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The Hill in the Dark Grove
Moving and chilling, The Hill in the Dark Grove is a story about a lost way of life and the terrifying lengths we go to to protect what we know.
Carwyn and Rhian – the last in a long line of sheep farmers – are living out a brutal year on their hillside farm, deep in the mountains of North Wales.
When Carwyn discovers a buried prehistoric ruin in one of the fields on their land, his curiosity quickly descends into obsession. His wife, Rhian, meanwhile, is confronted with the growing realization that the man with whom she shares her life and home is becoming a frightening stranger.
As the harsh winter closes in, Rhian finds herself alone with her increasingly unrecognizable husband, and the mountains, and the looming megalithic stones.
Carwyn and Rhian – the last in a long line of sheep farmers – are living out a brutal year on their hillside farm, deep in the mountains of North Wales.
When Carwyn discovers a buried prehistoric ruin in one of the fields on their land, his curiosity quickly descends into obsession. His wife, Rhian, meanwhile, is confronted with the growing realization that the man with whom she shares her life and home is becoming a frightening stranger.
As the harsh winter closes in, Rhian finds herself alone with her increasingly unrecognizable husband, and the mountains, and the looming megalithic stones.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 8, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 487 reviews
October 8, 2026
Deliciously atmospheric. Welsh folk horror! A strangeness crawls to the surface from the depths underneath the hard-packed soil. It beckons the landowner's attention and dislodges his normality of life. Highly recommended for those who wish to be whisked away to a foreign place with tales of a forgotten past.
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January 26, 2026Literary horror, dark and creepy (with little or no body horror) is just my thing, and Liam Higginson delivers. Carwyn and Rhian are Welsh sheep farmers living in a small isolated community. When Carwyn comes across two lost hikers he subsequently discovers a prehistoric mound in an old patch of woodland and excavates a carved stone head. The mound begins to obsess him and Carwyn begins to neglect the farm and his sheep until Rhian realises that something about him has changed. I was a sent a proof and then a gorgeous hard copy. This is my quote:
"A slow-burning, reeking creep of a novel about eerie ancient places and dangerous interlopers. I loved it.'
I'll be interviewing Liam at a book festival later in the year.
"A slow-burning, reeking creep of a novel about eerie ancient places and dangerous interlopers. I loved it.'
I'll be interviewing Liam at a book festival later in the year.
September 1, 2026
The Hill in the Dark Grove is a debut Folk Horror novel that has stuck with me long after I turned the last page. This story is deep, dark and honestly, sort of devastating.
We follow an older couple, Carwyn and Rhian, who've lived a quiet life as sheep farmers in the remote Welsh moutains. The land they live on, and work, is a family legacy, having been in Rhian's family for generations.
Over the years, Carwyn and Rhian have found their social circle shrinking, as they've lost many friends and neighbors to old age and the pull of the city, and greater world. For the most part, they keep to themselves, grumbling about rising prices and the influx of English tourists.
Before you go thinking they're just old people complaining about a changing world, they're really not. For them, from their perspective, the changing world is threatening their way of life, and their land that they've poured blood, sweat and tears into over the decades.
Their world has become very small, but how long will they be able to maintain even that? And once they can no longer, what will become of them then?
When Carwyn finds a peculiar stone head in a little used corner of the farm, he believes he's uncovered something remarkable. He soon realizes the artifact is just a small part of something much larger from deep history.
Even though Rhian urges him to leave it be, Carwyn becomes obsessed with uncovering the object, all while his daily farm chores go neglected. When sheep start falling ill, and an accident makes it even more challenging for the couple to survive, Carwyn insists uncovering the object and learning its original purpose could be the key to solving everything.
Something he didn't consider though, is perhaps it's buried and stayed that way for a reason. Perhaps the ancestors of the past have intended for it to be so. What's gonna happen when he actually digs it up? What exactly is he unearthing?
I haven't stopped thinking about this novel since I finished it a couple of weeks ago. There's something very The Tommyknockers about it, whilst also being completely its own thing. I really liked it, even though I'm confident I didn't pick up on everything the author intended.
I'm in awe. It's not really a complicated story, but there are layers, and there were moments that I was a little unclear on where we were in time, and who exactly I was following.
One thing that never changed though was the pace and rhythm of the story. The writing is lush and beautiful. Higginson is an artist with words and The Hill in the Dark Grove does feel like a work of art.
I loved the unsettling atmosphere of the story. The uncertainty in Carwyn and Rhian's life channels through the pages directly to the Reader. I felt for them. They were isolated and facing some real daunting challenges, and at such a time in their lives. It was difficult to read at times.
Aging, and what happens to us as we age, the way a person's world can shrink, these are real world horrors that I think can be scary for a lot of us to think about. Though there was more going on in this story than that, I did appreciate Higginson's exploration of those topics.
The incorporation of Welsh folklore and the mystery surrounding this object, and it's pull on Carwyn, were also so compelling. Overall, it's a great story.
I feel like I need to get a hard copy for my collection, so I can read it again and annotate. I would recommend it for fans of Gothic Fiction, or Folk Horror, but really I feel like it's a story that could enjoyed by Readers of any genre.
Thank you to the publisher, Hogarth, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to more from Liam Higginson.
We follow an older couple, Carwyn and Rhian, who've lived a quiet life as sheep farmers in the remote Welsh moutains. The land they live on, and work, is a family legacy, having been in Rhian's family for generations.
Over the years, Carwyn and Rhian have found their social circle shrinking, as they've lost many friends and neighbors to old age and the pull of the city, and greater world. For the most part, they keep to themselves, grumbling about rising prices and the influx of English tourists.
Before you go thinking they're just old people complaining about a changing world, they're really not. For them, from their perspective, the changing world is threatening their way of life, and their land that they've poured blood, sweat and tears into over the decades.
Their world has become very small, but how long will they be able to maintain even that? And once they can no longer, what will become of them then?
When Carwyn finds a peculiar stone head in a little used corner of the farm, he believes he's uncovered something remarkable. He soon realizes the artifact is just a small part of something much larger from deep history.
Even though Rhian urges him to leave it be, Carwyn becomes obsessed with uncovering the object, all while his daily farm chores go neglected. When sheep start falling ill, and an accident makes it even more challenging for the couple to survive, Carwyn insists uncovering the object and learning its original purpose could be the key to solving everything.
Something he didn't consider though, is perhaps it's buried and stayed that way for a reason. Perhaps the ancestors of the past have intended for it to be so. What's gonna happen when he actually digs it up? What exactly is he unearthing?
I haven't stopped thinking about this novel since I finished it a couple of weeks ago. There's something very The Tommyknockers about it, whilst also being completely its own thing. I really liked it, even though I'm confident I didn't pick up on everything the author intended.
I'm in awe. It's not really a complicated story, but there are layers, and there were moments that I was a little unclear on where we were in time, and who exactly I was following.
One thing that never changed though was the pace and rhythm of the story. The writing is lush and beautiful. Higginson is an artist with words and The Hill in the Dark Grove does feel like a work of art.
I loved the unsettling atmosphere of the story. The uncertainty in Carwyn and Rhian's life channels through the pages directly to the Reader. I felt for them. They were isolated and facing some real daunting challenges, and at such a time in their lives. It was difficult to read at times.
Aging, and what happens to us as we age, the way a person's world can shrink, these are real world horrors that I think can be scary for a lot of us to think about. Though there was more going on in this story than that, I did appreciate Higginson's exploration of those topics.
The incorporation of Welsh folklore and the mystery surrounding this object, and it's pull on Carwyn, were also so compelling. Overall, it's a great story.
I feel like I need to get a hard copy for my collection, so I can read it again and annotate. I would recommend it for fans of Gothic Fiction, or Folk Horror, but really I feel like it's a story that could enjoyed by Readers of any genre.
Thank you to the publisher, Hogarth, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to more from Liam Higginson.
October 12, 2026
Eerie, haunting, devastating, and with gorgeous prose that illicits stunning imagery- this was an unsettling slow burn literary horror!! There were a few times where I was a bit lost or didn’t really know what was going on at first, but overall I really enjoyed this.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Carwyn and Rian Gwynnant live a harsh existence in a North Wales sheep farm where making ends meet becomes increasingly tricky as the bailiffs close in. One day whilst tending to his ailing sheep, he discovers an ancient stone head and decides to further excavate the site. This is to become an obsession that will change him, as Rian watches on, eventually realising how much her loved husband of many years is changing beyond recognition. As a harsh winter closes in, what can Rian do to preserve their humble life in the mountains?
