Book description
A vanishing corpse; a mistrustful policeman; a celebrated archaeologist
and TV personality involved in the macabre rites of a primitive
religious sect - these are just some of the dark ingredients of a novel
whose every page is vibrant with menace. P. M. Hubbard has a disturbing
talent for evoking terror in the most unlikely settings: in this case, a
sleepy English village is shown to conceal a pit of horror, a terrifying
nightmare world that destroys all who would uncover its secrets.
Praised by critics for his clean prose style, characterization, and the
strong sense of place in his novels, Philip Maitland Hubbard was born in
Reading, in Berkshire and brought up in Guernsey, in the Channel
Islands. He was educated at Oxford, where he won the Newdigate Prize for
English verse in 1933. From 1934 until its disbandment in 1947 he served
with the Indian Civil service. On his return to England he worked for
the British Council, eventually retiring to work as a freelance writer.
He contributed to a number of publications, including Punch, and wrote
16 novels for adults as well as two children's books. He lived in Dorset
and Scotland, and many of his novels draw on his interest in and
knowledge of rural pursuits and folk religion.
