The Hounding

Purvis attempts to channel the Brontës and Shirley Jackson in this inspired if undercooked debut about dangerous paranoia in an 18th-century English village. The “season of strangeness” in Little Nettlebed begins with the catching of an enormous “unnatural” sturgeon in the nearby Thames, which some see as a sign of the devil. The five Mansfield sisters—Anne, Elizabeth, Hester, Grace, and Mary, who live on a farm with their blind and recently widowed grandfather Joseph—elicit enmity from the villagers with their exclusive bond and seeming condescension. Thomas Mildmay, who works on the farm, becomes entranced by the eldest sister, the dark and powerful Anne, while ferryman Pete Darling nurses his resentment toward them after a handful of perceived slights. When Pete thinks he sees the Mansfield girls transforming into dogs, it’s possible his grudge has clouded his reason. Either way, he spreads the claim widely, after which every awful event, including the killing of a coop full of chickens, is attributed to the sisters. Fear of the Mansfields spreads, and the novel culminates in a murder. The story alludes to modern-day paranoia and scapegoating without offering significant surprises or memorable insights, but it sustains an eerie vibe, and Purvis depicts the disturbing sisters and bucolic setting in sensual prose. Neo-gothic diehards will find enough to enjoy. (Aug.)