Tom Herrington

Tom Herrington is a British novelist whose work explores the darker edges of rural life, memory, and myth. His debut novel, Black Toad – A Gothic Thriller set in deepest rural Cornwall, has drawn praise for its dark humour, folkloric undertones, and chilling twists.

Set in the fictional village of Trebrowagh, you're sucked into a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud, grotesque and highly addictive tale of heartbreak, mystery and revenge. Tom’s storytelling is visceral, cinematic, and steeped in atmosphere — merging the psychological tension of classic thrillers with the uncanny unease of British folk horror.

Now living in Battle, East Sussex, when not writing, he’s usually wandering woodland paths with Filo the Labrador, plotting fictional crimes, creating or stealing the absurd and banal characters who dwell amongst us, or bribing ravens with biltong.

Literary & Cinematic Influences

• Daphne du Maurier – gothic suspense and timeless menace
• Agatha Christie – intricate plotting and chilling misdirection
• Ian Fleming – clipped elegance and psychological intrigue
• David Lynch – psychological disquiet and surreal dread
• Mark Jenkin – Cornish minimalism and haunting realism

Upcoming Titles

• The Cursed Inn – A gothic fireside short story set within the Black Toad universe in 1811, featuring ancestors of the Hawkeys.
• King Greene – A sequel to Black Toad, set in the Dordogne, Cornwall, and East Sussex. Expect Dr Greene’s backstory, a study of paganism, Christianity, and the Bruderhof… and the occasional (well-deserved) murder.
• The Haunting of Belham Hill – A folk horror set in rural Sussex.

Reader Praise

“Darkly comic and utterly unforgettable.”

“Haunting, visceral, and steeped in Cornish folklore. One of the most original thrillers I've read in years.”

“Du Maurier meets Hot Fuzz. Genuinely chilling in places, and laugh-out-loud grotesque in others.”

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