What do you think?
Rate this book
The Tolworth Beacon
During a British summer heatwave, a much-loved supermarket prepares to celebrate a historic milestone, and Store Manager Chris Powell is coming to terms with his fractured marriage while planning the Royal visit.
But what is the significance of the attempted burglary at the house across the street from where he lives, and the nocturnal dog walker who doesn't seem to have a dog?
Chris Powell is about to discover that some things are best left well alone.
But what is the significance of the attempted burglary at the house across the street from where he lives, and the nocturnal dog walker who doesn't seem to have a dog?
Chris Powell is about to discover that some things are best left well alone.
135 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2020
10 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Huw Langridge
10 books19 followersThanks to his English teacher at school, Huw Langridge realised that writing (and reading) was actually pretty fun, but it wasn’t until the late 1990s that he realised that he could bring out his own literary voice.
He grew up in London and, during his years working as a global IT troubleshooter for an oil exploration company, Huw travelled to a number of places that enabled him to find inspiration and tone for his stories. More recently he has visited many parts of the world working on an operations team delivering high-calibre investment conferences.
In 2003 Huw attended an Arvon Foundation novel-writing course at the residential retreat at Lumb Bank in Yorkshire. The course was tutored by Martyn Bedford ("The Houdini Girl" and "Acts of Revision") and Phil Whitaker ("Triangulation" and "The Face"). The guest author was Louise Welsh ("The Cutting Room"). Also in attendance was Ian Marchant ("Parallel Lines"). Huw has cooked for all of them, and was glad they survived.
Huw's first short story publication was the science fiction piece "The Ceres Configuration", published in Issue 4 of Jupiter SF Magazine, released in 2004. The story was described by Adrian Fry of Whispers of Wickedness as "A good old fashioned (yet high-tech) tale of approaching apocalypse, [which] served to remind me just what unpretentious science fiction can do when written by someone who clearly relishes every word."
Further published short works have appeared in The Ranfurly Review, Reflection's Edge, Jupiter SF, 365tomorrows and Supernatural Tales.
His short story "Last Train to Tassenmere" received an Honorable Mention in Ellen Datlow's Year's Best Horror 2009, and featured in his collection The Train Set, released in 2012.
In 2010 he released his short story collection The Axiom Few, featuring three previously published stories and five stories new to the collection. His Axiom Few stories have received praise from a number of online SF review websites, such as SF Signal, SF Site and SF Crowsnest.
Since 2020 he has written three short novels that, in their own way, pay homage to the cosy catastrophies of John Wyndham. The Tolworth Beacon and its sequel The Tolworth Resonance, The Sapling Method and Hoodwink's Folly see a mundane suburban setting turned upside down by something far outside of the ordinary.
Huw gets his inspiration from music, travel and the seasons. He lives by the sea in North Wales with his wife and two children.
He grew up in London and, during his years working as a global IT troubleshooter for an oil exploration company, Huw travelled to a number of places that enabled him to find inspiration and tone for his stories. More recently he has visited many parts of the world working on an operations team delivering high-calibre investment conferences.
In 2003 Huw attended an Arvon Foundation novel-writing course at the residential retreat at Lumb Bank in Yorkshire. The course was tutored by Martyn Bedford ("The Houdini Girl" and "Acts of Revision") and Phil Whitaker ("Triangulation" and "The Face"). The guest author was Louise Welsh ("The Cutting Room"). Also in attendance was Ian Marchant ("Parallel Lines"). Huw has cooked for all of them, and was glad they survived.
Huw's first short story publication was the science fiction piece "The Ceres Configuration", published in Issue 4 of Jupiter SF Magazine, released in 2004. The story was described by Adrian Fry of Whispers of Wickedness as "A good old fashioned (yet high-tech) tale of approaching apocalypse, [which] served to remind me just what unpretentious science fiction can do when written by someone who clearly relishes every word."
Further published short works have appeared in The Ranfurly Review, Reflection's Edge, Jupiter SF, 365tomorrows and Supernatural Tales.
His short story "Last Train to Tassenmere" received an Honorable Mention in Ellen Datlow's Year's Best Horror 2009, and featured in his collection The Train Set, released in 2012.
In 2010 he released his short story collection The Axiom Few, featuring three previously published stories and five stories new to the collection. His Axiom Few stories have received praise from a number of online SF review websites, such as SF Signal, SF Site and SF Crowsnest.
Since 2020 he has written three short novels that, in their own way, pay homage to the cosy catastrophies of John Wyndham. The Tolworth Beacon and its sequel The Tolworth Resonance, The Sapling Method and Hoodwink's Folly see a mundane suburban setting turned upside down by something far outside of the ordinary.
Huw gets his inspiration from music, travel and the seasons. He lives by the sea in North Wales with his wife and two children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 11, 2022
page turner
I am generally a slow reader but this lasted just three days!!! It’s the most compelling book I’ve read in a long while and I thoroughly recommend it - cracking story!
