I have definitely been introduced to a new author in Martyn Waites and this excellent book "The Old Religion" will certainly not be my last by him. Having discovered that he is also the writer Tania Carver (which I have read and loved) and hailing from my neighbouring city of Newcastle, I will without doubt be reading many more books penned by this very talented and creative author. I thoroughly enjoyed this captivating story, thought it atmospheric, tense and had such a depth of characterisation I really could not put it down.
'An ex-undercover cop, Tom Kilgannon is in the Witness Protection Programme hiding from some very violent people and St Petroc offers him a chance to live a safe and quiet life. Until he meets Lila. Lila is a seventeen-year-old runaway. When she breaks into Tom's house she takes more than just his money. His wallet holds everything about his new identity. He also knows that Lila is in danger from the travellers' commune she's been living at. Something sinister has been going on there and Lila knows more than she realises. But to find her he risks not only giving away his location to the gangs he's in hiding from, but also becoming a target for whoever is hunting Lila.'
I liked Tom Kilgannon, mysterious, strong, fearless and the fact that he had a secret background past which wasn't revealed to the reader until the end made him and the storyline all the more intriguing and alluring. Set in beautiful Cornwall, the essence of the sea and the rugged coastline was captured perfectly. "The Old Religion" is based on the sinister and secretive paganism rituals of the Cornish old days within the small community of St Petroc and its inhabitants and the conclusion to this dark and chilling story literally blew me away.
I'm looking forward to the next intriguing Kilgannon novel which I understand is currently being written and I'd happily recommend this book and author, I really enjoyed reading it and will be now looking to buy and read his previous novels.
5 stars