Withered Hill

By: David Barnett

Narrated by: Ziggy Sobers

Inside

A year ago Sophie Wickham stumbled into the isolated Lancashire village of Withered Hill, naked, alone and with no memory of who she is.

Surrounded by a thick ring of woodland, its inhabitants seem to be of another world, drenched in pagan, folklorish traditions.

As Sophie struggles to regain the memories of her life from before, she quickly realises she is a prisoner after multiple failed escape attempts. But is it the locals who keep her trapped, with smiles on their faces, or something else, lurking in the woods?

Outside

In London, Sophie leads a chaotic life, with too many drunken nights, inappropriate men and boring temp jobs. But things take a turn as she starts to be targeted by strange messages warning her that someone, or something, is coming for her.
With no idea who to trust, or where to turn for help, the messages become more insistent and more intimidating, urging Sophie to make her way to a place called Withered Hill…

An utterly bewitching, dual timeline folk horror story, with a truly devastating twist you have to hear to believe.

©2024 David Barnett (P)2025 W.F. Howes Ltd.

Amazing!

This book sucked me in! I finished it quickly! It was amazing and paced well! Highly recommend!

A very satisfying puzzle

This was a really interesting and satisfying read. If you thought the people of Summers Isle were the real heroes of The Wicker Man (the original, not the asinine remake), you’ll enjoy this!

Modern folk horror

Loved the story and while the time jumps were a little confusing the pay off at the end was worth it!

Fantastic

Original, inventive, and compelling. I normally don’t like books that go back and forth in time, but it made this book awesome.

love the dual timeliness and the unfurling of the story.

chilling story. excellent folk horror. a great listen and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Will definitely look for more by this author.