Tamsin escapes from Edinburgh to the Scottish countryside in desperate need of a fresh start and a new life away from the city. But when the cottage she thought she’d bought turns out to be a semi-detached house in the middle of nowhere – unnerving neighbour she never sees included – the place she hoped would be a sanctuary becomes a snare as she loses her grip on reality.
***A Buzz Books Choice for Summer 2026*** ***BFS Award-winning Author*** 'One of the best horror books you can pick up in 2026' - Johanna van Veen, author of Blood on Her Tongue 'Masterful' - Megan Bontrager, author of The Sea Hides Its Dead 'A love letter to female rage' - Ally Wilkes, author of All the White Spaces _________________________________________ 'The symmetry should have tipped me off.' After a violent incident at work, Tamsin goes looking for a fresh start in a remote cottage far away from her old life. Here she could make real friends, find a job she loves, become a whole new person, even. But the solitary cottage is actually a semi-detached, with only a thin wall separating her from a total stranger. Her neighbour is an enigma. Dowdy one moment, vivacious the next, but always wearing an unnerving smile. Tamsin can't shake the feeling that there's something wrong with her, especially when she starts experiencing disturbances in her own home. As the locals share strange stories about her house, and her barely contained paranoia spirals out of control, Tamsin begins to suspect that the past she was so desperate to escape might never let her go. 'A debut that understands female rage not as empowerment but as wreckage' - Ginger Nuts of Horror 'A chilling and gripping novel for readers who appreciate folk horror in everyday lives' - Aurealis
