Contemporary horror, ghost stories and supernatural fiction
Cornerstone The Apparition Phase: Shortlisted for the 2021
Book SynopsisSome ghosts never leave us.SHORTLISTED FOR THE MCKITTERICK PRIZE 2021'A wild rural gothic with some slick plotting . . . the perfect novel for our phantom present' Guardian 'Outstanding . . . ideal for fans of Andrew Michael Hurley' Metro _________________Twins Tim and Abi have always been different from their peers, spending their evenings in the attic of their parents' suburban house, poring over reports of the unexplained. Obsessed with photographs of ghostly apparitions, they decide to fake their own, and use it to frighten a girl at school.But what was only supposed to be a harmless prank sets in motion a deadly and terrifying chain of events that neither of them could have predicted..._________________'Clear your diary, switch off your phone, and get lost in this atmospheric and madly gripping ghost story' Daily Mirror'A nostalgic delight' Irish Independent'Intriguing, atmospheric and utterly terrifying in parts' My WeeklyTrade ReviewOutstanding debut ... ideal for fans of Andrew Michael Hurley * Metro *There are chills galore in this enjoyable 70s-set debut about disturbed teenagers and malevolent spirits ... Anyone who remembers the 70s will thrill to Maclean's depiction of the period... The ending of the novel is particularly impressive, with Maclean bringing together both his novelistic and scriptwriting skills to full effect... Maclean brings together this strain of wild rural gothic with some slick TV plotting and a depiction of 70s British suburban life to produce a novel that amounts to considerably more than the sum of its parts, with moments of hallucinatory brilliance ... [a] very successfully scary book about twins and chaos and loss - may be the perfect novel for our phantom present. * Guardian *A gripping commentary on the English obsession with class and how they deal with grief- and a nostalgic delight for those who devoured the popular paperback ghost stories of the 1970s and 80s. * Irish Independent *A truly unsettling literary ghost story where the shadows encroach and dread lurks around every corner. -- Lucie McKnight Hardy, author of WATER SHALL REFUSE THEM Will Maclean's The Apparition Phase is an extraordinarily powerful account of growing up in the Seventies ... Tim and Abi's enthusiasm for the weird is wonderfully infectious, and the séance scenes later in the book are truly hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck stuff. But most of all, Maclean has captured the feel of the Seventies impeccably. This book is a must for anyone touched by hauntology. * Fortean Times *
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers Ring
Book SynopsisStunning Japanese thriller with a chilling supernatural twist. The novel that inspired the cult Japanese movie and the Hollywood blockbuster of the same name.Asakawa is a hardworking journalist who has climbed his way up from local-news beat reporter to writer for his newspaper's weekly magazine. A chronic workaholic, he doesn't take much notice when his seventeen-year-old niece dies suddenly until a chance conversation reveals that another healthy teenager died at exactly the same time, in chillingly similar circumstances.Sensing a story, Asakawa begins to investigate, and soon discovers that this strange simultaneous sudden-death syndrome also affected another two teenagers. Exactly one week before their mysterious deaths the four teenagers all spent the night at a leisure resort in the same log cabin.When Asakawa visits the resort, the mystery only deepens. A comment made in the guest book by one of the teenagers leads him to a particular vidoetape with a portentous message at the Trade Review‘The pace doesn't slacken for a moment … a guaranteed page-turner’ Observer ‘Suzuki builds tension brilliantly’ Guardian ‘Bristles with menace and fear’ Uncut ‘The translation is wonderful, the spare and sleek prose making for an easy read, while the dark currents of the story build up to a mind-boggling climax’ Outland
£11.69
Cornerstone The Twilight Watch
Book SynopsisSERGEI LUKYANENKO is the author of over 25 books. The Night Watch' series has sold over two million hardbacks. The Night Watch and The Day Watch were both made into internationally successful films. Sergei Lukyanenko lives in Moscow.Trade ReviewPraise for The Night WatchJK Rowling, Russian style.... [a] cracking read, owing more to Rowling or Philip Pullman than it does to the horror genre... Surprisingly readable and addictive...it relies on suspense and psychological drama and a good dose of humour - rather than blood and guts. * Daily Telegraph *Magical... Modern, new and distinctly creepy... the magic is rooted in the realities of modern Russia. Inventive, sardonic, and imbued with a surprising the sense that, for this author and his audience, much of this stuff is new-minted. * Independent *So good that the film feels like a trailer for it * Time Out *[a] dazzling fantasy * Telegraph *
£9.49
Vintage Publishing Things We Say in the Dark
Book Synopsis'Gripping . . . You won't put it down' Sunday TelegraphA shocking collection of dark stories, ranging from chilling contemporary fairytales to disturbing supernatural fiction.Alone in a remote house in Iceland a woman is unnerved by her isolation; another can only find respite from the clinging ghost that follows her by submerging herself in an overgrown pool. Couples wrestle with a lack of connection to their children; a schoolgirl becomes obsessed with the female anatomical models in a museum; and a cheery account of child's day out is undercut by chilling footnotes.These dark tales explore women's fears with electrifying honesty and invention and speak to one another about female bodies, domestic claustrophobia, desire and violence. 'A brilliant collection of stories . . . All will burrow their way into your brain and not let go' Stylist'Shimmers with menace . . . Fans of Angela Carter and Shirley Jackson take note' i NewspaperKIRSTY LOGAN WAS SELECTED AS ONE OF BRITAIN'S TEN MOST OUTSTANDING LGBTQ WRITERS by Val McDermid for the International Literature Showcase in 2019Trade ReviewDeeply, deeply unsettling and brilliant collection of short stories. Some feature horror, nearly all feature dread and, in the manner of Shirley Jackson, all will burrow their way into your brain and not let go. * Stylist *Finely crafted feminist short stories, each one gripping and unnerving in equal measure… you won’t put it down * Sunday Telegraph *Literary and menacing. Powerfully unsettling. A fascinating collection. * Metro *Logan observes modern anxieties and commonplace troubles and twists them into surreal new shapes...marvellously unnerving...her sharp wit is unmistakable. * New Statesman *Her poetic, supernatural prose has lace edges of sticky, violent terror...Logan masters the format indubitably, channelling the spirit of Angela Carter... these tales seem to perfectly suit the unsettling times in which we live. Luckily for us, in writing these terrifying tales Logan, like Margaret Atwood or George Orwell, turns the big light on. * Herald *
