The Haar by David Sodergren is a folk-horror novel set in the Scottish fishing village of Witchaven. The protagonist, Muriel McAuley, is an eighty-four-year-old woman who has spent her entire life in the village; she refuses to leave her home even when an overseas property developer threatens to buy and demolish everything. As tensions rise, a mysterious and menacing fog known as the Haar creeps in from the sea — to some, it brings redemption, but to others, it brings madness and death.

When Muriel rescues a strange, otherworldly creature in the fog, she forges an unlikely and haunting bond with it. David Sodergren weaves together gore-soaked horror, body-horror, and tender, unexpected romance. As the battle between the villagers and the developers intensifies, the Haar’s dark secrets are revealed, leading to shocking violence and emotional catharsis — and Muriel’s courage and defiance become central to the eerie, tragic, and strangely beautiful tale¹.