The Vessel by Adam L.G. Nevill.

Ritual Limited, 2022

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1739788612

Available: Paperback, Audible, Kindle edition.   ( Bookshop.org | Amazon.com )

Another Adam Nevill novel means another few days lost in the dark mind of the author.

Each of Nevill”s stories is unique. He moves swiftly with a deft hand in unexpected directions. Readers can expect from this author that the same path won’t be tread twice. Nevill’s gorgeous writing embraces the reader with descriptions that recall the best of Ramsey Campbell, Peter Straub, and Shirley Jackson, yet in a style that is entirely his own.

This time around, his folk horror stylings bring the reader to Nerthus House,  the home of an elderly woman,  in the middle of a village that, of course, becomes a major character itself..

The home of Flo Gardner holds many secrets, especially the garden out back. Flo’s life contains dark shadows that are revealed slowly, a major win in a work this short. She is suffering from dementia, yet has her moments of clarity– and violence.

Jess takes the job of caring for Flo, sharing the position with a miserable woman and dealing with a boss who appears to lack much of a soul. Flo doesn’t speak to Jess, and barely survives on the bland food and sustenance the house provides for her. Where is Flo’s family? That unfolds as Jess works the job that nobody else can handle.

Jess keeps the position, as she desperately needs the money to escape a horribly manipulative ex-husband and start a new life with her daughter Izzy, a young girl who seems to keep her own heart free from the darkness of others. Soon, Jess brings Izzy to work in the evenings out of necessity. Something awakens in Flo. Does it need her alive, or does what lurks within desire something more?

What ensues brings a literary payoff that elicits true horror, but with the finesse only a true master can accomplish. The story clocks in at only 173 pages, shorter than is typical for Nevill, but between the covers he manages to paint an atmospheric novel that feels much bigger than it is. His writing coaxes the reader to take their time and imbibe the darkly sweet imagery. The length is just enough to allow the fractured characters to be affected by the house and what plagues Flo.

An utterly enveloping read, The Vessel is unlike all other Adam Nevill books yet is exactly what his fans expect: a near perfect story. 

Hopefully, the rest of the world will catch on to this fine author.

Highly recommended, as always.

Reviewed by David Simms