotic story 😅
December 17, 2025
A well paced small town horror that reminds me of the movie “The Loved Ones”. I particularly loved the bleak ending.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 257 reviews