I am generally a slow reader but this lasted just three days!!! It’s the most compelling book I’ve read in a long while and I thoroughly recommend it - cracking story!
February 23, 2021
Fantastic, Loved it
Fantastic book, loved the mystery, the not knowing what’s coming next and most of all the accuracy of the unknown, I’ve listened to numbers stations on the SW and just like this book, the same questions arise, who, why, where, what.
I advise you start reading in a morning, I started late at night and couldn’t put it down.
Fantastic book, loved the mystery, the not knowing what’s coming next and most of all the accuracy of the unknown, I’ve listened to numbers stations on the SW and just like this book, the same questions arise, who, why, where, what.
I advise you start reading in a morning, I started late at night and couldn’t put it down.
May 7, 2020
Fun little adventure/mystery centered around the concept of a number station in the UK
June 6, 2021
Not my usual read but finished it in 2 days. Loved it
July 13, 2021
Chris Powell keeps seeing his colleague, Eammon, walking his dog. The only problem Chris can see, is that there is no dog. But what has this got to do with a break in across the road and a mysterious set of co-ordinates in a jigsaw puzzle?
I'm not going to say any more about the plot, except to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. I did it in one hit, finishing it in a day because I literally couldn't put it down.
As a publisher and author myself, I'm always looking out for typos and grammatical errors in self published work and I'm thrilled to say that if there were any, I couldn't find them. It's a well written, well paced novel with a twist in the tale. I have to say that the twist took me some time to work out and I was a little perplexed with the ending. I had to read the Epilogue twice before the penny dropped for me, but maybe that's just me.
I'd go and buy this book now, because you'd be missing a great read if you didn't!
I'm not going to say any more about the plot, except to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. I did it in one hit, finishing it in a day because I literally couldn't put it down.
As a publisher and author myself, I'm always looking out for typos and grammatical errors in self published work and I'm thrilled to say that if there were any, I couldn't find them. It's a well written, well paced novel with a twist in the tale. I have to say that the twist took me some time to work out and I was a little perplexed with the ending. I had to read the Epilogue twice before the penny dropped for me, but maybe that's just me.
I'd go and buy this book now, because you'd be missing a great read if you didn't!
April 29, 2022
Intriguing British mystery with tension, atmosphere and code-breaking vibes…
There’s a lot going on in the life of ‘Chris Powell’. His marriage is strained and there’s an important royal visitor coming to the shop he manages in just a few days time. After a strange attempted burglary at a neighbour’s place the intrigue unfolds in what is a mystery filled ride where I found myself quickly turning pages.
After he mysteriously receives a radio frequency number, Powell realises he is on the path of deception and tension as he has to decipher what it means while finding out what is really going on. Is someone watching him from afar or is he paranoid? Questions arise as tension builds and eventually a very real threat emerges. For those who are interested in the subject of number stations and even code breaking will enjoy this interesting novel with a range of themes and heaps of atmosphere.
There’s a lot going on in the life of ‘Chris Powell’. His marriage is strained and there’s an important royal visitor coming to the shop he manages in just a few days time. After a strange attempted burglary at a neighbour’s place the intrigue unfolds in what is a mystery filled ride where I found myself quickly turning pages.
After he mysteriously receives a radio frequency number, Powell realises he is on the path of deception and tension as he has to decipher what it means while finding out what is really going on. Is someone watching him from afar or is he paranoid? Questions arise as tension builds and eventually a very real threat emerges. For those who are interested in the subject of number stations and even code breaking will enjoy this interesting novel with a range of themes and heaps of atmosphere.
February 15, 2025
Inspired by the enigmatic allure of numbers stations those cryptic shortwave broadcasts that have tantalized conspiracy theorists and insomniacs alike, Langridge weaves a narrative that's as much about the mysteries we seek out as it is about those that find us.
Agent Langridge writes with a nice matter-of-fact style which is easy to read and keeps the plot cracking along.
It's a tale that feels like a lost gem from the golden age of 1970s BBC horror, where the line between the banal and the bizarre is deliciously blurred.
For those who crave a story that lulls you into a false sense of security before pulling the rug out from under you, The Tolworth Beacon is your next must-read.
Just be prepared to leave the lights on, you might not ever look at your radio the same way again either...
Agent Langridge writes with a nice matter-of-fact style which is easy to read and keeps the plot cracking along.
It's a tale that feels like a lost gem from the golden age of 1970s BBC horror, where the line between the banal and the bizarre is deliciously blurred.
For those who crave a story that lulls you into a false sense of security before pulling the rug out from under you, The Tolworth Beacon is your next must-read.
Just be prepared to leave the lights on, you might not ever look at your radio the same way again either...
