Murial McCauley is a feisty, forthright, and cantankerous (in a deeply funny and endearing way) holdout in the Scottish village of Witchaven who refuses to make way for a rich obnoxious American developer who wants to turn the land into a golf course. The Haar is the story of her last stand, and damn it if it wasn't an amazing book to end 2024 with. 

Similarly to Maggie's Grave, Sodergren introduces some supernatural and gory devices that connect Muriel's late husband as she stands her ground against seemingly impossible odds. This connection to her late husband is so beautifully interwoven with the horror elements that it never felt jarring to switch between what in many ways is a love story, with some truly entertaining body horror. 

There's definitely a point of no return with the plot where things start to escalate and you know that you're about to get taken on a wild ride, and Sodergren does NOT disappoint. 

Something else that really makes this book special is the afterword/dedication to Sodergren's grandmother and the inclusion of some of her journal entries. It makes the dedication at the beginning of the book all the more funny and endearing. 

I think David Sodergren is going to be one of a small handful of horror authors that I keep going back to even though I read way less horror now than I did when I first started this account. He always manages to create characters that are easy to relate to, his writing style flows effortlessly, and he doesn't take himself or the genre too seriously. You can tell how much fun he's having and that counts for a lot in my mind. 

I highly recommend this and suggest you follow him at @paperbacksandpugs if you don't already!