Merrin Moon returns to her Cornish hometown after her mother’s death, only to find a village transformed. Once a working haven cradled by dramatic coastal cliffs, the Cove is now overrun by Londoners buying second homes, displacing its long-time residents. As Merrin navigates this changing landscape, she uncovers that beneath the quaint harbour-front cottages and familiar tides, something ancient and terrible is stirring — a secret the locals have guarded for generations.

In this timely folk horror, the author weaves Cornish folklore with modern themes of displacement and gentrification. The atmospheric build-up is undeniably immersive, and the slow-burn dread sets an ominous tone throughout. However, while the creeping terror is effective, it never quite delivers the uncomfortable otherness that I loved in Barnett's Withered Hill.

If you’re a fan of folk horror steeped in regional myth and moody coastal landscapes, Scuttler’s Cove is a compelling, if slightly subdued, read. It’s a thoughtful exploration of change and tradition that will resonate with those who appreciate a slow-burn mystery laced with ancient secrets.

Parts were a little too slow for me but I did enjoy this! The beginning was very slow and I almost thought I had just been dumped into a story I should've already known. But slowly everything came together and started to get weird. Can't wait to read Withered Hills.

I want to thank NetGalley & Canelo for allowing me to read this book and share my thoughts!
I have read Withered Hill by the author and love his take on folk horror! This book was a slow build to the central horror of Scuttler's Cove and the unveiling of the real monsters that lurk there. The story is multiple POVs. The most frequent ones include Merrin, Jen, and Tarran. I really enjoyed the POV from the "entity" walking around Nans-Avallen. The author does this in Withered Hill, too, and it works so well to give you those creepy vibes! There is so much mystery behind what is happening and all the weird events that are taking place.
The manipulation of the land, the corruption of a god, and the endless greed of powerful people are a few elements that change Scuttler's Cove and the natives' way of life in the book. So, the "cleanse" was more than justified for me.
The ending was a pleasant surprise, and I'm assuming that this is a part of a series? Merging these stories? If so, I'm here for it! Overall, it was a great read, and I can't wait for what will come after this book.

Scuttler’s Cove is a beautiful and unique place. It's the sort of peaceful, small-town-esque seaside getaway that city folks love to dream about. Like all idylls, it isn't as sustainable as the dream would have you believe.

Even so, to some, dreaming isn't enough. Some need to have ownership and power, need to put up fences where none were before, create property lines to keep historically valuable places all to themselves.

This is where our unlikable, unbearable Londoners come in. They've purchased their second homes along the cliff in a valley with a very special apple tree at the center of it. A tree with ancient roots and ancient lore behind and beneath it. In true folk horror fashion, the Londoners are a threat to the Cove.

But they aren't the only change happening here. Their presence coincides with the return of Merrin Moon, who's lineage stretches back to a time when Scuttler's Cove became what it is now.

Merrin left home at 18 and hasn't come back, she doesn't know why but the death of her mother has her reflecting on that. There seems to be something else going on, she can sense it. Perhaps it senses her too.

You see, something slumbers beneath Scuttler's Cove. Something that gives it its magical quality. And, as happens from time to time, it is about to wake up.

Barnett has given us another folk horror tale that is as enjoyable as it is imbued with meaning. Old meets new in the Cove, a place where morals and faith and our understanding of the world will be questioned. Some will live with the land and the sea, and others will try to control them. How it ends, well, you'll have to pick it up to find out.

Dear readers, join me in Scuttler's Cove. Meet me at the apple tree. No need to ask for directions, I'm sure you'll be drawn to it when you arrive.

3.75 stars. Not as gripping as Withered Hill but I still devoured it. Despite my complaints just know I still appreciated this story simply for bringing something different to my horror reading. David Barnett has made me realize how much I enjoy folk horror.
The plot just felt more obvious, and it was heavy handed with its messaging at times. I mean, we ventured into Comedically Evil territory at the end there.
(A little spoiler-y.) And I’m gonna read whatever else gets released in this series, so there’s no need to draw me in with that ending. (Please, just tell me what happened to *redacted*. :| )

This one started out very strong. It certainly appeals to fans of "The Wicker Man," "Harvest Home" or the "Tales Accursed" anthology. Upon the death of Lizzie Moon, her daughter Merrin returns to the Cove after nearly 20 years. As Merrin navigates her renewed life in Scuttler's Cove, the reader is also introduced to newcomer and newly-widowed Jen. After her husband's death, his friends - the "gang" - take her under their wing. Jen finds their posh, rich, life alluring, but keeps them at arm's length. Merrin and Jen form a loyal friendship, yet it's no coincidence. They are the Daughter of the Soil and the Newcomer Touched by Death.

