Westcountry-based nature writer Tom Cox’s first full-length novel is full of treats and surprises, and touches on the inter-connectedness of us all.

Villager follows the history and fortunes of a fictional Devon village, spanning from its distant past to the near future. Seamlessly woven into the landscape and personalities is the influence of an obscure musician called RJ McKendree, whose talent permeates through the fabric of Underhill and resonates long after his death.

Flavoured with the folklore, nature and music writing that has made him famous, the gentle but deft hand of the author means that we are always firmly grounded in the village itself, despite travelling diversely along it’s timeline. Themes of the relationship between nature and humanity, nostalgia and progress, love and loss…these are all vividly portrayed, and framed by the singular inner voice of a hill that watches events unfold. The prose throughout is warm and informal, but crucially never afraid to go to darker places.

Ostensibly a love letter to Dartmoor, the sense of place and belonging in this novel shines brightly in this sometimes funny, sometimes melancholic, yet always engaging novel. Highly recommended.

(Review by Cliff)