Vervain Hollow

by Catriona Silvey

Two years ago, Laura was in a cult. But when the sprawling house in the hollow burned down with Vervain, their strikingly handsome and magnetic leader, trapped inside, Laura had nowhere to go but home. Brokenhearted, she finds herself longing for their lost leader—despite the trauma of that strange and terrifying year, she knows the power he promised her was real. But when her estranged friend, Aliyah, calls to tell her that Daniel, one of the other acolytes, has been lured back to the hollow by a message from Vervain, Laura only hears one He’s still there. As Laura and Aliyah venture back to the house of their nightmares to find the truth, Laura soon realizes that not everything she remembers can be trusted—and that the darkness will do anything to get her back.

Genres: Horror, Gothic

320 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 16, 2026

About the author

Catriona Silvey was born in Glasgow and grew up in Perthshire and Derbyshire, which left her with a strange accent and a distrust of flat places. She overcame the latter to do a BA in English at Cambridge, and spent the next few years there working in scientific publishing. After that she moved to Edinburgh and did a PhD in language evolution, in the hope of finding out where all these words came from in the first place.

Following stints in Chicago and back in Cambridge, she returned to Edinburgh, where she lives with her husband, children, and a very peculiar cat. When she's not working as a solutions developer for a software company, she writes science fiction and fantasy. Her debut novel Meet Me in Another Life was published in 2021. It was a #2 Waterstones bestseller, has been translated into eleven languages, and is currently in development as a feature film.

Reviews

[Zoe Lipman · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5 rounded up.

I always love a cult story.

This follows someone who has left a cult, but finds herself drawn back to it.

I did want and expect more action and drama to this, but it was more about our main character's mental and emotional state about the cult she was apart of. We get past and present moments, which I think helped give more perspective on her as a character.

Overall, I thought this was unique and I was intrigued the whole time. This did feel like a unique take on this type of story. I think a lot of people would enjoy it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

[LZW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg, this book….so having trouble attempting to find the words to describe how ethereal, unique, and amazing! This is gothic horror as its finest hour! The story & FMC were enthralling, the world building was intriguing & atmospheric! New favorite author alert for me!

[JXR · Rating 5 out of 5]

lyrically gorgeous and effective book about the aftermath of a cult and what happens when people return. 5 stars, tysm for the arc.

[CadmanReads]

Review to follow

[Lauren McGraw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so twisted I cannot wait to talk about it with people. Laura, my love, my darling.