Sure, the setting in a remote village clinging to the old ways has been done before, but I never get tired of it. I enjoy any writer's creative liberties with lore, folk rituals, and traditions, as long as they make it their own. Bartlett has certainly done that here, and the imagery is supernaturally superb. But is it enough to make up for the lackluster characters?

Jen's friends have little personality besides being stereotypically snobbish. By the end, the reader is expected to believe "Scuttler's Cove" is a feminist tale after being bombarded with critical remarks on tits, physique, and style from men and women alike. Even Jen and Merrin take their shots. Adaku, as the only black woman, is described as "Amazonian" and "gazelle-like" which is especially off-putting. There's a dark history behind comparing black people with animals. Sure, "The gang" are the worst types of people, but physical appearances should be irrelevant. How one looks is not a character flaw. All the villagers appear distrustful in some way, so that they blend together, and the conspiracy is no mystery. The "twist" is exactly what one expects.

Another dope folk horror from David Barnett. I really enjoyed Withered Hill so I had high hopes for this one. And Barnett delivers in spades. This one is definitely a slower burn but the weird creeps in from the first page. Things slowly untangle
and then around the 34% mark the book takes a HARD left turn into some seriously wtf territory.

In Scuttler’s Cove we follow the paths of two women, Merrin and Jen as they weave around each other before eventually becoming one connected story. Merrin left the small, coastal town of Scuttler’s Cove a decade plus ago for college. She has bounced around a bit to London and hasn’t returned home since she left. When she receives word her mother has died she returns to her birthplace and starts to realize how much she’s forgotten from her past. Meanwhile we also have Jen. Jen is a newlywed whose husband has purchased them a fancy pants vacation home in Scuttler’s Cove alongside several of his close friends. After tragedy strikes Jen is adjusting to life with a group of friends she barely knows.

The folk horror is seeded deep throughout the book and yet again I feel like I’m reading the an A24 film. The sense of malfeasance is evident from the first few chapters and despite the hospitable nature of the townspeople to Merrin (one of their own), the resentment towards outsiders is strong while still enjoying the influx of funds they bring.

I’ve seen gentrification first hand from growing up in Atlanta and even now in Chattanooga. There’s a neighborhood just north of the Tennessee River that used to feature smaller bungalows in neighborhoods that showcased the nature around them. Now the smaller homes are purchased, torn down and replaced with HUGE 3+ story homes where you can reach out your window and high five your neighbor. And then local businesses, that have been there for decades, are dying due to increased property taxes. So I could definitely relate to the ANSERGHEK KERNOW (INDEPENDENT CORNWALL) sentiment, while still recognizing that change is inevitable at times.

There were definitely some big ol’ jerks in the book but it’s hard not to relate with Jen, Merrin and many of the townsfolk. For the townspeople this is the life they’ve known and when your existence is so thoroughly engrained in your location due to familial ties, it can be difficult to imagine a different path. There’s also a creepy apple tree present in the town which gave me some Black River Orchard vibes.

This was a great read and while I guessed the book’s direction a few times, Barnett still kept me on my toes. Some of the more vivid scenes (🦀) will definitely stick in my brain and the ending went off the rails into a mesh of cosmic and folk horror. Definitely recommend to the folk horror crowd and those who dig that weird A24 vibe with their books.

Return to Barnett’s brilliant and creepy Cornwall

Barnett’s back with a second novel that’s not afraid to wear its Cornish folklore on its sleeve, mashed up with the Hallmark trope of the big city girl returning to her rural hometown. Merrin Moon’s back in Scuttler’s Cove to clear out her late mum’s house, where she finds herself drawn back into the village’s customs and myths. But what did Merrin’s mother spend half of her bank balance on? And who can Merrin trust, the villagers she grew up with, or her new incomer friends?

Full of twists and shocks throughout, and red herrings galore, this was so good as a romance, a folkloric tale, a folk horror, a fantasy. And the post-credits scene? Whoo boy, we’re in for a treat!

Four and a half stars.

A story of Cornwall myths and legends, sacrifice and love, incomers and locals, all set against the heights of the land and breadth of the sea.

I’d not long finished ‘Withered Hill’ by David, which I Loved and it made me push this up the TBR to the top.

We follow Merrin Moon’s return to the village after a 13 years absence when her mother dies and at the same time there are Londoners moving into the new houses on the ancient site overlooking the main village, I mean what can go wrong?

Loved the almost Hallmark bit with Taran, local nerd boy takes over fishing and hunks out.

This is another great example of British folk horror written well with a great eye for detail and storytelling, with some great set pieces that really hinted at the depth of the mythical world that David is building.

There was enough tension and twists to keep you going through the whole book rooting for the people you were meant to, and the end that ties worlds together was really well done.

