By Sharon Gosling

Red Eye, out now

The Stromberg family pack up their comfortable, urban home in Stockholm in favour of a colossal plantation house enveloped in an ancient pine forest – and their teenage son is not on board with this. Stranded in the wilds of northern Sweden with no Wi-Fi and no chance of escape, he reluctantly begins to explore his vast, empty home and the dark, primeval forest lurking outside. But what he finds is inexplicable: bizarre photos, impossible children in places they really shouldn’t be, and a haunting melody that drifts through forest and never quite leaves your head. When a freak, unseasonal blizzard traps the family inside the plantation home, the disjointed pieces of the puzzle begin to slot together…

And the picture is far from pretty.

Like all Red Eye novels, Fir is a chilling reworking of classic horror tropes – in this case, creepy children and the old gods of the forest. The plot, however, is fresh and new, painted with vivid imagery and threaded with an enticing mystery. Told in first person perspective, the reader experiences the twists and turns in synchrony with the narrator, whose teenage voice is convincingly written. Curiously enough, our protagonist is never named.

Verdict: A disturbing supernatural thriller that will have you glancing warily at woodland. 8/10

Sophie Simpson