A novel of pagan terror from the author of The Ritual and The Reddening.Disaster strikes quickly and without warning. What should have been a glorious weekend of kayaking and camping, in a secluded beauty spot, is transformed by a scream. The first crisis, initiating a deadly momentum that accelerates as the valley reveals itself to Marcus and his five companions.They're trespassing on strictly private land. There's only one way out. An escape route closed until the next high tide fills the estuary. In twelve hours' time.Recreation becomes survival.Marooned, unable to summon help, harassed by dire and worsening circumstances, the ties that bind the expedition are stretched taut. If they snap, vital cooperation will unravel and the group members' damning secrets will be revealed.Only the most courageous and committed have any chance against the area's inhabitants. But is any mind strong enough to endure a confrontation with the most hideous revelation of all? An ancient evil that coils beneath the valley's sinister folklore.A story of life and death in the wilderness, and a horrifying tale of extreme survival against supernatural powers, from the four times winner of the August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel.