Pyres by Kev Harrison: A Fiery Supernatural Thriller with Political Bite

Set against the atmospheric backdrop of England’s New Forest, Pyres introduces readers to a world where spirit painting becomes prophetic vision, and political figures meet fiery ends that mirror these grim artworks.

Pyres centres on two sisters with dramatically different lives and worldviews. Angela has carved out an unconventional career as a spirit painter, serving as an artistic medium who channels spiritual messages onto canvas for paying clients. Her sister Becky represents a more pragmatic perspective. After working abroad with refugees attempting to reach Southern Europe, she returns to England, uncertain about her future and deeply sceptical of Angela’s supernatural profession. Harrison uses this sibling dynamic to explore competing realities, with Becky’s scepticism sharply contrasting with Angela’s embrace of the paranormal.

The novel’s central plot mechanism is both clever and terrifying: Angela’s paintings take a dark and violent turn, shifting from benign spiritual portraits to graphic depictions of people being burned alive. The tension escalates dramatically when a right-wing television news presenter is found incinerated in a manner identical to one of Angela’s recent paintings, created before the death occurred. This pattern continues with increasingly high-profile targets, forcing the sisters to confront the terrifying possibility that Angela’s artistic channelling has become a conduit for premonitions of actual murders.

The relationship between Angela and Becky serves as the emotional core of Pyres. Harrison presents them as complex, flawed women in their early thirties, each navigating personal uncertainties while simultaneously confronting extraordinary circumstances. Becky emerges as a particularly relatable protagonist, short on cash, occasionally making questionable romantic decisions, and genuinely unsure about her place in the world. Her vulnerabilities and insecurities are rendered with authentic sensitivity, making her journey compelling throughout the novel.

Angela represents a more enigmatic character, a woman who has built both her life and career around spiritual beliefs that even her own sister questions. Harrison wisely explores their complicated history through well-placed flashbacks to their teenage years, revealing unresolved tensions that deepen our understanding of their current dynamic. The sisters’ differing perspectives create genuine dramatic tension, particularly in scenes where Becky must reconcile her scepticism with mounting evidence that Angela’s abilities might be authentic.

Harrison expands the novel’s scope beyond a simple supernatural mystery by introducing ancient mythological forces into contemporary England. As the story progresses, it becomes apparent that the mysterious deaths are connected to forces far older and more powerful than initially suspected. The novel daringly suggests that ancient gods have taken an interest in modern political affairs, using Angela as their unwitting conduit for delivering fiery justice.

This fusion of folk horror elements with the modern thriller format demonstrates Harrison’s growing sophistication as a storyteller. The supernatural elements feel both terrifying and conceptually intriguing, raising thought-provoking questions about what might happen when primordial powers intervene in human affairs. The New Forest setting contributes significantly to the atmospheric tension, with its ancient landscapes serving as an appropriate backdrop for the unfolding supernatural events .

Pyres ventures beyond conventional horror by incorporating political commentary into its narrative framework. The targets of the supernatural executions are specifically right-wing media figures and politicians, a choice that firmly positions the novel within a particular ideological landscape. One early victim is explicitly described as a “right-wing TV news presenter,” establishing a pattern that continues with other “high-profile names” throughout the story.

Harrison uses a split-person narrative structure, alternating between Becky and Angela’s first-person perspectives. This approach offers deep insight into each sister’s thoughts and emotional reactions to the mounting crisis. Throughout the novel, Harrison carefully preserves the unique voices and personalities of both women.

The pacing of the story is incredibly tense and compelling, masterfully crafted to ensure the mystery unfolds at precisely the right speed, skillfully maintaining reader engagement and interest from the first page to the final, climactic conclusion.

Pyres successfully blends supernatural thrills with pointed social commentary. Kev Harrison has crafted a novel that satisfies on multiple levels, as a gripping mystery, a thoughtful exploration of sisterly bonds, and a cathartic fantasy of cosmic justice.

For those who like their horror both visceral and intelligent, Pyres is a must-read, a novel that ignites the page with its fiery vengeance and will leave you watching the shadows long after the final ember has cooled.

Pyres by Kev Harrison

“Horror’s Kev Harrison is on fire with his latest novel, Pyres, a blistering murder mystery with echoes of Dorian Grey that compels with its artistry as much as its political commentary. Set in the New Forest and conjuring ancient gods, Pyres is darkly revelatory. Definitely make this your next read.”—Lee Murray, five-time Bram Stoker Award®-winning author of Grotesque: Monster Stories

Angela has been a spirit painter for years. Channelling the spirits as they commit memories to canvas through her: childhood pets, favourite holiday locations, and sprawling homesteads. But now, something has changed.

The paintings take a dark turn just as her sister, Becky, returns from Italy. People burnt alive, their smouldering remains a vivid, visceral stain on Angela’s canvasses. Already disturbed, her life is thrown into turmoil when a right wing TV news presenter is found incinerated in a facsimile of her new painting.

As the artworks – and charred bodies – mount up, can Angela and Becky find out what’s happening, and how to stop it?

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