Twisted Pike, by David Barnett
The Book
Synopsis:
Their arrival could mean the end of everything...
The remote, isolated village of Withered Hill is rocked by unexpected visitors, a film crew hoping to make a low-budget horror movie.
Despite the villagers' misgivings, the small crew insists on staying, desiring to put their plans for the film Twisted Pike into action.
They are not in Withered Hill by accident. But they are not there to make a film. They are there to destroy this cursed place, and all who live there.
The reverberations of their attempts will be felt across the nation, and by the ancient gods who exist beneath the ground, waiting for their chance to rise once again
An utterly bewitching folk horror novel of apocalyptic proportions from the author of Withered Hill. Perfect for fans of Andrew Michael Hurley and A.M. Shine.
My Review
Withered Hill was a good example of how you can make folk horror creepy, so when I was given the opportunity to return in Twisted Pike, I didn't think much about it before picking this book. Add to the mix the premise of following a trio of filmmakers, trying to produce a low budget horror film (and many nudges to the found footage genre), and how it ties the rest of the folk horror novels written by David Barnett, and you have the perfect cocktail.
The arrival of a trio of filmmakers to Withered Hill was certainly unexpected, hoping to make a low budget horror film; they decided to stay despite the villagers' misgivings. Behind this cover, there's a bigger plan: destroy this cursed place and end up with this eternal cycle that revolves around the arrivals and Owd Hob. But Withered Hill has other plans for them.
It's interesting how Twisted Pike feels, at times, like an homage to Blair Witch Project and its sequel, a history that explores the folklore and the history that built Withered Hill and its rituals. The own filmmakers are important to the plot, especially as Barnett takes the opportunity to further develop them; while Rob seemed on path to be my favourite, the shocking turn taken by Oli quickly took over me, making his part of the story especially compelling.
The village continues being this creepy place where, at first glance, you cannot point what's going wrong (as an outsider, if you have read the first book you already know what's happening), but something it's off, very Midsommar like. The atmosphere is still important, a bit more oppressive in comparison with the original Withered Hill.
In terms of pacing, we have a really well-rounded novel, that keeps your attention at all points, a good balance between tenser moments and those that allow us to recover the breath.
Twisted Pike is another example of the excellence in David Barnett's folk horror, a perfect choice for any lover of the genre; while it can be read as a standalone, there are certain details that encourage to read Withered Hill before (and certainly, there are some details pointing towards the other two novels). A novel that links all together, but that could also be the starting point of a new story.
The Author/s
David Barnett
David Barnett is a journalist, novelist and comic book writer based in the North of England. After many years working in regional newspapers he became a full-time freelance writer in 2015 and as a journalist works primarily for the UK press. He is also the author of several published novels, including the bestselling CALLING MAJOR TOM, and writes comics for DC, IDW and others. David has also worked in training and lecturing, principally in journalism, and takes on commercial content commissions.