Oh my goodness, I find it hard to believe that this is a debut so accomplished is the almost poetic, lyrical writing, resembling that of a seasoned writer having claimed their literary spurs. It’s deeply rich in atmosphere with the mountains looming over all and it’s so beautifully described that I feel as if I’m present in the landscape. However, it’s the Welsh folklore and the superstitions that have developed over millennia that are the star of the show. I love the timelines that take us backwards and help explain the weirdness of the present, reinforced by the changes to the deep bond between the couple, their sheepdog Eira, and of course their sheep, as Carwyn becomes increasingly secretive, evasive, utterly obsessed and driven by his discoveries.
The atmosphere undergoes many changes too, although right from the start you do get a sense of dread, a genuine fear and foreboding but initially I can’t put my finger on it. it becomes more and more unsettling, deeply eerie, very tense and suspenseful and positively terrifying and scary in places. The writing is so vivid that it activates all the senses.
In my opinion, this is quite simply a fantastic tale, rich in Welsh folklore and their Celtic tradition of storytelling and poetry. It’s very powerful, so much so it’s hard to put down– I absolutely love it. If you’re a fan of literary fiction combined with horror/Gothic overtones then you’ll probably love it too.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan Macmillan/Picadour for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
Oh my goodness, I find it hard to believe that this is a debut so accomplished is the almost poetic, lyrical writing, resembling that of a seasoned writer having claimed their literary spurs. It’s deeply rich in atmosphere with the mountains looming over all and it’s so beautifully described that I feel as if I’m present in the landscape. However, it’s the Welsh folklore and the superstitions that have developed over millennia that are the star of the show. I love the timelines that take us backwards and help explain the weirdness of the present, reinforced by the changes to the deep bond between the couple, their sheepdog Eira, and of course their sheep, as Carwyn becomes increasingly secretive, evasive, utterly obsessed and driven by his discoveries.
The atmosphere undergoes many changes too, although right from the start you do get a sense of dread, a genuine fear and foreboding but initially I can’t put my finger on it. it becomes more and more unsettling, deeply eerie, very tense and suspenseful and positively terrifying and scary in places. The writing is so vivid that it activates all the senses.
In my opinion, this is quite simply a fantastic tale, rich in Welsh folklore and their Celtic tradition of storytelling and poetry. It’s very powerful, so much so it’s hard to put down– I absolutely love it. If you’re a fan of literary fiction combined with horror/Gothic overtones then you’ll probably love it too.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan Macmillan/Picadour for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
Did Not Finish
August 13, 2026As a reader that normally loves folk horror it pains me to say that I'm giving up on this at 40%.
This book is superbly written, Higginson is no doubt talented, yet this is also incredibly boring and not holding my attention. AT. ALL.
I did read some of the negative reviews and when I found out that I decided this one was no longer worthy of my time.
This book is superbly written, Higginson is no doubt talented, yet this is also incredibly boring and not holding my attention. AT. ALL.
I did read some of the negative reviews and when I found out that I decided this one was no longer worthy of my time.
September 13, 2025
Some stories are waiting to be told. Unearthed from the land. ‘The Hill in the Dark Grove’ unfolds like something ancient and forgotten. Its bones lying dormant in the shadow of vast mountains and open skies. Born from the Welsh landscape, thrumming with history and echos of the past. A land of Cymraeg, drenched in song and story, legend and superstitions.
On a remote North Wales hillside, within sight of Yr Wyddfa is the Gwynnant farm, sheep roaming its craggy fields, tended by Carwyn and his wife Rhian. An older couple, farming in their blood. Their lives a continuation of heritage going back hundreds of years. It is hard work. Humbling. And they are the end of the line. A generational full stop. There is no one to continue the work, no children to take stewardship of the land. No-one to remember them.
Late one night, two walkers get lost on their land. Crossing the neglected lower pasture, unused and overgrown, Carwyn discovers something buried. An old figurehead, granite, ancient worn and imposing. And beneath that, a megalithic stone circle. But it isn’t all he has unearthed.
A quiet, uneasy tale of mounting dread. Of man, landscape, herd and home, haunted by a mystery. A myth. A prehistoric Celtic horror, buried and unremembered. Perhaps it should stay that way.
It’s also a love story, of two people bound inexorably to the land and each other. Battling with the elements, fighting to preserve a way of life, growing old together and discovering the lengths they will go to in order to protect everything they know and love.
It truly is exquisite writing. Brooding, lyrical, haunting and utterly enthralling, Liam Higginson’s debut is quite astonishing. It crawled beneath my skin, took up space and I didn’t dare look away.
Listen, just read it.
“Cofiwch, people say - remember - but remembering is a forgotten art.”
On a remote North Wales hillside, within sight of Yr Wyddfa is the Gwynnant farm, sheep roaming its craggy fields, tended by Carwyn and his wife Rhian. An older couple, farming in their blood. Their lives a continuation of heritage going back hundreds of years. It is hard work. Humbling. And they are the end of the line. A generational full stop. There is no one to continue the work, no children to take stewardship of the land. No-one to remember them.
Late one night, two walkers get lost on their land. Crossing the neglected lower pasture, unused and overgrown, Carwyn discovers something buried. An old figurehead, granite, ancient worn and imposing. And beneath that, a megalithic stone circle. But it isn’t all he has unearthed.
A quiet, uneasy tale of mounting dread. Of man, landscape, herd and home, haunted by a mystery. A myth. A prehistoric Celtic horror, buried and unremembered. Perhaps it should stay that way.
It’s also a love story, of two people bound inexorably to the land and each other. Battling with the elements, fighting to preserve a way of life, growing old together and discovering the lengths they will go to in order to protect everything they know and love.
It truly is exquisite writing. Brooding, lyrical, haunting and utterly enthralling, Liam Higginson’s debut is quite astonishing. It crawled beneath my skin, took up space and I didn’t dare look away.
Listen, just read it.
“Cofiwch, people say - remember - but remembering is a forgotten art.”
July 18, 2026
4.5 stars
This was a beautifully written folk horror tale set in rural North Wales. The story was slow paced and atmospheric. I loved the Welsh setting and Welsh folklore. I was surprised to see that this is a debut novel, it was so well written with beautiful, introspective prose. I look forward to reading more from this author! We follow the lives of a sheep farming couple. The husband, Carwyn, has made a few prehistoric discoveries on the land and starts to behave rather strangely. The story flips between the present day and to the past, when they met and their early days as a couple. The story unfolds throughout the seasons and climaxes in the harsh, snowy winter. The ending reminded me a lot of The Shining!
This was a beautifully written folk horror tale set in rural North Wales. The story was slow paced and atmospheric. I loved the Welsh setting and Welsh folklore. I was surprised to see that this is a debut novel, it was so well written with beautiful, introspective prose. I look forward to reading more from this author! We follow the lives of a sheep farming couple. The husband, Carwyn, has made a few prehistoric discoveries on the land and starts to behave rather strangely. The story flips between the present day and to the past, when they met and their early days as a couple. The story unfolds throughout the seasons and climaxes in the harsh, snowy winter. The ending reminded me a lot of The Shining!
November 27, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is an exceptional debut and I will be eagerly waiting for more of Liam Higginson's exquisite writing.
The Hill in the Dark Grove is a gothic folk horror, set in rural North Wales and packed with layers upon layers of Welsh mythology, history and tradition. Anyone who loves Wales will find lots to get lost in here. But it's not all cwtches and cariad, because there's something out there just waiting to crawl under your skin.
Whilst still fiercely original, I found echoes of various influences from Bronte's Wuthering Heights to King's The Shining. The ability to draw on so many literary giants and still come out with what I think is likely to be the most memorable book I've read this year is no mean feat.
There is masterful building of tension and suspense throughout, making it gripping and unputdownable. The pace is fairly slow, with frequent reflections and reminisences that flesh out the characterisation of the two main characters, but that added a lot more to the story than simply packing in more contemporary "plot points", and led to a strong focus on their isolation and corruption. This is all set against the changing landscape - both within a year and over many years. (The cyclical 12 chapters, and backwards-moving historical vignettes at the head of each chapter, reinforce this very well.) Something that positively shines through the often dark and dreary imagery is the imperfect but strong and lifelong love between Carwyn and Rhian, who I deeply cared about right off the bat. The ending isn't what I expected (or necessarily hoped for), but it is tonally fitting and satisfying in its ambiguity.
