Small Fires by Ronnie Turner
Evil runs through this cursed island
And these wicked sisters are about to make it burn...
When sisters Lily and Della Pedley are persecuted for the shocking murder of their parents, they flee from their home in Cornwall to a remote and unnamed island in Scotland – an island known for its strange happenings, but far away from the whispers and prying eyes of strangers.
Lily is terrified of what her sister will might do next, and she soon realises that they have arrived at a place where nothing is as it seems. A bitterness runs through the land like poison, and the stories told by the islanders seem to be far more than folklore.
Della settles in too easily, the island folk drawn to her strangeness, but Lily is plagued by odd and unsettling dreams, and as an annual festival draws nigh, she discovers that she has far more to fear than she could ever have imagined. Or does she…?
Chilling, atmospheric and utterly hypnotic, Small Fires is a contemporary gothic novel that examines possession, generational trauma, female rage, and the perilous bonds of family – an unsettling reminder that the stories we tell can be deadly…
Midsommar meets Midnight Mass in a folk horror, modern gothic masterpiece.
About the author
Ronnie Turner grew up in Cornwall, the youngest in a large family. At an early age, she discovered a love of literature. She now works as a Senior Waterstones Bookseller and barista. Ronnie lives in the South West with her family and three dogs. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and taking long walks on the coast.
Review
This is a dark gothic tale which is twisted, mesmerising and extremely atmospheric.
When Lily and Della Pedley reach the Island they are hoping for a fresh start and an escape from their past. But the Folk know what they did - they murdered their parents, they are witches and evil. Even on an isolated island off the coast of Scotland, their history follows them. But the Island has its own history, as it is the land of a fallen Devil and he now lives under the soil and the Folk bow down to him.
This was one of the most uncomfortable and unsettling reads I have picked up in a long time but in the best way. It felt claustrophobic, made my spine crawl with uneasiness and at times I had to put it down as it was all-consuming. This is a testament to the author’s superb writing and world-building. It does feel like a punch into your solar plexus. It is hypnotic and is filled full of Scottish and Cornish mythology that weaves around the sisters and their actions. The author explores the role stories and ancient tales play in the present and their importance in local communities. She also examines how we perceive people’s identities and how we perceive ourselves.
The setting of the Island, isolated and cut off from the mainland was a masterstroke as it evolves into a character of its own. One filled full of tales of misdeeds, legends and memories passed on through the generations. Right from the start its presence is foreboding and a mass of darkness and tension. This in combination with the push and pull of the sister’s relationship and their co-dependencies makes for a brilliant read.
Lily and Della are like ying and yang. One is dark and one is light. Two sides of the same coin. They arrive on the Island burdened with people’s judgment and prejudices due to the huge media furore that surrounded their parent's deaths. It is clear that they have had an interesting childhood so to speak. One child obsessed with pain and violence, and the other wants to please their sister and protect them. But what do we really know about them?
This was a brilliant gothic tale and I can't wait to see what comes next from the pen of Ronnie Turner!
