Ritual is the novel it’s thought Wicker Man is based on. I was expecting therefore a creepy exploration into an isolated society with ancient beliefs.
What I got was a strange novel. The writing and protagonist jump around from one part to the next; leaving the reader behind as they go. The confusion between what is real and what is perception is so strong that it just leaves you feeling uncomfortable and baffled. The ending is, quite frankly, awful. The protagonist has schizophrenia, and is really the killer. Putting aside the terrible writing, this is offensive and extremely outdated thinking.
All in all, rather disappointing.