The Drift

by Susannah Wise

Some moves are meant to bring you closer to family. Others uncover the truth you were never meant to know.

After the death of her wife Issy, grief-stricken Annie Park uproots her London life to honour her final raise Issy's teenage children in the wilds of rural Cumbria, in the shadow of the imposing Colthwaite Fell—and under the sharp eyes of Issy's secretive aristocratic parents.

At first, the village is merely unfamiliar. The rain is relentless, the locals are peculiar, and the pig with the half-melted face seems to haunt Annie's every step. But when she discovers the graves of disfigured girls and disturbing photo albums hidden in the family's ancestral home, it becomes clear that something deeply wrong lies at the heart of Colthwaite.

As Annie digs deeper—into a locked library, a missing relative, and Issy's own past—her grief begins to warp into suspicion. What did Issy really want for them? And why does everyone insist she stop asking questions?

Haunting, lyrical and bristling with unease, The Drift is a novel of buried secrets, unquiet ghosts and a woman on the edge of unravelling truth—from the acclaimed author of This Fragile Earth and Okay Then That's Great.

364 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2025

About the author

Susannah Wise is an actor and writer who grew up in London and the Midlands. A childhood spent outdoors inspired her love of nature and tree climbing.

The death of her father three years ago was the catalyst for her first novel. His preoccupation with astronomy and the beauty of the night sky formed the jumping-off point for the story.

Susannah studied at the Faber Academy, graduating in September 2018, during which time she wrote a second, more peculiar novel. Both books have been longlisted for the Mslexia Prize.

She lives in London with her partner and son.

Reviews

[Diane Elizabeth Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this tense slow burning thriller we meet Anna who moves her stepchildren to rural Cumbria to respect her late wife Issy's wish to be near her parents, only to find the countryside holds more menace than peace.
Though it starts gently, the tension quickly ramps up due to the in-laws strange behaviour and some very unsettling happenings. The excellently written narrative doesn't shy away from putting graphic images into your brain so this is not for the faint hearted!
As Anna digs for the truth, the sense of dread builds.
Are she and the children in danger? What is really going on? The unimaginable truth she uncovers will chill you to the bone and I was rooting for Anna the whole way.
This book will keep you questioning long after you turn the final page and the ending is wrapped up as neatly as a Tupperware box full of kimchi tied with a bow.

[Carol Keen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a long one, but it still held my attention. It is a slow-building story of a woman whose partner has died, and she has the kids now. She finds out that in the will and other last wishes, she is to take Grace and Caleb back to the tiny town where their father and grandparents live. Thus, Annie gives up her flat in Hackney and moves them to the remote countryside. One thing I like about British books and TV shows is that there is a lot of character, community building, and lots of descriptive countryside. Annie's in-laws are odd to a large extent, and things just keep not adding up. The town is creepy, or is it just holding onto whatever it can to survive? This mystery unfolds slowly, with a good bit of tension and drama. It's got some triggers in it, but nothing that upset me. It did feel like I had read or seen some of the plot, but yet, it held my attention and I finished it in three days. I would have finished it sooner if my schedule had permitted. It has a nostagical feel, but it also has a current feeling to it. I did have a few questions that weren't answered or addressed, which is why it's four stars. If you're looking for a complexed read with a few twists, lots of suspense and mystery, this book has that.

Thanks to Bloodhound Books for my digital copy of this book. This review is my own. Positive reviews es aer never required.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5


I'm not really sure how to sum up my experience of this book...

It was a very slow burner and took me a hell of a long time to finally get into it. It slowly caught my interest and then shouldered into intrigue. Once I was into it I really did enjoy it.

The ending was not what I was expecting and I'm not sure I particularly enjoyed it or was satisfied with how it finished. I felt a lot of loose ends and I will say I was expecting a very misleading ending which did not come. For such a slow read it ended pretty abruptly in my view and felt the majority of the book was essentially filler to leave you questioning.

Nowhere near a favourite read but still good nonetheless. Expect a slow drawing in, lots of scene setting, answers, then a rather abrupt ending that does not leave you satisfied in my opinion.

[Sonja Charters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the perfect book to add to my spooky season reads and my first read by this author.

I was drawn in by the front cover image which gave me creepy vibes - even though it really didn't give too much away....but with that tag line, I was sure it was going to get a little dark.

When Annie's wife dies, she follows Issy's last wish for them to move to Cumbria - back where she grew up - and let the children grow up close to their grandparents.

Straight away, I got a strange feeling about the village.
It was quite difficult to tell whether this was just because of Annie's portrayal and feelings of grift harbouring - but there were just too many strange things and this put me on edge.

I loved the way the author built up this creepy atmosphere and created tension which had me racing through the pages to find out exactly what was going on.

The setting was perfect as I felt this real conflict between what seemed like the idyllic and peaceful landscape and the brutality and wild nature of what was going on against that backdrop.

