‘So many stories inside stories, waiting to be told.’

This darkly gothic tale of grief and loss is a well-written addition to the genre, and has all the elements a true fan will enjoy. Charles and Erin Hayden inherit an old mansion in Yorkshire, and travel over from America still suffering the profound grief of losing their daughter in an accident on her birthday. The marriage is at breaking point, for reasons that are slowly revealed as the book develops, and suffice to say the atmosphere of Hollow House and its surroundings is never going to improve matters!

The house is surrounded by towering walls enclosing it in, and it sits on the edge of a dense forest – Eorl Wood (wonderfully described as ‘an oppression of trees’) - which, the locals are happy to point out, should be avoided: ‘I should steer clear of the wood if I were you….People get lost.’ There is the shifty steward Cillian Harris, whose behaviour gets more erratic. Oh, and a child has gone missing from the local town just when the Hayden’s arrive. Dale Bailey sets all these pieces in place and then starts to weave a tale that becomes an intricate narrative of coincidence, stories and legends, and the erosion of lines between dreams and reality. The missing child, Mary, looks just like the Hayden’s dead daughter Lissa – and the daughter of the local historian Silva, called Lorna, is also the spitting image of the pair of them. At the heart of the story is another book, also called ‘In the Night Wood’, written by someone called Caedmon Hollow, a distant relative of Erin and the reason she has inherited the estate. In this book a girl called Laura is stolen by the Horned King and taken to the Night Wood. Surrounding this is the obscurity of the past, and tales of Caedmon Hollow burning the house to the ground, a murder trial of 1843, and Hollow’s suicide just after he published his story.

The atmosphere is definitely dark, and the married couple are distant from each other, obsessed with their own distractions: Charles with his research into Caedmon Hollow, and Erin with her sketching, drinking and increasing dependency on drugs. These are emotionally damaged people, torn apart by tragedy and lost in a limbo of grief and hopelessness. The book itself gives many explicit – and some more obscure - references to other works of literature to frame its narrative, so well-read fans will nod knowingly as Bailey piles on the gothic motifs: a letter in cipher, hidden chests discovered in basements, gnarled and wise old men dishing out stories of dark deeds, tales of sacrificial goings on in the woods… Inevitably, the novel reaches its climax in the Night Wood itself, where reality and apparition mix in a rain-storm-soaked dramatic conclusion.

This is an excellent book which I thoroughly enjoyed, very much in the gothic tradition and a worthy addition thereto. Possibly the two main characters of Charles and Erin are not the most sympathetic you will ever encounter; they are both too distant in their obsessions to be fully engageable. And Bailey at times runs the risk of sliding into pastiche with *so* many gothic motifs. Nonetheless, this is a gripping tale that rattles along towards a suitably gripping conclusion, and the tales-within-tales layering of the book gives it added depth. A definite recommend at 4 stars.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of the book.)

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins and Dale Bailey for my ARC of In the Night Wood. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Synopsis: Grieving the loss of their young daughter, Charles and Erin Hayden move to England to live in the recently inherited Hollow House deep in the valleys of Yorkshire. Charles has been obsessed with Caedmon Hollow since he was a child and when he discovers his wife is a descendant and they've inherited the house, he decides to write a biography unravelling the mystery of Caedmon's single work of fiction In the Night Wood. But darkness beyond their grief begins to circle the couple as the woods awaken and the horned king begins to haunt their dreams.

I really liked this one! I felt like I would, the premise was really intriguing I love a good mystery tied up in fantasy especially in a contemporary setting with a mix of historical fiction thrown in there too, what's not to like?!

The premise was incredibly interesting, just the right amount of creepy intrigue and danger mixed in with a sorrowful contemporary tale. Hailing from Yorkshire myself I can say it is the perfect setting for this kind of book, as of course the Brontës too advantage of too!
If you're looking for a relatively short read with an interesting and intriguing plot that keeps you turning the pages until the very end then look no further!

I approached Dale Bailey’s gothic thriller, In the Night Wood, much as the protagonist, Charles, approaches the wood of the title — with curiosity and a little apprehension. I’m not normally a reader of gothic fiction but the book appealed and I was ready to take a punt so, like Charles, I stepped off my usual path.

Unlike Charles I didn’t get lost, and nor was I disappointed. Charles is an American academic with an uncomfortable professional past, a tragic personal life and a guilty secret. He’s also obsessed with a peculiar literary piece from the past, a strange gothic fantasy, and his wife Erin happens to be the last surviving descendant of the author, Caedmon Hollow. When Erin inherits Hollow’s fantastical house and forbidding secret wood, it seems the perfect place to escape the loss of their daughter and the difficulties in their marriage. But of course it isn’t.

It’s a beautifully-written book, with the descriptions of the tortured wood startling in their intensity. I enjoyed and believed in the characterisation, especially of Charles and Erin, though I couldn’t pretend to like either of them. I could feel for them, though, as they drift apart, tortured by guilt, he driven by his obsession with Caedmon Hollow and she increasingly dependent upon drink and opiates to get through the day.

In places it slows down, but as they become draw into the strange complications of a past and a present life, the pace picks up as the race is on to save a child’s life and prevent history repeating itself yet again as tragedy. And because it’s gothic, and because it’s a fantasy, and because in places it’s totally weird, it kept me guessing to the very end. That’s a weakness as well as a strength because although the main part of the plot was concluded, I was left without an answer to what felt, to me, like the central theme in the book — Charles and Erin’s relationship.

Early on the book is heavy with the phrase “once upon a time” and the emphasis on life as a story. But once upon a time implies an ending that tells us, at the very least, whether or not they lived happily ever after. This genre, of course, doesn’t require that, and Dale Bailey acknowledges it in so many words (“maybe if there weren’t really any happily ever afters to our once upon a times…”). But nevertheless I felt that the story was left incomplete.

That apart, it was a fascinating, if dark, read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley for an advance copy of In The Night Wood in return for an honest review.

Charles Hayden’s life has been turned upside down, when his wife inherits an estate in England, he believes this is what’s needed to put their lives back together.

He plans on writing a biography on the owner of the Estate, Caedmon Hollow, a long dead author of a Victorian children’s book, In the Night Wood.

As soon as they settle into Hollow House things start to unravel, strange things happen and everybody in the village is suspicious of the primeval forest that surrounds the estate.

I find it hard to describe what I felt reading this story, the world building was fantastic and at times I felt like the wood was closing in around me. They descriptions and language used was hard to understand at times and I had to look a few words up to understand the meaning of them. A lot is drawn from William Shakespeare, John Milton, Dante, Thomas De Quincey etc... so I can understand why the language is as it is.
Overall I liked this book and the chills that it gave me, while not quite a horror it was definitely goosebump material

CW: Drug/drink addiction, Suicide attempt, infant death

The overwhelming feeling I had while reading this was ‘well this is like the older brother to The Hazel Wood’ which is, for the most part, an accurate statement. The two differ quite heavily in terms of actual content and their varying levels of ‘darkness’ but that idea of an obscure book of fairytales turning out to have some kind of basis in truth, as well as the connection to a particular forest - the connection is uncanny. I’d say if you enjoyed The Hazel Wood and you’re comfortable with dealing with some of the more difficult themes in this book then it might be a good match!

This does have that contemporary fantasy trope of being far more about the married couple and grief than it was about the fantasy elements (though they came into their own in the latter part of the book). The majority of the book is dedicated to exploring the relationship between this couple and the grief they are going through. It’s about broken people trying to find some meaning and to put their lives back together - or just trying to hold themselves together a little longer. There are moments that are truly heartwrenching and the pain these characters go through is almost tangible at times. Set against this creepy fantasy story and the primaeval forest it somehow exacerbates that story.

I won’t spoil the end, but I will say that things escalate pretty quickly, it doesn’t feel poorly paced, but I did think the ending was left quite open, which may affect how different people read this book. I personally don’t mind an open ending (I tend to just assume that whatever the happiest ending is happens because I’m an eternal optimist) but other readers may feel differently.

I binge-read this book in an afternoon, Bailey manages to drip-feed just the right amount of information as the book goes on, keeping you hooked, turning page after page in the hope that all will be revealed. Whether it be the mystery of what brought this couple to England or what is happening in the village and in the Night Wood itself, they all tie together into a thoroughly engaging page-turner.

I ended up giving this book five stars, though normally I think books like this couldn’t really push more than four stars for me, just from genre preference, I think the fact that this book was so engaging - I couldn’t stop reading it, and the overall vibe of the book is so strong I just thought it was great. Possibly I wouldn’t feel the same way after a re-read (without that need to know what was happening) but I don’t really re-read anyway!

My rating: 5/5 stars

I received a free digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A dark fairy tale within a dark fairy tale, this book is a very atmospheric gothic thriller based in Yorkshire. Charles and Erin move in to Hollow House which is a huge mansion which has previously been burnt down by its previous owner and rebuilt. A tall wall has been built around the whole house, to keep the forest out? but why. Charles is obsessed with finding out more about the previous owner who was said to have been driven mad by the forest and committed suicide. When they move in, there are already staff working there to maintain the house, some more suspicious than others. A young girl has gone missing from the village that looks remarkably like their deceased daughter Lissa, both Charles and Erin see visions of a young girl and a dark horned figure in and around the forest, are they just visions?

This book kept me guessing to the very end about what was actually real, the truth, and who was responsible for the missing girls. It shows how people handle grief differently, some distract themselves and obsess over something else, others are completely consumed by the grief with no way out. Murder, adultery, betrayal, guilt. The only criticisms I have from reading this book is that it took me a while to get used to the writing style and I sometimes found myself lost in it and having to reread some parts. Overall I enjoyed this thriller and was satisfied with how it ended.

Thanks to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

First of all just look at that cover. LOOK AT IT. It is totally my aesthetic. If I saw it in a bookshop I’d buy it no matter what so, kudos to the designer.

This book follows the story of Charles and Erin Hayden. They move from North Caroline to rural Yorkshire upon receiving an old mansion as part of Erin’s inheritance. Cool right? Well…


This is one of these stories within a story type novels. Running throughout the main story is another, that of ‘In the Night Wood’, a book written by an enigmatic Victorian author named Caedmon Hollow (sidenote – best name ever? Yes or yes?) who is distantly related to Erin, thus the inheritance. The story of In the Night Wood plays a key role in the events of the novel.

The book evokes a mysterious and claustrophobic atmosphere and contains all the staples of a good gothic mystery – spooky old house, a creepy forest, mysterious visions and people going a bit doolally. The fragments of In the Night Wood peppered throughout the novel also help add to the mystery. The fae elements were done well although I wish they were explored a bit more instead of the personal drama of Charles and Erin.

My main issue I suppose was that it felt a bit like a book written by an American who doesn't really understand England, particularly the North The reactions of the townspeople didn’t feel entirely credible to me e.g. people in a rural Yorkshire community openly offering condolences/medical advice/emotional support upon a first meeting? That is simply not the British way. Also more than once in the novel the protagonist drives home from the pub drunk. I know driving after a few drinks isn’t considered necessarily considered a huge deal in the US, but it certainly is in the UK. It’s the little things like that which spoiled my immersion a little.

My other main issue was the unlikeability of the main character, Charles. For a man who has recently lost his child and has a wife struggling with grief and despair, he sure does spend a lot of time thinking with his todger. It felt strange to me that a man whose child died barely a year ago and who is apparently trying to rebuild his relationship with his wife would think this way. Maybe I’ve just read too many ‘angsty man with a dead kid’ novels lately but it all just seemed a bit meh.

Overall, I did enjoy reading this book despite some of the issues I had with it. The main themes of grief and loss are explored well and the spooky and uncanny elements were well done. However, I was left feeling rather like I’d prefer to just read the actual In The Night Wood story. A good book but didn’t quite make it to great for me personally.

Erin and Charles Hayden are struggling to get over the death of their daughter. Unexpectedly Erin inherits a mysterious family property in Yorkshire called Hollow House. When they move into the house they find it very unsettling and holds lots of secrets.

This book is a gothic tale with the classic rambling old house, family secrets and a nearby forest. For me this book would be righg up my street. The story also is full of refrences to fairy tales, dark myths and folk lore. One major story is that of the Horned King and the Wood Folk that live in the forest.

This book I found ok. The story does cover the loss of a child, guilt, depression and a failing marriage. I did find at times that the story was a little repetitive and grim. I enjoyed the fairy tales elements along with the local folk lore but even this became a little bit repetitive. There is also a family secret to be solved in amongst everything else to give the story a little interest.

A very promising gothic tale but a bit of a slow burner. It held my interest for most of the way but I have to admit to skipping parts that for me were just descriptive passages. The story is very wordy and very descriptive, at times just a little too much. However I enjoyed the story and think it would make a good tv drama for the darker nights.

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review the book.

In the Night Wood is just the kind of book I like to read. A story about a married couple who move to a new house. A house that the wife has inherited. A house with secrets and surrounded by an ancient oak forest. A forest that is so deep that you can get lost in it...

Now I had the pleasure of both listen to the audio version and reading the book. I think I preferred listening to the book which could be because John Banks did such an excellent job. As for the story itself. It's perfectly OK. However, I found myself wanting to like the story more than I did. Books like this one are actually the ones I find the hardest to review because there is nothing wrong with them more than I just can't seem to love the story. I wasn't annoyed with the characters, the death of their daughter is tragic and I felt for both Charles and Erin. I actually found the story within this story to be the most fascinating thing. A fairy tale with an unhappy ending.

One thing I want to say about the book is that it didn't bore me at least. It was a good book to listen to when I worked and that is a good sign. I kept on wanting to find out the truth about the forest. I would definitely recommend the book if you like modern gothic thrillers. I can see how the right reader will love this book. I just wish that the story had grabbed my attention more than it did.

It was the cover that attracted me to this book, as I do love a good gothic mystery. The story turned out to be a mix of psychological suspense, mystery, folk horror and fantasy, but I did enjoy it!

Charles Hayden has been obsessed with a Victorian fairy story called In the Night Wood since he was a child, and in one of those weird coincidences ends up marrying Erin, the author's last descendant. When Erin unexpectedly inherits her ancestor's manor house in Yorkshire, the couple leave America and move in, partly to escape the memories of their six-year-old daughter, who recently died. But Hollow House is surrounded by an ancient forest and haunted by the past. Are there ghosts walking the boundary walls at night, or something worse?

My feelings about this book are mixed. There are parts I absolutely loved: the mystery surrounding the reclusive Victorian author, Caedmon Hollow; the spookiness of the old wood and the creepy atmosphere of the gothic house. I didn't much like Charles who, far from learning from his past mistakes, seemed to fancy anything in a skirt - which lost my sympathy very quickly. I liked Erin, his wife, who I felt was a far more interesting character, but she spent most of her time popping pills in her room. A lot of the story seemed to be psychological suspense (these bits would appeal to anyone who has enjoyed the recent Netflix version of The Haunting of Hill House) but I'd have liked less of that and more of the gothic mystery/fantasy/horror elements. And I was slightly confused by the final revelation!

But I did find it a thoroughly gripping read, so I'm happy to give it a solid four stars.


I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this book, which will be published on 7th February 2019.

Thank you to Dale Bailey and Harper Collins for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

"Where do tales begin, after all? Once upon a time."

This is a book about loss and grief, there is a failing marriage and a literary obsession.
A married couple who are dealing with the loss of their daughter inherit an old manor in England that is surrounded by a large dark wood. Charles and Erin believe that a move will help but of course things go wrong.

There is a mystery about an old book (In the Night Wood) and its author Caedmon Hollow. This has the story of Charles and Erin as well as chapters from the book, In the Night Wood. There is also another mystery that surrounds the caretaker of the house, who is bound to the house and not the people in it. Then there's another mystery in the dark wood that surrounds the house. So if you like mysteries, then this is the book for you. The house and the wood surrounding it hold dark secrets.

Throughout the book is a theme of grief that seems to overwhelm the characters. Erin blames Charles for the death of their daughter. Charles had an affair and struggles with the dead of his daughter as well.

It is like a dark fairytale. They see visions of the dead and some eerie things begin to happen. It is a creepy but great story.