One of my only major complaints is that this is the kind of book I have always dreamed of writing (right down to featuring a creepy sheep farm, chilly Welsh coast and ancient church), so I am jealous that this is a far better execution than I could ever achieve!
I definitely see myself reading this one again, and have already started recommending it to friends with a penchant for folk horror. Certainly one of my top reads this year.
This is an exceptional debut and I will be eagerly waiting for more of Liam Higginson's exquisite writing.
The Hill in the Dark Grove is a gothic folk horror, set in rural North Wales and packed with layers upon layers of Welsh mythology, history and tradition. Anyone who loves Wales will find lots to get lost in here. But it's not all cwtches and cariad, because there's something out there just waiting to crawl under your skin.
Whilst still fiercely original, I found echoes of various influences from Bronte's Wuthering Heights to King's The Shining. The ability to draw on so many literary giants and still come out with what I think is likely to be the most memorable book I've read this year is no mean feat.
There is masterful building of tension and suspense throughout, making it gripping and unputdownable. The pace is fairly slow, with frequent reflections and reminisences that flesh out the characterisation of the two main characters, but that added a lot more to the story than simply packing in more contemporary "plot points", and led to a strong focus on their isolation and corruption. This is all set against the changing landscape - both within a year and over many years. (The cyclical 12 chapters, and backwards-moving historical vignettes at the head of each chapter, reinforce this very well.) Something that positively shines through the often dark and dreary imagery is the imperfect but strong and lifelong love between Carwyn and Rhian, who I deeply cared about right off the bat. The ending isn't what I expected (or necessarily hoped for), but it is tonally fitting and satisfying in its ambiguity.
One of my only major complaints is that this is the kind of book I have always dreamed of writing (right down to featuring a creepy sheep farm, chilly Welsh coast and ancient church), so I am jealous that this is a far better execution than I could ever achieve!
I definitely see myself reading this one again, and have already started recommending it to friends with a penchant for folk horror. Certainly one of my top reads this year.
December 2, 2025
This was very well-written and I can see why people love it. You'll probably love it! Go ahead and read it! But while I liked it, I did not, alas, love it.
The plot surrounds a couple of 60-something Welsh farmers, Carwyn and Rhian. They live a challenging but lovely life together running the farm...until Carwyn digs up some weird, ancient artefacts in one of their fields and starts becoming obsessed by their origin.
I found it a bit slow-going and just so...bleak. Both in terms of the well-drawn grimness of the North Wales winters and the direction the plot was travelling in (it's fairly apparent where this one is gong from early on).
The supernatural side was all kind of hinty and vague - shadows glimpsed, strange noises, movement in peripheral vision, etc. There was definitely an ominous feel to the book but I'm possibly a less subtle individual and prefer actual monsters to appear in plain view and run amok. :-)
What I actually did love about the book were the sections outlining how Carwyn and Rhian got together. These are touching and beautifully written. In fact pretty much all of the non-scary stuff was excellent, I just wasn't feeling the supernatural parts.
I'll definitely keep an eye on Liam Higginson as there was a lot of talent on display here.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.
The plot surrounds a couple of 60-something Welsh farmers, Carwyn and Rhian. They live a challenging but lovely life together running the farm...until Carwyn digs up some weird, ancient artefacts in one of their fields and starts becoming obsessed by their origin.
I found it a bit slow-going and just so...bleak. Both in terms of the well-drawn grimness of the North Wales winters and the direction the plot was travelling in (it's fairly apparent where this one is gong from early on).
The supernatural side was all kind of hinty and vague - shadows glimpsed, strange noises, movement in peripheral vision, etc. There was definitely an ominous feel to the book but I'm possibly a less subtle individual and prefer actual monsters to appear in plain view and run amok. :-)
What I actually did love about the book were the sections outlining how Carwyn and Rhian got together. These are touching and beautifully written. In fact pretty much all of the non-scary stuff was excellent, I just wasn't feeling the supernatural parts.
I'll definitely keep an eye on Liam Higginson as there was a lot of talent on display here.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.
December 28, 2025
A truly excellent bit of folk horror that’ll have you yearning for a trip to North Wales before quickly revising those plans.
The writing in this novel is stupendously good. It doesn’t rush, but takes its time to paint a beautiful but vicious landscape against which to set this story. Just as our main characters have lived on the mountain for decades, so do we become embedded in that unforgiving nature.
This book lives and dies on the lead pairing of Rhian and Carwyn, the old, loveable and haunted couple battling to make ends meet and keep their farm ticking along. You feel invested in them from the start and care deeply for them throughout. Through memories and flashbacks you learn of their courting, of their love for each other, and of their hardships. As the story goes on and their relationship changes, all of that emotion you’ve invested in them makes it all the more harrowing to read.
There is plenty of folklore to be found here too, unearthing evocative and unnerving tales from that ancient land the same way Carwyn digs treasures from it. It all adds to the world-building, and I really appreciated how unashamedly Welsh it is - it has everything: the mountains, the weather, the disdain at English folk buying up houses for holiday homes, and the swathes of traditional stories, including a chilling sequence about the Mari Lwyd tradition…this book has rarebit, dragons and rugby union running through its veins.
And so to the horror, which is subtle at first, ambiguous throughout, and thoroughly compelling by the end, when it leans fully into The Shining-ness of it all. Yet perhaps some of the most haunting moments are connected to farm life: the opening of a terrible lambing in awful weather, or the grisly death of a sheep covered in maggots, or the horror of the livestock auction…these are told with such blunt language compared to that used to describe the landscape that they are all the more shocking scenes. Oh, and a sequence where Rhian wants to cook some eggs taken from their own chickens and each one becomes more and more horrific, a manifestation of the rot that has gripped their farm, was truly nasty.
Throughout this book, I became more and more unsettled by Carwyn, as he became more and more obsessed with the stone head he pulled from the ground. It gives the tale a sort of possession element that I really enjoyed, as well as evoking parts of The Tommyknockers…but in a good way!
Most of all, though, it’s a story about legacy, about making your mark and of the fear of being forgotten. Our couple has no children, and the grief at having no-one to pass your life onto runs throughout this book, and feeds into their desperation the longer it goes on. It adds a slice of haunted, Gothic sadness to this novel that really works.
This one is, without doubt, a slowburn. But that build over the first two thirds of the book makes the disturbing and sad ending all the more effective. If this isn't among my favourite releases of 2026 come the end of it I’ll be very surprised. A fantastic debut and one that will sit with me for a while.
Huge thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!
The writing in this novel is stupendously good. It doesn’t rush, but takes its time to paint a beautiful but vicious landscape against which to set this story. Just as our main characters have lived on the mountain for decades, so do we become embedded in that unforgiving nature.
This book lives and dies on the lead pairing of Rhian and Carwyn, the old, loveable and haunted couple battling to make ends meet and keep their farm ticking along. You feel invested in them from the start and care deeply for them throughout. Through memories and flashbacks you learn of their courting, of their love for each other, and of their hardships. As the story goes on and their relationship changes, all of that emotion you’ve invested in them makes it all the more harrowing to read.
There is plenty of folklore to be found here too, unearthing evocative and unnerving tales from that ancient land the same way Carwyn digs treasures from it. It all adds to the world-building, and I really appreciated how unashamedly Welsh it is - it has everything: the mountains, the weather, the disdain at English folk buying up houses for holiday homes, and the swathes of traditional stories, including a chilling sequence about the Mari Lwyd tradition…this book has rarebit, dragons and rugby union running through its veins.
And so to the horror, which is subtle at first, ambiguous throughout, and thoroughly compelling by the end, when it leans fully into The Shining-ness of it all. Yet perhaps some of the most haunting moments are connected to farm life: the opening of a terrible lambing in awful weather, or the grisly death of a sheep covered in maggots, or the horror of the livestock auction…these are told with such blunt language compared to that used to describe the landscape that they are all the more shocking scenes. Oh, and a sequence where Rhian wants to cook some eggs taken from their own chickens and each one becomes more and more horrific, a manifestation of the rot that has gripped their farm, was truly nasty.
Throughout this book, I became more and more unsettled by Carwyn, as he became more and more obsessed with the stone head he pulled from the ground. It gives the tale a sort of possession element that I really enjoyed, as well as evoking parts of The Tommyknockers…but in a good way!
Most of all, though, it’s a story about legacy, about making your mark and of the fear of being forgotten. Our couple has no children, and the grief at having no-one to pass your life onto runs throughout this book, and feeds into their desperation the longer it goes on. It adds a slice of haunted, Gothic sadness to this novel that really works.
