A very creepy, chilling read; five year old Ewan dies suddenly and his parents are plunged into grief. When "The Beacons" arrive, they bring hope and solace to Ewan's devastated mother. But things are not as they seem... This is a good choice for an autumnal / winter read; sadly though I felt that the ending was very rushed and unsatisfactory. Well written and clever but overall not completely my cup of tea.

Fantastic read.

Andrew Michael Hurley is the king of folk horror. 5 stars. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for letting me read and review.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Thank you for providing me with an advance review copy of this book. Enjoyed reading, would recommend....

A story of grief and family, with a bit of magical realism and complex characters on a bleak setting.

One of the strangest books I've ever read and the worst thing is I can not explain exactly why. I'm left with more unanswered questions than I had before starting to read.
It's not that it's badly written, it's...  

Suppose it's just me :)

A moving, gothic novella, a traditional spooky house narrative and how grief affects a person's mind.

I initially didn't know what to make of this book as it has been on my TBR for quite a long time but by the end of it I thoroughly enjoyed myself. This book has a really great feeling of gothic horror to it as our characters try to work through their grief at the death of their son and find comfort in very different ways.

This is a very gently paced book and it really isn't until the final few pages that everything begins to come together and delivers the true shock of the story. Whilst I am very sure that an eagle-eyed reader could anticipate what was to come with the ending, it came as a complete surprise to me and I literally gasped at the reveal.

This is somewhat of a strange book but very, very enjoyable and exactly the right length for what it needs to be.

This book is a folklore horror story.
The atmosphere in this book is amazing. The author creates suspense so well
Unfortunately I wasn’t a fan of the story. I was bored.
I felt the ending was poor and left too many loose ends

Richard and Juliette's son has died, their lonely moorland house is not full of life but ghosts. Maybe friendly occultists can free the couple from grief or maybe not. Deeply scary and unnerving.

This was a short but haunting novel, similar in many ways to Hurley's other books - which is no bad thing! It's spooky and the dread kind of creeps up on you as the story unfolds.
The conclusion does come a but quickly and might frustrate readers who like everything perfectly tied up. But a great read for the winter months!

Slow, sure tightening unease in a short novel fit for the hours of darkness

Hurley’s third slowly horror-mounting novel is as disturbing as his first, The Loney. I had experienced some disappointment with his second, Devil’s Day, where again some kind of examination of spiritual belief systems was explored

He stays in this territory with Starve Acre. A city sophisticate couple with a child, return to the family farm where one of them grew up.

Starve Acre, a homestead in a rural North Country setting, never quite worked for Richard’s father. Surrounded by rich and productive land, the name of this farm hinted at something darker.

Richard and Juliette have relocated in part due to that understandable desire so many have to get out of the problems of inner cities and raise their child in a healthier setting

Things do not go well. Their young child, a perfectly normal boy, begins to change. He becomes cruel and malevolent, bullies and harms other children. He also appears to be in some way haunted by some kind of supernatural force. Richard, a realist and sceptic, denies even that his child has some kind of problem. Juliette begins to be more fearful of her child..

There are various historical darknesses about the land of Starve Acres, local legends going back centuries, and history reveals them. Some of this feels even too dangerous to properly name, other than to warn the couple not to go delving

When a tragedy happens, connection with a local woman, who may or may not be a charlatan, are made. Pragmatic, disbelieving Richard, and Juliette’s domineering, interfering, but caring sister, Hettie, are set against Juliette, who is a woman more open to receiving input beyond the purely physical, knowable world.

This is a short novel, and a satisfying one. Hurley inches up the tension and unease. I particularly loved his delight in language, and the use of arcane, local words. This would not have been such an enjoyable book read far away from a dictionary (outside the home) It was perfect on Kindle, where access to the included dictionary, or, via Wifi, an on line one could enlighten……..blearing, pelage, burin, many more delicious words for impliments. This never felt like an author showing off, but, once again reinforces the delight in the taste and texture of rich language.

And………….no spoiler, but after all the mounting incremental chills, a devastating extraordinary ending………….

It's great to be in a position to recommend much more diverse books to our young people at school. Building the senior school library as a place where students actually come and find books that they want to read as opposed to books that teachers think they ought to read is an important responsibility and one we take really seriously.
Books like this are such a positive move as they will appeal to a broader set of readers than we are usually attracting. Dealing with modern issues in a clear and captivating way with a strong narrative voice and characters that the students can relate to is critical as we move forwards. This book is both an intelligent and compelling read that will hold even the most reluctant reader's attention and keep them turning the pages long into the night. It keeps the reader on their toes and ensures that you give it your full attention too. I found myself thinking about its characters and events even when I wasn't reading it and looking forward to snatching kore time with it and I hope that my students feel the same. An accessible, gripping and engrossing read that I can't recommend highly enough. Will absolutely be buying a copy for the library and heartily recommending it to both staff and students.

Really interesting read. I’d heard about this before and couldn’t wait to read it, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. I could imagine this as a film or tv adaptation.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

A fantastic gothic novel full of atmosphere and folklore. The descriptions are wonderful and immersive, creating a real tension throughout the book. A great book for as those darker nights start rolling in.

An atmospheric, haunting tale, Starve Acre revolves around Richard and Juliette, who are mourning their 5 year old son, Ewan. While initially the details of his death are vague, as time goes on, we discover that Ewan was far from normal before he died and after his passing, strange things start happening.

Descriptive and emotional, this fast paced tale draws you in and keeps you hooked until the very last page.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

This is such an accomplished novel. It’s so atmospheric and creepy, immersing the reader in a disturbing, dark world, exploring isolation, loneliness and grief in a place where the folklore and myths of the past threaten the present.

The writing is wonderful – this is a slow moving novel but it keeps you gripped throughout, slowly and surely unveiling the darkness that lies beneath a very real tragedy. You can feel Richard and Juliette’s devastation at their loss, their confusion about what happened to their boy, and at what is happening now.

Fascinating, disturbing, weirdly beautiful, this is the first novel I’ve read by Andrew Michael Hurley, and I’m very much looking forward to reading his other novels.

Another chilling book by Andrew Hurley - I love the way he writes and just love his books - definitely recommend

Such an intriguing yet thoroughly bizarre book. I do like a bit of folklore thrown in, and the dark underbelly of this tragic little story does really keep you reading. It does get a little bit surreal near the end though.

A haunting novel brilliantly written.A young child dies suddenly at the age of five,His parents must learn to cope,The village the fields are haunting in the threads of the story.A novella that draws you in enters your mind and keeps you turning the pages,#netgalley#johnnurraypress