A soul-corrupting evil has invaded the remote English village of Cainsmarsh, infesting the minds of the local residents. An old woman fears her own shadow; a petrified farmer plots the murder of a scarecrow; family pets are brutally killed, and previously-happy couples descend into anger and violence. A prophetic insight into the primitive distrust that threatens the modern world, "The Croquet Player" is not to be missed by fans of horror fiction.