![]() |
| Pan MacMillan 6 January 2026 Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book |
Carwyn and Rhian – the last in a long line of sheep farmers – are living out a brutal year on their hillside farm, deep in the mountains of North Wales.
When Carwyn discovers a buried prehistoric ruin in one of the fields on their land, his curiosity quickly descends into obsession. His wife, Rhian, meanwhile, is confronted with the growing realization that the man with whom she shares her life and home is becoming a frightening stranger.
As the harsh winter closes in, Rhian finds herself alone with her increasingly unrecognizable husband, and the mountains, and the looming megalithic stones.
πMy Review..
Carwyn and Rhian Gwynnant eke out a meagre existence on their hill farm in the mountains of North Wales. The dark and brooding hillside around them lends an air of melancholy to the place and gives a sense of their isolation and dependence on each other for physical and emotional support. When Carwyn discovers a carved stone head, in what appears to be a prehistoric mound, he seems to become obsessed with the past and subtle changes in his personality start to make Rhian concerned for his state of mind.
Rich in both local history and ancient Welsh folklore this is a quietly observant story, filled with the prickle of unease and a realistic sense of doom not just from the landscape which has shaped and moulded Carwyn and Rhian into the people they are but also gives off a real sense of the passage of time, both ancient and modern, and how our presence in the structure of the landscape is merely transitory. Imaginatively written and with more than a hint of menace the story unfolds almost mesmerically so that, as a reader, I became part of the very fabric of the place, the gloom of the hillside, the sense of ancient ancestors being disturbed, and a sense of horror which was so beautifully described it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
The Hill in the Dark Grove is a commendable debut novel, imaginative, brooding and deeply memorable, the story will stay with me for a long time and for that reason I am making this my Favourite Read of the Month for January.
☕️ Best read with : Strong tea from an old teapot and a slice of bread, thickly spread with homemade damson jam.
About the Author
Liam Higginson was born and raised in rural North Wales and lives in Llandudno with his wife. The Hill in the Dark Grove is his debut novel.

























