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The Dark: A spinetingling seaside folk horror novel, set against the blackouts of the 1970s
Not yet published
Expected 8 Oct 26'Gripping and thoroughly eerie' LUCIE MCKNIGHT HARDY
'Deliciously spinetingling' ANNA MAZZOLA
'The perfect ghostly web of claustrophobia and grief' ESSIE FOX
A SPINETINGLING SEASIDE FOLK HORROR NOVEL, SET ON THE YORKSHIRE COAST AGAINST THE 1970s BLACKOUTS
When the lights go out
You can lose sight of what is real . . .
It is the 1970s. A young woman, Rosie, moves to a small remote seaside village, readying to welcome her first child. But with her partner working away on an oil rig, the house isn't the sanctuary she'd hoped for - the situation made worse by the regular blackouts due to the ongoing miners' strikes. And the villagers seem friendly enough, but some of them are taking an uncomfortably close interest in her pregnancy.
Before long, Rosie notices strange noises and unexplained shadows in the corners of the cottage. As her birth date moves closer and the blackouts intensify, her isolation begins to consume her until she feels that she is losing her grip on reality.
But Rosie isn't the only one in the village who has cause to fear the dark . . .
'No one writes the supernatural quite like Amanda Mason. In The Dark the hauntings are visceral, underpinned by folklore, an evocative setting and a beautifully observed cast of characters' JESS KIDD, author of Little Spark and Things in Jars
'Hugely atmospheric - I absolutely loved it' ALISON LITTLEWOOD, author of The Hidden People
'I couldn't put it down' ALLY WILKES author of All the White Space
'Deliciously spinetingling' ANNA MAZZOLA
'The perfect ghostly web of claustrophobia and grief' ESSIE FOX
A SPINETINGLING SEASIDE FOLK HORROR NOVEL, SET ON THE YORKSHIRE COAST AGAINST THE 1970s BLACKOUTS
When the lights go out
You can lose sight of what is real . . .
It is the 1970s. A young woman, Rosie, moves to a small remote seaside village, readying to welcome her first child. But with her partner working away on an oil rig, the house isn't the sanctuary she'd hoped for - the situation made worse by the regular blackouts due to the ongoing miners' strikes. And the villagers seem friendly enough, but some of them are taking an uncomfortably close interest in her pregnancy.
Before long, Rosie notices strange noises and unexplained shadows in the corners of the cottage. As her birth date moves closer and the blackouts intensify, her isolation begins to consume her until she feels that she is losing her grip on reality.
But Rosie isn't the only one in the village who has cause to fear the dark . . .
'No one writes the supernatural quite like Amanda Mason. In The Dark the hauntings are visceral, underpinned by folklore, an evocative setting and a beautifully observed cast of characters' JESS KIDD, author of Little Spark and Things in Jars
'Hugely atmospheric - I absolutely loved it' ALISON LITTLEWOOD, author of The Hidden People
'I couldn't put it down' ALLY WILKES author of All the White Space
Audible Audio
Expected publication October 8, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy
‘… this winter, this dark was different. And the fear had crept up on her so gradually, she had barely noticed it was there. And now the fear lay in wait for her, biding its time until the lights went out.’
Viewed in retrospect, the 1970s is a haunted and liminal decade, a threshold between the relative certainties of the post war years and the neon-lit neoliberal insecurities of the 1980s and beyond.
It is the perfect decade for a good ghost story. Evocative of the later modern-day outings of the BBC’s 1970s ‘Ghost Stories for Christmas’, Amanda Mason’s novel shares a concise and paired back aesthetic with the best entries in that series; indeed I can only imagine how effectively director Lawrence Gordon Clark would bring Mason’s narrative to the small screen.
This is the 1970s of the everyday; of condensation on a bus’s inside window, rubber shower attachments and twin-tub washing machines. It is also the 1970s of casual misogyny, miners’ strikes, North Sea oil and power cuts, the latter a source of literal darkness that Mason uses to chilling effect.
The tense combination of the everyday, North Yorkshire folklore, and a haunted family and cottage, serve to create an atmosphere of unease and creeping dread, as Rosie and Isaac, the new owners of Righteous House, Ha’penny Nab on the North Yorkshire coast are drawn into a web of darkness and terror.
Due to be published in October this year, THE DARK is the perfect novel for the haunted season.
Viewed in retrospect, the 1970s is a haunted and liminal decade, a threshold between the relative certainties of the post war years and the neon-lit neoliberal insecurities of the 1980s and beyond.
It is the perfect decade for a good ghost story. Evocative of the later modern-day outings of the BBC’s 1970s ‘Ghost Stories for Christmas’, Amanda Mason’s novel shares a concise and paired back aesthetic with the best entries in that series; indeed I can only imagine how effectively director Lawrence Gordon Clark would bring Mason’s narrative to the small screen.
This is the 1970s of the everyday; of condensation on a bus’s inside window, rubber shower attachments and twin-tub washing machines. It is also the 1970s of casual misogyny, miners’ strikes, North Sea oil and power cuts, the latter a source of literal darkness that Mason uses to chilling effect.
The tense combination of the everyday, North Yorkshire folklore, and a haunted family and cottage, serve to create an atmosphere of unease and creeping dread, as Rosie and Isaac, the new owners of Righteous House, Ha’penny Nab on the North Yorkshire coast are drawn into a web of darkness and terror.
Due to be published in October this year, THE DARK is the perfect novel for the haunted season.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A Perfect spooky season read for those who want a little more substance to their horror. Mason takes that niggling feeling that you're not alone in the dark and uses it as a vehicle to explore grief, small-town ties, and intergenerational womanhood. This book would be enjoyed by fans of Shirley Jackson and Julia Armfield. 'The Dark' is a gripping novel that kept me on edge throughout. I can't wait for the inevitable A24 movie adaptation.
My only criticism is that I wanted more. I would have been curious to hear more about The Hob's origins and the run of folklore throughout the town's history. I would also have been interested to read more about Phil, Rob, and Linda's backstory. However, this could be a perk for readers who love to be kept wondering.
Readers should be aware that this book contains references to sexual assault, suicide, and self-harm.
My only criticism is that I wanted more. I would have been curious to hear more about The Hob's origins and the run of folklore throughout the town's history. I would also have been interested to read more about Phil, Rob, and Linda's backstory. However, this could be a perk for readers who love to be kept wondering.
Readers should be aware that this book contains references to sexual assault, suicide, and self-harm.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books for the arc!
This is an excellent read for the spooky season. We follow the main character who has moved to a remote seaside town and is expecting her first child. I enjoyed the blend of local folklore, small-town intrigue and the political climate of the 1970's. Additionally, the author also touches on topics such as suicide and sexual assault. I thought the use of the dark (as the title suggests) as thread running throughout was quite clever. I feel that there could have been a greater exploration of the folklore underpinning the story as it only really comes into focus towards the end of the book. Nevertheless, this is a great atmospheric read and I highly recommend.
This is an excellent read for the spooky season. We follow the main character who has moved to a remote seaside town and is expecting her first child. I enjoyed the blend of local folklore, small-town intrigue and the political climate of the 1970's. Additionally, the author also touches on topics such as suicide and sexual assault. I thought the use of the dark (as the title suggests) as thread running throughout was quite clever. I feel that there could have been a greater exploration of the folklore underpinning the story as it only really comes into focus towards the end of the book. Nevertheless, this is a great atmospheric read and I highly recommend.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 ⭐
This starts out as a claustrophobic small village story. Everyone knowing your business, everyone knowing each other. Very much feeling like the incomer.
Gradually ,the dread creeps in, things that go bump and crash in the night.
The feeling that something isn't being said.
Then you hear the old tales of The Hob.
I think 90% of things could be explained away by Rosie being pregnant and alone and jumpy. The weather...
But then it's that final 10% you have to worry about.
Full of atmosphere, and creepy in just the right places.
Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy
This starts out as a claustrophobic small village story. Everyone knowing your business, everyone knowing each other. Very much feeling like the incomer.
Gradually ,the dread creeps in, things that go bump and crash in the night.
The feeling that something isn't being said.
Then you hear the old tales of The Hob.
I think 90% of things could be explained away by Rosie being pregnant and alone and jumpy. The weather...
But then it's that final 10% you have to worry about.
Full of atmosphere, and creepy in just the right places.
Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews