Few books have such a damply pungent sense of place as Tom Cox’s intriguing first novel. Its setting is the fictional village of Underhill and the moorland that surrounds it, and Cox heralds his time “living and walking” on Dartmoor as inspiration. Fittingly, Villager gives us a landscape of wonder, the peaty soil thick with history while folk tales and gossip fill its contours with life.
Cox’s writing career has been propelled by a rich variety of enthusiasms. His 2007 memoir Bring Me the Head of Sergio Garcia described his disastrous attempt to become a professional golfer; his other memoirs, podcasts, blogs and tweets feature everything from vinyl (he once reviewed music for the Guardian) to hills, sheep, interior design, pixies, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and his many cats.
