Ooh this was good. Five sisters living with their near blind grandfather in a small village. They’re considered odd and then the rumours begin.
I really enjoyed this, a bit of a compulsive read for me. Great atmosphere.

I loved the writing style in this book. The descriptions were rich in detail and I felt like I had a vivid picture in my head the whole time.
Xenobe Purvis uses the Mansfield sisters to explore otherness and the people within society who don't conform to the 'norm'. The sisters have done no wrong but because their behaviour does not fit with expectations, they are easily placed under suspicion. Others within the book then exploit this for their own means.
My issue within the book was I felt as though the tension was beautifully created but the climax felt a little flat. I was engrossed in the story and wanted to find out what it was all building to. I would love to read another book by this author though as, like I mentioned before, their descriptions and imagery were perfect.

The Hounding was possibly the most intriguing books I have read this year.

Little Nettlebed is experiencing tragic events steeped in strangeness. No one can understand why these creatures are washing up on their riverbeds, or why the ravens seem to gather on the roofs of people who don't have much time left to live. Except for one day, someone claims to have seen one of the Mansfield sisters transform into a dog.

The Mansfield sisters have always felt like outsiders in Little Nettlebed. But through experiencing five different perspectives on rotation it becomes clear, the problem with Little Nettlebed isn't down to some unknown mystical force, it's the Mansfield sisters fault and it will be they who pay the price.

Ultimately, The Hounding analysed the way in which rumours spread like cancerous wildfire, infecting the minds of those who were once believed to be inherently 'good'. At its core, it's a deep dive into human nature. Finally posing the question of whether in this life it is safer to be a girl, or a dog.

An atmospheric and chilling tale set in the eighteenth century, in a village called Little Nettlebed in Oxfordshire, about five sisters who appear to the locals to be rather odd. Yet some take their interest to obsessive levels.

The story opens with the ferryman, who drinks too much and struggles with his guilty feelings about being 'unclean'. He has set views on how men and women should behave and it irks him if folk don't conform. Other perspectives come from a young man who has come to help at the farm for the harvest, a neighbour who doesn't appear or feel manly enough, the sisters' grandfather and the bartender at the local public house. All characters are wonderfully real and sympathetic.

The events unfold during a heatwave and the river dries up, the local wildlife displays unusual behaviours and there are eerie noises that sound like dogs...The landscape is evocatively portrayed and adds to the mood. I loved reading about this.

Haunting folk horror with strange happenings, reminiscent of The Crucible in the way rumours can get out out of control and girls being the centre of it all. Beautifully worded, enticing, and delving deeply into the human psyche, this is my favourite book of the year so far. Highly recommended.

Xenobe Purvis's "The Hounding" is an atmospheric look at how a community can turn against women who do not behave according to society's rules. Purvis has a real knack for creating creepy, unsettling moments that underscore uncomfortable situations. The novel examines how men's fear of women can create paranoia in society (sound familiar?). The novel is maddening because it is fiction, but it also speaks to current events. Purvis is incredibly adept at underscoring the way girls/women have to constantly manoeuvre through life worrying about not upsetting watchful eyes. It's a first-rate novel.

This is a book set when superstitions, unnatural occurrences, and mistrust could result in death, being run out of town or living a sad life where no one wants anything to do with you.

The author has taken the characters of the Mansfield sisters and given them their own personalities, which are alluded to throughout the story. They live outside the village, across the river, with their elderly grandfather, who is not able to see well. Given this, they are more carefree than other girls of their respective ages, and this is frowned upon. They are happy-go-lucky, they do their chores, work hard on their farm and do what they can to stay out of trouble. There is a problem, though, what they get up to in their spare time has been seen!

The villagers think it unnatural that the girls live the way they do, and this is only confirmed when the river bed starts to dry up, animal bodies are being found, and there is a sense of desperation, putrid carcasses. When one of the sisters is seen, well changed, then the rumours begin, the fingers are pointed, and the accusations fly. Not everyone is scared, but the ones who are seem to have the loudest voices. What follows is a malicious and vindictive campaign.

The author does a good job of setting the scene and the sense of witch trials are still rife in memories. Using this, it is easy then to make a move towards the suspicious nature of the sisters. There is the word of a drunk, he begins a convincing campaign, he will not be stopped. But, then, is he to be trusted? He doesn't have the best history!

I enjoyed this story, while it is a mystery and there is murder, there is also a look at the way of life at the time. It is a mix of fantasy, historical fiction and it is one I would be happy to recommend.

A fascinating social commentary woven within the struggles of a small town suffering through an unseasonably hot summer - The Hounding poses some timely questions about misogyny, witch hunts, and the victimisation of non-conformist members of society. The choice to tell the story through various townspeople and never giving us a direct perspective from the sisters is frustrating, but a perfect choice to hammer home this statement. Almost all of the fear comes directly from one man's rumourmongering based on his own misogynistic, twisted impression of the sisters, and yet he is believed over the girls by almost everyone. Deliciously, scarily familiar.

I'd have loved a bit *more* on almost all aspects: more from the girls, more from the town, more of the spooky undercurrent.

We meet the five Mansfield sisters in 18th Century Oxfordshire. Having been orphaned young, and recently having lost their grandmother, the girls are under the care of their blind grandfather. Always seen as “odd”, rumours of the sisters’ behaviour slowly escalates throughout the village, and their story is told from the perspective of several villagers.

This story had me absolutely riveted, and was the kind of slow burn thriller that I love to be gripped by. The characters were fascinating, and I would certainly read more by this author.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

The Hounding felt like the Salem witch trials—but with dogs. It’s an unsettling, atmospheric story that explores mass hysteria, patriarchal control, and the ease with which communities turn on women who don’t conform.

While I enjoyed the overall narrative, I found myself wishing we got to know the girls more intimately—their inner lives, their fears, their bonds. Instead, much of the focus is on the vile men of the town and their growing paranoia and cruelty. But maybe that’s the point. By centering the men’s fear and control, the story shines a light on how society often grants agency to abusers while silencing or erasing the women they target. It’s frustrating by design.

A thought-provoking, eerie read especially for those drawn to feminist horror with historical echoes.

Historical fiction meets magic realism and this is their love child: an enthralling and dreamlike story i loved
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

3.5*

'The Hounding' by Xenobe Purvis is a haunting debut that delves into themes of hysteria, gender, and power in 18th-century rural England. The novel's atmospheric setting and lyrical prose are truly immersive and richly developed and effectively immerses readers in the superstitions and tensions of the time. As readers, through the five Mansfield sisters who are accused of transforming into dogs we also see commentary on societal fears and the consequences of nonconformity.

However, I did find the narrative pacing uneven and certain sections felt too protracted, which did take me out of the story. The multiple perspectives also occasionally disrupted the flow of the story which. Despite these elements, I found overall that 'The Hounding' was a thought-provoking read that offers a truly compelling look at the perils of societal conformity, the dangers of mass hysteria and the marginalization of women.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone | Hutchinson Heinemann for a digital review copy of "The Hounding" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

A debut with real bite! I was pulled into this historical novel with its strong elements of horror right from the start. A quote at the start suggests we are in Oxfordshire, in the village of Little Nettlebed, at the start of the eighteenth century in this tale of rural life where for much of the year a ferryman is needed and where rumours being to build up about five sisters.
The ferryman, Pete Darling, a superstitious heavy drinker is instrumental in these rumours claiming the five girls, Anne, Elizabeth, Hester, Grace and Mary Mansfield who live on farmland with their partially sighted grandfather have the ability to transform themselves into dogs.
The sense of paranoia and rumour concerning these girls who seem, because of their family circumstances, to have more freedom than the young women thereabouts is beautifully conveyed. A single narrative shifts the viewpoint onto different characters from Darling, to Temperance, wife of the publican, to Thomas, employed to help at the farm and Robin, one of the neighbours who, like the Mansfield girls, also feels an outsider in his environment. The narrative is strong, drives the reader onwards and illustrates this author’s story-telling skills.
I always like a sense of simmering hysteria in fiction (huge fan of “Black Narcissus” by Rumer Godden (1939)) and this works so well here. There’s good use of language throughout from the clever title to the way events can be misconstrued from descriptions. The wider elements of the treatment of these young women and hostility towards those not prepared to fit in makes this a hugely rewarding read. A fascinating premise, so well told.

The Hounding is published by Hutchinson Heinemann on 26th June. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

The Hounding
By Xenobe Purvis

This is a stunning, breathtaking debut. The publisher calls it a feverdream, but despite it's pervasive sense of impending doom, it doesn't have the sticky feel of a feverdream. I would call it folk horror.

Five sisters, recently orphaned, living with their blind grandfather in 18th century rural Oxfordshire. They anger the local ferryman, a drunkard, who's pride is so hurt by his inability to intimidate them, he spreads a rumour that turns the whole village against the girls.

The mass hysteria reminds me of "The Dance Tree" by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, and we all know what happened to girls who didn't conform.

The narrative voice has a style associated with oral storytelling, lyrical, witty, engaging and hypnotic. I found it impossible to stop reading. With themes of sisterhood, community, loyalty, the tension arises from male toxicity and paternalistic control of girls, their bodies and their freedom, but the terror is in how easily those that were at one time, allies, become complicit.

This would make an excellent book club pick because of the themes it explores, but actually it is a story that could very well end up in the same category as Little Red Riding Hood or the Three Little Pigs (the versions before Disney got their hands on them).

Publication Date: 26th June 2025
Thanks to #PenguinRandomHouse for sending me the ARC.

This was both brilliant and not like anything I was expecting.

In a small village going through a horrible draught, 5 sisters are being suspected of turning into dogs. Is there any truth to it or is it one man's vendetta against girls who don't care about social expectations, fuelled by the villagers lack of understanding.

This book grips you instantly, and the writing flows so beautifully that I've read it in one sitting. The story is told through PoVs of different villagers and depending on whose PoV we are in it moves from heartbreaking to completely infuriating. There's part of me that wishes we got the PoV of even one of the girls but this book is not about giving us easy answers.

It's a story about toxic masculinity and what it does to young boys. It's about girls who don't fit the mold the society prepared for them and what are the consequences of that. It's a book that hits in the heart of the misogyny plaguing our society and it's a one good read.

'They were not normal, those girls. The story confirmed for everybody what they had always known: there was something unnatural about the five sisters.

Anne, Elizabeth, Hester, Grace and Mary are five sisters growing up in rural 18 Century Oxfordshire but they've had a hard time of it. Both of their parents passed years ago and now their beloved Grandmother has also passed, leaving just their nearly blind Grandfather to try and keep them in line, keep the farm going, but he requires more help than he can give. The girls are in effect on their own and their forced independence has locals questioning just what is going on with them, no one more than the local ferryman Pete, 'It was as though they spoke a silent language he couldn't understand, it unsettled him. It made him feel less strong, less good....'. As Pete increasingly worries about his future marriage and his business rapidly drying up as the summer drought persists, he insists that these girls have turned into dogs, yes real b**ches, in front of his very eyes. Like a flame set to the tinder dry grass that surrounds them, the rumour takes flight, even among those loathe to truly believe it.

Such a unique and beautifully written story, it's hard to believe it's a debut. In true literary style, there are many messages in its lovely prose but how you interpret them is up to the reader. Told across a few POVs, the overarching point is how a vicious rumour can spread like a cancer, infecting the good sense of people who feel vindicated of their jealousy find themselves thrilled at the drama of cancelling those who defy convention. I feel that many literary lovers will enjoy contemplating this one too.

'We went out when we weren't supposed to, we were too free, and this - all of this - is our punishment. It has nothing to do with the idea of us becoming dogs, and everything to do with the fact of us being girls'.

I loved this book so much. I can’t wait to read more by the author. But I loved this book too much, I hope the author writes more.
I was hooked by the whole premise and I’m not normally a history fan

The Hounding is a beautifully weird and atmospheric little book, and the debut novel from Xenobe Purvis. I’ve read quite a few debuts this year that have really impressed me, and this one was no exception; I will definitely be reading more from this author! The Hounding tells the story of a strange family, the Mansfields, five sisters who live on their farm with their grandfather. With their grandmother recently passed, both the girls and their grandfather are grieving and learning how to live without her while facing the scrutiny of the increasingly judgmental townsfolk. Strange and violent things begin happening one exceptionally hot summer in the village, and people begin suspecting that the girls are hiding something monstrous. At its core this book is about misogyny, conformity, and feminine rage, and I think Purvis did a fantastic job of portraying the really sinister and pervasive ways men go about persecuting women they deem “unladylike.”

I think the only thing that I would have liked from this book is to get a perspective from the girls themselves. Don’t get me wrong, I COMPLETELY understand the author’s decision to only include perspectives from the (mostly) men around them, it 100% adds to the message of misogyny and moral panic and definitely added to the tension and mystery, but I just loved the girls and found them to be such fun characters. Like I said, that’s definitely just a me thing though and I completely understand that it was a conscious decision not to include their direct perspectives.

Overall, I think this was a weird, unsettling, and atmospheric gothic novel that had some really solid messaging and an intriguing plot. The characters were well developed and felt real (for better or for worse, I definitely wanted to murder Pete on every single page he appeared) and the setting was lush and descriptive. I really enjoyed my time with this one, and I will definitely be checking out more from this author in the future!

The Hounding
Xenobe Purvis
UK release date 26th June

' The old thought returned to him, that he'd rather they were dogs than damaged girls..'

Firstly, the cover. I obviously couldn't resist it. Secondly, a group of girls who allegedly turn into dogs and run rampage.. I couldn't resist that either. And thirdly- this debut novel is written by a fellow Alumni from my old University so I knew I definitely had to read it. And..... I really did enjoy it but probably for different reasons than many others did if im honest.

Set in 18th Century Oxfordshire, where its a man's world and a man's word holds absolute power this is a story about four sisters who evoked fear amongst the men of their little village because they dared to be a little bit different, and they dared not to conform. Described as 'The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides,' this is a tale about being different, and about being persecuted for being different.

A very hauntingly written mix up of a folk tale meets urban myth, meets fairy tale meets gothic, this book is full of misogyny, feminine rage and a man's need to hold ultimate power over a woman and the lengths he will go to to get this power. It's about superstition, fear, obsession and anger and perfectly highlights how as a human race we ridicule, fear and persecute those who choose to be different. It is dark, quite disturbing, with some upsetting scenes and some scenes that bought out a real feral anger in me I never knew I had. A fairly short read, I loved the writing, really enjoyed the story but I just felt the ending was a bit rushed. However, if you enjoy folk tales with a twist then I think you will love this ..... 🌟🌟🌟

The Hounding tells the story of a family of 5 orphaned girls living with their recently widowed and blind grandfather on the outskirts of a small 18th century Oxfordshire village. It is an unusually hot summer and the rivers are drying up, leaving people anxious about a poor harvest and a hard winter to follow. This is a world where the new sciences must coexist with strong religious beliefs, tradition and ancient superstition and these, along with the relentless heat, join to create a simmering tension as the villagers look for someone to blame. When Pete, the ferryman, claims to have seen the girls change into dogs, rumours abound through the village and grow dangerous.

I loved this book. It is so atmospheric - the heat and the tension are both beautifully depicted and make it feel languorous as well as dangerous, with a fairy tale quality. The mystery that always surrounds the girls is absorbing – it’s never quite clear throughout the book what is actually happening and the doubt it gives us is a wonderful way to evoke the villagers’ own sense of suspicion and fear. The portrayal of time and place is completely convincing and make it easy to see how accusations such as witchcraft came to pass. Rumours and lies spread rapidly, people are quick to believe them especially as the girls don’t behave as it’s believed they should, and they are literally ‘hounded’ for being different and hard to understand.

Although the story is centred around the girls, we never really meet them or hear their thoughts. All their behaviour is seen in scraps from a distance, mainly through the eyes of 4 men – Joseph, their blind grandfather, who can never really see what is happening before him; Thomas, who has come to work on their farm for the harvest; Pete, a drunken ferryman with doubts about his upcoming wedding; and Robin, a sensitive young man who doesn’t really fit into the village’s way of life. I found the glimpses we had of them fascinating – their different characters, the suggestion of something terrible happening to one of them, their development into womanhood – and it was interesting to see how different they appeared depending on whose views were being portrayed.

This is a short book but it really packs a punch with its strange and unsettling atmosphere. Highly, highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review. I’ve put this full review on Goodreads and an abridged version on Waterstones, which I will also add to Amazon on publication day.

A rural village in 18th Century England is convinced five sisters are turning into dogs, in this atmospheric debut. Lyrical and engaging, touching on topics of women’s place in society and class unrest, it captures the infectious mindset of rural England when religion and reality is questioned. However telling the girls’ stories through the villagers rather than their own eyes takes away the immediacy – I’d have loved to see a first person plural narrative. A good debut, I’d be interested to see what the author does next.