This one is, without doubt, a slowburn. But that build over the first two thirds of the book makes the disturbing and sad ending all the more effective. If this isn't among my favourite releases of 2026 come the end of it I’ll be very surprised. A fantastic debut and one that will sit with me for a while.
Huge thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The circle, though, it spoke to him. That is to say, it spoke to him the same way as the carved head did–in his own inner voice, with his own thoughts. It spoke to him of comfort and familiarity. He had been born and bred in a land shaped by ancient stones: the interconnected rows and rings and monoliths, tumuli and dolmens; the crumbled ruins of the chieftains’ strongholds perched on lonely crags, and the many castles of King Edward; the vast slate quarries and their spoil tips that still scarred the landscape. It spoke to him of universal symbols that he understood implicitly. A circle like the seasons by which he still lived and worked; a circle like the cycles of the flock; a circle like the sun, the moon, eternity. It spoke to him of reassuring permanence. The stones represented something that endured, that would not rot or burn or melt away, perhaps placed there by people who felt just as he did that their very way of life was under threat and wished to mark their presence ineradicably on the changing world.
A debut novel – written in something of a folk horror genre although with clear literary fiction influences - inspired by the author’s lockdown walks in his native North Wales where he passed an overgrown Neolithic cairn and reflecting on it as an image for the transience of even things which at the time of their construction are assumed to be of eternal significance. It is set in the present day (as can be seen by references to foot and mouth and lockdown) but in an area where both the maintenance of tradition (almost in defiance of economic headwinds) and the practicalities of limited mobile and wifi signal give an appropriate timelessness.
At its heart are a sixty-something married couple Carwyn (whose third party point of view dominates the first part of the novel) and Rhian (who in turn takes over the second part) – sheep farmers now living close to hand to mouth (if not even beyond their means – as a balliffs begin to call in a series of over-extended loans) in a remote farm in the shadow of Yr Wydffa (Snowdon). At the book’s beginning Carwyn rescues a couple of lost English middle-class backpackers (a group of people he largely detests), the female of which has badly twisted her ankle. Returning to where she tipped – in a dark lower wood he was always encouraged to avoid – he finds first of all an ancient carved stone head and then over time some form of burial mound and a stone circle surrounding it.
Increasingly he becomes obsessed, almost bewitched by the need to excavate the circle, neglecting his farm duties to the consternation of Rhian particularly as his behaviour becomes increasingly odd, including starting to deny reality – as what starts as a novel of sustenance struggling turns more to increasingly palable if always understated horror – James Rebanks re-written by Shirley Jackson to partly borrow from another review.
Adding to the atmosphere the chapters of the novel which proceed through a calendar year as the tale unfolds (but which also include some retelling of both partners upbringing and how they came together) are interspersed with short mini italicised chapters which (each over 2-3 pages) trace the history of the patch of land back in time – starting with a Great War Burial but going back over the Civil War, Welsh rebellions and then back through the Saxons, Romans and much further.
The book has perhaps for my tastes too many dream sequences but it does explain well why they are included and what they might (or might not) signify:
And rather brilliantly (as I have a feeling it was deliberate? also the book remind me of Stewart Lee’s brilliant “Paul Nuttells of UKIPs” sketch on immigration managing both to include the Beaker Folk (“coming over here with their drinking vessels”) and the Neolithic people (“and their astrological stone circle temples” – although Lee and author seem to disagree on who designed those circles “What's wrong with just worshipping a tree?”) in the following passages:
But overall while not entirely to my tastes – folk horror is not really my genre so that in many ways I preferred the book before its descent into the more supernatural and when it was more focused on the evolving dynamic of the marriage - the book is incredibly effective at capturing a sense of time, of how a landscape preserves history, and particularly a remote Welsh one given its complex interactions with thousands of years of history and the way that it is not just in the present day that ways of life largely outmoded or even destroyed elsewhere in Britain (now by economic forces in the past by invasion or by religious changes) still linger. And all of this makes for a memorable read.
My thanks to Picador for an ARC via NetGalley
A debut novel – written in something of a folk horror genre although with clear literary fiction influences - inspired by the author’s lockdown walks in his native North Wales where he passed an overgrown Neolithic cairn and reflecting on it as an image for the transience of even things which at the time of their construction are assumed to be of eternal significance. It is set in the present day (as can be seen by references to foot and mouth and lockdown) but in an area where both the maintenance of tradition (almost in defiance of economic headwinds) and the practicalities of limited mobile and wifi signal give an appropriate timelessness.
At its heart are a sixty-something married couple Carwyn (whose third party point of view dominates the first part of the novel) and Rhian (who in turn takes over the second part) – sheep farmers now living close to hand to mouth (if not even beyond their means – as a balliffs begin to call in a series of over-extended loans) in a remote farm in the shadow of Yr Wydffa (Snowdon). At the book’s beginning Carwyn rescues a couple of lost English middle-class backpackers (a group of people he largely detests), the female of which has badly twisted her ankle. Returning to where she tipped – in a dark lower wood he was always encouraged to avoid – he finds first of all an ancient carved stone head and then over time some form of burial mound and a stone circle surrounding it.
Increasingly he becomes obsessed, almost bewitched by the need to excavate the circle, neglecting his farm duties to the consternation of Rhian particularly as his behaviour becomes increasingly odd, including starting to deny reality – as what starts as a novel of sustenance struggling turns more to increasingly palable if always understated horror – James Rebanks re-written by Shirley Jackson to partly borrow from another review.
Adding to the atmosphere the chapters of the novel which proceed through a calendar year as the tale unfolds (but which also include some retelling of both partners upbringing and how they came together) are interspersed with short mini italicised chapters which (each over 2-3 pages) trace the history of the patch of land back in time – starting with a Great War Burial but going back over the Civil War, Welsh rebellions and then back through the Saxons, Romans and much further.
The book has perhaps for my tastes too many dream sequences but it does explain well why they are included and what they might (or might not) signify:
He had long since disabused himself of his grandmother’s notion that dreams were veiled communications from the gods, which might predict the future or impart life-changing revelations or grim auguries of doom. For his nain, dreams might foretell ill health, a season of good hay, a wedding or a windfall. He viewed them now with a more corporeal regard. As clues, perhaps, to the preoccupations of the under-mind. A sort of nightly filing of the day’s events into the recesses of memory, a storing and consuming and discarding. Mostly they were little curiosities that he and Rhian might share for amusement over breakfast.
And rather brilliantly (as I have a feeling it was deliberate? also the book remind me of Stewart Lee’s brilliant “Paul Nuttells of UKIPs” sketch on immigration managing both to include the Beaker Folk (“coming over here with their drinking vessels”) and the Neolithic people (“and their astrological stone circle temples” – although Lee and author seem to disagree on who designed those circles “What's wrong with just worshipping a tree?”) in the following passages:
They seemed to him a proof of his belonging to the land–of the Welsh as the last true indigenous inhabitants of Britain. If Wales had been around a day, then the invaders were an eye-blink. Before Edward and his English came, before the Normans and the Vikings came, before the Roman legions came, before even the Beaker folk came with their pottery and their bronze, there had been people like him living in these mountains for a hundred thousand years.
They used to be everywhere, but when we came–I mean us, the Neolithic farmers–they retreated to their burial mounds and barrows and stone circles until those monuments were all that was left of them.’
But overall while not entirely to my tastes – folk horror is not really my genre so that in many ways I preferred the book before its descent into the more supernatural and when it was more focused on the evolving dynamic of the marriage - the book is incredibly effective at capturing a sense of time, of how a landscape preserves history, and particularly a remote Welsh one given its complex interactions with thousands of years of history and the way that it is not just in the present day that ways of life largely outmoded or even destroyed elsewhere in Britain (now by economic forces in the past by invasion or by religious changes) still linger. And all of this makes for a memorable read.
There were people who could set up home in a new city, a new country, a new continent, and she bore them neither envy nor disdain. She simply felt she was among a lucky few who came into existence right where she belonged. Hefted, as they would say of the sheep. Generation after generation brought to graze on the same pastures every spring for centuries until they were imbued with an instinctive sense of place, belonging to the mountain just as it in turn belonged to them. How much did landscape play a role in the formation of a person’s character? Did the familiar sight of rock and earth and water randomly configured by the chaos of creation leave an imprint on the mind? She could not speak for others, but she knew what her reply would be.
