Scuttler's Cove

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Postscript summary

Blending social commentary with elements of traditional folk horror, this haunting novel sees Merrin Moon return to her Cornish coastal community after a long absence. The place that was once her sanctuary is now a popular destination for the rich, and she cannot escape the feeling that it is haunted by unseen forces, with something ancient and threatening stirring beneath the village.

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'A brooding tale from the murky depths below the English idyll. Coastal-horror at its finest' Matt Wesolowski

The sea never forgets. The sea never forgives...Scuttler's Cove is a working village, nestling in dramatic coastal scenery in Cornwall, where life has gone on uninterrupted for centuries... until this seaside idyll was discovered by the rich.

Now the quaint harbour-front cottages have been snapped up by second-homers and rental companies, and the locals can barely afford to live in their own town.

It is a very different place for Merrin Moon, who left for university at the age of eighteen and never looked back. Now in her thirties, she returns to the Cove for the first time since, after the death of her mother.

She soon discovers that there are forces at play in the village that she could never have imagined. Is someone trying to drive out the second homers? And has their arrival started a chain of events none of them will be able to stop?

For something old and terrible is awakening beneath the town's hallowed ground. And with it comes a horror that the residents have fought for generations to keep a secret.

A dark and mysterious folk horror of the sea, and a timely exploration of the displacement of our modern moment, with a twist that will leave you reeling.

Praise for Scuttler's Cove 'There's a rich vein of horror to be mined here, and Barnett's doing a great job of excavating it' SFX

'An eerie tale of folk horror, as old gods and locals with age-old roots come into conflict with new money and the modern world, with a satisfying supernatural showdown, and a twist you won't see coming' Jane Johnson

'Swarming spiders, vicious crabs, fish-headed revenants ... these are terrifying enough, but they're also the least scary things in Scuttler's Cove. It's the people you have to watch out for... a brutal, brilliant novel of folk horror and dread' Tim Lebbon

'It feels like a modern version of The Wicker Man, in the best possible way and with its own unique take' Reader review

'Wow, just wow. David Barnett is my new go-to for folk horror' Reader review

'Filled with great characters, a downright creepy unsettling narrative, and surprises in store which you won't see coming, this is a must-read folk horror novel' Reader review

'Very well-written. Dark, compelling and atmospheric' Reader review

'Folk horror at its finest... leads to an intensely satisfying and fantastic ending that will have you actually cheering' Reader review

'Another gem! Scuttler's Cove takes you on a wild ride of mystery, intrigue, and horrific folklore' Reader review

'The bright, beachy atmosphere with a looming undercurrent of something dark and sinister kept the tension high... I found myself itching to read more when I wasn't actively reading it' Reader review

'I came for the crab on the cover, stayed for the folk horror... a timely and atmospheric horror novel' Reader review

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