Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Themes
Synopsis
Alison Hart is a medium by trade: dead people talk to her, and she talks back. With her flat-eyed, flint-hearted sidekick, Colette, she tours the dormitory towns of London's orbital road, passing on messages from dead ancestors: 'Granny says she likes your new kitchen units.' Alison's ability to communicate with spirits is a torment rather than a gift. Behind her plump, smiling and bland public persona is a desperate woman. She knows that the next life holds terrors that she must conceal from her clients. Her days and nights are haunted by the men she knew in her childhood, the thugs and petty criminals who preyed upon her hopeless, addled mother, Emmie. They infiltrate her house, her body and her soul; the more she tries to be rid of them, the stronger and nastier they become. This tenth novel by Hilary Mantel is a witty and deeply sinister story of dark secrets and forces, set in an England that jumps at its own shadow, a country whose banal self-absorption is shot through by fear of the engulfing dark.
Beyond Black: content & age rating
Intended for adult readers (18+).
This dark psychological fantasy contains disturbing childhood trauma including abuse and exploitation, supernatural possession and terror, mature psychological themes, and strong language. The tone is deeply sinister with elements of horror.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, moderate sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include sexual assault, child abuse, emotional abuse, and addiction (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Adult readers interested in psychological depth and dark supernatural stories will find this compelling despite its disturbing content.