My thanks to Picador for an ARC via NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
One of the best horror novels of the year, and a very strong debut. This is some deep Folk Horror that bridges the ancient and the modern and everything in between through the story of a Welsh farmer and his wife.
I recently saw someone insist that folk horror stories require an outsider. This book has no outsider and I think this book gives a strong counterargument to this whole idea. Folk horror is about tradition, it is about the changing of generations and societies. It is one civilization dying out and another coming in. Higginson sees a way of life that is dying, but it is not just that the life of these Welsh farmers is the ancient tradition. Because before the farmers there were others. And others before them. In little segments that begin each chapter, Higginson shows us a story of 50 years ago or 5000 years ago and how they have changed and extended through societies and eras.
I say all this but that is the big broad zoomed out view. But Higginson also excels at the super zoomed in life of Carwyn and Rhian. We get the slow rituals of their days, their weeks, their years. And as we get comfortable we start to see the way things go awry. First it is just a strange artifact Carwyn digs up in a field. What it becomes from there is a slow, slithering thing. And who knows if it is even there? Some seasons the sheep are sickly and thin, just like some seasons the sheep are full and hearty. Who is to say it isn't just one of those years? That it isn't just the increasing fatigue and pain that comes from the years? They are past their youth, past midlife, they are reaching the end of the time that they will be able to run the farm themselves. Perhaps it is all just a sign to start imagining what's next?
Beautiful prose, and a very smart turn halfway through that I totally wasn't expecting and that really takes the tension and the storytelling to the next level.
A fantastic effort and I really look forward to see more from Higginson.
I read this in print but would have loved to try audio to hear all the Welsh pronunciation!
I recently saw someone insist that folk horror stories require an outsider. This book has no outsider and I think this book gives a strong counterargument to this whole idea. Folk horror is about tradition, it is about the changing of generations and societies. It is one civilization dying out and another coming in. Higginson sees a way of life that is dying, but it is not just that the life of these Welsh farmers is the ancient tradition. Because before the farmers there were others. And others before them. In little segments that begin each chapter, Higginson shows us a story of 50 years ago or 5000 years ago and how they have changed and extended through societies and eras.
I say all this but that is the big broad zoomed out view. But Higginson also excels at the super zoomed in life of Carwyn and Rhian. We get the slow rituals of their days, their weeks, their years. And as we get comfortable we start to see the way things go awry. First it is just a strange artifact Carwyn digs up in a field. What it becomes from there is a slow, slithering thing. And who knows if it is even there? Some seasons the sheep are sickly and thin, just like some seasons the sheep are full and hearty. Who is to say it isn't just one of those years? That it isn't just the increasing fatigue and pain that comes from the years? They are past their youth, past midlife, they are reaching the end of the time that they will be able to run the farm themselves. Perhaps it is all just a sign to start imagining what's next?
Beautiful prose, and a very smart turn halfway through that I totally wasn't expecting and that really takes the tension and the storytelling to the next level.
A fantastic effort and I really look forward to see more from Higginson.
I read this in print but would have loved to try audio to hear all the Welsh pronunciation!
January 19, 2026
This debut novel is described as 'Welsh Folk Horror', but actually it reminded me more of novels such as Seascraper, The Colony by Audrey Magee and Clear by Carys Davies about a disappearing way of life. It follows a couple of old sheep farmers, Carwyn and Rhian, facing a series of hardships and becoming increasingly isolated. But when mysterious historical objects are being discovered on their land a possible improvement may be in sight.
The book does have its fair share of Welsh mythology as well as strange dreams, especially towards the end (and it's not really my thing), but by then I was already fully absorbed in the story of the couple, one of who is clearly losing their grip on reality...but who?
Highly recommended, and I am pencilling it down for a possible Booker longlisting this summer.
The book does have its fair share of Welsh mythology as well as strange dreams, especially towards the end (and it's not really my thing), but by then I was already fully absorbed in the story of the couple, one of who is clearly losing their grip on reality...but who?
Highly recommended, and I am pencilling it down for a possible Booker longlisting this summer.
March 21, 2026
A slow burn of a novel that lets you get to know the people and the place, so you understand everything that will be lost. Beautifully written. None of the truly bad stuff makes it onto the page, which makes it all the worse somehow. Having a hard time believing these are fictional characters; I can't help but feel this book is all that's left of them.
January 11, 2026
At the start of this book I wasn't sure whether I was going to manage to engage with it.
However I was glad that I continued to read on, as it started to grow on me like the sense of unease and menace that was always present throughout.
I couldn't help but get sucked in to the characters story, and having the weather as almost its own character provided a general sense of foreboding. It's worth mentioning that this book feels like it should be read during wintery months due to its setting.
I've seen some reviews that indicate this is a horror, but if you don't enjoy horror but don't mind something a bit darker than your average tale,then you may enjoy this one.
Hard to believe this is a debut by this author as it feels very accomplished, so I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next.
However I was glad that I continued to read on, as it started to grow on me like the sense of unease and menace that was always present throughout.
I couldn't help but get sucked in to the characters story, and having the weather as almost its own character provided a general sense of foreboding. It's worth mentioning that this book feels like it should be read during wintery months due to its setting.
I've seen some reviews that indicate this is a horror, but if you don't enjoy horror but don't mind something a bit darker than your average tale,then you may enjoy this one.
Hard to believe this is a debut by this author as it feels very accomplished, so I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next.
August 10, 2026
Reading The Hill in the Dark Grove felt like being strapped into a long, dark ride that took me deeper and deeper into the depths of a love story that is slowly but surely being eroded by the compounding forces surrounding it. I did not have a good time—and I loved every minute of it!
Higginson’s debut is literary Welsh folk horror with gothic elements that takes its time telling its story. This is not a book to pick up if you’re looking for something fast-paced, packed with explicit scares and carnage. To fully appreciate this novel, I think you need a deeper appreciation for literary skill and the slow, grip-tightening, painstaking construction of dread and anxiety.
The deteriorating, remote Welsh landscape propagates a constant sense of menace, even when very little overtly frightening is happening. Higginson’s descriptions of rural farmland and its ultimate physical decay are exceptionally vivid and rendered with such precision that the setting becomes an essential part of the horror. There is an oppressive, almost inescapable quality to it that I could not get enough of.
Welsh mythology, history, and traditions are all set into the foundation of the story, and the folklore is one of my favorite aspects of the book. I’ll admit that the folk tales at the beginning of each chapter took some getting used to, but once I settled into it, I thought it worked well as a mechanism for building tension. By the end, I wanted to learn more about Welsh culture and the history of Wales, which is always a mark of effective historical and cultural storytelling for me.
There are also incredibly detailed depictions of the highs and very sad lows of tending to a farm and caring for its animals and the less glamorous realities of agricultural life. These passages are simultaneously beautifully written and nausea-inducing. The realities of animal disease, injury, and death are not softened, and Higginson conveys the genuine risks and hardships involved in caring for livestock. Readers with sensitivities around animal suffering, disease, or death should approach this read with caution.
There's a lyrical heaviness to Higginson’s prose that is reminiscent of my favorite horror author, Adam Nevill. The language is beautiful in a way that accentuated the ugliness of what it describes, and that contrast makes both the horror and emotional moments feel even more visceral. I felt every bit of the love, longing, fear, apprehension, discomfort, despair, anger, and neuroticism Carwyn and Rhian experience throughout the story.
One of the strongest thematic threads is the novel’s engagement with English imperialism and the internal colonization of Wales—the subjugation of the Welsh people, land expropriation, the systematic imposition of English law and administrative structures, and the cultural erasure of the indigenous Welsh people. The more I read, the more I began to see Carwyn’s actions not as chaotic or obsessive, but as the desperate yet increasingly destructive attempt of someone trying to preserve his heritage and culture in the face of forces attempting to erase them. This added an entirely different dimension to his character and made the story all the more heartbreaking to me.
What makes this novel so effective is that I was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop, but I also remained invested in the aging married couple and the life they had built together. Watching Rhian slowly realize that she is losing the man she loves was devastating. The tension and the emotional character work blended harmoniously to make every moment feel increasingly insidious.
The ambiguous ending was perfect for this story. I was left to ponder what it all meant and turn over the more subtle moments of the novel in my head to assess whether there was more to be ascertained from them. I love when a book refuses to leave me the moment I finish it—when I find myself ruminating over its meaning, reconsidering earlier scenes, and wondering what I might have missed.
