Book Review: The Hill in the Dark Grove by Liam Higginson
Genre: Horror
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
‘Welsh Horror’ isn’t overly common, so when I see it I jump at the chance to read it. The Hill in the Dark Grove is set in the mountains of North Wales, absolutely not my neck of the woods, but pulls together elements of folklore and legend from across the country. On a hillside farm, Carwyn and Rhian farm sheep. But when Carwyn discovers an ancient ruin, strange things start happening across the farm, and Rhian witnesses changes taking place in her husband, too.
This is very much an atmospheric, slow burn horror, drawing on Welsh history and folklore to craft a tense, gripping read. We get to know Carwyn and Rhian, their childhoods and meeting, Rhian’s father and select moments from both their childhoods. Carwyn is the last in a long line of sheep farmers, and there’s a sense of modernity encroaching right from the start, from the tourists who injure themselves on Carwyn’s land to the dwindling number of farmers when Rhian goes to the market to sell some of their sheep. It contrasts with the strange, prehistoric discovery made by Carwyn, which slowly becomes his obsession.
There’s a sense of dread throughout the book, and Higginson does an excellent job of increasing this gradually, of really making it feel like someone or something is coming for the farm, that there is an endpoint to it all and not a good one.
It’s a refreshing type of horror, one that draws you through various folklore tales, entwined around the story of Carwyn and Rhian. A really strong debut, which has made me really keen to see what the author releases next.
Review by Elle Turpitt
Twitter: @elleturpitt
Bluesky: @elleturpitt.bsky.social
I received this ebook from Picador via NetGalley for review consideration.
