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Night Feeding
Not yet published
Expected 8 Apr 27'This is an exquisite book; uncanny, inventive and utterly human. Elske Rahill is arguably the most talented writer working in Ireland today' Louise Kennedy, author of Trespasses
Laura is in Paris with her husband Austin. A year after a terrible, life-altering loss, she is still numb, experiencing the world at a remove.
But now there is a new a rapidly expanding international pandemic and lockdown. Unable to get back to Ireland, Laura and Austin head to a neglected château in the Cevennes, the property of Austin's old family friends. But their new home is anything but a refuge. The house is strange; shadows slither and crawl when the lights are out, and there is talk of a mysterious cult in the commune just up the road.
When the disappearance of a neighbour puts a newly motherless child in their care, Laura and Austin are driven to greater acts of desperation. And when their host at last arrives in the dead of night, Laura finds herself sucked into a terrifying undertow of obsession, violence - and rebirth.
A terrifying confrontation of the maternal and the monstrous, the terror of loss and the power of death, Night Feeding is at once eerie and visceral, revelatory and depraved, seductive and disturbing - and marks the arrival of a major new talent.
Laura is in Paris with her husband Austin. A year after a terrible, life-altering loss, she is still numb, experiencing the world at a remove.
But now there is a new a rapidly expanding international pandemic and lockdown. Unable to get back to Ireland, Laura and Austin head to a neglected château in the Cevennes, the property of Austin's old family friends. But their new home is anything but a refuge. The house is strange; shadows slither and crawl when the lights are out, and there is talk of a mysterious cult in the commune just up the road.
When the disappearance of a neighbour puts a newly motherless child in their care, Laura and Austin are driven to greater acts of desperation. And when their host at last arrives in the dead of night, Laura finds herself sucked into a terrifying undertow of obsession, violence - and rebirth.
A terrifying confrontation of the maternal and the monstrous, the terror of loss and the power of death, Night Feeding is at once eerie and visceral, revelatory and depraved, seductive and disturbing - and marks the arrival of a major new talent.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication April 8, 2027
About the author
Elske Rahill
9 books16 followersELSKE RAHILL grew up in Dublin and lives in Burgundy, France, with her partner and children. Her first novel. She is the author of Between Dog and Wolf, published by The Lilliput Press in 2013 and the collection of short stories In White Ink, published by Head of Zeus in 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the arc!
This book was not to my personal taste, however I can appreciate that certain readers might absolutely love this which is why I ended up giving it this rating. We follow Laura and her husband Austin who flee to the countryside during a pandemic and encounter something far more sinister. I really enjoyed the setting in the South of France and the beautiful descriptions of the landscape. Additionally, I thought the references to classic Gothic works were done very well. I found it difficult to relate to the characters, in particular, Laura, and also was slightly grossed out by some of the graphic details (yes, I am aware this was intentional and that this may be what some readers are looking for). Further, I found the ending quite disappointing in that it was predictable and also gave me a distinct feeling of hopelessness. Whilst this was an engaging read and has it strengths, on the whole it was just not for me.
This book was not to my personal taste, however I can appreciate that certain readers might absolutely love this which is why I ended up giving it this rating. We follow Laura and her husband Austin who flee to the countryside during a pandemic and encounter something far more sinister. I really enjoyed the setting in the South of France and the beautiful descriptions of the landscape. Additionally, I thought the references to classic Gothic works were done very well. I found it difficult to relate to the characters, in particular, Laura, and also was slightly grossed out by some of the graphic details (yes, I am aware this was intentional and that this may be what some readers are looking for). Further, I found the ending quite disappointing in that it was predictable and also gave me a distinct feeling of hopelessness. Whilst this was an engaging read and has it strengths, on the whole it was just not for me.
October 12, 2026
Finished this a while ago - it’s an interesting concept but too many cooks in the kitchen. The passages I loved were the protagonist in the future but those sections never really had resolution. The scene setting and sense of aimlessness was well done, but I found it predictable by the end.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews