Book Review: 'Good Boy' by Neil McRobert

I've been listening to Neil McRobert talk about horror writing on his essential podcast, Talking Scared, for years now, so when I learned he had a novella landing in 2025 I reached out to the publisher, because I wanted to make sure I got an early look at whatever might be coming.

And what I found was wonderful.

A story steeped in both the Gothic traditions and the intoxicating juxtaposition of English folklore and working class English country life, Good Boy is quite possibly my favorite debut book of the year, and proves that all of McRobert's wisdom as an interviewer and book reviewer translates beautifully into his fiction.

Amid the tragic disappearance of a child in their quiet town, a woman named Margie and a man named Jim meet by chance, when she catches him digging a grave in a nearby park where the missing child was last seen. What starts as suspicious activity by a stranger soon turns into an unlikely bond, as Jim explains his true purpose, and the long, long story behind the hole he's digging. In a nested narrative style reminiscent of classic weird and Gothic fiction, McRobert then takes us back to the story of Jim, his loyal dog, and the secret battle they've been fighting while life goes on around them.

I talk a lot about the importance of sincerity and earnestness in horror fiction, the need to buy in to the kind of narrative a writer is offering, and then need for each writer to invest themselves fully in whatever it is they're trying to say. Good Boy is inspired in no small part by McRobert's own relationship with his dog, Ted (a fixture for Talking Scared listeners), which roots the story immediately in a sense of warmth and grace. You don't have to be a dog lover to understand what's happening here, but you do have to believe completely in the bond between a man and his pet, and McRobert's immediate, impassioned depiction of that bond makes that quite easy.

Then there's the prose itself, which emerges with confidence and fluid poise from the very first page. I've already used the word warmth to describe this story, but it's quite apt, particularly when you settle into the rhythm of the sentences. It reads like something best enjoyed beside a fire, mug of tea at your side, not just because of the essential English-ness of it all, but because McRobert strikes a fine balance between luxuriating in his language and telling a story economically, crisply, like an old friend regaling you with their travels. It's a remarkably fully formed voice right out of the gate.

All of this combined with a very creepy supernatural threat and a genuine emotional throughline makes Good Boy a must-read debut from a voice in horror who will only grow more vital in the years to come. Neil McRobert has done something special here, and you won't want to miss it.

Good Boy is available October 9 from Wild Hunt Books.