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Saltwash
ALL WILL BE FORGIVEN, IF ALL CAN BE FORGOTTEN.
The dilapidated seaside town of Saltwash isn't a place that Tom Shift would have chosen to come to at all, let alone on such a bleak November afternoon. But his new friend, Oliver Keele, has insisted on meeting for dinner at the Castle Hotel, where the owners, the Paleys, try their best to cling on to the glory days.
Both terminally ill, Tom and Oliver have been bound by the saddest of circumstances, though they have found some solace in writing to one another via a pen-pal scheme set up by their respective cancer clinics. So far, their friendship has been conducted solely through letters, with Oliver proving himself to be a treasury of literary quips and quotes. Yet, for all his flamboyance and verbosity, he is guarded, and Tom suspects that he is lonely and nomadic. And Oliver sees Tom for what he is too: a man haunted by guilt and desperate to try and atone in some way before it's too late.
Regret is what brings others to the Castle. Much to Tom's surprise, dozens more guests appear, dressed in their finest to take part in a prize draw that offers one person the chance of deliverance from their remorse.
But does everyone deserve the opportunity?
The dilapidated seaside town of Saltwash isn't a place that Tom Shift would have chosen to come to at all, let alone on such a bleak November afternoon. But his new friend, Oliver Keele, has insisted on meeting for dinner at the Castle Hotel, where the owners, the Paleys, try their best to cling on to the glory days.
Both terminally ill, Tom and Oliver have been bound by the saddest of circumstances, though they have found some solace in writing to one another via a pen-pal scheme set up by their respective cancer clinics. So far, their friendship has been conducted solely through letters, with Oliver proving himself to be a treasury of literary quips and quotes. Yet, for all his flamboyance and verbosity, he is guarded, and Tom suspects that he is lonely and nomadic. And Oliver sees Tom for what he is too: a man haunted by guilt and desperate to try and atone in some way before it's too late.
Regret is what brings others to the Castle. Much to Tom's surprise, dozens more guests appear, dressed in their finest to take part in a prize draw that offers one person the chance of deliverance from their remorse.
But does everyone deserve the opportunity?
245 pages, Hardcover
First published October 23, 2025
About the author
Andrew Michael Hurley
28 books914 followersAndrew Michael Hurley (born 1975) is a British writer whose debut novel, The Loney, was published in a limited edition of 278 copies on 1 October 2014 by Tartarus Press[ and was published under Hodder and Stoughton's John Murray imprint in 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
July 18, 2025
Tom Shift arrives in Saltwash-on-Sea by train, he’s there to meet his pen-pal Oliver Keele at The Castle Hotel. As he wanders through the once splendid Lancashire resort in very changeable weather, he takes in the dereliction where once would have been architectural gems. Will The Castle also be run down? It would certainly have been grand in its day, palatial in fact. His reception is odd, the place is bleached, faded, dusty and mildewed. Initially, Tom is a solitary guest, perhaps no great surprise in the depths of a dreary November. Then, little by little, more guests arrive for what appears to be a reunion and all of them are of an ‘uncertain age’ and they all know Oliver. Why has he brought Tom here and why this particular hotel on this particular day?
I’ve grown to expect a terrific atmosphere in Andrew Michael Hurley’s books and this is no exception. As Tom walks through the resort (Morecambe perhaps??) I can picture it with ease in all its faded glory. The awful weather which seems to worsen by the minute, adds to this, lashing at Tom, at the resort and beating against the windows of the hotel. The latter positively exudes atmosphere, it’s strange, not least its owners, The Paleys, whose behaviour is odd. It gets odder by the hour and that’s magnified by the disparate bunch assembling in their often ancient and jaded finery. Tom‘s unease is palpable, as is his discomfort especially as his host fails to arrive. When Oliver finally makes his appearance, it’s almost rockstar worthy! His characterisation is exemplary, he’s fascinating and he delivers some truly spectacular lines.
