Thirst

Darren Simpson is the critically acclaimed author of Scavengers, The Memory Thieves, Furthermoor and Thirst. His award-winning books have been translated into several languages and he's been nominated twice for the prestigious Carnegie Medal. He also once won a budgie at school. Darren lives with his wife and sons in Nottingham and loves long walks with headphones, playing the drums and reading in bed on rainy Sunday mornings.

Simpson's writing evokes that of Stephen King with the creepiness surrounding the Yeelde and the focus on a small community that distrusts outsiders. But this is a wholly original novel, enthralling in its descriptive writing style and character development... Folk horror at its finest

• 1 Hounds and Hares 9ALMOST FIVE YEARS LATER 2 Dauntley 23 3 Yeldthanc 29 4 Waste Not, Want Not 39 5 A Brim Year 45 6 The Bridge 55 7 Needs Must 58 8 With the Fairies 62 9 Bone and Boil 69 10 Sorry 73 11 Silver and White 78 12 Aglimmer 82 13 Whittle 88 14 Beneath the Surface 101 15 Stitches 109 16 In Ruins 121 17 Branwen and the Stones 127 18 As Such 136 19 For a Walk 143 20 Bearing East 150 21 Small World 153 22 Heartwood 158 23 Saved 162 24 A Name 167 25 Twilight 173 26 In the Ivy 18127 Blood and Claw 186 28 Blackthorn 190 29 Meat on Bone 192 30 The Spoil 203 31 Warren 209 32 Outfoxed 212 33 Die Every Time 218 34 Black Waters 224 35 Barley and Bones 227 36 Meat for the Forest 230 37 Like Prey 234 38 Tar and Gnarl 237 39 Dark Sliver 239 40 Heathen 242 41 Wade and Wake 246 42 Slow to Fall 252 43 Slain 255 44 Bluebells 260 45 Tomorrows 264 the next dAy 46 More Besides 273 47 Homecoming 278 Acknowledgements 283