Thursbitch is a novel by English writer Alan Garner, named after the valley in the Pennines of England where the action occurs (also listed in the 1841 OS map as "Thursbatch"). It was published in 2003. Plot Set both in the 18th century and the present day, the novel centres on the mystery of an inscription on an extant engraved wayside stone tablet about a death from exposure. Major themes The book features shamanic use of the fly agaric mushroom and a piece of Derbyshire Blue John as plot elements. Literary significance and criticism The book is seen by critics of Garner's work as a continuation of styles and structures first used in Red Shift (1973) and Strandloper (1996). References 2003 British novels 2003 fantasy novels Novels by Alan Garner Novels set in Cheshire Blue John (mineral) Harvill Secker books