Fray: The haunting and mysterious new literary suspense novel of 2023, for fans of bestsellers THE LONEY and PINE

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Running is letting go of language, stepping into a wordless space where you're free Did you struggle particularly with nerves or anxiety before races? Runner's World participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. So the last couple of years I’ve actually run without a watch, just getting out and enjoying it and that’s actually been fantastic. But of course running can seem a bit daunting, especially to those struggling with mental health difficulties . It's the exact opposite: it's letting go of language, sort of stepping into a wordless space where you're free.

There is a striving throughout the book to deal with personal demons and come out of them with a peace of mind. I always think an 800m race feels like a great idea until about 500m, then you are hanging on for dear life. I just about stuck with it, and was ultimately disappointed by it, though by its experimental nature I can respect Carse's boldness. This certainly isn’t a book for everyone due to the experimental nature of the writing, however I absolutely loved it. A truly unique book, like nothing I’ve ever read before … a thoughtful and beautifully written story, which is simultaneously gripping.You can just feel the urgency of it, how much it must have meant to capture the feelings in these pages. As both a runner and someone who loves the wild landscape of the Scottish Highlands this book transported me to a thoroughly engrossing world. The times of my life when I’m running, I'm happier and healthier, suffer fewer mental health problems. I’m always impressed when the written word evokes strong feelings and emotions; perhaps made easier by the similarities between it’s story and mine. So I guess running is for you both a tool for managing mental health but, in a way, it’s also a metaphor for it?

Guilt ridden by an argument that may have propelled their father's plight, the protagonist arrives in the Highlands, attempting to piece together what has happened to their father and come to terms with their own grief and guilt. Throughout the first 40 pages or so, I was actually loving the atmosphere and the way the characters inner monologue unfolded. I think feeling a bit nervous before a race is normal and helps – it can be quite exciting and then sort of balances against the lovely sense of achievement and the rush and exhaustion after it.I liked the book overall but by the end some questions were still very much unresolved and I was hoping to see them answered. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. The story is set in the bleakness of the Scottish highlands, which sets the scene for a beautiful tale of loss, grief, and personal discovery.

If the book had been about the protagonists grief then the end would have been great, but while the theme is touched on, it just doesn't seem to be about that. I ended up heavily skimming the main POV segments from about 65% on, then eventually skipped to the end and read the last chapter. The bleak and inhospitable nature around her creates a stark background for our unnamed protagonists grief and guilt over her double loss; the loss of someone missing without resolve, and the loss of someone certainly gone for good. Then, after that 25% mark, I began to see the cracks emerge, and slowly watched the novel crumble apart. When I sat down and read the final 100 pages in one sitting, I found I connected more with the rhythm and the cadences of the story.Chris Carse Wilson is an author and lifelong runner who uses exercise and nature to manage his mental health.