🩸 Horror Fiction

Pyres

✍️ Kev Harrison
Reader Score
4.5
(1 review)
$12.99
In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days
📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A spirit painter’s canvases predict real-life burnings in a New Forest mystery.

Angela channels spirits to create art, but her latest pieces show smouldering remains. Her sister Becky returns from Italy just as these dark visions begin. A right-wing TV news presenter is found incinerated, matching one of the new paintings. The connection between the art and the deaths escalates. Harrison uses the New Forest setting to conjure ancient gods and political themes. The tension rises as more bodies appear alongside more disturbing artworks. The story focuses on the sisters' attempt to understand and stop the phenomenon. It is a taut novel that merges supernatural horror with a murder investigation.

Key Themes
spirit painting burnt victims New Forest setting
Literary Context

The novel sits within the tradition of gothic horror and Dorian Grey echoes, set in the New Forest. Harrison draws on ancient gods and political commentary to create a darkly revelatory atmosphere for modern readers seeking tense supernatural fiction.

Difficulty
●● Medium
Recommended For Fans Of
Shirley Jackson · Peter Straub · M.R. James · Daphne du Maurier
🩸
Horror Fiction
🏛 Northern Republic 📅 2025 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9789893380451

📝 Description: Pyres

Kev Harrison delivers a supernatural thriller set in the New Forest, blending murder mystery with gothic elements. The narrative follows Angela, a spirit painter who channels memories onto canvas. Her work shifts dramatically when her sister Becky returns from Italy. Instead of domestic scenes, the paintings depict people burnt alive. These visceral images mirror real events, including the incineration of a right-wing TV news presenter found in a facsimile of one of Angela’s new works. Harrison, recognized for his Independent Press Award-winning novel Shadow of the Hidden, constructs a tense plot where art and reality collide. The story draws on Dorian Grey traditions and ancient gods to explore political commentary through horror. This book suits readers who enjoy atmospheric supernatural fiction with dark psychological undertones. It may not appeal to those seeking lighthearted genre fare or purely technical thrillers without emotional depth. The narrative remains grounded in the specific dynamics between Angela and Becky as they investigate the mounting charred bodies and disturbing artworks.

💎 Our verdict on Pyres

“
🩸
Horror Reads editorial team
Horror desk
Harrison constructs a tense plot where art and reality collide, using the New Forest setting to conjure ancient gods and political themes. The narrative effectively blends murder mystery with gothic elements, focusing on Angela’s spirit-painted canvases that predict real-life burnings. This approach creates a visceral experience as the sisters investigate mounting charred bodies. The book suits readers who enjoy atmospheric supernatural fiction with emotional depth rather than purely technical thrillers. By grounding the horror in specific sisterly dynamics, Harrison ensures the story remains engaging. The integration of political commentary adds layers to the traditional ghost story format, resulting in a cohesive and chilling exploration of dark visions.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate atmospheric supernatural fiction with dark psychological undertones will find this book compelling. It merges the tension of a murder investigation with gothic horror, offering a taut narrative that explores the collision of art and reality. Those interested in political commentary woven into horror, drawing on ancient gods and Dorian Gray traditions, will gain from its thematic depth. The story provides emotional weight through the sisterly dynamic between Angela and Becky, making it suitable for fans of psychological horror who seek more than lighthearted genre fare. It appeals to those who enjoy taut plots where supernatural elements drive a mystery forward.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5
Based on 1 reviews
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Horror Reads editorial team

Harrison constructs a tense plot where art and reality collide, using the New Forest setting to conjure ancient gods and political themes. The narrative effectively blends murder mystery with gothic elements, focusing on Angela’s spirit-painted canvases that predict real-life burnings. This approach creates a visceral experience as the sisters investigate mounting charred bodies. The book suits readers who enjoy atmospheric supernatural fiction with emotional depth rather than purely technical thrillers. By grounding the horror in specific sisterly dynamics, Harrison ensures the story remains engaging. The integration of political commentary adds layers to the traditional ghost story format, resulting in a cohesive and chilling exploration of dark visions.

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