Looking forward to the next in. this universe.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy some of David 'not that one' Barnett's work, but recent 2000AD contributions haven't convinced me that folk horror is his forte, and nor does this novel of rum goings-on in a Cornish village, where the locals are getting priced out by second-homers and holidaymakers*, yet for the moment are just about able to maintain the obligatory pagan village conspiracy. At times the prose fell so flat as to be comical – "She wore the kind of clothes that if you had to ask the price of, you couldn't afford" takes a line that's a cliché applied to shops, and just makes it sound odd by hanging it on a customer instead; the Tesla-tractor crash in the narrow lanes recalls Garth Marenghi's attitude to subtext. The something sinister in the apple tree feels very familiar, the annual Fish Festival comes across like a pale imitation of the equivalent eel entertainment in Bridget Christie's The Change, and at various points the story has to lampshade its own debt not only to horror tropes, but Hallmark romances. Oh, and for all the lethal importance of the Old Ways, the crucial rite seems to entirely shift form from one instance to the next. This even before what I think are meant to be twists, but if you've ever read a thriller, let alone an issue of Hellblazer, really aren't. Despite all of which, I've finished it in 36 hours, so it must be doing something right, though I'd be hard-pressed to tell you what.

*Only as I finish do I realise that 'emmet' was correctly and heavily deployed in the book's first quarter, then never uttered again.

(Netgalley ARC)

I knew as soon as I saw Barnett had a new folk horror novel coming out that I had to read it. I don't know what elder gods he's sacrificed to, but I hope he keeps at it! Just like Withered Hill, Scuttler's Cove is a veritable feast for anyone who loves a good horror story with a folk tale twist and I love every unsettling moment.

🦀🍎 🔪 Scuttler's Cove 🔪🍎🦀

Wow! What a great read! And the twist and turns, the mystery, the lore ....and that ending! And are we foreshadowing for a 3rd book?

2 for 2, David Barnett doesn't disappoint 👏

This was a heavily anticipated read for me since Withered Hill. And David did not disappoint! Which if you haven't read Withered Hill, may I suggest you add it to your TBR.

A mystery, a thrill, and a folk horror lovers great entre!


With multiple POV, we enter the Cornish coast and arrive at Scuttler's Cove, a beautiful tourist attraction that's rich in traditions, some which have been kept secret and tied to the success of the town's wealth. We meet our two MC , Merrin, whose homecoming is unexpected after leaving a long time ago, now finds herself back due to loss. And Jen, who is mourning the loss and is on holiday, tries to find comfort and peace along her new friends. Two very different lifestyles that are about to be intertwined in a very unpredictable way.

The mystery of the town, the town's patrons, the secrets the townsfolk hold, the lies, and the rituals.

This book had everything I wanted from it, and I loved the storytelling of it all.

If you enjoy a good mystery, an atmospheric read, and a good folk horror story, this book here is for you.

On another note, I want to see this book made into a Netflix series. I can picture it already!

I want to thank NetGalley, David Barnett, and Canelo for allowing me to read this e-book ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I really enjoyed David Barnett's last book so I was looking forward to this one and it didn't disappoint. I love this folk horror direction David Barnett is going in, and I hope we see a continuation.

David Barnett writes books that should be made into mini-series. I loved Withered Hill, so I was PUMPED to read Scuttler’s Cove. It was perfect—a chef's kiss. Five stars. A+++

Merrin Moon hasn't been back to Scuttler's Cove since she left for university. She and her mother were estranged, so returning to visit was never really something she cared about. She forgot about Scuttler's Cove and its traditions. She returns after learning her mother has died, leaving her life (and boyfriend) in London for good. It was time to return.

Jen is a young widow coming to Scuttler's Cove for the summer. It's a beautiful seaside town that tourists have taken over for the summer holiday season. Jen is enveloped in the 'gang,' her deceased husband's group of big-spender friends. They all purchased land and built huge summer homes surrounding an old apple tree.

Scuttler's Cove is a character in and of itself. The local families are steeped in tradition, with sons and daughters taking over the family business from their parents. Taran is now the local fisherman, Bobby is now the butcher, and Merrin is destined to be whatever her mother was to the town.

Jen and Marrin became friends, but that was not without problems. One night, both women desire apples. Marrin collects the fallen fruit and shares it with Jen in an almost bacchanalian moment—sharing fruit and memories.

Everything comes to an explosive finale when the apple tree's fruit starts to rot, and the woods around the tree become more profound and more intense. The two women must band together to save the town and each other.
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Both of Barnett's stories are deep into folklore, which truly makes both novels so great. Old stories told around campfires, passed among friends at a bar, and said to kids at night are all cautionary tales. Barnett takes those tales and makes them into quant towns full of darkness.

