Safe Return Doubtful

British Literature – Horror / Ghost Story – published April 2026

I really like the premise here; that something is so wrong with our current society that even the ghosts have packed up. Attention is brought to this by mediums and spiritualists who are protesting outside a London church with tents and placards, and making lots of noise.

The main part of the story concerns two friends, Kieran and Harlow, their quest to investigate the disappearance of their friend, Annie. This involves plenty of use AI and appropriately confronts the bleakness and loneliness that ultimately defines the human condition, highlighted in the days of social media. This part of the novel interested me a lot less, but Lury does a good job overall.

I guess to write a supernatural novel that involves AI being young helps, Lury is from London, and in his 20’s and this is his debut novel. Clearly, he is an exciting prospect.

My GoodReads score 4 / 5