The Haar: A Horror Novel

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It gets pretty gruesome, but there's a genuine heart running through it. That's all I kind of want to say without ruining anything. Like I've said many times before, I rarely read a synopsis. I most often go on an author's previous efforts or recommendations from fellow readers. With David Sodergren, it's a no-brainer. He never lets me down. What I liked: The story follows 80+ year old, Muriel McAuley, life long resident of the Scottish fishing town Witchaven. This was where she was born and raised, met and married her husband and continued to live when, years ago, his fishing boat was found, but no signs of Billy were ever found. Now, a billionaire American is buying up all of the land and houses, building a massive golf course and resort, but some residents are holding their ground and refusing to sell. Muriel being one of them. But when an overseas property developer threatens to evict the residents from their homes and raze Witchaven to the ground in the name of progress, all seems lost… until the day a mysterious fog bank creeps inland. I love battle-for-nature stories with revenge. The Haar was excellently paced, an easy read to breeze through, and stirred in me rainbow of emotion. I was angry then happy then disgusted then sad then infuriated then exuberant. Haha, really everything under the sun. ☀️ The story is about Muriel McAuley, an old widow who wants to be left alone but a big corporation is buying up all the land of the Scottish coastal town she grew up in to build a golf course. The million-pound offers to buy her property are now turning into threats. Muriel then finds a sea creature with unique powers and it becomes a game changer.

David Sodergren’s The Haar is Beautifully Haar-iffic David Sodergren’s The Haar is Beautifully Haar-iffic

The story had a good premise. After all, who isn't a wee bit afraid of a fog bank and what may lurk therein...They're entertaining, I laughed out loud a couple of times, the conversations or the way the characters are thinking can be truly funny. There is gore, there are some surprising creatures. In both of these books.

The Haar by David Sodergren | Goodreads The Haar by David Sodergren | Goodreads

One night, the mist comes to the village and brings something with it that will change everything. Especially for our main character Muriel, a lonely elderly woman that will not give up her home, her memories and her identity. The character of Muriel is really strong. She’s funny and formidable. The antagonistic elements aren’t drawn as well, but they work precisely as intended. Some of them are really quite vile.But then, I can’t help but feel he’s having a go at us, the horror film fans too. Only someone with absolutely no respect for his audience whatsoever could release a product as slipshod and unfinished as this as a ‘sequel’ to a well-liked original. It’s as if he’s saying that horror fans will literally watch any old garbage, whether it’s recycled footage from two years prior or just some low budget junk he shot with his friends by the side of a pool. It’s insulting. The story concerns an old woman in a sleepy coastal town that is slowly fading away. Like most towns so connected to the sea, there are mythological beings and interesting happenings surrounding the waters. This book takes that to a whole level of something I’ve never experienced before.

The Haar: A Horror Novel: Sodergren, David: 9798800159837 The Haar: A Horror Novel: Sodergren, David: 9798800159837

Since the publication of his first novel, The Forgotten Island, he has written and published a further eight novels, including the gore-soaked folk-horror Maggie's Grave and the romantic and disturbing The Haar. Muriel really is the best character he’s created yet and the relationship and tenderness we get to see and experience was second to none. I’ll be raving about this book until his next one comes out, but this shows why Sodergren is so good and hopefully now, he’ll stop being overlooked.I did not expect David to give me another amazing unexpected story, yet here we are. When you have been loving every book by an author, you are scared that the next one might not meet your expectations. Thou shalt not judge a film by it’s opening scene,Thou shalt not judge a film by it’s opening scene,Thou shalt not judge a film by it’s opening scene, etc’ A blood-drenched love letter to Lovecraft, handled with impressive authority and confidence."
James Fahy, author of The Changeling series
NIGHT SHOOT The billionaire villain in this story truly has the audacity. In truth, the sheer number of things he’s able to get away with here are appalling to a satirical extent, (at least I’d like to tell myself that). Basically, he’s gotten everybody to move out of Witchaven except for stubborn Muriel and her bff. They’ve tried placating with money, they’ve moved to psychological warfare, and soon, when it becomes clear that’s not enough, things escalate to an even more violent degree. Some company wants to buy the little village. They pay everyone to leave. The elderly lady doesn't want to leave, no matter how much money they offer her. Lots of neighbors have already left.