July 20, 2020
An okay read
This is a short novella about number stations which, if you don’t know, are radio stations that broadcast coded messages all across the world.
When a supermarket manager receives the broadcast frequency for one of these stations by way of a strange jigsaw, it is just the first step in a tantalising mystery surrounding an upcoming royal visit.
This was okay, a not bad read, but no more than that.
I have a fascination with numbers stations which is why I picked it up, but although the plot was intriguing, I did start to wonder exactly where the author was going and the end result was a little lacking in my own personal opinion.
Still, worth three stars though
This is a short novella about number stations which, if you don’t know, are radio stations that broadcast coded messages all across the world.
When a supermarket manager receives the broadcast frequency for one of these stations by way of a strange jigsaw, it is just the first step in a tantalising mystery surrounding an upcoming royal visit.
This was okay, a not bad read, but no more than that.
I have a fascination with numbers stations which is why I picked it up, but although the plot was intriguing, I did start to wonder exactly where the author was going and the end result was a little lacking in my own personal opinion.
Still, worth three stars though
July 1, 2023
The Duchess is coming to visit Hollyway's flagship store for its 200th anniversary celebration, and the harried store manager must wrestle with the logistics, a trial separation from his wife, and a burgeoning conspiracy centered around the mysterious Tolworth Beacon.
Huw Langridge creates a nice mix of ho-hum everyday stressors, strange happenings, mystery, suspense and some heartstring tugging. I enjoyed the strong character development in an otherwise plot-heavy (and sometimes confusing) tale. It makes for a fun, intriguing read.
Huw Langridge creates a nice mix of ho-hum everyday stressors, strange happenings, mystery, suspense and some heartstring tugging. I enjoyed the strong character development in an otherwise plot-heavy (and sometimes confusing) tale. It makes for a fun, intriguing read.
September 5, 2021
THE TOLWORTH BEACON by Huw Langridge - I enjoyed this novella, it had something very new and different about it. There's a bit of horror in there, a lot of mystery and it is intriguing, it keeps you guessing throughout. The characters are well drawn and very believable and the story is very well written.
April 24, 2023
Read this in a little over an hour. Fun little mystery. I find numbers stations really interesting, which you probably need to also find interesting to enjoy the book as much as I did. I read a copy via kindle unlimited, and it could use a good amount of checking for punctuation and formatting, which was a bit distracting while reading.
September 1, 2025
I loved this book! It’s a thrilling spy mystery with a touch of whodunnit, set against the immersive backdrop of encryption and codebreaking. What I especially enjoyed was how the story unfolds over the course of just one week, making every moment feel urgent and impactful. I truly couldn’t put it down.
Well done, Huw!
Well done, Huw!
August 19, 2020
A nice easy going book to get through. I knew nothing about number stations and to be honest still don’t. The story drops off a little too quickly for me, but it serves its purpose of a relatively quick read. Enjoyable.
July 8, 2021
A well written and engaging little read with elements of Sci-Fi that I liked.
Only complaint against the book is it ended too soon!
Overall a great book that I would highly recommend.
3.5/5⭐'s
Only complaint against the book is it ended too soon!
Overall a great book that I would highly recommend.
3.5/5⭐'s
December 31, 2022
creepy slow burn British horror mystery
Excellent. A very British combo of supermarkets, minor royalty, radio signals and creeping dread. Felt like a brilliant 1970s BBC horror/ghost story, like The Stone Tape.
Excellent. A very British combo of supermarkets, minor royalty, radio signals and creeping dread. Felt like a brilliant 1970s BBC horror/ghost story, like The Stone Tape.
June 10, 2023
I just finished Huw Langridge's The Tolworth Beacon.
Absolutely riveting! I highly recommend this short novel. It's difficult to categorize, but has elements of mystery, a thriller, and sci-fi.
Fantastic pacing and a prosaic setting that stands in stark contrast to the odd goings-on.
Absolutely riveting! I highly recommend this short novel. It's difficult to categorize, but has elements of mystery, a thriller, and sci-fi.
Fantastic pacing and a prosaic setting that stands in stark contrast to the odd goings-on.
November 4, 2021
Had promise but......
The plot held.so much promise but ultimately failed to deliver .. Then ending was almost as if the author has ran out of ideas. Such a shame.
The plot held.so much promise but ultimately failed to deliver .. Then ending was almost as if the author has ran out of ideas. Such a shame.
June 18, 2023
Good fun really!
December 27, 2025
This is the second Huw Langridge book I’ve read, and it’s safe to say I’ve found an author whose work I really enjoy. He has the knack of embedding something mind-bendingly intriguing, in this case the beacon and its secrets, within the rhythms and details of everyday life. This not only makes events all the more believable but helps me, as an expat and a fellow Brit, to connect with the characters and the country. Really well done. The follow up is already in my library.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews