Small Fires by Ronnie Turner

Everyone knows about the Pedley sisters. Lily and Della, the sisters who killed their parents. Without enough proof, they were never officially convicted. Which is why they're free to roam, making their way to an unnamed island with a small village of superstitious people called the Folk. 

From the time of their arrival, things are off kilter on the island. The Folk are drawn to one of the sisters in particular, because she is like them. They tell the stories of their beliefs and their history. Stories that are more than they seem at the surface. And the sisters find something of a home there. Until people begin to die. 

Ah! Ronnie Turner's latest is an odd fable/fairy tale for adults. It's a story about sisters and trauma, about stories and the lessons hidden between the lines. 

Tonally, this is all gothic. But it has aspects of folk horror, mystery, and—given the stories within the story—even fantasy. 

The Folk speak of devils. One devil, the Warden, the one they are devoted to in the hopes that he will be merciful when they die, lives under the land. And this devil rules their lives. 

When sisters Della and Lily arrive on the island it's the time of the Harvest. Three people die annually to appease the devil. And if he is displeased...well, worse than that will come. 

Della and Lily don't exactly fit in. They don't not fit in either. It's an island of misfits of a sort. But the girls are indeed very different. And everyone thinks they know the story. 

But in Small Fires the story is never quite what you think it is. 

Small Fires is absolutely excellent. It's perfect for fans of Catriona Ward and Angela Slatter. And it's a perfect introduction to Turner and her work. Honestly, I can't wait to see what she'll do next!

Small Fires is out soon in the UK and will be available this summer in the States from Orenda. US readers can preorder a copy from Bookshop now.

So Pretty by Ronnie Turner

It's Tuesday! I hope it's warmer wherever you are than it is here!

Today I'm super excited to be part of the Random Things Tour for Ronnie Turner's So Pretty. 

Now, I have to admit I've been struggling with this review. Every once in a while I'm able to dive into a book with very little knowledge of what I'm in store for and it turns out to be an amazing experience! And that's what happened here. I really don't want to post anything that will prevent another reader from that same surprise. 

So rather than risk ruining it, I'm not penning my own synopsis this time around. Here's the publisher's description:

When Teddy Colne arrives in the small town of Rye, he believes he will be able to settle down and leave his past behind him. Little does he know that fear blisters through the streets like a fever. The locals tell him to stay away from an establishment known only as Berry & Vincent, that those who rub too closely to its proprietor risk a bad end.

Despite their warnings, Teddy is desperate to understand why Rye has come to fear this one man, and to see what really hides behind the doors of his shop.

Ada moved to Rye with her young son to escape a damaged childhood and years of never fitting in, but she’s lonely, and ostracised by the community. Ada is ripe for affection and friendship, and everyone knows it.

As old secrets bleed out into this town, so too will a mystery about a family who vanished fifty years earlier, and a community living on a knife edge.

Teddy looks for answers, thinking he is safe, but some truths are better left undisturbed, and his past will find him here, just as it has always found him before. And before long, it will find Ada too.

Things you should know: you can rely on Orenda for fabulous books! That's just a given. Also, this book is creepy! They're calling it a gothic thriller, and that's definitely the most appropriate genre tag ever!

I'm tempted to say this a bit of a slow burn, but tight, short chapters give the book a great momentum, pulling the reader along as the story alternates between Teddy and Ada's perspectives. And the writing is excellent! I mean really, excellent. With multiple POVs, I think it can be challenging for authors to truly distinguish between the voices but Turner has done a great job. Teddy and Ada, and even the non POV characters that live in Rye, are all so well built and rounded, it makes for such an immersive experience.

Also, shout out to the fact that the author is a bookseller! We're not an exclusive club, but I think any bookseller (former or present) loves to support bookseller authors! At least I know I do. 

If you're a fan of unsettling reads, this is the book for you!!!