Despite the many many things I can praise in this beautifully written and character driven novel, it’s not my favourite book of his. I don’t anticipate the ending and after all the buildup to it, I think I expect something a bit more ‘out there’. The novel certainly keeps my interest throughout, the characters are very well drawn but I don’t get the eye poppers or jaw droppers I’ve grown to expect. However, it’s still very good and well worth a read.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to John Murray Press for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
I’ve grown to expect a terrific atmosphere in Andrew Michael Hurley’s books and this is no exception. As Tom walks through the resort (Morecambe perhaps??) I can picture it with ease in all its faded glory. The awful weather which seems to worsen by the minute, adds to this, lashing at Tom, at the resort and beating against the windows of the hotel. The latter positively exudes atmosphere, it’s strange, not least its owners, The Paleys, whose behaviour is odd. It gets odder by the hour and that’s magnified by the disparate bunch assembling in their often ancient and jaded finery. Tom‘s unease is palpable, as is his discomfort especially as his host fails to arrive. When Oliver finally makes his appearance, it’s almost rockstar worthy! His characterisation is exemplary, he’s fascinating and he delivers some truly spectacular lines.
Despite the many many things I can praise in this beautifully written and character driven novel, it’s not my favourite book of his. I don’t anticipate the ending and after all the buildup to it, I think I expect something a bit more ‘out there’. The novel certainly keeps my interest throughout, the characters are very well drawn but I don’t get the eye poppers or jaw droppers I’ve grown to expect. However, it’s still very good and well worth a read.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to John Murray Press for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
July 20, 2025
(2.5) Oh dear – as a huge fan of Hurley’s books up to now, I’m sad to report that this didn’t work very well for me at all. There’s a good setup and plenty of atmosphere – the past-its-best seaside town of Saltwash makes a great backdrop, all rain-lashed melancholy and crumbling grandeur. Very recognisable as any number of real places, an obvious British archetype that’s ripe for all sorts of strange stuff. Then there’s the mysterious raffle, which seems bound to culminate in something weird and sinister. While it’s not hard to guess where this is all heading, I enjoyed the build-up. Then Hurley introduces some context to our characters, and things start to go awry in such a way that I’m still wondering how on earth any of this is actually meant to be read.
The issue is not so much the predictable nature of the ‘prize’ as the odd, muddled implications of the climax and (especially) the ending, which seem ill-thought-out at best and deliberately reactionary at worst. I think all this could’ve worked fine in a short story, where the beats might read as more symbolic than literal, with no expectation that the narrative will explore the characters’ motivations and beliefs in greater depth. As a novel, it’s undercooked, both thematically and structurally. The ideas are thin, and Saltwash’s ugly, judgemental sentimentality isn’t what I read this author (or anyone) for. A disappointment, but hopefully a blip.
I received an advance review copy of Saltwash from the publisher through NetGalley.
The issue is not so much the predictable nature of the ‘prize’ as the odd, muddled implications of the climax and (especially) the ending, which seem ill-thought-out at best and deliberately reactionary at worst. I think all this could’ve worked fine in a short story, where the beats might read as more symbolic than literal, with no expectation that the narrative will explore the characters’ motivations and beliefs in greater depth. As a novel, it’s undercooked, both thematically and structurally. The ideas are thin, and Saltwash’s ugly, judgemental sentimentality isn’t what I read this author (or anyone) for. A disappointment, but hopefully a blip.
I received an advance review copy of Saltwash from the publisher through NetGalley.
August 10, 2025
Review to follow nearer publication date.
I am so disappointed! I’ve enjoyed Hurleys books, I have them on my bookcase but unfortunately Saltwash won’t be joining them.
Although this is a character driven story I became very bored by it. It’s halfway through before one of the central characters appears. I guessed what was coming in this ‘lottery’ and felt disappointed that the book didn’t have more to offer.
Sadly not for me.
I am so disappointed! I’ve enjoyed Hurleys books, I have them on my bookcase but unfortunately Saltwash won’t be joining them.
Although this is a character driven story I became very bored by it. It’s halfway through before one of the central characters appears. I guessed what was coming in this ‘lottery’ and felt disappointed that the book didn’t have more to offer.
Sadly not for me.
December 12, 2025
This is a slow paced meditation on regret and guilt set in a crumbling seaside hotel in the off-season, vaguely reminiscent of Morecambe, a part of the world that features in most of Hurley’s work. This is however, something quite different from Hurley, beginning with the feel of a cosy crime novel though soon moving into much less comfortable territory.
It could have been shorter, though I can see that Hurley intended the padding to enhance the atmosphere he was creating. It’s also not difficult to see where the story is heading, though a large part of the experience in reading this is to see how it gets there.
