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The Dark

A spinetingling seaside folk horror novel, set against the blackouts of the 1970s
By Amanda Mason
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Brief Description
From one of the most exciting recent talents in ghost stories comes a spinetingling seaside folk horror novel, set against the blackouts of the 1970s. When the lights go outYou can lose sight of what is real . . . It is the 1970s. A young... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3499
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Releases 12th January 2027 (Approx. Date) Pre-order  "The Dark" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

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A spinetingling folk horror novel set in a north Yorkshire seaside village in the 1970s, against the blackouts

A spinetingling folk horror novel set in a north Yorkshire seaside village in the 1970s, against the blackouts

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

From one of the most exciting recent talents in ghost stories comes a spinetingling seaside folk horror novel, set against the blackouts of the 1970s.

When the lights go out
You can lose sight of what is real . . .

It is the 1970s. A young woman, Rosie, moves to a small remote seaside village, readying to welcome her first child. But with her partner working away on an oil rig, the house isn't the sanctuary she'd hoped for - the situation made worse by the regular blackouts due to the ongoing miners' strikes. And the villagers seem friendly enough, but some of them are taking an uncomfortably close interest in her pregnancy.

Before long, Rosie notices strange noises and unexplained shadows in the corners of the cottage. As her birth date moves closer and the blackouts intensify, her isolation begins to consume her until she feels that she is losing her grip on reality. But Rosie isn't the only one in the village who has cause to fear the dark . . .

Praise for Amanda Mason

'A near-perfect ghost story' Guardian, on The Wayward Girls

'Satisfyingly unsettling, this is a hugely atmospheric novel that oozes with uncanny menace' Lucie McKnight Hardy on The Hiding Place

'Mason is one of the best ghost story writers around today' Jess Kidd

'A chillingly claustrophobic read' Daily Mirror, on The Wayward Girls

'A supernatural tour-de-force' Daily Mail on The Hiding Place

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781786588036

Publisher: Bonnier Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 08 October 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Manilla Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 154.0mm

Height: 238.0mm

Weight: 326g

Pages: 288

Collections

Amanda Mason Coming Soon in Fiction Crime & Thriller Fiction General Fiction Horror & Supernatural Pre-order Books Pre-orders Pre-orders by Release Date

About the Author

Amanda Mason was born and brought up in Whitby, North Yorkshire. She studied Theatre at Dartington College of Arts, where she began writing by devising and directing plays. Her short stories have been published in several anthologies. Her debut novel, The Wayward Girls was a dark and captivating story of sisterhood and family secrets, followed by The Hiding Place, a haunting novel about mothers and daughters. Her short story, Three Times, Lefthandwise, was shortlisted for the V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize in 2021. The Dark is her third novel.

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