A new housing development is well under construction in the quiet Hampshire village of West Marden and the deforestation of many acres of ancient woodland has already begun.
When one of the construction sites workers goes missing whilst working alone in the woods a series of strange and bloody incidences begin to occur. Local farmer Jenny Croft has lived on the Eastern edge of the old forest with her family for over twenty years and knows the area exceptionally well. So why does a trip along a local footpath with her youngest son cause her to start fearing for her familys safety? Where do the strange voices that they hear come from?
Old Mavis Fairbrook is a solitary and kooky green witch who has lived within the forest for her whole life. She is disliked by the locals for her sharp tongue, hatred of people and strangely youthful appearance for her advanced years. Mavis is a militant ecological activist and fought the plans for the development tooth and claw since its first conception, even resorting to sabotaging expensive equipment in her quest to halt the work. Now banned from the site by a court order, why is she so worried that the balance of nature has been tipped to the point of no return? Have ancient beings really been woken and walk the woods at night? If Mavis is right, can she prevent them from murdering again or is it already too late?
The Old Forest is Otto Redmans third horror novel and spine-tingling voyage into forest folk lore.
