* Description
* Winner of the Costa First Novel Award
A Sunday Times Exceptional Novel of 2015
A Best Book of 2015 by the Times and the Daily Mail
"It's not just good, it's great. An amazing piece of fiction."
--Stephen King
"THE LONEY by Britain's Andrew Michael Hurley likewise deals
with the impact of damaged children on family life. During Easter
Week, a deeply Catholic family travels to a distant shrine on the
English coast, hoping to find a miracle cure for their mute older
son. Miracles, they discover, do exist, but always at a cost.
It's hard to believe that this mysterious, richly atmospheric
book is a first novel."--Washington Post, "Horror novels are
having a renaissance. Here's what to read."
"A palpable pall of menace hangs over British author Hurley's
thrilling first novel, narrated by a London boy, "Tonto" Smith,
whose affectionate nickname was bestowed by a parish priest who
likened himself to the Lone Ranger. Tonto and his family
undertake an Easter pilgrimage to the Moorings, a house
overlooking a treacherous swath of tide-swept Cumbrian coast
known as the Loney. Smith's devoutly Catholic mother hopes that
taking the waters at the nearby shrine will cure his older
brother, Hanny, of his lifelong muteness. But the Cumbrian
landscape seems anything but godly: nature frequently manifests
in its rawest state and the secretive locals seem beholden to
primitive rites and traditions that mock the religious piety of
the visitors. Adding to the mystery is Coldbarrow, a spit of land
turned twice daily by the tides into an island, where a man, a
woman, and a pregnant teenage girl have taken refuge in a gloomy
house named Thessaly. Hurley (Cages and Other Stories) tantalizes
the reader by keeping explanations for what is happening just out
of reach, and depicting a natural world beyond understanding. His
sensitive portrayal of Tonto and Hanny's relationship and his
ins into religious belief and faith give this eerie tale
depth and gravity." --Publishers Weekly, starred review
"When a landslide during a winter storm reveals the body of an
infant, the desolate Lancashire coastline known as the Loney is
in the news, and the narrator called Smith realizes he must tell
the story of his past there. Thirty years earlier Smith's family
and other church members undertook an Easter pilgrimage to an old
shrine in order to "heal" his mute brother Hanny and reconvene
with God. However, the adventure was one of clashing attitudes,
strange locals, loud noises in the night, hidden locked rooms,
and miracles that may not have been God's will at all. First-time
novelist Hurley weaves an intricate story of dark mystery and
unwavering brotherly love that lends itself to many rereads. The
characterizations are superb; even the Loney becomes a distinct
character as it seems the place, not the people, is to blame for
the bizarre happenings. Also, while religion plays a major role,
the reference is more an observation of traditions. VERDICT: This
eerily atmospheric and engrossing novel will captivate readers
who like their fiction with a touch of the gothic." --Library
Journal, editor's pick
"The Loney is one of the best novels I've read in years. From
the very first page, I knew I was in the hands of a master.
Atmospheric, psychologically astute, and saturated with the kind
of electrifying wrongness that makes for pleasurably less
nights." --Kelly Link, author ofGet in Trouble
"The Loney is a stunning novel--about faith, the uncanny,
strange rituals, and the oddity of human experience. Beautifully
written, it's immensely entertaining, but also deep and wide. A
moving evocation of desolate wilderness and a marvel of complex
characterization, The Loney is one of my favorite reads of the
past couple of years." --Jeff VanderMeer, New York Times
best-selling author of the Southern Reach trilogy
"Here is the masterpiece by which Hurley must enter the Guild of
the Gothic: it pleases me to think of his name written on some
parchment scroll, alongside those of Walpole, Du Maurier, Maturin
and Jackson." --Guardian
"Astonishing . . . Beautifully literary and absolutely
horrific." --Times Literary Supplement
"A masterful excursion into terror." --Sunday Times
"Modern classics in this genre are rare, and instant ones even
rarer; The Loney, however, looks as though it may be both."
--Sunday Telegraph
"Enigmatic and distinctly unsettling . . . The Loney's power
lies in all that Hurley dares to leave out. This is a novel of
the unsaid, the implied, the barely grasped or understood,
crammed with dark holes and blurry spaces that your imagination
feels compelled to fill. It takes both confidence and talent to
write like this and it leaves you wanting more of whatever slice
of darkness Hurley might choose to dish up next." --Julie
Meyerson, Observer
"An extraordinarily haunted and haunting novel, arrestingly in
command of its unique spot in the landscape." --Telegraph
"A tale of suspense that sucks you in and pulls you under. As
yarns go, it rips." --New Statesman
"-chilling, poetic writing." --Times
"Nuanced, deliberate and building insensibly from a murmur to a
shriek. The Loney is an unforgettable addition to the ranks of
the best British horror."--Metro, five-star review
"An eerie, disturbing read that doesn't let up until its
surprise ending." --Daily MailEdition: Reprint
Number of Pages: 320
Genre: Fiction + Literature Genres
Sub-Genre: Horror
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Mariner Books
Author: Andrew Michael Hurley
Language: English
Estimated shipping dimensions: 5.2INCH X 7.7INCH X 1.0INCH
DPCI : 248-35-2490
UPC : 9780544947191
TCIN : 51833229
Estimated shippimg weight: 0.55POUND