Ritual

Like so many other readers I picked Ritual up because it was the inspiration for Robin Hardy's The Wicker Man, one of my favourite films. Other than the insular village setting and some loose character sketches, and the basis for the infamous scene between Edward Woodward's devoutly Christian policeman, a naked Britt Ekland, and a bedroom wall, there are very few similarities between the book and the film. I am frankly baffled that people have given this five stars because it's fucking dreadful. My biggest takeaway from it is that David Pinner is a boob man:

Her curved breasts were tense with concentration.

The children stood arms akimbo. They were not going to be pushed around by the desire which rippled along her nipples.

She moved towards the village, allowing her hips to continue the conversation. Anna turned her head to see if her rhythmical magnet was functioning properly. It was. She stopped, pursing her nipples towards him and then swung on.

Now murder and Anna's nipples surged unheard in the undercurve of the wave.

He was looking forward to making that lovely titty lady tonight.

The nipples licked the edge of the waistcoat like dwarfs' tongues.

“Only his teeth sweated.”

“David listened with his groin.”