One million years of evolution didn’t change our nature.
Nor did it bury the horrors predating civilisation. Ancient rites, old deities and savage ways can reappear in the places you least expect.
Lifestyle journalist Katrine escaped past traumas by moving to a coast renowned for seaside holidays and natural beauty. But when a vast hoard of human remains and prehistoric artefacts is discovered in nearby Brickburgh, a hideous shadow engulfs her life.
Helene, a disillusioned lone parent, lost her brother, Lincoln, six years ago. Disturbing subterranean noises he recorded prior to vanishing, draw her to Brickburgh’s caves. A site where early humans butchered each other across sixty thousand years. Upon the walls, images of their nameless gods remain.
Amidst rumours of drug plantations and new sightings of the mythical red folk, it also appears that the inquisitive have been disappearing from this remote part of the world for years. A rural idyll where outsiders are unwelcome and where an infernal power is believed to linger beneath the earth. A timeless supernormal influence that only the desperate would dream of confronting. But to save themselves and those they love, and to thwart a crimson tide of pitiless barbarity, Kat and Helene are given no choice. They were involved and condemned before they knew it.
What with it being Halloween, it seems only appropriate that the book that forms the basis for this week’s review comes from one of my favourite horror authors, Adam Nevill.
In a quiet corner of the English coast, a grisly discovery has been unearthed. Evidence of a cannibal tribe from thousands of years in the past has been uncovered. How does this tie in with a rise in missing persons in the area? Who or what are the mysterious ‘red folk’ and what do they want?
Kat has walked away from her job, her home and her partner. The trials and tribulations of living in London have worn down her spirit. Moving to the coast and starting again seems, at least on the face of it, a far easier option. Unfortunately, fate has other ideas and she becomes embroiled in a missing persons case that is not quite as clear cut as it appears. Kat becomes a target, and potential victim, for a group who are keen to remain out of the public eye. As events escalate, there are some insightful moments that pick apart the nature of trauma and how we react. Kat really is put through the emotional and physical ringer.
Helene’s situation is a little different. Her life as a single mother has not been easy, but she has risen to every challenge. There is a grim determination that pushes her continually forward. It struck me that she was far better equipped than Kat to deal with the extraordinary events they become part of. There were moments when Helene’s steadfast refusal to give in made me want to stand up and cheer.
The Reddening strips away concepts we take for granted like society and civility. There is something primal about the forces that lie in the Brickburgh caves. They speak to people at the most fundamental level. Those who are prepared to give themselves over to the reddening become almost creatures of pure id, allowing their own base instincts to drive them. This of course leads to violence, blood and death. You’ll not be surprised when I tell you that The Reddening is not for the faint of heart*. The red folk do not hold with the same rules as the rest of us. Taboos do not exist in their group and some of their actions are undeniably extreme.
Adam Nevill remains one of the few horror authors who’s writing always affects me. He manages to imbue his work with such a sense of dread. That menace grows and feels palpable on every page. It’s the anticipation that gets me every time. I just know terrible things are going to happen, and they most definitely do, but I am powerless to look away. When it comes to horror, I think everyone decides what they consider to be taking things too far. We all set our limits regarding how much is too much. Nevill once again expertly manages to stay just on the right side of that line for me.
The Reddening is another horrific gem to be added to the author’s back catalogue. The novel succeeds in being distressing yet captivating, unsettling but also often heartfelt. It’s quite the emotional rollercoaster, exactly how every good horror novel should be. I don’t doubt for a moment that existing fans are going to love this. As far as the rest of you are concerned where the hell have you been? Pull up a chair, Mr Nevill has a story to tell you.
In keeping with the theme of the novel I’ve been listening to the soundtrack to Midsommar by Bobby Krlic. There is a suitably nerve-jangling quality to the music that dovetails with the tone of the novel perfectly.
The Reddening is published by Ritual Limited and is available now.
*Might be an idea to hold off eating anything while your reading. Just a suggestion.
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