The Hill in the Dark Grove isn’t going to work for everyone—it’s very slow and very literary—but I'm so elated that it was the perfect read for me. To call Higginson’s next release an auto-read is the epitome of an understatement.
Readers who enjoy folk horror set in the British Isles and fans of Adam Nevill's work will have a fantastic time with this stunning debut.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Higginson’s debut is literary Welsh folk horror with gothic elements that takes its time telling its story. This is not a book to pick up if you’re looking for something fast-paced, packed with explicit scares and carnage. To fully appreciate this novel, I think you need a deeper appreciation for literary skill and the slow, grip-tightening, painstaking construction of dread and anxiety.
The deteriorating, remote Welsh landscape propagates a constant sense of menace, even when very little overtly frightening is happening. Higginson’s descriptions of rural farmland and its ultimate physical decay are exceptionally vivid and rendered with such precision that the setting becomes an essential part of the horror. There is an oppressive, almost inescapable quality to it that I could not get enough of.
Welsh mythology, history, and traditions are all set into the foundation of the story, and the folklore is one of my favorite aspects of the book. I’ll admit that the folk tales at the beginning of each chapter took some getting used to, but once I settled into it, I thought it worked well as a mechanism for building tension. By the end, I wanted to learn more about Welsh culture and the history of Wales, which is always a mark of effective historical and cultural storytelling for me.
There are also incredibly detailed depictions of the highs and very sad lows of tending to a farm and caring for its animals and the less glamorous realities of agricultural life. These passages are simultaneously beautifully written and nausea-inducing. The realities of animal disease, injury, and death are not softened, and Higginson conveys the genuine risks and hardships involved in caring for livestock. Readers with sensitivities around animal suffering, disease, or death should approach this read with caution.
There's a lyrical heaviness to Higginson’s prose that is reminiscent of my favorite horror author, Adam Nevill. The language is beautiful in a way that accentuated the ugliness of what it describes, and that contrast makes both the horror and emotional moments feel even more visceral. I felt every bit of the love, longing, fear, apprehension, discomfort, despair, anger, and neuroticism Carwyn and Rhian experience throughout the story.
One of the strongest thematic threads is the novel’s engagement with English imperialism and the internal colonization of Wales—the subjugation of the Welsh people, land expropriation, the systematic imposition of English law and administrative structures, and the cultural erasure of the indigenous Welsh people. The more I read, the more I began to see Carwyn’s actions not as chaotic or obsessive, but as the desperate yet increasingly destructive attempt of someone trying to preserve his heritage and culture in the face of forces attempting to erase them. This added an entirely different dimension to his character and made the story all the more heartbreaking to me.
What makes this novel so effective is that I was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop, but I also remained invested in the aging married couple and the life they had built together. Watching Rhian slowly realize that she is losing the man she loves was devastating. The tension and the emotional character work blended harmoniously to make every moment feel increasingly insidious.
The ambiguous ending was perfect for this story. I was left to ponder what it all meant and turn over the more subtle moments of the novel in my head to assess whether there was more to be ascertained from them. I love when a book refuses to leave me the moment I finish it—when I find myself ruminating over its meaning, reconsidering earlier scenes, and wondering what I might have missed.
The Hill in the Dark Grove isn’t going to work for everyone—it’s very slow and very literary—but I'm so elated that it was the perfect read for me. To call Higginson’s next release an auto-read is the epitome of an understatement.
Readers who enjoy folk horror set in the British Isles and fans of Adam Nevill's work will have a fantastic time with this stunning debut.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 18, 2025
This is it peeps. This is quite possibly the most unsettling book I have read this year. The fact that this is a debut novel is impressive. It is a well written, tension filled, haunting tale.
The setting for The Hill in the Dark Grove is North Wales, an area of natural beauty that is steeped in folklore, and many of those stories, such as the tale of Gelert, form part of the narrative of the novel. 🏴
The main protagonists are Carwyn and Rhian, who breed sheep on their isolated farm, which has been in Carwyn's family for generations. There is one area of the farm that Carwyn has never set foot on, until now. Suddenly, strange things start to happen, and people begin to disappear 🏴
The pace of the story is slow, but as the unease builds, the pages almost thrum with tension. The changes in Carwyn are unsettling, and Rhian's dread is almost contagious. 🏴
This won't be for everyone, but if you love folk horror and/or Welsh myths and legends, as I do, you will definitely want to read this gem. 🏴
Thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for the digital ARC.
The setting for The Hill in the Dark Grove is North Wales, an area of natural beauty that is steeped in folklore, and many of those stories, such as the tale of Gelert, form part of the narrative of the novel. 🏴
The main protagonists are Carwyn and Rhian, who breed sheep on their isolated farm, which has been in Carwyn's family for generations. There is one area of the farm that Carwyn has never set foot on, until now. Suddenly, strange things start to happen, and people begin to disappear 🏴
The pace of the story is slow, but as the unease builds, the pages almost thrum with tension. The changes in Carwyn are unsettling, and Rhian's dread is almost contagious. 🏴
This won't be for everyone, but if you love folk horror and/or Welsh myths and legends, as I do, you will definitely want to read this gem. 🏴
Thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for the digital ARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2026
3.5 stars
This tale is a gothic, slow-burn folk horror that is perfect to read on a cold, winters night. It has themes such as obsession, loyalty, isolation and the weight of history.
The setting in the Welsh landscape is such a beautiful yet haunting setting with the knowledge of something evil lurking in the darkness, buried and waiting to come back to life. The atmosphere and the immersive storytelling steeped in folklore I absolutely loved. It transported me there vividly.
Reading from Carwyn and Rhian’s points of view gave it an added depth, witnessing the change in personality of Carwyn as he becomes hostile and withdrawn and Rhian worrying and feeling unsafe with him. The scenes between them were also touching, tender and full of emotion, I really loved those scenes.
The only thing that let this book down slightly for me was it was a bit too much of a slow burn. I do like these types of books to be at a slower pace to create that feel of foreboding dread but for some reason, this one dragged it out a bit too long for me and I was a bit disappointed at how it all ended. It was still enjoyable but I think I needed a bit more of the supernatural side to be explained and a bit more of the horror aspect to happen.
The Hill in a Dark Grove is a moving story of legacy, loss, cultural erasure and love. I highly recommend if you enjoy an atmospheric tale that is beautifully written.
This tale is a gothic, slow-burn folk horror that is perfect to read on a cold, winters night. It has themes such as obsession, loyalty, isolation and the weight of history.
The setting in the Welsh landscape is such a beautiful yet haunting setting with the knowledge of something evil lurking in the darkness, buried and waiting to come back to life. The atmosphere and the immersive storytelling steeped in folklore I absolutely loved. It transported me there vividly.
Reading from Carwyn and Rhian’s points of view gave it an added depth, witnessing the change in personality of Carwyn as he becomes hostile and withdrawn and Rhian worrying and feeling unsafe with him. The scenes between them were also touching, tender and full of emotion, I really loved those scenes.
The only thing that let this book down slightly for me was it was a bit too much of a slow burn. I do like these types of books to be at a slower pace to create that feel of foreboding dread but for some reason, this one dragged it out a bit too long for me and I was a bit disappointed at how it all ended. It was still enjoyable but I think I needed a bit more of the supernatural side to be explained and a bit more of the horror aspect to happen.
The Hill in a Dark Grove is a moving story of legacy, loss, cultural erasure and love. I highly recommend if you enjoy an atmospheric tale that is beautifully written.
January 13, 2026
Brooding, moody and quietly unsettling. Just what you want in a folk horror.
The Hill in the Dark Grove is a story of love, loyalty and survival, with obsession and sinister dealings thrown into the mix to craft out a menacing tale. The haunting descriptions of the way of life in rural Wales and the relationship dynamics between the main characters were at once achingly beautiful and fraught with tension. Full of foreboding, brutal landscapes and ominous folklore, this was an edgy, gritty and raw look on the unrelenting passage of time. There is a sprinkle of cosiness here and there but a cloying one that only made the story all the more threatening.
This was a quiet one, one I took a while to settle into but it crept up on me until I was in thrall and found myself in its tight grip.
The Hill in the Dark Grove is a story of love, loyalty and survival, with obsession and sinister dealings thrown into the mix to craft out a menacing tale. The haunting descriptions of the way of life in rural Wales and the relationship dynamics between the main characters were at once achingly beautiful and fraught with tension. Full of foreboding, brutal landscapes and ominous folklore, this was an edgy, gritty and raw look on the unrelenting passage of time. There is a sprinkle of cosiness here and there but a cloying one that only made the story all the more threatening.