£9.87
Vintage Publishing The Travelling Bag
Book SynopsisA terrifying ghost story by the bestselling author of The Woman in Black.From the foggy streets of Victorian London to the eerie perfection of 1950s suburbia, the everyday is invaded by the evil otherworldly in this unforgettable collection of ghost stories from the author of The Woman in Black.In the title story, on a murky evening in a warmly lit club off St James, a bishop listens closely as a paranormal detective recounts his most memorable case, one whose horrifying denouement took place in that very building.In 'The Front Room', a devoutly Christian mother tries to protect her children from the evil influence of their grandmother, both when she is alive and when she is dead.A lonely boy finds a friend in 'Boy Number 21', but years later he is forced to question the nature of that friendship and to ask whether ghosts can perish in fires.This is Susan Hill at her best, telling characteristically flesh-creeping and startling tales of thwarted ambition, terrifying revenge and supernatural stirrings that will leave readers wide awake long into the night.
£9.49
Flame Tree Publishing A Man Among Ghosts
Book SynopsisAfter surviving a near-death experience, David finds himself haunted by ghosts in the old Victorian house he is renovating. These tortured souls beg for his help and offer him protection from a demonic presence that wants David dead for a crime he doesn’t remember committing. Even more surprising, he soon learns these are spirits of people who are not yet dead. Is this real, is he hallucinating, or is someone trying to drive him insane? As his paranoia ramps up, he discovers the truth is even more bizarre. The haunting won’t stop until he kills a man named “Fitz.”
£11.66
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Black Angel
Book Synopsis'One of Britain's finest horror writers' DAILY MAIL In a city wreathed in fog, a satanic killer stalks the streets... Enter Lieutenant Foggia who, assisted by a spiritualist medium, must discover the reason for the slayings. But the truth he unearths is beyond anything he's encountered in the real world. For the killings are paving the way for a force so powerful that the lives of a few innocents will appear unimportant in comparison... Packed with twists, and laced with spiritualism, witchcraft and demonology, Black Angel moves at a break-neck pace from its stomach-churning opening to the explosive final confrontation between man and demon. 'One of the most original and frightening storytellers of our time' PETER JAMES 'A true master of horror' JAMES HERBERT 'God, he's good' STEPHEN KINGTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR GRAHAM MASTERTON: 'A true master of horror' James Herbert. 'One of the most original and frightening storytellers of our time' -- Peter James
£12.64
HarperCollins Publishers BEYOND BLACK Hilary Mantel Margaret Atwood
Book SynopsisA comically sinister tale of wicked spirits and suburban mediums from the Man Booker Prize-winning author of Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies and The Mirror & the Light.Alison Hart, a medium by trade, tours the dormitory towns of London's orbital ring road with her flint-hearted sidekick, Colette, passing on messages from beloved dead ancestors. But behind her plump, smiling persona hides a desperate woman: she knows the terrors the next life holds but must conceal them from her wide-eyed clients. At the same time she is plagued by spirits from her own past, who infiltrate her body and home, becoming stronger and nastier the more she resistsShortlisted for the Orange Prize, Hilary Mantel's supremely suspenseful novel is a masterpiece of dark humour and even darker secrets.Trade Review‘Magnificent…It’s one of the greatest ghost stories in the language, but it’s far more than just a ghost story – it’s a novel of desperate truthfulness – a majestic work, truly.’ Philip Pullman ‘Sparkling, sinister and supremely original.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘As black as a tar barrel and very, very funny.’ The Times ‘Laceratingly observant, a masterpiece of wit, heavy with atmosphere. It is also gloriously insolent and slyly funny: full of robust, uncluttered prose and searing moments.' Independent ‘Pins elusive Middle England to the page in all its creepiness: a place blank and disconnected, yet fatally self-absorbed.’ Rachel Cooke, Observer ‘An elegant, atmospheric tale and a nuanced portrait, full of ironies.’ Tatler 'Chilling, creepy and endlessly inventive.' Kate Saunders, The Times ‘Hilary Mantel has done something extraordinary. She has taken the ethereal halfway house between heaven and hell, between the living and the dead, and nailed it on the page.’ Fay Weldon, Guardian ‘Has the kind of gallows humour that makes you laugh out loud…A real page-turner, a darkly humorous take on the enduring effects of childhood trauma.’ Mslexia 'A deep, disturbing, violently amusing and subversive work.’ Daily Telegraph
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers Fireside Gothic
