A brilliantly atmospheric horror novel about people disappearing in a small, claustrophobic village and whispers of a terrifying local legend called the tall man. Perfect for fans of The Loney and Devil's Day.
1897. James Harringley is summoned home from London to his rambling family mansion in the north of England. His father is sick, deranged, and James must return, confronting the horrors he tried to forget: the labyrinthine house, the madness and secrets which poison their bloodline and, most frightening of all, the spectre of the tall man – an eerie visage who promises to whisk children away and make them royalty in the land of Faery.
James returns to the house and finds his father and brother at war, and the nebulous substance of his childhood brought into unbearable relief. He remembers the whispers about the tall man. But can he trust his own memories? Then the groundskeeper Janey has had her baby kidnapped, one of many child disappearances connected with the house and the nearby village. There are those who blame the tall man, while others believe a more earthly culprit is responsible. James must sift through the ramblings of his father, the scepticism of his power-hungry brother and the uncertain fabric of his own memories to discover the truth.
Genre: Horror
1897. James Harringley is summoned home from London to his rambling family mansion in the north of England. His father is sick, deranged, and James must return, confronting the horrors he tried to forget: the labyrinthine house, the madness and secrets which poison their bloodline and, most frightening of all, the spectre of the tall man – an eerie visage who promises to whisk children away and make them royalty in the land of Faery.
James returns to the house and finds his father and brother at war, and the nebulous substance of his childhood brought into unbearable relief. He remembers the whispers about the tall man. But can he trust his own memories? Then the groundskeeper Janey has had her baby kidnapped, one of many child disappearances connected with the house and the nearby village. There are those who blame the tall man, while others believe a more earthly culprit is responsible. James must sift through the ramblings of his father, the scepticism of his power-hungry brother and the uncertain fabric of his own memories to discover the truth.
Genre: Horror
Praise for this book
"Tom Carlisle combines his gothic elements - the cursed landowning family, the uncanny pact, the lurking primal presence, the dark side of faery, the hero's reluctant return to his roots - into a potent magical brew often evocative of Machen but grippingly original." - Ramsey Campbell
"Blight is a rusty memory box containing the things we choose to leave behind, and those that refuse to let us go. An eldritch, deliciously bloody book." - Verity M Holloway
"An intriguing folk horror novel, with a Faustian twist and a family drama at its core - right up my street!" - Paul Kane
"There are worlds beneath worlds in Tom Carlisle's compelling debut novel, which evokes Robert W. Chambers' The King in Yellow in its sustained Gothic creepiness and its undercurrent of unspeakable cosmic horror." - Tim Major
"Blight embroiders an intriguing historical setting around a primal fear, to create a lurching nightmare. A splendid addition to the annals of truly nasty folklore." - E Saxey
"An intriguing debut." - Priya Sharma
"Blight is a spellbinding debut and an utterly modern-feeling folk horror, full of moral complexity and righteous anger: what profit is there in my blood?" - Ally Wilkes
"Blight is a rusty memory box containing the things we choose to leave behind, and those that refuse to let us go. An eldritch, deliciously bloody book." - Verity M Holloway
"An intriguing folk horror novel, with a Faustian twist and a family drama at its core - right up my street!" - Paul Kane
"There are worlds beneath worlds in Tom Carlisle's compelling debut novel, which evokes Robert W. Chambers' The King in Yellow in its sustained Gothic creepiness and its undercurrent of unspeakable cosmic horror." - Tim Major
"Blight embroiders an intriguing historical setting around a primal fear, to create a lurching nightmare. A splendid addition to the annals of truly nasty folklore." - E Saxey
"An intriguing debut." - Priya Sharma
"Blight is a spellbinding debut and an utterly modern-feeling folk horror, full of moral complexity and righteous anger: what profit is there in my blood?" - Ally Wilkes
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