Never read a book this quick in a long time. Great characters, pacing and humour blended in with a dark foreboding atmosphere make for the best read in years.

Fantastic storyline, shocking in parts, believable characters, a real page-turner with a fantastic ending. Tom Herrington looks like he’s going to be a great author to follow. Highly recommended.

I love a book set in Cornwall and I equally love a dark, twisty crime novel. This tragic tale is set across a dual timeline of 1991 and 2024… What happens next is full of surprises and dark humour as the story gets increasingly unexpected. The characters are like a cross between The League of Gentlemen and This Country. Be prepared to be transported to Cornwall—but not the holiday version you know!

Not only a great debut novel, but a great novel, full stop. The threads really do come together. Gripping from start to finish.

Twists and turns throughout. It’s such a joy to love a book this much. Hope someone options it for filming!

A great story, well written. Can’t wait for book two.

I felt invested in every character from the moment they appeared. You can’t help but read it in a Cornish accent.

Surprised by how hooked I got. Not normally a thriller reader but this was totally engaging. Laugh-out-loud funny and full of surprises.

Black Toad is a brilliantly weird mix of crime thriller, folk horror, and dark comedy. The story is gripping, the characters are deeply unsettling, and the Cornish setting adds a haunting, atmospheric edge. Herrington’s writing is sharp and surprising—funny one moment, chilling the next. A fantastic debut. Highly recommended! I am excited to read his future novels.