Book SynopsisIt's Christmas before the Great War and two lonely schoolboys have been left in the care of an elderly teacher. There is little to do but listen to his eerie tales about the nearby Cathedral. The boys concoct a plan to discover if the stories are true. But curiosity can prove fatal.Trade ReviewPraise for Fireside Gothic: ‘Spine tinglers that cry out to be read in the flickering light of a wood fire… Wonderfully atmospheric’ Kate Saunders, The Times Praise for The Ashes of London ‘The Ashes of London presents a breathtakingly ambitious picture of an era… The multiple narrative strands are drawn together in a brilliantly orchestrated finale’ Financial Times ‘A complex weave of history and mystery and the first of a new series from Andrew Taylor’ The i ‘This is terrific stuff: intelligent, engrossing and, in its evocation of a long-vanished London, wonderfully plausible.’ Toby Clements, Daily Telegraph ‘A pacey story… Taylor masters the detail as well as the broader picture… A new Shardlake may be rising from the ashes’ The Times ‘Thrilling… Gripping, fast-moving and credible… It’s a well-constructed political thriller with moments of horror, admirable and enjoyable. Taylor has done his research so thoroughly as to be unobtrusive’ Spectator ‘The description of London in 1666, as the Great Fire is at last dying down, is unforgettable’ Literary Review ‘Finely wrought and solidly researched… The novel’s plot is fiendishly complex’ Sunday Telegraph ‘The Ashes of London is a chilling murder mystery and an equally transporting historical novel. A genuine pleasure from start to finish’ Peter Swanson
£10.44
Pan Macmillan Black Water Sister
Book SynopsisThis mischievous Malaysian-set novel is an adventure featuring family, ghosts and local gods - from Hugo Award winning novelist Zen Cho.'A sharp and bittersweet story of past and future, ghosts and gods and family, that kept me turning pages into the dark hours of the night' – Naomi Novik, author of UprootedHer grandmother may be dead, but she's not done with life . . . yet.As Jessamyn packs for Malaysia, it’s not a good time to start hearing a bossy voice in her head. Broke, jobless and just graduated, she’s abandoning America to return ‘home’. But she last saw Malaysia as a toddler – and is completely unprepared for its ghosts, gods and her eccentric family’s shenanigans.Jess soon learns her ‘voice’ belongs to Ah Ma, her late grandmother. She worshipped the Black Water Sister, a local deity. And when a business magnate dared to offend her goddess, Ah Ma swore revenge. Now she’s decided Jess will help, whether she wants to or not.As Ah Ma blackmails Jess into compliance, Jess fights to retain control. But her irrepressible relative isn’t going to let a little thing like death stop her, when she can simply borrow Jess’s body to make mischief. As Jess is drawn ever deeper into a world of peril and family secrets, getting a job becomes the least of her worries.‘This may be Zen Cho's best work yet’ – Karen Lord, author of The Best of All Possible Worlds‘A compelling and deftly written ghost story' – Kate Elliott, author of Cold MagicTrade ReviewZen Cho's brilliant and distinct voice brings worlds to life on the page. A sharp and bittersweet story of past and future, ghosts and gods and family, that kept me turning pages into the dark hours of the night -- Naomi Novik, author of UprootedTold with love and humour, Black Water Sister is both ode and accusation to all the ties that bind - to family, duty and home. Thrilling and terrifying, honest and hopeful, this may be Zen Cho's best work yet -- Karen Lord, author of The Best of All Possible WorldsA creepily atmospheric and surprisingly heartwarming tale of gangsters, family, and spirits -- Aliette de Bodard, author of The House of Shattered WingsZen Cho’s Black Water Sister is a perfect blend of ghosts, gods, and the eternal bonds of family ties. Set in the gorgeous backdrop of Penang, Jess reunites with her extended family and navigate the world of spirits and gangsters. This novel is perfect for readers craving an otherworldly, atmospheric fantasy -- Roselle Lim, author of Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and FortuneZen Cho’s Black Water Sister is the diaspora fantasy of my dreams – funny, creepy, and heartfelt. Jessamyn Teoh never wanted to be haunted by her sassy, score-settling grandmother, but when she moves from America to her parents’ hometown in Malaysia, she must navigate family, gods, ghosts and old grudges in this compelling and heartwarming ghost story -- Vanessa Len, author of Only a MonsterA thrilling modern fantasy tale packed to the brim with deliciously petty spirits, intriguing family secrets, and an achingly tender personal journey for our thoroughly relatable heroine. I absolutely loved it -- Sarah Kuhn, author of the Heroine Complex seriesA compelling and deftly written ghost story of a young woman's passage through the grudges and tragedies of her family's past to find a path into a future she chooses for herself -- Kate Elliott, author of Cold MagicGhosts, gods, and supernatural vengeance collide in vividly-depicted modern day Malaysia to create a contemporary fantasy story that’s full of voice and heart. At turns suspenseful, poignant and hilarious, Black Water Sister is an addictive tale of personal identity, family secrets, and culture clash -- Fonda Lee, author of Jade CityCho’s multifaceted characters, like her masterful plot, are never quite what they first appear. Unpredictable twists keep the pages turning while the comic but endearing relationship between Jess and her sassy grandmother provides the story’s heart. This is must-read fantasy -- Publishers WeeklyClever, funny and compulsively readable – I loved it! -- Lavie Tidhar on The True QueenAn enchanting cross between Georgette Heyer and Susannah Clarke, full of delights and surprises. Zen Cho unpins the edges of the canvas and throws them wide -- Naomi Novik on Sorcerer to the CrownA captivating debut . . . tells an entertaining story with wit and consummate skill -- Guardian on Sorcerer to the Crown
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Slender Man
Book SynopsisLAUREN BAILEY HAS DISAPPEARED.As her friends and the police search for answers, Matt Barker begins to dream of trees and black skies and something drawing closer.Through fragments of journals, blog posts and messages, a sinister, slender figure emerges and all divisions between fiction and delusion, between nightmare and reality, begin to fall.The urban legend of the Slender Man has inspired short fiction, viral videos, and a feature film. Gathered from onlinewhispers, Matt's story reveals the true power of the internet's most terrifying creation.
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group Resurrection Dreams
Book Synopsis''If you''ve missed Laymon, you''ve missed a treat'' Stephen King Melvin always was a creepy kid. Vicki still has nightmares about what he did with the dead body and the car battery. Now, years later, he''s been released from the institution and Vicki knows she''ll be seeing him again. But Melvin''s been developing his work with the dead and this time his plans include her.
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group Allhallows Eve
Book Synopsis''If you''ve missed Laymon, you''ve missed a treat'' Stephen King The Sherwood house has been deserted since the horrific killing of a local family in the sleepy town of Ashburg. When invitations to a mysterious party to be held there are sent out, nobody is particularly surprised - after all, everyone wants to party in a house of death on Allhallow''s Eve.
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Bird Box The bestselling psychological thriller
Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR FILMIF YOU'VE SEEN WHAT'S OUT THERE IT'S ALREADY TOO LATEMalorie raises the children the only way she can: indoors, with the doors locked, the curtains closed, and mattresses nailed over the windows.The children sleep in the bedroom across the hall, but soon she will have to wake them and blindfold them.Today they will risk everything. Today they will leave the house.Josh Malerman's New York Times bestselling Bird Box is a terrifying psychological thriller that will haunt you long after reading.Trade Review‘BIRD BOX turns the old Hollywood cliché of facing down the demon inside out – then tears it into little pieces’Daily Mail ‘A book that demands to be read in a single sitting, and through the cracks between one's fingers'Hugh Howey ‘A lean, spellbinding thriller that Stephen King fans will relish.’Publishers Weekly (STARRED REVIEW) ‘You wonder whether that brush against your shoulder was some unspeakable horror or merely a falling leaf’SFX ‘This completely compelling novel contains a thousand subtle touches but no mere flourishes – it is so well, so efficiently, so directly written I read it with real admiration’Peter Straub ‘Nailbiting … will keep you gripped till the last chapter’SciFiNow 'Unflagging suspense and ever-present dread’Adam Nevill 'Uniquely disturbing, exceptionally compelling and beautifully written, I defy anyone not to read it in one sitting'Sarah Pinborough ‘An unsettling thriller, earns comparisons to Hitchcock's The Birds, as well as the finer efforts of Stephen King and cult sci-fi fantasist Jonathan Carroll.’– Kirkus (STARRED REVIEW)
£9.49
Pan Macmillan The Secret of Cold Hill
Book SynopsisFrom the number one bestselling author, Peter James, comes The Secret of Cold Hill. The spine-chilling follow-up to The House on Cold Hill. Now a smash-hit stage play.Cold Hill House has been razed to the ground by fire, replaced with a development of ultra-modern homes. Gone with the flames are the violent memories of the house’s history, and a new era has begun.Although much of Cold Hill Park is still a construction site, the first two families move into their new houses. For Jason and Emily Danes, this is their forever home, and for Maurice and Claudette Penze-Weedell, it’s the perfect place to live out retirement. Despite the ever present rumble of cement mixers and diggers, Cold Hill Park appears to be the ideal place to live. But looks are deceptive and it’s only a matter of days before both couples start to feel they are not alone in their new homes.There is one thing that never appears in the estate agent brochures: nobody has ever survived beyond forty in Cold Hill House and no one has ever truly left . . .Trade ReviewImpeccable . . . -- Sunday Times on The House on Cold HillJames is a compelling storyteller and he ratchets up the tension in increments, so that his readers will be suitably terrified. By the time you want to scream 'Look behind you!', it's already too late -- ‘Halloween Chillers’, Daily Mail, on The House on Cold Hill
£8.99
Orenda Books Demon: The bone-chilling, addictive bestseller
Book SynopsisScott King investigates allegations of demon possession in a rural Yorkshire village, where a 12-year-old boy was murdered by two young children. Book six in the spine-tingling, award-winning Six Stories series.‘Matt’s books are fantastic’ Ian Rankin‘An exceptional storyteller’ Andrew Michael Hurley ‘Matt Wesolowski is taking the crime novel to places it’s never been before’ Joseph Knox, author of True Crime Story'A stunning new episode of the powerful Six Stories series. A masterful storyteller, Matt Wesolowski is my go-to writer for literary horror' C J Cooke, author of The Lighthouse Witches____________In 1995, the picture-perfect village of Ussalthwaite was the site of one of the most heinous crimes imaginable, in a case that shocked the world.Twelve-year-old Sidney Parsons was murdered by two boys his own age. No reason was ever given for this terrible crime, and the ‘Demonic Duo’ who killed him were imprisoned until their release in 2002, when they were given new identities and lifetime anonymity.Elusive online journalist Scott King investigates the lead-up and aftermath of the killing, uncovering dark stories of demonic possession, and encountering a village torn apart by this unspeakable act.And, as episodes of his Six Stories podcast begin to air, and King himself becomes a target of media scrutiny and public outrage, it becomes clear that whatever drove those two boys to kill is still there, lurking, and the campaign of horror has just begun...____________ ‘Matt Wesolowski is boldly carving his own uniquely dark niche in fiction’ Benjamin Myers‘Matt’s real skill is in finding a deeply human story and twisting it with the paranormal, touching the reader and scaring the wits out of them’ Chris MacDonald‘One of the most exciting and original voices in crime fiction’ Alex North‘A wonderful writer’ Chris Whitaker‘I’ll be rereading these books forever’ Sublime Horror‘The master of horror, of mixing folklore with urban myth and real life. Terrifyingly good’ Louise Beech‘A taut and gripping tale that deftly skewers the perfect balance of crime, thriller and horror. Intriguing, disturbing and impeccably crafted – I was riveted from the first page’ Lucie McKnight Hardy, author of Dead RelativesPraise for the Six Stories series: **Longlisted for Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year****Winner of the Capital Crime Best Independent Voice Award**’A captivating, genre-defying book with hypnotic storytelling’ Rosamund Lupton Original, inventive and dazzlingly clever’ Fiona Cummins‘Daisy Jones and the Six gone to the dark side. I couldn’t put it down’ Harriet Tyce‘Bold, clever and genuinely chilling with a terrific twist’ Sunday Mirror‘Insidiously terrifying, with possibly the creepiest woods since The Blair Witch Project’ C J Tudor‘Frighteningly wonderful … one of the best books I’ve read in years’ Khurrum Rahman‘Disturbing, compelling and atmospheric, it will terrify and enthral you in equal measure’ M W Craven‘A dark, twisting rabbit hole of a novel. You won't be able to put it down' Francine Toon‘First-class plotting’ S Magazine‘A dazzling fictional mystery’ Foreword Reviews‘Readers of Kathleen Barber’s Are You Sleeping and fans of Ruth Ware will enjoy this slim but compelling novel’ BooklistFor fans of Serial, The Conjuring, C J Tudor, Fiona Cummins, Sarah Pinborough and Catriona Ward
£8.54
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Cardiff, by the Sea
Book SynopsisFrom Joyce Carol Oates, literary icon and author of BLONDE, now a major motion picture, come four psychologically daring and chillingly suspenseful stories where women face threats both past and present. A Pennsylvania academic unearths a terrifying trauma from her past after inheriting a house in Cardiff, Maine from a stranger. A lonely pubescent girl befriends a feral cat that protects her from the increasingly aggressive men that surround her. A brilliant but shy college sophomore realizes she is pregnant and, distraught, allows a distinguished visiting professor to take her under his wing. And a widower remarries, but finds his young bride haunted by his dead wife's voice dancing in the wind. 'A stylish, suspenseful quartet of novellas tinged with the supernatural.' Daily Mail Reviews for Joyce Carol Oates: 'A writer of extraordinary strengths.' Guardian 'Oates chillingly depicts the darkness lurking within the everyday.' Sunday Express 'Both haunting and sublime.' Literary Review 'Splendidly chilling.' Financial Times 'Visceral, psychologically involving, and socially astute.' BooklistTrade ReviewA splendidly chilling quartet... Oates' world is full of iniquities, and grisly ways to rectify them. But it's a world sharp with reality, for all its ghouls and sorrows * Financial Times *The admirably unflagging Oates returns with a stylish, suspenseful quartet of novellas tinged with the supernatural * Daily Mail *PRAISE FOR JOYCE CAROL OATES: 'Both haunting and sublime' Literary Review. 'An unsettling read worth every resulting jump in the night... [Oates is a] literary goddess' Daily Mail. 'As usual with Oates, it is horribly readable, but driven by something disturbingly like genuine misanthropy' Sunday Times. 'Oates chillingly depicts the darkness lurking within the everyday' Sunday Express. 'A writer of extraordinary strengths' * Guardian *
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Gathering The gripping new crime thriller
Book SynopsisThe shocking thriller with a difference from internationally bestselling author Lisa StoneA friendly reunionAfter ten years, Sarah and her husband Roshan are looking forward to catching up with their closest school friends. So when one of them invites the group to spend a week in a beautiful converted church, they eagerly accept.A vision of fearVery quickly though, Sarah becomes unsettled. She is frightened by the church's creepy surroundings, and she thinks she might be seeing ghosts. Even more disturbing, a masked woman is committing armed robberies in the area and the police can't catch her.A terrifying secretAs Sarah and the others begin to have more frightening visions, the armed woman strikes again. The group of friends begin to wonder just what they've got themselves intoLook out for Lisa Stone''s latest book, The Murder Room, out July 2024!What readers are saying about The GatheringI was on the edge of my seat reading this!' ?????Once you start you can''t put it down till you Trade Review Praise for Lisa Stone ‘Couldn’t put it down, it was so addictive!’ Amazon reviewer ‘I was so hooked on this book I was up all night reading it into the next day’ Amazon reviewer ‘The written style keeps the reader enthralled’ Amazon reviewer ‘If you like a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish this book is for you’ Amazon reviewer ‘This is a cracking good read that had me hooked from the beginning until the end. Full of murders, spiritualistic intrigue and just a hint of romance. It is quick paced, extremely thought provoking and full of twists and turns. I didn't want to put this book down.’ Amazon reviewer ‘Fantastic book, couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough!’ Amazon reviewer ‘A well-written and extremely addictive novel that will stick in your head long after putting it down.’ Amazon reviewer
£8.54
Cornerstone The Book of Accidents
Book Synopsis'Move over King, Chuck Wendig is the new voice of modern American horror' Adam Christopher'A rich, rewarding tale' The Guardian____________________________________________________________________________A family returns to their hometown - and to the dark past that haunts them still - in this masterpiece of literary horror by the New York Times bestselling author of WanderersWhen Nate's father dies, he leaves behind a final gift for his son: his childhood home. Married now, Nate decides to move in with his wife, Maddie, and their son, Oliver, seeking peace from the chaos of the city.But it doesn't take long before things get strange in the night and even stranger by day.Because Nate was a child being abused by his father, and has never told his family. Because Maddie was a little girl who saw something she shouldn't have. Because something sinister, something hungry, walks in the tunnels and the mountains and the coal mines of this town in rural Pennsylvania...And now, what happened all those years ago is happening again, and this time, it is happening to Oliver. When he meets a strange boy with secrets of his own and a taste for dark magic, he has no idea that what comes next will put his family at the heart of a battle of good versus evil.____________________________________________________________________________'The dread, the scope, the pacing, the turns-I haven't felt all this so intensely since The Shining' - Stephen Graham Jones 'Universally horrifying and viscerally intimate, Wendig brilliantly uses The Book of Accidents to explore a painful truth: in the end, we all haunt ourselves' - Kiersten WhiteTrade ReviewWendig combines cosmic horror and human heroism with his continuing theme of the traumatic effect of abusive relationships handed down from father to son; this is a rich, rewarding tale. -- Lisa Tuttle * The Guardian *This is a full-blooded rural haunted house chiller with something for everyone: ghosts, doppelgängers, numerology, parallel worlds, demons and more. * Financial Times *The dread, the scope, the pacing, the turns-I haven't felt all this so intensely since The Shining. * Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians *Move over King, Chuck Wendig is the new voice of modern American horror . . . a masterwork * Adam Christopher, author of Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town *Universally horrifying and viscerally intimate, Wendig brilliantly uses The Book of Accidents to explore a painful truth: in the end, we all haunt ourselves. * Kiersten White, New York Times bestselling author of And I Darken *
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton Parallel Hells
Book SynopsisFor fans of Daisy Johnson and Kirsty Logan, a gothic short story collection for winter nights from an emerging voice in British literary fiction'The short twisted tales . . . have a laconic elegance that's both chilling and pleasurable' Financial Times'Trust me: you want to read this. It's the queer horror book of your dreams' Kirsty LoganIrresistibly strange and inventive, Parallel Hells is a collection of dark and delightful stories that blends folklore and gothic horror with a contemporary twist. A golem discovers its powers far exceed its Creator's expectations. An ancient creature, who feasts on the shame of modern-day Londoners, struggles to fit in with friends they will long outlive. And an Oxford historian discovers an antique tome that may help her overcome her academic rivals. In this deliciously macabre debut collection, Leon Craig explores queer identity, power, love and the painful complexities of being human in startling new ways. 'A glorious collection of short stories that reads as if Edgar Allan Poe and Shirley Jackson had a little queer baby . . . It is such a fresh and playful approach to storytelling that you cannot help but be totally enamoured with Craig's abilities.' Big IssueTrade ReviewTrust me: you want to read this. It's the queer horror book of your dreams. -- Kirsty LoganThe short, twisted tales collected in Leon Craig's Parallel Hells have a laconic elegance that's both chilling and pleasurable... Angela Carter with a LGBTQI+ filter -- Suzi Feay * Financial Times *Craig's collection dances with horror - the monster is not always who you expect. A book for anyone who likes to play in the dark -- Rowan Hisayo BuchananA glorious collection of short stories that reads as if Edgar Allan Poe and Shirley Jackson had a little queer baby... It is such a fresh and playful approach to storytelling that you cannot help but be totally enamoured with Craig's abilities. * The Big Issue *Both vibrantly contemporary and decadently gothic, the stories in Parallel Hells shimmer with queer power and wicked humour. At times I was reminded of the darkly wondrous work of Ramona Ausubel, Kelly Link, Patrick McGrath or Patrick Suskind -- but Leon Craig has a distinctively Dionysian literary sensibility that is all her own, and I can't wait to read everything she writes! -- Sharlene TeoBy turns dark, sharp, witty and tender, I'm a huge fan of Leon Craig's writing, and the way she reveals the complex dance of beauty and brutality in our innermost, most vulnerable selves. -- Naomi IshiguroImpressive... Read Parallel Hells for a different take on vampires, demons and monsters you never knew existed... Craig's worlds appear effortless * Mslexia *By turns unsettling, funny and fiercely intelligent, Parallel Hells is a queer carnival of monsters and masks. These stories penetrate the surface of their characters' assumed identities to reveal the glittering realities beneath. -- Julia Armfield, author of Our Wives Under the SeaLeon Craig confidently navigates real places and imaginary spaces most of us shy away from and leaves us deliciously teased, unsettled and hungry for more... what really impresses are the virtuoso changes of tone and tempo, and the way narratives flicker between registers - gothic to comedy, folk horror to social embarrassment - with easy confidence and grace * Daily Mail *The most rewarding aspect of Craig's prose is its duality. Her reader never feels too full of one poison or too far from its antidote...Anyone searching for an adventure into the literary underworld need look no further than this queer and compelling collection.' -- Lily KuenzlerThis decadent and distorted collection of queer gothic short stories didn't disappoint. * Brixton Review of Books *Glorious and twisted * Tor.com *'Each of the thirteen stories, never overwritten, always sensuous and atmospheric, packs a brief, intense punch. As in the very best gothic literature, Craig's worlds are primarily not far removed from our own . . . Craig, a deft hand at this most difficult of forms, the short story, writes crisp prose redolent of Angela Carter's, particularly in its visceral, sometimes horrifying physicality. . . Parallel Hells will not disappoint any connoisseur of the gothic in its most fulsome and unapologetic sense. * Literary Review *Arresting and provocative, this strange and dark collection grabbed me by the throat. * Megan Bradbury *A thrilling, dark and sometimes strange collection * Jewish Chronicle *Craig manages to recall the decadence of Carter whilst ensuring their stories never feel like re-treading old ground . . . reworking known figures and tales through the lens of queer identity and desire . . . a staggering array of different atmospheres, settings, and tones. * Horrified Magazine *Craig explores queer identity through a selection of tightly knit gothic tales . . . [A] blend of folklore and legend, repurposed to capture modern anxieties * London Magazine *
£9.49
Vintage Publishing The Man in the Picture
Book SynopsisA terrifying ghost story by the bestselling author of The Woman in Black.A mysterious depiction of masked revellers at the Venice carnival hangs in the college rooms of Oliver's old professor in Cambridge. On this cold winter's night, its eerie secret is revealed by the ageing don. The dark art of the Venetian scene, instead of imitating life, has the power to entrap it.To stare into the painting is to play dangerously with the unseen demons it hides, and become the victim of its macabre beauty...
£9.49
Canongate Books The Holy Terrors
Book SynopsisSix people locked in a haunted hall . . . Cameras watching their every move . . . And then someone dies . . . This first in a spine-tingling new paranormal mystery series from New York Times bestselling British fantasy author Simon R. Green will make you doubt your judgement - and believe in ghosts!Welcome to Spooky Time, the hit TV ghost-hunting show where the horror is scripted . . . and the ratings are declining rapidly. What better way to up the stakes - and boost the viewership - than by locking a select group of Z-list celebrities up for the night in The Most Haunted Hall in England (TM) and live-streaming the ''terrifying'' results?Soon Alistair, a newly appointed Bishop, actress Diana, medium Leslie, comedian Toby and celebrity chef Indira are trapped inside Stonehaven town hall, along with June, the host and producer of the show. The group tries to settle in and put on a good show, but then strange things start happening in their hall of horrors. What is it about this place - and why is the TV crew outside not responding? Are they even on air? Logical Alistair and intuitive Diana attempt to keep the group''s fears at bay and rationalize the odd events, but there are things that just can''t be explained within reason . . . Can the pair stop a cold-blooded would-be killer - even if it''s come from beyond the grave? This locked-room mystery with a paranormal twist is classic Simon R. Green, featuring his trademark humour and imagination, irresistible characters, and thoroughly entertaining plotting.
£20.89
Cornerstone The Night Watch
Book SynopsisSERGEI LUKYANENKO is the author of over 25 books. The Night Watch series has sold over two million hardbacks. The Night Watch and The Day Watch were both made into internationally successful films. Sergei Lukyanenko lives in Moscow.Trade ReviewThis modern day mythical fantasy is Anne Rice on an epic scale, a hugely imagined world ... a chiller thriller from cold of Russia, this one's been selling like hot cakes around the world * Sunday Sport *So good that the film feels like a trailer for it * Time Out *JK Rowling, Russian style ... arguably Russia's richest and most famous literary talent of the moment ... [a] cracking read, owing more to Rowling or Philip Pullman than it does to the horror genre ... surprisingly readable and addictive...it relies on suspense and psychological drama and a good dose of humour - rather than blood and guts * Daily Telegraph *When a particular kind of story, heavily based in one culture, gets transferred into a culture distinctly different, something magical happens ... Something modern, new and distinctly creepy ... continues to work because the magic is rooted in the realities of modern Russia ... Inventive, sardonic, and imbued with a surprising the sense that, for this author and his audience, much of this stuff is new-minted * Independent *Night Watch is an epic of extraordinary power -- Quentin Tarantino
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group The Stake
Book Synopsis''If you''ve missed Laymon, you''ve missed a treat'' Stephen King In an abandoned hotel in a Californian ghost town, horror writer Larry Dunbar and his friends make a chilling discovery. By chance they stumble on a coffin hidden under the stairs. Within lies the corpse of a naked female - with a stake through its heart. Was she the innocent victim of a gruesome murder? Or was she a vampire? There''s only one way for Larry to solve the mystery - he must pull out the stake...
