A literary gothic thriller to chill the marrow

[A] simmering gothic thriller

(A) pacey horror-tinged novel ... Even with the strange and supernatural goings-on in the woods, it’s the rage and grief and darkness of grown-ups that’s the biggest mystery of all

The novel's strength is its evocation of bleak landscapes and complex characters

Splicing small-town domestic drama with grisly mystery and occult thrills, it’s a cleverly crafted debut

One of the standout debuts of the year

As gripping as any boxset

This haunting debut is a must-read for fans of eerie gothic fiction

An evocative read which will keep you guessing

Pine is a thrill of a book

I loved this book! Hugely atmospheric, exquisitely written and utterly gripping

This is true modern gothic ... Toon’s plain, poetic language has a hypnotic quality

A haunting tale

A memorable debut from a promising new writer

Marries the claustrophobia of rural life with fascinating hints of Scottish myths, to create an emotional read with the pace of a thriller

A remarkable debut

Has all the ingredients of a modern gothic.

A debut novel that's carefully calibrated to make every single hair on the back of your neck stand up on end

A modern gothic thriller that draws on the author's own Highland childhood

With Pine, (Toon) … has passed the debut hurdle in striking style.

A haunting and heartbreakingly bewitching tale … Packed with folklore, magic and an eerie sense of foreboding every time you turn the page, Pine will captivate readers from the very first page

A gothic stirring of folklore and legend

Eerie and spell-binding

From the first page PINE casts a sense of slowly-rising unease that is completely compelling. It's both eerie and thrilling at once, and had me under its spell until the end

An atmospheric tale of memory and loss

Eerie and dark, you'll be mesmerised by this dramatic tale with its tightly-woven plot

If there's any doubt that the Gothic thriller is enjoying a boom, Francine Toon's debut should settle the matter. PINE, a moving study of memory and loss, is both spooky and tender; drenched in a sense of place and yet eerily timeless

Combines the Gothic sensibilities of Shirley Jackson with the psychologically astute suspense of Gillian Flynn ... will leave you gripped and transfixed

Francine Toon's touching account of a flawed, yet tender, father-daughter relationship in PINE is all the more compelling against the starkly beautiful backdrop of the Scottish highlands

A beautifully crafted gothic tale of isolation and not belonging. Thoroughly gripping and stunningly atmospheric

An atmospheric tale of memory and loss, movingly told through a child's eyes

A Pepysian romp of the first order

Continues in the same superior vein as Restoration… The fusion of such an engrossing character, and the minutiae of another time, remains a marvel

In this evocative and beautifully drawn novel of family and loyalty in the face of an uncertain future Tremain continues the story of a wonderfully unique character

Hugely enjoyable

Merivel’s hapless charm remains intact in this tour de force of literary technique

A sequel that looks back to the earlier novel without ever quite recapturing its spirit is the perfect form in which to evoke that feeling of having to carry on, and of trying to make yourself have fun even with it eventually begins to hurt

A marvelllously rollicking good read, and it is such a pleasure to meet Robert Merivel again. Rose Tremain brings the character to life in a way that makes you want to find out even more about the period. Enormously skilled and deft