The Lamb : The bestselling literary sensation of 2025

The instant No. 2 Sunday Times bestseller, the coming-of-age cannibal folktale that everyone is talking about

THE #2 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

A gripping, sinister folktale set in contemporary Cumbria for fans of Sophie Mackintosh, Angela Carter, Daisy Johnson, Margaret Atwood and Julia Armfield

''A new generation of literary horror begins with Lucy Rose''
GENEVIEVE JAGGER

''Deliciously dark and shockingly bold. One of my favourite debuts in a long time''
KIRSTY LOGAN

''Superbly creepy . . . at heart it''s about dysfunctional family dynamics, female rage and empowerment''
FINANCIAL TIMES

''An unforgettable, nightmarish tale. I ate it all up''
ANNA BOGUTSKAYA

A FOLK TALE. A HORROR STORY. A LOVE STORY. AN ENCHANTMENT.

Margot and Mama have lived by the forest since Margot can remember. When Margot isn''t at school, they spend quiet days together in their cottage, waiting for strangers to knock on their door. Strays, Mama calls them. Mama loves the strays. She feeds them wine, keeps them warm. Then she satisfies her burning appetite by picking apart their bodies.

But Mama''s want is stronger than her hunger sometimes, and when a white-toothed stray named Eden turns up in the heart of a snowstorm, little Margot must confront the shifting dynamics of her family, untangle her own desires and make a bid for freedom.

With this tender coming-of-age tale, debut novelist Lucy Rose explores how women swallow their anger, desire and animal instincts - and wrings the relationship between mother and daughter until blood drips from it.

''Stunning, shocking and surprising at each turn''
BENJAMIN MYERS

''A modern Grimm fairytale''
SUSAN BARKER

''Dark, poetic, gothic, folky and full of courage and beauty''
TIM DOWNIE

''Dear reader, I predict you will be as obsessed as me'' 
MOLLY AITKEN

''Lucy Rose can certainly write . . . The Lamb grips all the way to an unexpected denouement''
GUARDIAN