Struggling with the effects of early-onset dementia, Dennie Keeling now leads a quiet life. Her husband is dead, her children are grown, and her best friend, Sarah, was convicted of murdering her abusive husband. After Sarah's tragic death in prison, Dennie has found solace in her allotment, and all she wants is to be left to tend it in peace. Life remains quiet for twelve years, until three strangers take on a nearby plot and Dennie starts to notice unnatural things. Shadowy figures prowl at night; plants flower well before their time. And then Sarah appears, bringing dire warnings and vanishing after daubing symbols on the walls in Dennie's own blood. Dennie soon realises that she is face to face with an ancient evil - but with her dementia steadily growing worse, who is going to believe her?
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It was time to embrace his freedom. CHAOTER 1
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(@TitanBooks, 17 November 2020, 496 pages, ebook, #ARC from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed)
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I'm a huge fan of the author and have read most of his books now. I was really looking forward to reading this. I wasn't disappointed. This is exactly what I expected, a cracking horror novel blending modern world and ancient myths. The first few chapters are set many years before the strange people move into Dennie's allotment, gradually revealing the back story of the strange people who worship Moccus, an ancient God. In the years before the cult move to the allotment the younger members decide human sacrifice is the easiest and most profitable way to raise their God, as the raising has been getting more and more difficult. You can see where this is leading? I loved the fact Dennie, a gentle soul with dementia is a key character, and the first person to realise something is very off about the new people at the allotment. I thought this was a great read.
