Flood

More than a year after the death of his wife, Gregg retreats from the life he once knew. Living alone in a rented flat in a quiet village, he drifts through days of silence and nights softened by whiskey. Unable to return home, he keeps his grief at a distance - from his sister, from his son, and from the truth of what happened in Helen's final hours.

A chance encounter draws him into the orbit of Lorraine and Archie, and a small group who believe in the possibility of finding those they have lost. As Gregg travels north across Britain, listening to stories shaped by longing, memory, and hope, he finds himself shadowed by something he cannot explain - a presence that seems to follow wherever he goes.

As old guilt rises to the surface, Gregg is forced to confront what he has spent years trying not to remember.

Flood is a haunting literary novel about grief, longing, and the difficult work of returning to life.

Innes Richens was born in the American Midwest, grew up in the north of England, and has lived on the south coast for most of his adult life. Flood is his debut novel. He has previously self-published the novella The Soulless Man and a collection of short fiction, An Allowance of Small Noises, co-authored with Valerie Bird. He lives in Portsmouth with his husband and an English Springer Spaniel of strong opinions. He is working on his next novel.