Andrew Michael Hurley Libri

Cent’anni fa, durante una bufera eccezionale, gli abitanti delle Endland sono rimasti confinati in casa per intere settimane. Quando finalmente sono usciti, il Diavolo aveva seminato il suo veleno ovunque. Nessun rito, sacro o profano, è mai riuscito a cacciarlo. Il Giorno del Diavolo oggi è un giorno di tradizioni che si rinnovano, un modo per ricordare, una messinscena intrisa di scongiuri. E se il Diavolo facesse veramente ritorno, per sconvolgere la vita già dura di chi si occupa delle greggi, e seminare discordia tra famiglie che da tempo immemorabile si guardano con diffidenza? È autunno quando John Pentecost torna a casa, al villaggio nella brughiera del Lancashire dove è cresciuto, insieme alla giovane moglie Kat, che aspetta un bambino. Il nonno, il patriarca, è appena morto, e oltre a congedarsi da lui bisogna dare una mano alla famiglia, per riportare le pecore agli ovili. John è attratto dall’idea di restare, lasciando una vita più agiata ma anche più banale, per dare continuità alla tradizione. Gli antichi rancori riemersi però rendono complicata la scelta, dividendo la famiglia di John, in cui sembra essersi insinuata la presenza del Diavolo. Una storia cupa, sinistra, inquietante in cui la battaglia quotidiana della vita rurale è aggravata dalle imprevedibili complicazioni del soprannaturale.

"The worst thing possible has happened. Richard and Juliette Willoughby's son, Ewan, has died suddenly at the age of five. Starve Acre, their house by the moors, was to be full of life, but is now a haunted place. Juliette, convinced Ewan still lives there in some form, seeks the help of the Beacons, a seemingly benevolent group of occultists. Richard, to try and keep the boy out of his mind, has turned his attention to the field opposite the house, where he patiently digs the barren dirt in search of a legendary oak tree."--Provided by publisher.

Set in the remote valley of Barrowbeck, the story explores the uneasy coexistence of its inhabitants with mysterious, dark forces. As they cultivate their land and welcome visitors seeking refuge, the villagers grapple with an underlying tension that parallels the relentless flow of the river. This backdrop of rural life intertwined with an ominous presence creates a compelling narrative of resilience and the struggle against unseen threats.

BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES, FT, METRO AND MAIL ON SUNDAY 'The new master of menace' Sunday Times After the blizzard of a century ago, it was weeks before anyone got in or out. By that time, what had happened there, what the Devil had done, was already fable. Devil's Day is a day for children now, of course. A tradition it's easy to mock, from the outside. But it's important to remember why we do what we do. It's important to know what our grandfathers have passed down to us. Because it's hard to understand, if you're not from the valley, how this place is in your blood. That's why I came back, with Kat; it wasn't just because the Gaffer was dead. Though that year we may have let the Devil in after all . . .

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLER. WINNER OF THE 2015 COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD. THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2016. A brilliantly unsettling and atmospheric debut full of unnerving horror - 'The Loney is not just good, it's great. It's an amazing piece of fiction' Stephen King Two brothers. One mute, the other his lifelong protector. Year after year, their family visits the same sacred shrine on a desolate strip of coastline known as the Loney, in desperate hope of a cure. In the long hours of waiting, the boys are left alone. And they cannot resist the causeway revealed with every turn of the treacherous tide, the old house they glimpse at its end . . . Many years on, Hanny is a grown man no longer in need of his brother's care. But then the child's body is found. And the Loney always gives up its secrets, in the end. 'This is a novel of the unsaid, the implied, the barely grasped or understood, crammed with dark holes and blurry spaces that your imagination feels compelled to fill' Observer 'A masterful excursion into terror' The Sunday Times

FROM THE CREATORS OF THE HAUNTING SEASON COMES A DAZZLING COLLECTION OF NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN GHOSTLY TALES. 'Terrific - every bit as good as an MR James collection' - ROSIE ANDREWS. This anthology features original stories from acclaimed authors including Bridget Collins, Imogen Hermes Gowar, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Andrew Michael Hurley, Jess Kidd, Natasha Pulley, Elizabeth Macneal, Laura Purcell, Susan Stokes Chapman, Laura Shepherd-Robinson, Stuart Turton, and Catriona Ward. The tradition of haunted tales at Christmas has thrived for centuries, and these twelve stories, penned by some of today's most beloved writers of historical and gothic fiction, center around Christmas or Advent. They boldly and playfully re-imagine this cherished tradition for a contemporary audience. Journey from a haunted Tuscan villa to a remote Scottish island steeped in dark secrets; these vibrant tales are the perfect companion for chilly nights. So curl up, light a candle, and let the enchantment of winter's past envelop you. 'I absolutely devoured The Winter Spirits. Every story is a gem' - LAURA SHEPPERSON. 'Another dazzling collection. Chilling, moving, and incredibly satisfying' - AMANDA MASON. 'Eerily macabre, hauntingly propulsive' - JOANNE BURN.