Lie of the Land

Lie of the Land is a dark, domestic literary thriller set in the Black Country in the Midlands, UK. When Rory and Jemma meet, Rory already has a girlfriend, but that doesn’t stop them getting together and, much sooner than Jemma would like, they’re buying their first house together in the heart of the grimy Midlands.

‘The Rocks’ is a run-down, ‘doer-upper’ and right from the off, Jemma is reluctant and unhappy, far from ready for commitment. But there is something about the house that is both compelling and sinister, and the situation takes a darker turn when a terrible accident happens involving their new next door neighbours, forcing both Jemma and Rory to tackle their inner demons.

Themes of toxic relationships, secrets and deceit are intensified by a judgmental narrative voice which propels the plot to its even darker resolution.

This decidedly bleak 4th novel by a British writer occupies the liminal space between the currently fashionable domestic thriller genre and a sharp sense of gothic horror at times reminiscent of Shirley Jackson … Intense, carried by an oblique and literary narrative voice, this is the stuff of nightmares and a striking portrait of a couple whose sins just won’t let go of them, unable to detach themselves from a living nightmare with inexorable consequences. Oppressive, at times awkward to follow but nonetheless compelling, this is a hybrid thriller cum ghost story that packs a dark punch and will divide readers while deserving attention for its ambition and powerful voice.

Lie of the Land is a dark and unsettling account of how a young woman loses the sense she has of herself after becoming involved with a man. It is mostly written in what I believe is present perfect tense, a choice that somehow adds a sense of foreboding. It is clear from the start that bad things have happened but what and to whom constitutes the story.

This book had me on edge from start to finish. The writing is raw, gripping, and layered with complexity. It’s not just about the thrill of the plot but the emotions it evokes the unease, the tension, and the chilling sense of inevitability. If you love stories that blur the line between psychological drama and literary fiction, this one is a must-read.

Hauntingly beautiful, mesmerizing, harrowing and poetic. This is undoubtedly one of my favorite reads this year!

The Black Country. Dark, foreboding gloom-ridden. Lie of the Land is exactly the same: dark, foreboding with an aura of gloom and added tension as our main protagonist, Jemma, is faced with ever-increasing anxiety as she makes major life changes that have unforeseen consequences for herself and those around her. She had what seemed the perfect life but after what she thought would be a one night stand she is sucked into a relationship which has tragic consequences and tilts her balanced lifestyle.

I have been blogging here for more than ten years, and reviewing books online for longer than that, and in all that time I have, but very rarely, perhaps five or six times, come across a book so stunning, so good, that it's actually hard to know what to say about it (beyond "read this"). Lie of the Land is such a book.

Kerry Hadley-Pryce lives and writes in the Black Country, UK. She has a PhD in creative writing and teaches creative and professional writing at the University of Wolverhampton. She co-edited Writing Under Fire: Poetry and Prose from Ukraine & the Black Country, and has short stories published in Best British Short Stories 2023, Takahe Magazine, Fictive Dream and The Incubator. She has had three novels published by Salt Publishing: The Black Country, Gamble, and God’s Country. Lie of the Land is her fourth novel.

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