Old Country

The Reddit sensation, soon to be a horror classic for fans of Paul Tremblay

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Old Country

By: Matthew Query, Harrison Query

Narrated by: Juliette Goglia, Kiff Vandenheuvel

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£5.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST. Cancel monthly.

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An instant classic horror novel.

Harry and Sasha found their dream, a beautiful small ranch in an unspoilt valley nestling beneath the Teton Mountains in Wyoming.

It's perfect.

Except for the neighbours, an apparently cute old couple, who have some truly crazed ideas about a timeless spirit which asserts its power over the valley in different terrifying ways, with the coming of each different season.

The only thing for Harry and Sasha to do, obviously, is to forget about the weirdos and start building their new life in their new home.

As they look forward to the arrival of Spring.

With a deeply sympathetic feeling for the ancient rhythms of the natural world and the stunning landscape of the western United States, allied to a sharply perceptive sense of the psychology of memory and the effects of PTSD, Harrison and Matthew Query have written a novel that is at once a rivetingly simple narrative and darkly complex supernatural thriller.

(P) 2022 Hachette Audio©2022 Fort Mazie, Inc. and Columbine Mountain, Inc.

Matthew QueryHarrison QueryJuliette GogliaKiff VandenheuvelHodder & Stoughton

Horror

Psychological

Supernatural

Suspense

Thriller & Suspense

Scary

Paranormal

Exciting

Horror Psychological Supernatural Suspense Thriller & Suspense Scary Paranormal Exciting

Critic reviews

This is classic supernatural horror, made freshly compelling with believable characters and perfect pacing. It is almost impossible to put down

A stonking great slice of American folk horror: modern trauma layered with ancient evil

I admired the way the authors wrote about these completely impossible events and still managed to make them plausible, frightening and totally compelling

What started as the spookiest of tales on Reddit-I should know, as I love them-sparked a tour-de-force of a novel that perfectly renders the tensions of living in isolation and the unforgiving passage of the seasons of the natural world. On top of that, Old Country delivers an unyielding sense of dread and suspense. I can't wait for more from the Query brothers

Who cooks? Who cleans? Who kills? Old Country ramps up our day-to-day household rituals to dizzying heights of horror. Domestic bliss has never been more terrifying

If you're a fan of creeping, atmospheric folk horror, the Brothers Query deliver. This book will have you peering out your window at the dark spaces between the trees, certain that someone - or something - is out there watching you back. Highly recommended

An artful chiller. Old Country stirs up our primal dread of a hostile wilderness, indifferent to man, that's reminiscent of such great works as Algernon Blackwood's The Wendigo

An extraordinarily assured debut: uncanny yet real, both lyrical and brutal, rich with truth about life and death

Action-packed horror . . . Fans of Stephen King and Paul Tremblay will find this a satisfying escape into the woods

[Old Country] captures the incomprehensible terror of an ancient supernatural entity with great skill. The set-pieces are physically and emotionally brutal, and many times I genuinely found it very hard to put down. More than that, Harry's and Sasha's attempts to rationalise something that makes no effort to be accommodating becomes a powerful metaphor not just for their attempts to cope with the aftermath of his war-trauma, but also for humanity's relationship with the natural world. I like that there's no cosy resolution - no happy-ever-after, no world-consuming nihilism; this is a tale that says we must make our own peace with the horrors that we find, and so I suppose it's quite a celebration of the strength of the human spirit. Is there such a thing as humanistic horror? If not, I think these guys might have just invented it

Most relevant

I have read the other reviews and think they may reflect the readers' own biases, which made me wonder what I should write to avoid the same issue.
I enjoyed this book and would go so far as to say I looked forward to driving to work so I could continue the story. I liked the voice of Sasha. As for her character within the story, I really enjoyed the positivity she brought. She was also needed to counter Harry's PTSD and resulting aggression as a trained marine living back in civvy street. The voice of Harry was a little gruff to begin with, but I became used to it and thought he was good in the end. If I had one criticism, the book could have done some done with some editing, as it did become repetitive at times, especially in relation to the final chapters. I especially liked the characterisation of Dan and Lucy. So, in summary, I would recommend this book. It is different, and it kept me entertained to the end.