An eerie folk horror novel from the author of Cunning Folk, The Reddening, The Ritual, No One Gets Out Alive and the four times winner of the August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel.
An eerie folk horror novel from the author of Cunning Folk, The Reddening, The Ritual, No One Gets Out Alive and the four times winner of the August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel.
'A watcher may remark that after sleeping for so long, the building appears to have been roused.'
Struggling with money, raising a child alone and fleeing a volatile ex, Jess McMachen accepts a job caring for an elderly patient. Flo Gardner - a disturbed shut-in and invalid. But if Jess can hold this job down, she and her daughter, Izzy, can begin a new life.
Flo's vast home, Nerthus House, may resemble a stately vicarage in an idyllic village, but the labyrinthine interior is a dark, cluttered warren filled with pagan artefacts. And Nerthus House lives in the shadow of a malevolent secret. A sinister enigma determined to reveal itself to Jess and to drive her to the end of her tether. Not only is she stricken by the malign manipulation of the Vicarage's bleak past, but mercurial Flo is soon casting a baleful influence over young Izzy. What appeared to be a routine job soon becomes a battle for Jess's sanity and the control of her child.
It's as if an ancient ritual was triggered when Jess crossed the threshold of the vicarage. A rite leading her and Izzy to a terrifying critical mass, where all will be lost or saved.
"You don't read an Adam Nevill horror novel: you live it" The Guardian
'In refining the tale of supernatural horror to its essence, M.R. James increased the terror, and among his living inheritors is Adam Nevill' - Ramsey Campbell
"I've been saying it all year, Adam Nevill is my go-to author when I want something scary. His horror is exactly what I want when I crave real terror. The Vessel is unrelenting tension that builds upon itself until the shocking climax." Sadie Hartmann, Lit Reactor
"Genuinely creepy and thought-provoking, and the narrative momentum will probably carry you to the end in one sitting." Toronto Star
"The Vessel felt alive, like the novella came with the thudding heartbeat sound effect horror fans hold so near and dear." Cemetery Dance
"The Vessel delivers another thrilling ghost train ride through modern folk Horror, resulting in a novel that will (again) easily stand among his finest work, and as one of this reader's favourite Horror novels of the year." Gingernuts of Horror
"This is folk horror with imagination, intelligence and heart, and highly recommended." Hypnogoria
" It's a rare breed who can frighten but also offer keen insight into the human condition." The Eloquent Page
"The ending was a brutal finale, a culmination of everything we'd seen teased and subtly highlighted." Kendall Reviews
"An utterly enveloping read, The Vessel is unlike all other Adam Nevill books yet is exactly what his fans expect: a near perfect story." Monster Librarian
"The story was always before the reader, spooling out relentlessly as each uneasy moment begat a deeper, darker one." Vogue Horror
"It's refreshing to see an author refusing to rest on their laurels and try different things, especially when those efforts result in something as clever and entertaining as The Vessel." Anthony Watson
Adam L. G. Nevill was born in Birmingham, England, in 1969 and grew up in England and New Zealand. He is an author of horror fiction. Of his novels, 'The Ritual', 'Last Days', 'No One Gets Out Alive' and 'The Reddening' were all winners of The August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel. He has also published three collections of short stories, with 'Some Will Not Sleep' winning the British Fantasy Award for Best Collection, 2017. Imaginarium adapted 'The Ritual' and 'No One Gets Out Alive' into feature films and more of his work is currently in development for the screen. The author lives in Devon, England. More information about the author and his books is available at:
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