A great first read and I look forward to more from this author soon.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a thriller of a ride and I couldn’t put it down. When Annie’s wife Issy dies, she has instructions from Issy’s will that she must move herself and the step kids up to a small Cumbrian village where the in-laws live. Annie isn’t happy but she respects Issys wishes and leaves her London life behind.
From the start, things are strange and Annie tries to figure things out which also puts her life in danger.
I was really rooting for Annie and the kids. The rest of the characters were very unsavoury but I was so intrigued by what was going on, I had to get to the end. Things did turn a bit weird but it was a good weird!

[Alison Cairns · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Drift by Susannah Wise. This was a creepy read. Annie and her step children, teenagers Grace and Caleb relocate to the Lake Distract following Annie’s wife, Issy’s death. Issy left instructions for Annie to be legal guardian rather than the children’s’ father, and for them to move back to her family home. Annie finds strange things happening on her in laws pig farm. Mutant pigs. Girls of similar age in the local graveyard. So many girls looking alike. She’s convinced something is going on and starts investigating. It could all go horribly wrong. I had a sense of unease throughout and when the truth was unveiled felt genuinely sick. What a story. #thedrift

[Jacqueline Moxon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a frightening and disturbing novel about what happens when medical science is no longer controlled by ethics. At first it seems like a simple family drama about love and loss, with a widow’s relationship with her stepchildren thrown into the mix. But then dark secrets begin to emerge and strange coincidences leave Annie feeling confused and startled. It is well written with some very likeable and convincing characters, as well as some more threatening personalities. It certainly had be gripped and read it from cover to cover in just one day.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Drift by Susannah Wise started of slow than Bang I could not turn the pages over on my kindle quick enough to find out what happens next. It was a great book especially for the dark stormy cold nights and this time of year. If you read it with your lights off it adds to the drama of the Drift it became frightening and very disturbing in parts. Plus, it made me jump in several places especially when my tree branch banged on the window........ Then I had to put my bed side light on! 😃 😂

I highly recommend this book. . . . . StAy with it. . . . .it turned out to be a great read.

[Tina Fulcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annie relocates to Cumbria following the death of her late wife, to be near her wife's family. Full of grief, Annie moves into her brother-in-law's rented cottage with her two step children. What follows is very mysterious and has the feel of a thriller. Very well written and kept me captivated for solid hours at a time. Very highly recommended. I was lucky enough to read an advance copy and leave this review willingly.

[Rhian · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Annie's wife Issy dies, Annie honours her wishes to take her two children back to her childhood home in Cumbria. Vegetarian Londoner Annie feels out of place in the village & something is "off". But is it her grief and discomfort clouding her judgement? Or are she and the children really in danger?
Annie's grief & confusion are so real, as the menace & tension mount.
You won't want to put it down.

[Daranee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wanted to try a new book, something i haven't read before. This was an intriguing mystery/ horror thriller kind of book. I struggled a bit, mostly because of the author growing up in England and using some "English" words. The more I read, the more I had to find out what was really going on. It was actually pretty scary, this could possibly happen in our real world. Science, research, egos ....

[Fizzie Heseltine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was brilliant! In a subtle way it addresses many social issues at the same time as being a thriller that you can’t wait to finish, as well as feeling a little sad once it’s finished.

[CeeCee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annie and her two stepchildren have recently lost their beloved wife and mother, Issy Dillane. Issy's last request before dying was that Annie must promise to up sticks with the children and move from London to Issy's childhood village home in Cumbria. So naturally Annie complies.
Annie's in-laws William and Elizabeth, together with the rest of the Dillane family, appear to be welcoming. However, Annie immediately begins to sense a dark undercurrent, which she can't put her finger on.
I have to say I struggled with the first half of this book. I found it dragged on, and if the word kimchi was mentioned one more time, I would've launched the book at the wall.
The second half of the book picked up considerably, and we found ourselves entering Village of the Dammed territory. I also found some of the animal descriptions stomach-turning.
Annie herself was quite an annoying character, leaping from one situation to the next with irritating regularity.
Some little twists and turns kept me going to the end.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC.

[Caroline 'relaxing with my rescue dogs' · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starts off slow but is a great page turner in the end. Really interesting genre and completely different to what I have rea lately.

[Kevin Veness · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nearly a dnf. Read a few reviews saying it was a slow burner which got better. It didn't!.

[Jo Hillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

would've been a 5 but I just wanted to beat Annie to death 🤬

[Hayley Dunning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quietly disturbing yet full of heart.

[Fiona Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deluge, darkness and a deformed animal in the opening pages hint at horrors to come.
Widowed Annie and her two stepchildren arrive in a remote Cumbrian village where menacing goings-on, ugly and threatening gradually become the puzzle that Annie is compelled to unravel.
I read this book in a day, driven on by this enigmatic community, deeply anxious for Annie and the children. An unsettling tale of experimental science. A really good read.

[liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Not what I was expecting!