An atmospheric, chilling, mystical novel by an aspiring English writer. The book, an instant bestseller, has rightly been called a “living gothic classic” and received the approval of Stephen King himself. Loughney is a strange, empty place located on the coast of England. Going with his family on a pilgrimage to the local shrine, the fifteen-year-old teenager did not even suspect what he would face in this creepy, dull land. Frightening scarecrows, terrible rituals, unusual behavior of local residents hiding a terrible secret, a sudden landslide and the discovery of the corpse of a baby that fell from an old house at the foot of the cliffs...

Winner of the COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD and Best Book of the YearBritish Book Award Industry AwardsBest Summer Books of 2016 by Publishers WeeklyA Best Book of 2015 by the London Times and the Daily Mail

“Not just great, but delicious. Amazing work of art."

Stephen King

"The atmosphere is amazing. All the characters are damn strange, as if from another time, but at the same time very believable. And there is something frightening and incomprehensible in this novel...”

Paula Hawkins, bestselling author of The Girl on the Train

“Lawney is a stunning novel about faith, incredible, strange rituals and the trials that a person has to face. This novel is not only very entertaining, it is beautifully written and has depth. One of the most enjoyable books I've read in the last couple of years."

Jeff VanderMeer, author of City of Saints and Madmen

"A masterpiece that will set Hurley in gothic history." .

Guardian

“An incredibly atmospheric and memorable novel.”

The Daily Telegraph

“Keeps you in suspense until the very end.”

Financial Times