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The darkly feminist horror novel crawling under your skin.

Sexual assault, domestic abuse, self-harm.

Something moves on the forest floor…

Josie is at rock bottom. Burned out, heartbroken and recovering from an abusive relationship, she lives a haunted existence after returning to her isolated hometown on the edge of the Forest of Dean.

But the tall, dense pine trees are not the only things casting shadows across her skin.

Josie’s hopes of a fresh start are horribly derailed when she stumbles across a dead woman’s decaying, ant-infested body in the woods. The grim discovery sends her into a downward spiral, forcing her to face uncomfortable truths about the victim and her own past – all whilst battling the swarming black ants that seem to have burrowed into her mind… and her flesh.

As Josie struggles with infestations of all kinds, she scratches the surface of an age-old mystery – a masked predator stalks the forest around Ellwood, a place deeply gripped by ancient folklore and strange customs. So when the village dresses up for its annual festival, Josie gets closer and closer to unveiling a monster, and begins to ask: Are these dark crawling insects leading her to uncover the truth? Or is she their next victim?

Don't just take our word for it...

“A deeply felt, haunting folk horror that crawls with secrets and darkness. This disturbing and tender novel possessed me and made my skin crawl. It will keep you up long into the night!”
– Lucy Rose, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Lamb

“A chilling and tremendously disturbing examination of a wounded mind… Sinister and utterly fiendish, ITCH! is a shocking and truly surprising blend of mystery, folk horror, and body horror that will burrow deep in your softest places, into your tenderest, most unspoiled secret parts.”
– Eric LaRocca, award-winning author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke

“From the first page, this story is already under your skin, building a nest in your heart.”
– Kylie Lee Baker, New York Times bestselling author of Bat Eater

Taste the very first page

2001

Josie’s father was chopping meat with a large and very sharp butcher’s knife, humming along to music, when his daughter came downstairs.

‘Dad?’

At first he didn’t hear her. The music was too loud.

Josie tried again, heart in her mouth.

‘Dad?’

The knife halted, mid-slice. Her father looked over to where Josie hovered in the kitchen doorway.

The girl wrung her hands together.

‘Sorry,’ she said.

Her father reached out, turned down the CD player, just enough to be heard over.
‘Are you a good girl, Josie?’ he asked, then.

Josie didn’t know how to answer that. The question, delivered so abruptly and without any context, felt like a trick.

She wrinkled her nose, fiddling with a strand of hair that had come loose from her braid as she worked through the best possible response.

If she said yes, her father would no doubt disagree. Worse, he’d be disappointed with her for lying. Josie knew she wasn’t a good girl. She had a hard time paying attention, was clumsy, frequently lost or broke things, and was often getting into trouble. A truly good girl would do none of those things.

If she answered no, however, her dad would be equally as disappointed in her. He would say she should try harder, then, to…

December 2025