There’s a strong sense of Robert Aickman’s The Hospice and Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, but that isn’t necessarily a criticism; I think the feel of 1960s / 70s horror is intended.
I read a lot of horror, and thought this was well done without enjoying it as much as I hoped to.
It could have been shorter, though I can see that Hurley intended the padding to enhance the atmosphere he was creating. It’s also not difficult to see where the story is heading, though a large part of the experience in reading this is to see how it gets there.
There’s a strong sense of Robert Aickman’s The Hospice and Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, but that isn’t necessarily a criticism; I think the feel of 1960s / 70s horror is intended.
I read a lot of horror, and thought this was well done without enjoying it as much as I hoped to.
November 15, 2025
It should have been a short story; there are so few plot points and characters on which to meditate. Hurley’s a talented writer, and there’s depth of meaning in the tale, but it overextends.
January 9, 2026
This book is a perfect example of how technically good writing cannot rescue a bad story.
I say technically good writing - the prose is overwrought and will send you to a dictionary often, but that appears to be the trend with this modern lit fic / award bait style, so giving a pass on that.
This story fell flat for so many people because it is character-driven with an uninteresting and unlikeable protagonist behind the wheel. Now we know a character can be terminally ill, regretful of his abusive actions, suffered trauma as a child, and still not be remotely endearing or interesting.
The secondary character (Oliver) doesn’t appear until act 2, which is unusual because Tom’s friendship with him is the selling point of the story if we are to believe the blurb.
The book is structurally confusing. Only two acts, and a bunch of page breaks that sometimes make sense and sometimes can be described as accidental.
The plot is absurd. Tom is visiting an unkempt inn via Oliver’s invitation and finds himself mixed up in a mysterious annual raffle, the prize of which is kept a mystery until the very end. The twist, which is somehow predictable despite its absurdity, is that the prize turns out to be death by lethal injection. Which everyone besides Tom is aware of. And wants. Gleefully.
My answer to that is: no.
Some plots require a suspension of disbelief, others require a lobotomy.
Two stars because, at a line level, it was paced very well which prevented a DNF, and amongst the many obvious platitudes about life, death and regret, there was occasionally a little nugget of sentiment worth pondering.
I say technically good writing - the prose is overwrought and will send you to a dictionary often, but that appears to be the trend with this modern lit fic / award bait style, so giving a pass on that.
This story fell flat for so many people because it is character-driven with an uninteresting and unlikeable protagonist behind the wheel. Now we know a character can be terminally ill, regretful of his abusive actions, suffered trauma as a child, and still not be remotely endearing or interesting.
The secondary character (Oliver) doesn’t appear until act 2, which is unusual because Tom’s friendship with him is the selling point of the story if we are to believe the blurb.
The book is structurally confusing. Only two acts, and a bunch of page breaks that sometimes make sense and sometimes can be described as accidental.
The plot is absurd. Tom is visiting an unkempt inn via Oliver’s invitation and finds himself mixed up in a mysterious annual raffle, the prize of which is kept a mystery until the very end. The twist, which is somehow predictable despite its absurdity, is that the prize turns out to be death by lethal injection. Which everyone besides Tom is aware of. And wants. Gleefully.
My answer to that is: no.
Some plots require a suspension of disbelief, others require a lobotomy.
Two stars because, at a line level, it was paced very well which prevented a DNF, and amongst the many obvious platitudes about life, death and regret, there was occasionally a little nugget of sentiment worth pondering.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2025
Great reflection on the horrors of aging and death, how our mistakes haunt us. I think I just wanted a bit more from the ending, really. But I guess endings are often a bit mundane, so maybe that was the point.
November 10, 2025
A bunch of old people gather to party and try their luck at winning a (hardly) mysterious prize. But it turns out they all have a (gasp) secret! They've all done something really sucky that they have never atoned for.
This isn't shocking. It's just an average boomer party.
I love Andrew Michael Hurley but I was so disappointed with this novel. It's not that it's poorly written, it's just not what I was hoping for or what I expected. I guess I was misled completely by the cover which just goes to prove that it really isn't something that you can judge a book by.
This isn't shocking. It's just an average boomer party.
I love Andrew Michael Hurley but I was so disappointed with this novel. It's not that it's poorly written, it's just not what I was hoping for or what I expected. I guess I was misled completely by the cover which just goes to prove that it really isn't something that you can judge a book by.