I am hoping that there are more dark tales and creepy towns coming.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this fabulous book.

I need to start this review by saying I carried a fair amount of bias towards this book going in. I was born and raised in Cornwall and have loved reading stories in the horror and gothic tradition set here ever since I was introduced to Du Maurier's Rebecca. Having also really enjoyed Barnett's 2024 novel Withered Hill, to say I was eager to visit the world of Scuttler's Cove would be an understatement—the rural Cornish countryside and coastline are perfect locations for a folk horror setting. Thankfully, I was not disappointed.

A novel full of mystery, the focus is on two women—Merrin and Jen—who are drawn to Scuttler's Cove for seemingly very different reasons. However, almost everyone seems to be keeping a secret or two, whether they know it or not, and there is much more going on in the village than meets the eye. The folklore elements intertwine with the more modern aspects seamlessly, as Barnett brings life to the area. Family ties, superstitions, and attitudes towards interlopers make the Cove feel steeped in genuine history and tradition and very true to the real Cornish villages that I know so well.

The book taps into a lot of fears and feelings people in these rural areas have. Whether resentment towards holiday & second home owners or the need to accommodate tourism in an area without the infrastructure for it while also knowing how much it erodes the old way of life, Barnett has tapped into a very honest sentiment prevalent in villages like Scuttler's Cove and, at the same time, used it to enhance the horror elements. My favourite parts of the story, though, focused on a bigger, almost cosmic aspect—the belief in ancient gods, sleeping in the Cornish land and deep under the sea, and the appeasement they needed for the villagers to continue their way of life.

Overall, I thought this was an excellent read—a slow burn at points, and often needing to provide lots of backstory and information—but with a spectacular payoff. A must for fans of the subgenre generally, and especially those who enjoyed Withered Hill. With Barnett recently announcing two new folk horror stories coming in the same vein, this is the perfect opportunity to dive into this creepy, twisted world.

Scuttler’s Cove is folk horror mixed with some class war; annoying rich elitists buy up picturesque properties in a rural fishing community. I absolutely detested the “Londoners” in this book. They were greedy and grubby, worse than the terrifying Gods of the town.

Merrin comes back to her hometown of Scuttler’s Cove to settle her estranged mother’s estate. She finds out her mother has sold her house and everything is shrouded in mystery. Not the least of that Merrin isn’t sure why she never came back to Scuttler’s Cove, has no memories of living there and isn’t sure why she didn’t speak to her mother at all after she left.

Our other protagonist, Jen, is a new rich widow, who’s been adopted by her husband’s friends, the above mentioned “Londoners”. Merrin and Jen find their fates intertwined when things get weird. Ocean crab attacks, a mysteriously fruiting apple tree, creepy crawly yellow spiders and lots of small town secrecy.

For fans of folk horror and small town horror.

An unchanged Cornish coastal village dealing with the conflicts between tradition and 'incomers', and more ancient traditions and mythology in this excellent folk horror. Merrin is abandoning London life to return home following the death of her mother, catches with old acquantices and a different life. We also have a group of 'incomers' arriving to a new development for first time, their summer homes.

A vivid and evocative story of place, landscape, and tradition/mythology from more ancient times as Merrin becomes part of something out of her control. Good characterisation of the contrasts in people old and new, strong development and unveiling of the stories and hidden truths. Highly recommend and I will be reading Withered Hill, the author's previous book in this vein.

Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for this copy of "Scuttler's Cove."

Author Barnett is now one of my favorite folk horror writers. He's delivered another spine-tingling, thrilling, dark story about legends older than time.

Merrin is returning to Scuttler's Cove in Cornwall for her mother's funeral. Merrin left when she was 18 and realizes that she didn't think or remember much about her childhood while she was gone and finds that strange.

Newly widowed Jen and her husband's group of friends have bought vacation properties in Scuttler's Cove. Jen still feels like an outsider and is uncomfortable with her sudden wealth.

But for some of the locals, the arrival of Merrin and Jen is the fulfillment of an ancient legend that will need to unfold.

Brilliant folk horror with a wee touch of Lovecraftian bite to it. Strong characterisation, atmospheric and with a real sense of both place and a vivid sense of the twisted traditions that keep Scuttler’s Cove as a vibrant - if somewhat worrying - community. After withered hill i was thrilled by the apparent “David Barnett Folk Horror Universe” we seem to be getting. Look forward to more, and seeing how any connections are made.

Scuttle's Cove
David Barnett

4.5 / 5

David Barnett does insidiously creeping, mounting dread so perfectly.
I loved the setting, and I thoroughly enjoyed following our characters journey through another incredible folk horror tale.

This is a slow burning, creepy one, folks. Don't sit on David's work. I think he's a talent with a very unique voice within the horror community.

4.5 / 5