Fragile Animals: An atmospheric contemporary Scottish gothic

Shortlisted for the 2025 Betty Trask Prize Shortlisted for the 2025 Book of the Year: Discover Award at the British Book Awards Shortlisted for the 2024 Saltire Society First Book Award

When an ex-Catholic woman develops a sexual relationship with a vampire, she is forced to confront the memories that haunt her religious past...

Struggling to deal with the familial trauma of her Catholic upbringing, hotel cleaner, Noelle, travels to the Isle of Bute. There, she meets a man who claims to be a vampire, and a relationship blooms between them based solely on confession.

But as talk turns sacrilegious, and the weather outside grows colder, Noelle struggles to come to terms with her blasphemous sexuality. She becomes hounded by memories of her past: her mother's affair with the local priest, and the part she played in ending it.

Bridging the gaps between contemporary gothic fiction, queer fiction and magical realism, Fragile Animals lures readers into Noelle's loose grasp on her world and immerses them in some of Scotland's most harsh and claustrophobic environments. Perfect for fans of Jenny Hval, Mariana Enriquez and Elle Nash.

‘Laced with bisexual longing and mommy issues, it’s a queer literary novel you simply must add to your TBR’ – LUCY ROSE, author of The Lamb (via The Nerd Daily)

‘A slick literary vampire novel to sink your teeth into. Hot!’ – ALICE SLATER, author of Death of a Bookseller

‘To read Jagger’s prose is to be riven; like the call of the ocean, one gazes into the story and becomes engulfed – Fragile Animals invites the reader into an awakening of the self which feels at once violent and immobilising’ – ELLE NASH, author of Deliver Me

‘Shirley Jackson meets The Wasp Factory. Bold, beguiling and breathtaking’ – CARRIE MARSHALL, author of Carrie Kills A Man

This novel contains references to self harm, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, domestic abuse, religious trauma, queer trauma and acts of homophobia.

© 2026 Verve Books (E-bog): 9780857307019

Udgivelsesdato

E-bog: 3. november 2026