Atmospheric tale of an old pagan practice revived for a summer fete, summoning dangerous old forces that focus on a young outsider in a rural village. Marvelous writing evokes the rich summer countryside as well as loneliness, alienation, friendship and strange dark undercurrents. Visitor Lucy watches her one friend, square peg Kester, almost willfully become the prey and tries to save him from himself and from the hunt. The writing is of a particularly high standard and the whole thing is a chilling little read.