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The Serpent Dance
On the Feast of St John the Cornish villagers of Trevennick dance around midsummer bonfires and make offerings to the river. It's not the sort of thing that appeals to Audrey Delaney, who is very much a city mouse. But when her (sort of, almost) boyfriend Noah whisks her away on a surprise trip to the West Country, she's determined to do the best she can to enjoy herself, if that's what it takes to remove the question mark from their relationship.
Then their first night ends in tragedy, and Audrey finds herself stuck in the back of beyond, embroiled in a police inquiry, and unsure who to trust. Not Noah, who obviously had an ulterior motive for bringing her here. And certainly none of the brooding mussel farmer Trevor, weirdly intense vicar Lamorna, and infuriatingly cocky and omnipresent jack-of-all-trades Griffin. She'll have to untangle the mysteries of this insular community quickly, though, because people are dying fast.
The river will have its due...
Then their first night ends in tragedy, and Audrey finds herself stuck in the back of beyond, embroiled in a police inquiry, and unsure who to trust. Not Noah, who obviously had an ulterior motive for bringing her here. And certainly none of the brooding mussel farmer Trevor, weirdly intense vicar Lamorna, and infuriatingly cocky and omnipresent jack-of-all-trades Griffin. She'll have to untangle the mysteries of this insular community quickly, though, because people are dying fast.
The river will have its due...
288 pages, Hardcover
Published June 6, 2024
1 person is currently reading
107 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 10, 2024
3.5 stars
This is an entertaining locked room mystery with a mix of Cornish legends and history. I enjoyed reading about the Cornish history and rituals and liked seeing this woven into the story and the characters history.
Each of the characters appeared to have something to hide and as the outsider it was hard for Audrey to find who to trust. Her art and drawings sounded impressive but I must admit she annoyed me a little at the start moaning about everything.
Griffin and his family were the most interesting- their links to the countryside and Morwenna’s intuition put them right at the centre of village life and therefore the mystery.
This is an entertaining locked room mystery with a mix of Cornish legends and history. I enjoyed reading about the Cornish history and rituals and liked seeing this woven into the story and the characters history.
Each of the characters appeared to have something to hide and as the outsider it was hard for Audrey to find who to trust. Her art and drawings sounded impressive but I must admit she annoyed me a little at the start moaning about everything.
Griffin and his family were the most interesting- their links to the countryside and Morwenna’s intuition put them right at the centre of village life and therefore the mystery.
September 1, 2024
Why didn’t I read this sooner?? I loved it. 🐍
I requested it a long time ago and, in true me style, I forgot what it was about so went in (basically) blind. (Very pleased I did).
I loved the mix of old folklore/rituals, (giving off The Wicker Man vibes), with a locked door mystery, that I didn’t expect.
The language is beautiful with perfect descriptions that added to the creepy, unnerving atmosphere from the moment they arrived at the train station.
I adored Audrey. Funny, sarcastic and very relatable. I loved the parallel between her past and present and how the trauma of her youth added to the tension, fear and anxiety she felt.
I also loved the delicious array of characters we meet. Each with their own personality and agenda which made me question their words and/or actions.
I was kept guessing until the very end and, although I was suspicious I wasn’t completely right.
Thank you so much, Swift Press & NetGalley, for the arc of this phenomenal book. I’ll definitely be getting a physical copy.
I requested it a long time ago and, in true me style, I forgot what it was about so went in (basically) blind. (Very pleased I did).
I loved the mix of old folklore/rituals, (giving off The Wicker Man vibes), with a locked door mystery, that I didn’t expect.
The language is beautiful with perfect descriptions that added to the creepy, unnerving atmosphere from the moment they arrived at the train station.
I adored Audrey. Funny, sarcastic and very relatable. I loved the parallel between her past and present and how the trauma of her youth added to the tension, fear and anxiety she felt.
I also loved the delicious array of characters we meet. Each with their own personality and agenda which made me question their words and/or actions.
I was kept guessing until the very end and, although I was suspicious I wasn’t completely right.
Thank you so much, Swift Press & NetGalley, for the arc of this phenomenal book. I’ll definitely be getting a physical copy.