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October 19, 2025Thank you to NetGalley and John Murray Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review
My partner and I read Starve Acre over the summer and inhaled it in a day in a blur of freaky folk horror and had a great time. So when I saw that Saltwash was available to request I was straight on it. I do love Hurley's restrained writing style, that lays out information calmly in a way that raises the tension in little increments all the way through.
I think my final thoughts on the book were that I would have loved it as a short-story, the unnerving crumbling décor of the hotel, the commitment to revelry even as the tone sours throughout the evening. It was intensely atmospheric but it did end up being that atmosphere that I preferred over the actual plot itself.
A weird (complimentary) look at guilt and what people might do to 'achieve' atonement.
My partner and I read Starve Acre over the summer and inhaled it in a day in a blur of freaky folk horror and had a great time. So when I saw that Saltwash was available to request I was straight on it. I do love Hurley's restrained writing style, that lays out information calmly in a way that raises the tension in little increments all the way through.
I think my final thoughts on the book were that I would have loved it as a short-story, the unnerving crumbling décor of the hotel, the commitment to revelry even as the tone sours throughout the evening. It was intensely atmospheric but it did end up being that atmosphere that I preferred over the actual plot itself.
A weird (complimentary) look at guilt and what people might do to 'achieve' atonement.
October 19, 2026
I liked each chracter, but felt the mystery of the story was disappoiting.
January 19, 2026
Ah Andrew Michael Hurley… the literary equivalent of ‘journey over destination’.
It’s a bit of an enigma as to why he’s an ‘instabuy’ author for me yet I don’t think I’ve ever rated one of his books above 3 stars (except for Barrowbeck but I think that’s cause it had a few more layers to unpack).
Many reviews have said it but, ideally, I do think this one should have been a short story. The length does allow lots of atmosphere building and foreboding as it pushes you along but, like all his novels, the climax just doesn’t warrant the effort. Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Lottery’ did it better in only a few pages and it’s clear that some inspiration has been taken from there.
Having said that (again, like all his books) I throughly enjoyed the journey and just could not stop reading. AMH is very much an atmospheric writer and he is able to focus on the bleak and almost derelict locations around Britain which I absolutely love. A forgotten seaside town being no exception. I can’t think of another author currently who does this better, I just wish his endings had more pay-off. They aren’t even ambiguous (and I’m a sucker for ambiguous endings), they just fizzle out into … well, nothing. I’d just be happy with a few subtle threads to contemplate as opposed to the feeling of ‘ok… nice character study but not sure what the point was’.
In short - a creepy tale that kept me reading with fantastic descriptions of an old abandoned British seaside town albeit with a slightly lacklustre conclusion. I’ll still be reading everything Hurley puts out but I have my fingers crossed for more than just ‘vibes’ next time!
It’s a bit of an enigma as to why he’s an ‘instabuy’ author for me yet I don’t think I’ve ever rated one of his books above 3 stars (except for Barrowbeck but I think that’s cause it had a few more layers to unpack).
Many reviews have said it but, ideally, I do think this one should have been a short story. The length does allow lots of atmosphere building and foreboding as it pushes you along but, like all his novels, the climax just doesn’t warrant the effort. Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Lottery’ did it better in only a few pages and it’s clear that some inspiration has been taken from there.
Having said that (again, like all his books) I throughly enjoyed the journey and just could not stop reading. AMH is very much an atmospheric writer and he is able to focus on the bleak and almost derelict locations around Britain which I absolutely love. A forgotten seaside town being no exception. I can’t think of another author currently who does this better, I just wish his endings had more pay-off. They aren’t even ambiguous (and I’m a sucker for ambiguous endings), they just fizzle out into … well, nothing. I’d just be happy with a few subtle threads to contemplate as opposed to the feeling of ‘ok… nice character study but not sure what the point was’.
In short - a creepy tale that kept me reading with fantastic descriptions of an old abandoned British seaside town albeit with a slightly lacklustre conclusion. I’ll still be reading everything Hurley puts out but I have my fingers crossed for more than just ‘vibes’ next time!
February 5, 2026
Thank you to John Murray Press, the author, and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review. I also listened to the audiobook expertly narrated by Phil Corbitt.
Over the last year, since joining NetGalley, I’ve become slightly obsessed with folk horror and anything adjacent to it. I love the quiet unease, the creeping atmosphere, the sense that something is just off. Casting a retrospective glance over my reading list in 2025, I realised I kept circling this same genre without ever intentionally choosing it. Again and again, across genres, I returned to narratives where place holds memory, where communal silence lingers (where silence does as much damage as action) and where the past refuses to stay buried.
Even when the label wasn’t obvious (or not present at all) land, tradition and inherited harm kept resurfacing. It turns out folk horror wasn’t something I sought out; it's just something that keeps finding me. Apparently, if a book involves place, silence and buried truths, I’m powerless to resist!
Saltwash by Andrew Michael Hurley fits beautifully into that space.
This is very much a character-driven story rather than a plot-driven one and the slow pacing works entirely in its favour. The tension builds gradually, almost imperceptibly, until you realise you’re steeped in creeping dread. The dilapidated hotel setting is wonderfully evocative, all salt air, decay and isolation, creating a deliciously oppressive slice of coastal folk horror.
Hurley excels at ambiguity (according to other readers, this is very much his signature style). The reader is left suspended between possible supernatural forces and psychological decline, never quite certain which explanation to trust. That uncertainty gives the novel its insidious power. Even the dialogue carries a kind of doublespeak, passive-aggressive, slippery and unsettling. Which only adds to the constant sense that something isn’t being said.
Part of me would have loved the story to lean even further into full-blown folk horror, perhaps with a stronger cult-like element for an extra punch, but honestly, the restraint is also what makes it so effective. The horror feels grounded in the human condition as much as anything supernatural.
If you’re looking for fast plot twists and big reveals, this probably shouldn’t be on your TBR list. But if you love atmosphere, psychological tension and that slow-burn folk horror feeling where dread seeps into everything, this is absolutely one to pick up.
I’ll definitely be continuing on my folk horror journey by reading more of Hurley’s work.
#Saltwash #NetGalley
Over the last year, since joining NetGalley, I’ve become slightly obsessed with folk horror and anything adjacent to it. I love the quiet unease, the creeping atmosphere, the sense that something is just off. Casting a retrospective glance over my reading list in 2025, I realised I kept circling this same genre without ever intentionally choosing it. Again and again, across genres, I returned to narratives where place holds memory, where communal silence lingers (where silence does as much damage as action) and where the past refuses to stay buried.
Even when the label wasn’t obvious (or not present at all) land, tradition and inherited harm kept resurfacing. It turns out folk horror wasn’t something I sought out; it's just something that keeps finding me. Apparently, if a book involves place, silence and buried truths, I’m powerless to resist!
Saltwash by Andrew Michael Hurley fits beautifully into that space.
This is very much a character-driven story rather than a plot-driven one and the slow pacing works entirely in its favour. The tension builds gradually, almost imperceptibly, until you realise you’re steeped in creeping dread. The dilapidated hotel setting is wonderfully evocative, all salt air, decay and isolation, creating a deliciously oppressive slice of coastal folk horror.
Hurley excels at ambiguity (according to other readers, this is very much his signature style). The reader is left suspended between possible supernatural forces and psychological decline, never quite certain which explanation to trust. That uncertainty gives the novel its insidious power. Even the dialogue carries a kind of doublespeak, passive-aggressive, slippery and unsettling. Which only adds to the constant sense that something isn’t being said.
Part of me would have loved the story to lean even further into full-blown folk horror, perhaps with a stronger cult-like element for an extra punch, but honestly, the restraint is also what makes it so effective. The horror feels grounded in the human condition as much as anything supernatural.
If you’re looking for fast plot twists and big reveals, this probably shouldn’t be on your TBR list. But if you love atmosphere, psychological tension and that slow-burn folk horror feeling where dread seeps into everything, this is absolutely one to pick up.
I’ll definitely be continuing on my folk horror journey by reading more of Hurley’s work.
#Saltwash #NetGalley
October 23, 2025
This felt like a book built from vibes more than anything. It was wonderfully atmospheric with a strong sense of place (which is luckily one of my favourite aspects in a novel) and, originating from a northern seaside town myself, left me feeling strangely nostalgic. I enjoyed Oliver's character and his relationship with Tom, though wish the other characters had been slightly more developed. However, my main issue with the novel is that the plot just didn't grip me and at times felt like an afterthought. This could be a larger problem for some readers, but in my opinion the novel still holds up for atmospheric readers such as myself.
ARC provided by John Murray Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
ARC provided by John Murray Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 26, 2025
I find that Hurley’s writing improves with every book (he reminds me of Ramsey Campbell, but the horrors whisper rather than threaten you with a broken beer bottle).
With Saltwash, I felt that the end was lacking something, but I really enjoyed the build-up: the sense of seaside dilapidation and discomfort. I particularly like the Dionysian streak, although I wish it had been more developed. Still, I’m addicted to how Hurley’s story’s always feel liminal, like I’ve found my way to some awkward, disappointing, half-haunted place, and the last bus out left five minutes ago.
With Saltwash, I felt that the end was lacking something, but I really enjoyed the build-up: the sense of seaside dilapidation and discomfort. I particularly like the Dionysian streak, although I wish it had been more developed. Still, I’m addicted to how Hurley’s story’s always feel liminal, like I’ve found my way to some awkward, disappointing, half-haunted place, and the last bus out left five minutes ago.
September 16, 2025
Another fabulously dark story from Andrew Michael Hurley - they make my heart sing in a sort of uncanny way!
This one takes place in a rainwashed Northern seaside town (reminded me a bit of my time living up in Lancaster - hello Morecambe…), and follows Tom as he heads to a hotel to meet a pen pal. All is not as it seems! The atmosphere Hurley creates is powerful, oppressive and strangely relatable.
This one takes place in a rainwashed Northern seaside town (reminded me a bit of my time living up in Lancaster - hello Morecambe…), and follows Tom as he heads to a hotel to meet a pen pal. All is not as it seems! The atmosphere Hurley creates is powerful, oppressive and strangely relatable.
December 19, 2025
Immediately after finishing this book I thought “eh” but having given myself a day before posting this review I think it’s an interesting study on guilt and acceptance.
Fell a bit flat to be honest so 3 stars is possibly being a bit generous, more like 2 and a half
Fell a bit flat to be honest so 3 stars is possibly being a bit generous, more like 2 and a half
January 26, 2026
Rrrrrrrrrright... Don't waste your time on this. It's boring, bad, and far too far-fetched. It is also decidedly NOT horror.
January 27, 2026
Not this author's best.
January 29, 2026
the premise sounded so promising but ultimately i found the book did nothing with it
April 2, 2026
A meagre 2,75 stars sadly. Saltwash reads like a drawn out short story, it would have worked better as a short story.
July 27, 2026
So anticlimactic
January 15, 2026
The twist is guessable but the journey there a genuinely moving tale of enduring regret: "They were dangerous things, young men".
August 22, 2026
What I wanted from it, it didn’t give me. I enjoyed it purely because of the narration style, but it was a bit of a drag.
December 16, 2025
AHH I so wanted to love this book because I love all of Hurley's book - there was just not enough meat or substance in this, or intrigue. The premise of the salt wash raffle was not as scandalous of mystical as I hoped it would be. Still beautifully written though!
August 12, 2025
Ugh, this was slow - I'm so disappointed! And it wasn't atmospheric, tension-building slow, but *boring* slow. I've loved all previous books by Andrew Michael Hurley (minus Barrowbeck which was a bit meh), but Saltwash was a slog. Couldn't it be a novella instead? Probably. The characters were not interesting in the slightest, the 'mystery' was easy to guess early on and the entire thing lacked the usual atmosphere, tension and creepiness that I have found in Hurley's previous novels. What happened with this book?! The story was clearly inspired by Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery', but it was poorly executed. I really hope whatever Andrew Michael Hurley writes next comes back to his uncanny, folky and spooky roots similar to his first three novels.
