What a magical, fantastic and wonderful fairytale book! Hope this book will be also translated into German? It was a great pleasure reading it and thank you so much for this magical opportunity!!! Poetically written and a very special ghost story ... You can´t escape out of this book ;-) ... It will came out October 9th! Watch out!

Not your average fairy tale story, In the Night Wood by Dale Bailey. A married couple who started off happily being pushed apart by the death of their child brought back to a house that has special meaning to both of them with a mysterious forest encroaching, that some say is haunted.

I requested this from Netgalley because I have read and enjoyed Bailey's short fiction. I never know how it will go then venturing into novel-length fiction, but this was really good - atmospheric, tightly plotted, emotionally affecting and satisfying. I respect when an author creates a beautiful beginning for a love story and then is realistic enough to admit that, given enough time, the most devoted of lovers will become susceptible to boredom and unfaithfulness. The underpinnings of betrayal, tragedy and the hope of forgiveness give a solid emotional heft to the story, while the folkloric and fantastic elements are woven into a nicely-building, suspenseful story. Recommended.

Usually on Net Galley, you request a book to read and review and you take your chance as to whether it will be approved. Sometimes books are listed as 'Read Now' which tends to mean the book isn't doing so well or is being undervalued, and the publisher wants it read more widely. Those books are great because I've found many gems among them. There is another option though, which is the 'wish for it' category.

This has also been kind to me because I've found some gems there, too, but since the ones I've wished for have all been granted (to my best recollection), I have to wonder if this category is used because the author or publisher is lacking somewhat in confidence in the book and wants to ensure that it's requested only by those who really want to read it? I don't know. Personally I've tended to enjoy the 'wished-for' books, but I can't say that of this particular one unfortunately.

The blurb for this book makes it all about Charles Hayden, which seems rather genderist since Hayden is only one half of a married couple who travel to Yorkshire in the UK, a place I know and from whence both my parents hailed, but we see very little of Yorkshire. We are confined to an ancient manor house surrounded by a castle-like wall, and it's Erin Hayden's family connections which have led to this inheritance: to this manor isolated in an even more ancient wood. Erin isn't even mentioned in the blurb! Charles may as well have been single.

That said, the story is told from Charles's perspective, thankfully not in first person, but this novel would have been a lot easier to like had either of these two people been themselves remotely likeable. As it was, they were chronic whiners and I was turned off both of them within a few paragraphs of starting to read this.

Both were endlessly wallowing in the loss of their daughter Lissa. A mention of this once in a while would have been perfectly understandable, but as it was, it felt like it was every other paragraph and it became a tedious annoyance, drawing me out of the story as I read again and again of how obsessed they were with their 'lost' daughter. A search for the daughter's name produced 156 hits in this novel. A search for 'daughter' produced another 56. It was too much, and it felt like a failure of writing. It's certainly possible to convey deep grief in a character without rabbiting on about it to a nauseating degree, so this felt like a really bad choice to me.

The fact that we're denied any real information about what happened to Lissa didn't help at all, and actually made things worse. Did she disappear? Was she killed? Did she become fatally ill? Who knows? The author doesn't care to share this information, at least not in the portion of this that I read before becoming so frustrated I didn't want to read any more; nor do we learn anything about the affair Charles had - just that he had one.

This affair is related to us as if it were no more important than his remembering he had once stubbed his toe, so even as big of a betrayal as that was, it carries little import because of the way it's so casually tossed out, yet this woman Syrah, is mentioned a further 34 times in the book. It's another thing that Charles is unaccountably obsessed with. No wonder he gets nothing done: his mind is always elsewhere! And this obsession is a continuing betrayal of his wife.

Frankly, these two, Charles and Erin, were so annoying I wanted to shake them and slap them. Not that I would, but the truth is that they were seriously in need of inpatient psychiatric attention and it showed badly, but no one seemed to care. The fact that we're told his wife has a boatload of medications she's taking and Charles doesn't even care made me dislike him even more intensely. He came across as shallow and selfish and quite frankly, a jerk. His wife was painted a little bit better, but neither of them remotely interested me as characters about whom I would ever want to learn anything more or about whose futures I cared.

At first I had thought the story would end with their daughter being returned to them, but then I learned of another child in the story and it seemed pretty obvious what would happen at that point. I don't know if that's what did happen, but if it did, that would have been way too trite and predictable for my taste. It's been done before.

Charles's other obsession, aside from his daughter, the woman he had an affair with, and the woman, Silva at the local historical society with whom he'd like to have an affair, was this book he stole as a child, and which was written by a Victorian relative of Erin's. He thinks he can write a biography of the author, Caedmon Hollow - yes that's the name of the guy, not the name of the mansion! - but it seems like he's much more interested in getting into Silva's panties than ever he is in writing anything. He's been into that book only once in his entire life, but he's into thinking about Silva at the drop of a hat.

The book and the mystery it was attached to should have been central to the story but there was so much stuff tossed in here (I think there was actually a kitchen sink at one point) that the book robbed that purported mystery of any currency it may have had. It became a secondary issue to everything else that was going on.

Since it was that very mystery which had drawn me to the novel in the first place, this felt like a betrayal if not an outright slap in the face and really contributed to my decision to quit reading. It felt like it was going nowhere and taking a heck of a long time to get there, and I had better things to do with my time. I wish the author all the best, but I cannot commend this book as a worthy read.

When I was about 10 years old, my aunt bought me the book The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. That book was part of a series of the same name that told of a family in England who were pulled into a supernatural fight between good and evil forces. It became one of my favorite series, and I still own those books to this day.

At various points throughout that series, the children see a large stag, and sometimes a man astride a horse wearing a helm with a stag’s horn upon his head. As I remember it, in the series, these sightings are evocative of the natural world, which does not fight with mankind on the side of good, but nevertheless seems to inherently stand against evil.

I bring up The Dark is Rising, because this book reminded me of that series. It is the story of a couple who moves to a house in the English countryside after the tragic death of their young daughter. The house is surrounded by a forest that they are warned is dangerous.

The parents are trying to hold their marriage together in the aftermath of the husband’s infidelity and their daughter’s death. They each begin seeing visions of a man wearing stag horns in the woods near their home, and mistake children in the nearby village for their dead daughter. However, the trouble within their relationship, and their own pain keeps them from acknowledging these visions to each other. At the same time, a young girl has disappeared from the nearby village, and the entire book is diffused with a sense of foreboding and evil which emanates from the surrounding woods.

Although the book’s finale is set firmly in the rational world, there is still a strong thread of the mystical and unexplained throughout the story. The man in the woods with the stag’s head is, in this book, a figure of evil that casts a shadow over the entire story, and although he also evokes the natural world, he is most definitely a dark figure.

I found this book scary and suspenseful, sad and hopeful. I am sure my enjoyment stemmed partly from the way it took me back to those books that I loved so much as a child, but I still think it stands quite well on its own as an eerie fantasy that still has one foot planted firmly in the reality of everyday life.

In the Night Wood tells the tale of a couple, grieving from the death of their young daughter, escaping to the wife's ancestral mansion in northern England. Both Charles and Erin see the image of their dead daughter wherever they look, and both see a mysterious horned figure looming in the woods beyond their home. This is a dark, spooky story that has some pacing issues. I wanted more excitement a little earlier in the story and for the tension to keep me going, but instead it felt more like a child's roller coaster than a thrill ride. That said, it's a beautiful tale, and the novel will appeal to anyone who has a deep love for Gothic fiction.

I have received a free copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Failed father, failed husband, and failed scholar, Charles hopes to put his life back together with a biography of Caedmon Hollow, the long-dead author of a legendary Victorian children’s book, In the Night Wood. But soon after settling into Hollow’s remote Yorkshire home, Charles learns that the past isn’t dead. As you can imagine dark and creepy things occur. In the primeval forest surrounding Caedmon Hollow’s ancestral home, an ancient power is stirring. The horned figure of a long-forgotten king haunts Charles Hayden’s dreams. And every morning the fringe of darkling trees presses closer. In the Night Wood is a fairy tale inspired dark mystery that foists upon the reader a foreboding feeling of unease as the author dangles unsettling clues along the way. I would recommend this book to those who liked The Hazel Wood, but In the Night Wood was more darker and creepy.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. for the arc of this book.
This book is a strange compelling read, about grief, old wives tales and hope, I did enjoy reading this, but it’s a heavy read.

I was immersed in this gothic tale. Charles Hayden and his wife move to England after the death of their daughter where Charles is embarking on writing the biography of Caedmon Hollow writer of Victorian children’s book. The story of a horned man who takes children as the scary book begins to happen in real life amid dealing with tragedy the story takes a fantastical horror turn . However this book realistically deals with death and how each of us reacts differently. An original gothic tale that belongs on any gothic fans shelf

In the Night Wood is a wonderfully atmospheric read. If you like contemporary stories with a bit of creepiness and a bit of fantasy, you should give this one a go.

What a fascinating novel - an excellent blend of traditional literature and fantasy in an entangled plot, reminiscent of Del toro’s gothicism and the forbidden forest of Harry Potter. I really loved the way the plot played out and the effort put in to the detail, but I felt like the book missed out a little due to the sort of shakiness. Awfully explained by me, but I felt like in some areas it wavered because it was not clear how it reached that point or why something happened. None the less an excellent story and one that surely will please many fantasy fans!

This is a book with great description, but not quite enough characterisation. The setting was rendered perfectly. The trees, the house, the bar, all were described in such perfect detail that I really felt I was there. The plot was a bit too slow moving to really keep me engaged, and I felt that some parts were a little repetitive. I really enjoyed the mix of fantasy and reality, however. It made this feel like a really deep psychological read, rather than simply gothic.

It was a good book, I enjoyed it, but overall I think it lacked proper pacing and could have used a bit more characterisation. That's all personal taste though, so it's definitely a book I'll be recommending.

Thrilling, captivating, bleak. Chilling atmosphere that draws you in. It's as Gothic as del Toro's Crimson Peak--a style that, if you're forgiving enough, can get away with being a little heavy-handed, with the Gothic mansion, fairy tale, and all the requisite misery. It's neither groundbreaking for this style, nor is it forced. If you're on board with that, you'll enjoy the slow-burning, haunting tale, which is certainly masterfully crafted.

A grieving couple move from America to a remote estate in England to escape the lingering reminders of a recent tragedy and to study the life of a long dead reclusive writer who published one very strange fairy tale inspired novel. To no one's surprise, creepy things then begin to happen. In the Night Wood is a fairy tale inspired dark mystery that foists upon the reader a foreboding feeling of unease as the author dangles unsettling clues along the way to a not entirely surprising, but satisfying, conclusion. This book is a quick and intriguing read and would be great for fans of atmospheric horror, fairy tale retellings, and mysteries. Older fans of The Hazel Wood who want a good read-alike will find much to enjoy here.

However, a few things prevented me from giving this novel a higher rating. First, the book is a bit slow on action and for the majority of the work is more of a character driven story. Yet, the two main characters, Charles and Erin, are not particularly likable, reducing any tension surrounding their eventual fates. Additionally, some of the suspenseful scenes started to feel a bit repetitive as they mostly had similar imagery and a lack of real danger for our protagonists. Finally, after the climax, the book just ends - there is no denouement, which I think could have improved the work. As the focus of the book is our main characters, learning their fates would have provided a better sense of closure to the story.

A definite recommend for fans of the gothic genre - especially Victorian Gothic. Lots of literary references throughout the book, and a very gothic overarching plot. The author did an excellent job of bringing Victorian gothic into modern day naturally.

The one thing that held me back from enjoying this book more were the characters; more specifically the protagonist. He was largely unlikable (unfaithful, unsupportive, won't give his griefing wife the truth even when she tearfully begs). The more I read the less I liked him, all the way up to to the conclusion.

The dark woods were darkly atmospheric, and the visions/hallucinations beautifully done. Toyed with the idea of madness vs. reality relatively well.

I just could not get in to this book. It's pretty dark and depressing and just was not what I was in the mood for. I may revisit it in the future and give it another try, but after about 75 pages it was a DNF for me. I think I was imagining something more like The Hazel Wood, and this was definitely not the same sort of story.