This was a quiet one, one I took a while to settle into but it crept up on me until I was in thrall and found myself in its tight grip.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
They were not made for each other so much as they were made of each other—their memories and experiences intertwined for decades like the knots of their love-spoon until they were tangled inextricably.
It’s hard to believe that The Hill in the Dark Grove is Liam Higginson’s first novel. The way he seamlessly blends folk horror, social commentary, and a moving love story is so effortless and assured; this was unlike anything I’ve read before.
Carwyn and Rhain are elderly sheep farmers in the sparsely populated mountains of Wales. They live modestly, but what they lack in creature comforts they make up for with their abiding admiration and affection for each other. Until, that is, Carwyn stumbles upon a strange relic deep in the forest on their land and begins to morph into someone Rhian doesn’t recognize.
The Hill in the Dark Grove is steeped in Welsh folklore, but its most horror-forward moments occur off the page, which only serves to increase its ominous, unsettling atmosphere. The setting – the Welsh countryside, stunning and austere – is rendered perfectly. The isolation and severity of the landscape permeate every page; you can feel how much Carwyn and Rhian revere the land, and how much respect the land has demanded from generations of farmers.
On a large scale, this story is about Wales itself – its myths and legends, its history, its people, its transition from ancient traditions to modern society, and the reverberating effects of that transition on its citizens and its land. On a small scale, it’s the story of a marriage: the comfort of a shared life, the companionship that replaces passion, the storms that are weathered side by side. It’s about two people reckoning with growing old together, bound to their land and to each other, and fighting to preserve the only way of life they’ve ever known. And it’s about an unexpected, unimagined interloper who disrupts that life.
The Hill in the Dark Grove is quiet and meditative, but it’s also incredibly haunting and menacing and bleak – the kind of book that engulfs you in an overwhelming sense of mounting dread. I think the feelings it evokes will linger with me for a long time. Thank you to Hogarth for the early reading opportunity.
January 22, 2026
"If we don't leave our mark, we'll be forgotten."
Liam Higginson's novel is about Carwyn and Rhian, deep in the mountains of Eryri, North Wales, they are the last in a long line of sheep farmers living out a brutal year on their hillside farm. When Carwyn discovers a buried prehistoric ruin in one of the fields on their land, his curiosity quickly becomes obsession. His wife, Rhian, meanwhile, is confronted with the growing realisation that her husband is becoming a frightening stranger.
This story gave a tender insight into the lives of this couple. Those moments of peace are however quickly disturbed by the supernatural horrors that will plague them.
It was a slow burn and you could feel the tension when Carwyn began to display signs of not being himself. These parts were unsettling for Rhian. The suspense was palpable, the bond of this couple is tested and it shows as the story progresses.
I did like this story, the folk horror aspects with the shift between this couple was interesting and creepy.
Liam Higginson's novel is about Carwyn and Rhian, deep in the mountains of Eryri, North Wales, they are the last in a long line of sheep farmers living out a brutal year on their hillside farm. When Carwyn discovers a buried prehistoric ruin in one of the fields on their land, his curiosity quickly becomes obsession. His wife, Rhian, meanwhile, is confronted with the growing realisation that her husband is becoming a frightening stranger.
This story gave a tender insight into the lives of this couple. Those moments of peace are however quickly disturbed by the supernatural horrors that will plague them.
It was a slow burn and you could feel the tension when Carwyn began to display signs of not being himself. These parts were unsettling for Rhian. The suspense was palpable, the bond of this couple is tested and it shows as the story progresses.
I did like this story, the folk horror aspects with the shift between this couple was interesting and creepy.
September 13, 2026
“Everything’s changing so much faster than it used to. These people everywhere, and they’re not like us like they used to be when we were young. They want our lamb and our landscapes, but not our ways.”
January 26, 2026
I genuinely admit I absolutely loved this book for many different reasons. For a long time I've been on the hunt for an atmospheric novel which takes place in a rural community in Wales and which also has got some ancient magic in it. When The Hill in the Dark Grove turned up on Amazon, I thought - this is it! This is the book I'm after. I got excited about reading it and admittedly Liam Higginson did not disappoint.
I've given this book the highest amount of stars (And I don't do it very often) because it has ticked off all my novel requirement boxes.
-action taking place in Wales - tick!
-close-knit communities - tick!
-ancient forces at play - tick!
-prehistoric stones - tick!
-sinister, unsettling atmosphere, dark undertones - tick!
-folk horror features - tick!
-rugged landscape, snow, wind, rain- tick!
-bleak, gritty, edgy, visceral - tick!
-protagonists with secrets and traumas from the past - tick!
-solitude, loneliness, nostalgia - tick!
-folklore and myths - tick!
-lino cut cover - tick!
Oh how I loved those Welsh lambs and little Eira- a hard working sheep dog and the lifetime long relationship Rhian and Carwyn had. Knowing that they were the generational full stops filled me with sadness and nostalgia. The Gwynnant farm generations coming to an end with no one to continue so I deemed the ending of the novel the most befitting. It felt to me like a life circle has closed up. Kind of.
The short historical vignettes sprinkled throughout the book and going backwards in time were another thing I loved in the book. Taking us deeper and deeper down the historic timelime, to the very core. To the beginning of it all.
What else? This book is bursting with Welshness and teeming with deeply rooted Welsh folklore and myths. It has tested my knowledge of Wales and my (mostly primary school) Welsh after 19 years of living in Cymru. But what is important is the fact that I've learnt something new from it as well as I was researching some facts alongside reading. I was able to relate to some places (Ffestiniog, Snowdonia), customs (Mari Lwyd) and concepts (Cynefin) from this book so in a way it felt a bit personal and familar.
I would highly recommend it to someone who is trying to understand and embrace the Welsh culture and customs.
I will definitely be keeping my eye on this promising author and see what he will write next!
I've given this book the highest amount of stars (And I don't do it very often) because it has ticked off all my novel requirement boxes.
-action taking place in Wales - tick!
-close-knit communities - tick!
-ancient forces at play - tick!
-prehistoric stones - tick!
-sinister, unsettling atmosphere, dark undertones - tick!
-folk horror features - tick!
-rugged landscape, snow, wind, rain- tick!
-bleak, gritty, edgy, visceral - tick!
-protagonists with secrets and traumas from the past - tick!
-solitude, loneliness, nostalgia - tick!
-folklore and myths - tick!
-lino cut cover - tick!
Oh how I loved those Welsh lambs and little Eira- a hard working sheep dog and the lifetime long relationship Rhian and Carwyn had. Knowing that they were the generational full stops filled me with sadness and nostalgia. The Gwynnant farm generations coming to an end with no one to continue so I deemed the ending of the novel the most befitting. It felt to me like a life circle has closed up. Kind of.
The short historical vignettes sprinkled throughout the book and going backwards in time were another thing I loved in the book. Taking us deeper and deeper down the historic timelime, to the very core. To the beginning of it all.
What else? This book is bursting with Welshness and teeming with deeply rooted Welsh folklore and myths. It has tested my knowledge of Wales and my (mostly primary school) Welsh after 19 years of living in Cymru. But what is important is the fact that I've learnt something new from it as well as I was researching some facts alongside reading. I was able to relate to some places (Ffestiniog, Snowdonia), customs (Mari Lwyd) and concepts (Cynefin) from this book so in a way it felt a bit personal and familar.
I would highly recommend it to someone who is trying to understand and embrace the Welsh culture and customs.
I will definitely be keeping my eye on this promising author and see what he will write next!
February 8, 2026
4.25/5
“a pet was borrowed happiness that someday had to be repaid in grief.”
‘The Hill in the Dark Grove’ is the debut novel from Welsh writer, Liam Higginson. With its slowly unfurling sense of dread, the natural landscape becomes a sinister and foreboding main character. Fans of folk horror will certainly appreciate Higginson’s beautiful prose and storytelling. At just 290 pages, this was a quick read. The momentum and suspense really picks up from page 183 onward, I couldn’t stop reading.
“Beyond, the night was lingering. How curious it was, she thought, that some nights - for no reason you could put your finger on - something about the darkness made your hackles rise. Broomstick nights, her granny used to call them.”
Most similar comps: If you’ve read and enjoyed Andrew Michael Hurley’s ‘The Loney’ and/or Kate Worsley’s ‘Foxash’, consider adding ‘The Hill in the Dark Grove’ to your TBR.