Thank you to NetGalley and John Murray for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and John Murray for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
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August 13, 2025Tom, a dying man – in the sense that he's got months left, not just in the way we all are – goes to meet pen-friend Oliver in a decaying off-season seaside resort, but when he makes it through the dismal weather, he finds it wasn't the tete-a-tete he'd been expecting; he's been roped into some unsettling annual beano, where a cast of grotesques assemble each year for a raffle whose significance is withheld from him, but – to the reader at least – is obviously something permanent. This is very obviously Aickman territory, and if you were being uncharitable you could suggest that all Hurley has done is padded it out to novel length with wodges of backstory because those are much easier than Aickman's pregnant insinuations. Not to mention, Aickman would definitely not have shown the prize of that fateful draw, which Saltwash very much does, and it would be a spoiler to even hint at exactly why I found the details so anticlimactic. But for all that, I was much more grabbed by this than my last Hurley read, when I doubled back to drag myself through The Loney and came close to thinking I might be done with him altogether. I think it's in how well he uses a still comparatively modest amount of space to draw out the ever-mounting pains, indignities and regrets of getting old, the bright, receding moments of the past; in particular, the scene where the decrepit, haunted guests watch a montage of home movies from the summers of their youth should have been a terrible cliché, but was written well enough to be as poignant as it needed to be. Also, of course, this is a novel set in a Northern November, so all that rain and cold was a lovely escape from real life and the Sun making yet another attempt to see me off before I need to worry much more about advancing years.
(Netgalley ARC)
(Netgalley ARC)
October 26, 2025
At this point, I think I’ll read anything by Andrew Michael Hurley. The atmosphere in the books of his that I’ve read so far have been loaded and menacing, to say the least. And whilst this felt different to the other books of his that I’ve read so far, I still felt pretty uncomfortable reading it.
The characters felt grotesque, like something out of the more macabre psychological horror movies. No-one is particularly nice - but that’s what makes them interesting. I kept expecting them to rip their faces (or masks) off, and the repulsive reality would be underneath. They don’t actually need to do that, though. Each of these people have something in their past that’s utterly despicable.
I don’t know whether you’ve read or heard of Jean Paul Sartre’s Huis Clos (I read it for my French A Level), but Saltwash most definitely has elements of that: the feeling of claustrophobia, the deceptively nice people, wanting to leave and not seeming to be able to. At least, I suppose, they’re nice until they’re not…
Saltwash doesn’t do much for seaside towns. The weather, the Prom, the sands, the hotel - everything is off kilter, dirty or contaminated.
Wow. Sounds bad, doesn't it?
I loved this.
It’s not an outright horror (there’s no axe murderer), but it held me in it’s thrall until the last page. A very uncomfortable, fascinating read.
The characters felt grotesque, like something out of the more macabre psychological horror movies. No-one is particularly nice - but that’s what makes them interesting. I kept expecting them to rip their faces (or masks) off, and the repulsive reality would be underneath. They don’t actually need to do that, though. Each of these people have something in their past that’s utterly despicable.
I don’t know whether you’ve read or heard of Jean Paul Sartre’s Huis Clos (I read it for my French A Level), but Saltwash most definitely has elements of that: the feeling of claustrophobia, the deceptively nice people, wanting to leave and not seeming to be able to. At least, I suppose, they’re nice until they’re not…
Saltwash doesn’t do much for seaside towns. The weather, the Prom, the sands, the hotel - everything is off kilter, dirty or contaminated.
Wow. Sounds bad, doesn't it?
I loved this.
It’s not an outright horror (there’s no axe murderer), but it held me in it’s thrall until the last page. A very uncomfortable, fascinating read.
March 17, 2026
Another winner from Hurley, eschewing his usual folk horror approach for something very akin to the best stories of Robert Aickman, especially in its setting and climax. The off-season decrepitude of seaside towns, the faded bonhomie of convention settings, the distinct sense of age and imminent demise, are all hauntingly described and examined, and if the gradual climax seems a little predictable (unless you're expecting Hurley to hew close to his folk horror reputation), it at least manages to be both grim and horribly apt.
November 20, 2025
Really excellent story, with an insane hook. At first I wasn't particularly satisfied with the answers were given in the last act of the story, but as I reached the ending I realised that it didn't really matter. Like Tom Shift contemplated at the end, how insane it is that we even exist at all.
Perfect winter reading. And if you've ever been to a Brittania hotel on England's North West coast, this book will strike an extra chord with you.
Perfect winter reading. And if you've ever been to a Brittania hotel on England's North West coast, this book will strike an extra chord with you.
November 9, 2025
Re-read 2026 and still really liked it. I just love all the characters and the setting and the dark humour. Kind of expected more from the ending but this time around I was less disappointed by that and was able to enjoy what was essentially a meditation on regret, culpability, consequences, the meaning of love, life and death, in an incredibly strange setting.
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