Into the night Woods is a novel by Dale Bailey which is the first book of his that I have ever read. To start off I am not sure if this book knows what kind of book it is. The style of the book is very similar to a Victorian Gothic horror however there are hints of fantasy and thriller mixed into this book.
I found myself very confused about what type of book I was reading and I think part of that made this book hard to enjoy. The writing style of the author however is very beautiful and the book itself I feel is well written. My major issue with this book would have been the pacing, it starts very slow for me and then more than three-quarters of the way through the book is going at such a rapid pace the ending comes upon you and you're almost caught off guard. I feel like if this book it had a more fluid pacing it might have read a little better for me considering I was at a quarter of the way through and almost made this a “DNF”, but I force myself to keep reading, and in the middle I found myself loving the book, and then by the end I was frustrated.
Again, I feel the writing style was beautiful the language itself is very nice it's very reminiscent of that Victorian Gothic feel that I think this book was really trying to go for. With the Gothic mansion, the foreboding woods, and the mystery that is trying to be set forth in this story, however, there is so much emphasis on the family drama between Charles and Erin the main characters of the story that I feel kind of the mystery and the nuance that might have happened in this novel was lost. There is a lot of emotion in this book, and the pages drip with the feelings from these two main characters. Which I enjoyed, I feel Charles was a solid character, with developed motives and emotions. Erin on the other hand is not as developed, we spend very little time with her which I think the author missed an opportunity with. There could have been some more time spent with Erin and what she was going through in relation to not only the story but to her character.
Overall the book is well written and the characters and the scenery and the world that the book takes place in are strong but there were still areas of opportunity overall not only with the pacing of the story and the flow of the book overall but with character development and the ending. I would recommend to somebody who enjoys Gothic horror or thrillers. In the end just not what I was expecting.

Bailey checks all the boxes in this supernatural, psychological thriller of a book - couple whose marriage is in trouble, dead child, mysterious English manor house, spooky forest, intimidating & creepy manor staff, past tragedy...and more. Charles, Erin & Lissa are the seemingly perfect family whose life is turned upside down by a truly horrible accident. The psychological strain of that experience coupled with the gothic-horror experience of Hollow House makes for a top-notch, nail-biting, check-under-the-bed thrilling novel. For fans of English folklore, horror, and suspense. Recommended.

This book is mostly about sorrow. It's dripping from the page. The main characters are parents who lost their daughter in an accident. The family is falling to pieces with this weight. The mother inherits an English estate that is filled with stories of people disappearing. When the couple starts seeing creatures, you're not sure how much is their grieving minds and how much is real. My only problem with the book is that the ending is a little abrupt and there were times when I was tired of the father.

As a fan of Dale Bailey's short fiction, I was more than a little excited for the opportunity to read an ARC of his newest book, In the Night Wood. This is the first full-length novel I've read by Mr. Bailey, and my expectations were high. In the Night Wood is a slow-burning, atmospheric horror story that plays off of pagan mythology and classic haunted house tropes. In it, an American couple, grieving the tragic loss of their young daughter, inherits a strange manor house in England, as well as a family secret that threatens to destroy them both. Despite the shadowy figures and creepy obsessions threaded throughout the novel, it is their grief and their marriage, tenuously held together by obligation and inertia, that serve as the true heart of the book.

The Good:
-Dale Bailey is a master of character work. He makes you feel a deep empathy with his characters, even when they behave badly. This novel is no exception. The grief and guilt experienced by the characters in this book are palpable.
-Despite heavy use of tropes bordering on the cliché, Bailey manages to spin these familiar ideas and settings into something new and startlingly real. His use of the darker sides of pagan imagery provides credibility to the Faustian pact that serves as the lynchpin of the story, while his depiction of the wife's drug-fueled obsession lends an air of much-needed urgency to the narrative.

The Bad:
-Overall, I felt this novel lacked the punch of Bailey's short fiction. The exposition was dragged out a bit long for my taste, especially in regards to the husband's past sins - though his guilt over his past actions is what drives most of the story, those actions are insinuated in the vaguest terms until just before the book's climax. By then, the "reveal" felt a bit underwhelming.
-I felt the character of the wife was perhaps a bit underused. Personally, I found her to be a more interesting character than the husband - I think seeing more of her experiences during the story, and getting a more in-depth look at her internal struggle, would have served the story well.