“He wondered how much kinder all humanity would be if any day the rich and powerful might find themselves the lowest of the low, and those they used to trample suddenly in charge.”
“Hindsight was just a multiplier of regrets.”
“They waited in the clearing in the moonlight, solemn as a parliament of owls. She did not know why they assembled here and neither, she supposed, did they. Tradition, its roots lost to time, continuing to draw them here the way that ghosts might haunt a house long fallen into ruin.”
“a pet was borrowed happiness that someday had to be repaid in grief.”
‘The Hill in the Dark Grove’ is the debut novel from Welsh writer, Liam Higginson. With its slowly unfurling sense of dread, the natural landscape becomes a sinister and foreboding main character. Fans of folk horror will certainly appreciate Higginson’s beautiful prose and storytelling. At just 290 pages, this was a quick read. The momentum and suspense really picks up from page 183 onward, I couldn’t stop reading.
“Beyond, the night was lingering. How curious it was, she thought, that some nights - for no reason you could put your finger on - something about the darkness made your hackles rise. Broomstick nights, her granny used to call them.”
Most similar comps: If you’ve read and enjoyed Andrew Michael Hurley’s ‘The Loney’ and/or Kate Worsley’s ‘Foxash’, consider adding ‘The Hill in the Dark Grove’ to your TBR.
“He wondered how much kinder all humanity would be if any day the rich and powerful might find themselves the lowest of the low, and those they used to trample suddenly in charge.”
“Hindsight was just a multiplier of regrets.”
“They waited in the clearing in the moonlight, solemn as a parliament of owls. She did not know why they assembled here and neither, she supposed, did they. Tradition, its roots lost to time, continuing to draw them here the way that ghosts might haunt a house long fallen into ruin.”
September 26, 2025
Liam Higginson's debut novel The Hill in the Dark Grove is set in the mountains of North Wales, where sheep farmers Carwyn and Rhian are trying to survive a brutal year on their hillside farm when Carwyn discovers something ancient on his land. This unsettling, haunting novel - both an elegy to a way of life coming to an end in the face of modernity and to old age - is beautifully rendered by Higginson. You can taste the mountain air, can feel the grit in the characters, both of whom are crafted well on the page. I know this landscape of North Wales very well - living there as Higginson does - and he has captured the beauty and mystery of the magnificence of Eryri. The sense of dread escalates as the novel progresses and Higginson maintains a tight grip on his reader, and this Welsh folk-horror novel really got under my skin by its end. I finished the novel in one sitting, fully enraptured with this tale.
This is a very fine debut and I'm very keen to see what he does next. Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.
This is a very fine debut and I'm very keen to see what he does next. Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.
December 2, 2025
I liked this, but I didn't love it. While I did like the characters, I felt like entirely too much time was spent in the past recounting their history. I would have liked more focus on the present, which I found to be the most interesting.
This really was a very slow burn novel and sadly I don’t think the build up paid off. The ending was okay, but I would have liked a bit more closure and understanding. It was all a bit too vague for me and it was lacking in horror elements.
Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This really was a very slow burn novel and sadly I don’t think the build up paid off. The ending was okay, but I would have liked a bit more closure and understanding. It was all a bit too vague for me and it was lacking in horror elements.
Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 3, 2026
An incredibly told story, full of myth and legend and old ways woven through the trials and hardships of rural living in a modern world that no longer accommodates that way of life.
Beautiful storytelling, I listened to this on audiobook as it had the Mari Lwyd Pwnco performed, which was magical.
I would recommend this to anyone, Liam Higginson is voice to watch in the Welsh folktales genre, neatly encompassing magical, uncomfortable old ways into writing that brings a creeping dread and foreshadowing to the story.
Excellent, an easy 5 stars!
Beautiful storytelling, I listened to this on audiobook as it had the Mari Lwyd Pwnco performed, which was magical.
I would recommend this to anyone, Liam Higginson is voice to watch in the Welsh folktales genre, neatly encompassing magical, uncomfortable old ways into writing that brings a creeping dread and foreshadowing to the story.
Excellent, an easy 5 stars!
June 25, 2026
The Hill in the Dark Grove is a folk horror that never needs to raise its voice to leave an impression. Higginson creates an atmosphere of quiet, persistent unease that settles over every page. From the isolated hills of North Wales to the ancient remnants buried beneath the land, the novel carries an unsettling feeling that something very old has even waiting for far longer than the characters have even existed. At its heart, this is as much a story about a couple living in isolation as it is about supernatural dread. Carwyn's growing obsession on his discovery transforms him in gradual, believable ways, making his descent more disturbing because it does not feel abrupt. Rhian becomes the emotional anchor of the story, watching the man she's loved for so long slip further beyond her reach while the harsh landscape closes in around them. Their relationship gives the horror an emotional pulse, tying the more uncanny elements to fear and devotion. Higginson embraces a measured pace, allowing the tension to build naturally through feelings of dread and something that is just not quite right rather than through constant action. The result is an almost suffocating sense of being alone. The mountains, the unforgiving weather, the menacing unearthed stones. They all feel like characters in their own right, creating the impression that the landscape is sentient and quietly observing the events that are unfolding. The biggest strength of The Hill in the Dark Grove is its unwavering sense of dread. Even during the quiet moments, there is an undeniable feeling that something is fundamentally wrong just beyond your field of vision, just outside your grasp. That sustained tension paired with evocative prose and emotionally rich characters, makes this novel a haunting debut and a memorable addition to contemporary folk horror. I would highly recommend this to someone who wants the feel of a book like Withered Hill by David Barnett or Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley. Thank you Hogarth/Penguin Random House for sending me a review copy. Horror fans, do not miss this stellar new voice in horror. The Hill in the Dark Grove publishes August 11th, 2026 so go snag it wherever you buy your books!
January 21, 2026
I’d say that this is one of those stories where the horror lies more in the unseen than the seen.
There’s no obvious boogeyman character to fear here, just an ever-growing sense of unease that permeates through the pages as you watch one man devolve from a kind and friendly soul into a man caught in the throes of obsession over a prehistoric ruin. This is not a story of axe murderers, it’s a story about how an even bigger horror is watching a loved one transform into somebody you no longer recognize.
I would not have guessed this was a debut novel if I didn’t already know it was before picking it up! The writing is wonderfully atmospheric and Higginson did a fantastic job at setting the scene — the story told here perfectly fits into the backdrop of an isolated sheep farm deep in the Welsh mountains. Carwyn and Rhian were also both well-developed characters that truly felt like real people. In-between the creepy stuff happening in the present day, the novel intermingles flashbacks of their story from their first meeting up through married life that really helps readers get to know each of them properly — which makes the main story hit that much harder. And although I would say this story is a little slow-paced, I’m also saying it as a compliment. Everything is given just enough time for the plot to fully develop and for all that tension to really build up to a proper climax at the end. There’s also some folklore elements that really add some extra intrigue to the story and really help flesh everything out just a bit more (if you aren’t already familiar with the Mari Lwyd, you’re about to learn).
So if you like folk horror, and don’t mind a bit of a slow burn, then I highly recommend picking this one up! (And I’ll most definitely be putting Liam Higginson on my list of authors to keep an eye out for going forward.)
There’s no obvious boogeyman character to fear here, just an ever-growing sense of unease that permeates through the pages as you watch one man devolve from a kind and friendly soul into a man caught in the throes of obsession over a prehistoric ruin. This is not a story of axe murderers, it’s a story about how an even bigger horror is watching a loved one transform into somebody you no longer recognize.
I would not have guessed this was a debut novel if I didn’t already know it was before picking it up! The writing is wonderfully atmospheric and Higginson did a fantastic job at setting the scene — the story told here perfectly fits into the backdrop of an isolated sheep farm deep in the Welsh mountains. Carwyn and Rhian were also both well-developed characters that truly felt like real people. In-between the creepy stuff happening in the present day, the novel intermingles flashbacks of their story from their first meeting up through married life that really helps readers get to know each of them properly — which makes the main story hit that much harder. And although I would say this story is a little slow-paced, I’m also saying it as a compliment. Everything is given just enough time for the plot to fully develop and for all that tension to really build up to a proper climax at the end. There’s also some folklore elements that really add some extra intrigue to the story and really help flesh everything out just a bit more (if you aren’t already familiar with the Mari Lwyd, you’re about to learn).
So if you like folk horror, and don’t mind a bit of a slow burn, then I highly recommend picking this one up! (And I’ll most definitely be putting Liam Higginson on my list of authors to keep an eye out for going forward.)
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