July 23, 2024
One of my favourite books of the summer. Really excellent. So much beautiful prose and the story is compelling and interesting. The hardback is beautiful and definitely lived up to my expectations.
May 13, 2025
*Special Content only on my blog, Strange and Random Happenstance during Murder Most Foul (February-May 2025)
Audrey and Noah are coming up on their one year anniversary. The only problem is that it happens to coincide with a big launch at Noah's art gallery. So instead of waiting they decide to celebrate on their ten month anniversary. In retrospect, this could have been inviting bad luck. Audrey is convinced that Noah has taken her copious hints and that they are going to Paris. Instead of working on the illustrations to the followup of her children's compendium of extinct animals which The Times called "equal parts urgency and enchantment" she has spent the last few weeks creating itineraries for Paris while obsessively checking that her passport is still valid and ignoring her looming deadline. The day of their getaway arrives and they head west to Paddignton, not north to St. Pancras. They are going to Cornwall. And maybe things would have worked out had she not thought they were going to Paris, but it's like Noah doesn't even know her and has some notion of recapturing the memories of a favorite childhood vacation of his instead of celebrating their relationship. Audrey spends the train journey to Trevennick for the midsummer festival mentally cataloging how her life has gone wrong. She wanted to be an artist, but was pushed by her parents to take the more sensible route and study graphic design. Her relationship with Noah was meant to open the door for her into the art world, instead he's constantly closing it. And now he's taking her to the country. She hates the country. She hates the dark. Does she secretly hate Noah? When they arrive they are taken up to the big house through the village with disturbing statues made of withies in the shape of amorphous animals being assembled on the green. Luckily their hostess is able to fill them in on these obby osses because she is none other than Stella Penrose, a tellie historian, who will be staying in her home with them. A home that is completely made of glass. They can literally see everything. This isn't the romantic weekend Audrey planned as she spends dinner getting drunk while Stella shamelessly flirts with Noah. Audrey goes to bed early and is wakened by Noah. He thinks something bad has happened. And he's right. Stella is dead. In a locked room in a completely glass house. But suicide doesn't sit right with the police or Audrey. And when Noah is arrested, perhaps this is the sign she needed that they are officially over. But the killer isn't. The town is backwards in more ways than one and the river will have its due.
The Wicker Man is one of the movies that will forever be a classic. It's camp, it's creepy, and it taps into our communal love of folk horror that we as viewers, and readers, can't get enough of. I love me some folk horror. But not Midsommar. Never that. Having discovered Sofia Slater when I read Auld Acquaintance I couldn't wait for this book being touted as folk horror with wicker man vibes to be released stateside and ordered it from England. It would be the book to usher in summer 2025. And, while yes, the obby osses bring a nice Summerisle vibe to Trevennick, that isn't what makes the book work. In fact I wouldn't even label it as folk horror, it's just a good old fashioned murder mystery with the trappings you might see on an episode of Midsomer Murders. In fact I'm thinking of the one where Nicholas Rowe is killed by an arrow while attempting a rite that would allow him to sleep with his sister/wife. But enough about my love for Nicholas Rowe, what makes this book work is that Sofia Slater is a writer that just makes her people and locations come alive. They are fully three-dimensional. I can picture myself going to Trevennick and walking into the Sacacren's Head and being served by the Kingcups. I am there. I am a part of this ill-fated getaway. But most importantly, it's the journey of Audrey that draws you in. She's on a legit heroine's journey. She is confronting the dark abuses of her past in a similar milieu which she has been forced into. This is full immersion therapy and I am here for it. She's figuring out who she is and what she wants and confronting how her expectations don't meet reality and it's a struggle so many of us have to face, thankfully without usually having to endure a trial by literal fire. When she tells Morwenna Kingcup things she hasn't even told Noah, you know this place is literally healing her. It also allows her to open up artistically. What starts at first as a way to make sense of the crime as well as appease her editor, she draws the crime scene and her surroundings in detail. Just remove a dead body here and add a cute bunny there, and her sequel about vanishing Britain is almost done! But the fact that what she uses for therapy helps to reveal the truth is delicious. Her artist's eye catches something that the normal person wouldn't notice and this thrills me as an artist. I am always looking at things differently, and when I go on walks with my Dad I'm pointing out all the ways to look at the world and this artistic sensibility is what saves the day. To me, as an artist, I can't explain my glee. But also, the fact that she releases her inhibitions and Noah finally see's in her art something worth exhibiting proves that our demons, our outlets, our deliverance, brings us to our true selves and only then can we achieve our goals.
Audrey and Noah are coming up on their one year anniversary. The only problem is that it happens to coincide with a big launch at Noah's art gallery. So instead of waiting they decide to celebrate on their ten month anniversary. In retrospect, this could have been inviting bad luck. Audrey is convinced that Noah has taken her copious hints and that they are going to Paris. Instead of working on the illustrations to the followup of her children's compendium of extinct animals which The Times called "equal parts urgency and enchantment" she has spent the last few weeks creating itineraries for Paris while obsessively checking that her passport is still valid and ignoring her looming deadline. The day of their getaway arrives and they head west to Paddignton, not north to St. Pancras. They are going to Cornwall. And maybe things would have worked out had she not thought they were going to Paris, but it's like Noah doesn't even know her and has some notion of recapturing the memories of a favorite childhood vacation of his instead of celebrating their relationship. Audrey spends the train journey to Trevennick for the midsummer festival mentally cataloging how her life has gone wrong. She wanted to be an artist, but was pushed by her parents to take the more sensible route and study graphic design. Her relationship with Noah was meant to open the door for her into the art world, instead he's constantly closing it. And now he's taking her to the country. She hates the country. She hates the dark. Does she secretly hate Noah? When they arrive they are taken up to the big house through the village with disturbing statues made of withies in the shape of amorphous animals being assembled on the green. Luckily their hostess is able to fill them in on these obby osses because she is none other than Stella Penrose, a tellie historian, who will be staying in her home with them. A home that is completely made of glass. They can literally see everything. This isn't the romantic weekend Audrey planned as she spends dinner getting drunk while Stella shamelessly flirts with Noah. Audrey goes to bed early and is wakened by Noah. He thinks something bad has happened. And he's right. Stella is dead. In a locked room in a completely glass house. But suicide doesn't sit right with the police or Audrey. And when Noah is arrested, perhaps this is the sign she needed that they are officially over. But the killer isn't. The town is backwards in more ways than one and the river will have its due.
The Wicker Man is one of the movies that will forever be a classic. It's camp, it's creepy, and it taps into our communal love of folk horror that we as viewers, and readers, can't get enough of. I love me some folk horror. But not Midsommar. Never that. Having discovered Sofia Slater when I read Auld Acquaintance I couldn't wait for this book being touted as folk horror with wicker man vibes to be released stateside and ordered it from England. It would be the book to usher in summer 2025. And, while yes, the obby osses bring a nice Summerisle vibe to Trevennick, that isn't what makes the book work. In fact I wouldn't even label it as folk horror, it's just a good old fashioned murder mystery with the trappings you might see on an episode of Midsomer Murders. In fact I'm thinking of the one where Nicholas Rowe is killed by an arrow while attempting a rite that would allow him to sleep with his sister/wife. But enough about my love for Nicholas Rowe, what makes this book work is that Sofia Slater is a writer that just makes her people and locations come alive. They are fully three-dimensional. I can picture myself going to Trevennick and walking into the Sacacren's Head and being served by the Kingcups. I am there. I am a part of this ill-fated getaway. But most importantly, it's the journey of Audrey that draws you in. She's on a legit heroine's journey. She is confronting the dark abuses of her past in a similar milieu which she has been forced into. This is full immersion therapy and I am here for it. She's figuring out who she is and what she wants and confronting how her expectations don't meet reality and it's a struggle so many of us have to face, thankfully without usually having to endure a trial by literal fire. When she tells Morwenna Kingcup things she hasn't even told Noah, you know this place is literally healing her. It also allows her to open up artistically. What starts at first as a way to make sense of the crime as well as appease her editor, she draws the crime scene and her surroundings in detail. Just remove a dead body here and add a cute bunny there, and her sequel about vanishing Britain is almost done! But the fact that what she uses for therapy helps to reveal the truth is delicious. Her artist's eye catches something that the normal person wouldn't notice and this thrills me as an artist. I am always looking at things differently, and when I go on walks with my Dad I'm pointing out all the ways to look at the world and this artistic sensibility is what saves the day. To me, as an artist, I can't explain my glee. But also, the fact that she releases her inhibitions and Noah finally see's in her art something worth exhibiting proves that our demons, our outlets, our deliverance, brings us to our true selves and only then can we achieve our goals.
March 4, 2024
When I began reading this, I was interested in the relationship between the main characters, Noah and Audrey, and its apparent complexity. I sensed something ominous, or at least something that was not exactly as it appeared to be. As I read on, a mystery began to present itself, and this book had me quickly turning the pages, eager to know what might happen next.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.
June 4, 2024
Isolated village; weird locals; strange midsummer rituals; wicker animals sacrificed to the river god. Classic Gothic novel? Not in this instance! When Noah arranges a weekend away to celebrate their first year as a couple, Audrey imagines a romantic trip to Paris. Unfortunately, Noah has booked an Airbnb in an all-glass house, outside a tiny village in Cornwall, sandwiched between the estuary of a river and a dense forest. Her disappointment is compounded by the fact that she hates the countryside, and a traumatic childhood means she can’t cope with dark and lonely places. Not the most propitious start to the holiday. How could Noah have failed to notice these features of her personality? And then, to cap it all, it turns out that the owner of the property will be in residence, so bang goes any chance of the romantic ambience. The owner is actually a well-known TV presenter of historical documentaries, and Noah appears to have fallen under her spell. Could still be a modern Gothic tale, except that next morning a body is found and we are suddenly in a standard locked room murder-mystery.
That switch could be a clever literary device, if the subsequent investigation is complex, twisty, with a bit of tension. However, it isn’t really any of these things. None of the characters appear to be very deep, starting with Audrey and Noah who never feel like they were a couple. For example, she is a sketch artist and illustrator while he runs a Gallery and is just about to open an exhibition centred on drawings on paper, but they seem to have had no collaborative activity to such an extent that she was unaware that this was the nature of the exhibition. The plot is not very complicated, and it lacks pacing. It is quite well written and an easy read, if you want something which isn’t very demanding, but I can’t see it as more than 2.5 (rounded to 3).
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.
That switch could be a clever literary device, if the subsequent investigation is complex, twisty, with a bit of tension. However, it isn’t really any of these things. None of the characters appear to be very deep, starting with Audrey and Noah who never feel like they were a couple. For example, she is a sketch artist and illustrator while he runs a Gallery and is just about to open an exhibition centred on drawings on paper, but they seem to have had no collaborative activity to such an extent that she was unaware that this was the nature of the exhibition. The plot is not very complicated, and it lacks pacing. It is quite well written and an easy read, if you want something which isn’t very demanding, but I can’t see it as more than 2.5 (rounded to 3).
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.
May 7, 2024
Published 13 June 2024. This is a book that I sort of expected a little more from, but nevertheless found an ok read. From the premise and the cover, I thought it would be a little darker than it turned out to be. Audrey is in a relationship with Noah and when he suggests a weekend away for their anniversary, she expects/hopes that it is to Paris. Instead he takes her to a little Cornish village to see a Midsummer festival. Cue disappointment. Audrey has a back story that is not really explained, but she has a fear of the dark and this village with it's lack of wi-fi, lack of streetlights and its abundance of serpent like models ready for the festival unnerves her. Add to this Noah's reaction when they arrive at their accommodation to find that rather than having the place to themselves, as she had thought, they are sharing it with the owner, a renowned TV presenter. Audrey feels that Noah knew all of this beforehand and has deceived her. Then there is a death and as for the police investigation, there were questions that didn't seem to be asked, as though the first explanation was the one they were going for. The village characters - some felt more real than others. I liked the idea of this festival and seeing it through Audrey's eyes, it did feel atmospheric and quite creepy, but I was expecting more of a gothic feel. There was some revelations, a bit of romance and some tension at the end, but I picked this up expecting dark gothic - my fault, not the author's. Nevertheless it was an ok read and the festival does have a creepy vibe to it.
June 23, 2024
I went into this book not really knowing what to expect. I haven’t seen anyone else talking about this book and I just don’t know why. It was really good. It’s a short small town mystery thriller and has one of my faviourte tropes in mystery or thriller books - the classic locked room mystery.
Although the main character didn’t have a lot of personality, I think this was actually quite a strong choice as it makes it so you as the reader feel like you’re the main character in the book. I think for this, it made it more engrossing. Although I did guess the twist, it was still really great.
Also I may be a bit biased as I grew up in Devon (I know this is set in Cornwall) so the setting felt really familiar to me and also the whole small village thing was really familiar. The characters felt really real and had such a good build up. I found the end a little disappointing as it does feel a little bit abrupt but it was still enjoyable.
Although the main character didn’t have a lot of personality, I think this was actually quite a strong choice as it makes it so you as the reader feel like you’re the main character in the book. I think for this, it made it more engrossing. Although I did guess the twist, it was still really great.
Also I may be a bit biased as I grew up in Devon (I know this is set in Cornwall) so the setting felt really familiar to me and also the whole small village thing was really familiar. The characters felt really real and had such a good build up. I found the end a little disappointing as it does feel a little bit abrupt but it was still enjoyable.
September 2, 2025
At the start it was really enjoyable and I was hooked, especially by the strangely tense relationship between Noah and Audrey that feels very real and very childish — really, adults DO be like this!! It gave me just the slightest vibes of Normal People with the lack of communication and all. I would say it was exciting all the way up to Stella’s death.
Then…idk. Everything felt kinda messy and they kept repeating things about the river needing sacrifice and what not. There is some eco-consciousness / eco-message to it but seems to be more about traditions and rituals. But the pacing felt kinda slow and sticky and hard to wade through.
Like many other readers have said, none of the characters were particularly memorable or developed to make us connect to them. If I were to comment on the characters it would be “annoying &______”. Eg Noah would be annoying and mysterious. Audrey would be annoying and whiney.
Then…idk. Everything felt kinda messy and they kept repeating things about the river needing sacrifice and what not. There is some eco-consciousness / eco-message to it but seems to be more about traditions and rituals. But the pacing felt kinda slow and sticky and hard to wade through.
Like many other readers have said, none of the characters were particularly memorable or developed to make us connect to them. If I were to comment on the characters it would be “annoying &______”. Eg Noah would be annoying and mysterious. Audrey would be annoying and whiney.
October 7, 2024
Audrey & Noah are coming up to their first year of dating anniversary. Noah has arranged a surprise trip. Audrey has hopes it will be Paris. Instead they are on a train to Cornwall. For city girl Audrey, this is a great disappointment! They arrive at the destination & after so taxi mix ups arrive. The village is quaint with wicker sculptures everywhere. She finds out that at midsummer they will be burnt in a huge bonfire & gifts given to the river to protect them. The Air B & B. is an amazing house but it comes as a surprise that the hostess is staying put! In the morning the hostess is found dead in a locked room & things get odder & odder.
This was a strange read. I was engaged enough to finish it but it was a bit of a struggle. I didn't really connect with any of the characters. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.
This was a strange read. I was engaged enough to finish it but it was a bit of a struggle. I didn't really connect with any of the characters. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.
February 15, 2024
Audrey’s partner Noah has planned a trip for them. What Audrey dreams of being a romantic trip to Paris ends up being a very different break in a Cornish village. Cracks in their relationship appear pretty much on the journey down, a death on the first night, secrets in their respective pasts, and ancient midsummer rituals.
I was expecting a slightly more gothic horror novel than the book I got. More a creepy Whicker Man story than romance with a slight mystery lit turned out to be. It was still very readable. There were some interesting ideas, albeit not fully explored (like the upbringing of Audrey). Also I question the central romance, how had Audrey and Noah been together a year? And why had they? Overall it was an okay read.
I was expecting a slightly more gothic horror novel than the book I got. More a creepy Whicker Man story than romance with a slight mystery lit turned out to be. It was still very readable. There were some interesting ideas, albeit not fully explored (like the upbringing of Audrey). Also I question the central romance, how had Audrey and Noah been together a year? And why had they? Overall it was an okay read.
May 27, 2024
This story follows Audrey’s reactions to her partner Noah’s attempt to plan a holiday which doesn’t necessarily live up to her expectations. Whilst she dreams of a romantic getaway in Paris, Noah plans a trip out of the city down to Cornwall with a murder taking place shortly after. This is all set amongst the backdrop of ancient rituals and small town gossiping.
Whilst I did enjoy reading the book there were some aspects that I thought could have been more developed- like Audrey’s dislike of the dark. I also didn’t find the central relationship to be particularly believable which was slightly frustrating.
Whilst I did enjoy reading the book there were some aspects that I thought could have been more developed- like Audrey’s dislike of the dark. I also didn’t find the central relationship to be particularly believable which was slightly frustrating.
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March 3, 2024I had high hopes for The Serpent Dance, from the synopsis this sounded really interesting but sadly it just did not work. I felt a bit bored when I was reading this and I just didn't feel a build of tension or atmosphere that I expected. Maybe some people will enjoy this book but it really didn't work for me.
June 25, 2024
The Serpent Dance is a murder mystery set in rural Cornwall, featuring city girl Audrey who would rather be in Paris.
I quite enjoyed the book, but it required massive suspension of .disbelief. A local celebrity dies and there’s no press coverage? Devon & Cornwall police only have one officer working nights? Perhaps it would’ve worked better as historical mystery..
I quite enjoyed the book, but it required massive suspension of .disbelief. A local celebrity dies and there’s no press coverage? Devon & Cornwall police only have one officer working nights? Perhaps it would’ve worked better as historical mystery..
February 16, 2024
2.5 ⭐
Sadly this one didn't really work for me.
It felt like a 80s film set in a village, where everything was off, but without any of the tension or menace.
Audrey seemed a bit slow on the uptake, and can't say I warmed to any of the characters.
Sorry.
Sadly this one didn't really work for me.
It felt like a 80s film set in a village, where everything was off, but without any of the tension or menace.
Audrey seemed a bit slow on the uptake, and can't say I warmed to any of the characters.
Sorry.
July 25, 2024
3⭐️
Cosy & creepy murder mystery set in rural Cornwall. The book really immersed me in the village of Trevennick but I would have liked to feel more of a connection to the main character Audrey & her boyfriend Noah.
Cosy & creepy murder mystery set in rural Cornwall. The book really immersed me in the village of Trevennick but I would have liked to feel more of a connection to the main character Audrey & her boyfriend Noah.
August 8, 2024
A nice little read to break up my slightly more intimidating TBR pile! And good fun because I live in Cornwall :)
October 6, 2024
3.5 entertaining and original
November 24, 2024
As a cornish resident the premise of the story intrigued me.
Some of the twists were predictable but the storyline was so well written.
Some of the twists were predictable but the storyline was so well written.
May 1, 2025
I did really enjoy this book, the ending was somewhat unexpected but it felt conclusive and sweet. I'm not giving it 5 stars as I think I would have preferred more depth from the characters and their relationships having taken more of a focus, maybe if Audrey had got to know them more? Then again, I suppose she is the outside coming in and the 'us' and 'them' was demonstrated really well.
July 6, 2024
I was instantly hooked by this book, initially expecting it to be about Audrey and Noah’s relationship, but this was so much more.
This a place you do not wish to visit, full secrets, tense characters and mystery. It was interesting reading about Cornish history and rituals and seeing the different sides of some of the characters.
Add this to your TBR!
This a place you do not wish to visit, full secrets, tense characters and mystery. It was interesting reading about Cornish history and rituals and seeing the different sides of some of the characters.
Add this to your TBR!
September 3, 2025
Enjoyed and read very quickly, bit weird story, ending felt rushed!
August 13, 2025
3⭐️ A ne pas lire seule le soir du vous êtes une flippette comme moi.
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