The Hungry Dark - by Jen Williams (Hardcover)

About the Book

As a child, Ashley Whitelam could often see odd things nobody else could: quiet, watchful figures she called the Heedful Ones kept a strange vigil wherever she went. As an adult, she keeps these visions to herself, but she's turned her taste of the beyond into a career as a psychic, parting people from their money with a combination of psychology and internet research. When the Lake District is gripped by a series of grisly child murders, Ashley offers her services to the police for the free publicity. But as Ashley leads the police on a fruitless search around the small town of Green Beck, she catches a glimpse of those old ghosts of her childhood and, following them into the woods, she finds something she never expected: the corpse of the latest missing child. The press fly into a frenzy and the police grow suspicious: either Ashley's psychic abilities are real or she's guilty of murder. Hounded by interviews and interrogations, Ashley teams up with Freddie Miller, a podcaster covering the crimes. As they investigate, Ashley realizes that there's no way to distance herself from these murders: whoever or whatever it is that's haunting the Lakes is haunting her too. Master of unsettling suspense Jen Williams is back with another chilling, dark listen that will draw listeners into a gruesome and atmospheric nightmare.

Book Synopsis

Macabre murders plague a rural town as a scam-artist psychic races to find the answers in this haunting thriller from award-winning author Jen Williams, perfect for fans of Camilla Sten and Alex North.

As a child, Ashley Whitelam could often see odd things nobody else could: quiet, watchful figures she called the Heedful Ones kept a strange vigil wherever she went. As an adult, she keeps these visions to herself, but she's turned her taste of the beyond into a career as a "psychic"­ - parting people from their money with a combination of psychology and internet research. When the Lake District is gripped by a series of grisly child murders, Ashley offers her services to the police for the free publicity. But as Ashley leads the police on a fruitless search around the small town of Green Beck, she catches a glimpse of those old ghosts of her childhood and, following them into the woods, she finds something she never expected: the corpse of the latest missing child.

The press fly into a frenzy and the police grow suspicious: either Ashley's psychic abilities are real, or she is guilty of murder. Hounded by interviews and interrogations, Ashley teams up with Freddie Miller, a podcaster covering the crimes. As they investigate, Ashley realises that there's no way to distance herself from these murders: whoever or whatever it is that's haunting the Lakes is haunting her, too.

Master of unsettling suspense Jen Williams is back with another chilling, dark read that will draw readers into a gruesome and atmospheric nightmare.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Hungry Dark
"[A] winning mix of heart-pounding plot, eerie urban legends, unreliable protagonists, and full, lush character development."
--Booklist

"A masterpiece of occult horror that creates and feeds nightmares."
--Gumshoe Review

"Satiated my hunger for dark occult thrillers."
--SFRevu

"Skillfully crafted, The Hungry Dark has all the elements of a mesmerizing thriller."
--Fresh Fiction

"I, for one, just love tales of crime laced with a hint of the occult and I can think of no better offering in this category of fiction than The Hungry Dark. Nonstop plotting, richly drawn characters and a masterful touch in blending crime procedure with otherworldly gothic makes this novel a one-sitting read. Fantastic--in every sense of the word!"
--Jeffery Deaver, international bestselling author of The Bone Collector and Hunting Time

"I was absolutely blown away. This serial killer mystery and thriller fully embraces its folk horror origins. The spooky, sinister setting is superbly drawn. I could almost feel myself shivering in the shadow of Red Rigg Fell."
--James Oswald, Sunday Times bestselling author of For Our Sins

About the Author

Jen Williams is a writer from London currently living in Bristol with her partner and a dramatically fluffy cat. A fan of grisly fairy tales since her youth, Jen has gone on to write dark, unsettling horror thrillers with strong female leads and character-driven fantasy novels with plenty of adventure and magic. Her first thriller, A Dark and Secret Place, was published by Crooked Lane Books in 2021. When she's not writing books, she enjoys messing about with video games and embroidery. She also works as a freelance copywriter and illustrator.