£9.49
Rebellion Publishing Ltd. The Dark Between The Trees
Book Synopsis1643: A small group of Parliamentarian soldiers are ambushed in an isolated part of Northern England. Their only hope for survival is to flee into the nearby Moresby Wood... unwise though that may seem. For Moresby Wood is known to be an unnatural place, the realm of witchcraft and shadows, where the devil is said to go walking by moonlight...Seventeen men enter the wood. Only two are ever seen again, and the stories they tell of what happened make no sense. Stories of shifting landscapes, of trees that appear and disappear at will... and of something else. Something dark. Something hungry.Today: five women are headed into Moresby Wood to discover, once and for all, what happened to that unfortunate group of soldiers. Led by Dr Alice Christopher, an historian who has devoted her entire academic career to uncovering the secrets of Moresby Wood. Armed with metal detectors, GPS units, mobile phones and the most recent map of the area (which is nearly 50 years old), Dr Christopher’s group enters the wood ready for anything.Or so they think...Trade Review“Surreal and haunting.”—Booklist“An impressive debut.”—The FT“Barnett’s grasp of ineffable oddness would make Algernon Blackwood proud.”—The Guardian“The Dark Between the Trees is folk horror of the most classic kind, refreshed for the new century.”—Esquire“An unsettling and compelling folk horror.”—SFX“An ambitious exercise on timelines and genres.”—Aurealis“This novel is uncomfortable, phantasmagorical”—The Fantasy Hive“The perfect spooky and eerie read for anyone looking for a gothic folk story with incredible ambience.”—FanFiAddict“A deeply enjoyable horror tale.”—Runalong the Shelves“A memorable, spooky tale.”—The Guardian“A head-rush horror novel for readers who relish things that go bump in the night.”—LoveReading
£9.49
Orion Publishing Co Ava Anna Ada
Book SynopsisThe between days were days of pure white heat.Summer is swelling around the village. Heat is surging, people are whispering about a great hungry wave, and in the garden, Anna is kicking her dying dog on the grass.But someone is watching her. The girl. Ava.Outside, the brutal summer blisters on. Inside, over the course of one claustrophobic week, Anna and Ava become caught up in their own world. Become swallowed by each-otherness. But what does Ava really want?As faces fray and secrets splinter, the past casts the present anew, and Anna and Ava are forced to reckon with who they truly are. Because who we are, Ava Anna Ada warns us, is not always the same as what we are to each other.Braiding climate chaos, lust, poetry and violence, Ali Millar''s debut novel is a contemporary fable against images and their enduring hold on us. Attuned to the knotty texture of reality, Ava Anna Ada asks us to confront the way things lTrade ReviewKay Dick's They meets early Iain Banks or Ian McEwan in this novel of a near-future family meltdown. Every bit as gripping as it is horrifying. * Ian Rankin *So striking... like seeing our last few years through a distorted fever-dream. The precision and delicacy of the violence is uncanny * Lucy Caldwell *Shocking and uncompromising, but effortlessly and unpretentiously so, Millar's writing is visceral and vibrant; piercingly astute in rendering the inner thoughts and raw emotions of her protagonists, unearthing diamonds of humanity from the mire of brutality * Miki Berenyi *Tense, ruthless and fevered, Ava Anna Ada is a bracingly original tale of lust and malice amidst dementing heat, general unravelling, and the late nightmares of a screaming planet. * Rob Doyle *A work of exquisite strangeness, Ava Anna Ada is unsettling and arresting. It moves from character to character, page to page, with beguiling relentlessness. Ali Millar's writing is full of dark richness and fevered heat, but also cool stringency in its exploration of grief and femininity. * Wendy Erskine *Ava Anna Ada is both brilliantly stylish and horribly unnerving . . . an almost impossibly elegant evocation of violence, eroticism and derangement. A weird, furious, fucked-up fable. -- Keiran GoddardLove and lust are the dark forces that intertwine within Ava Anna Ada. Millar is a rare talent and has created a hypnotic, profound and mesmerising novel * Ewan Morrison *Ava Anna Ada is as brilliantly queasy as Nabokov's final novel, Look At The Harlequins! ... This is an unforgettable and unflinching book. Even though there are moments of ghastly comedy it manages to end with a moment of sublimity. But the sublime, as Blake described it, something overwhelming that reminds us of our mortality, of the 'terrible uncertainty of the thing' -- Stuart Kelly * The Scotsman *A perverse, dark tale of shifting identities, deceit and manipulation * Financial Times *'A work of exquisite strangeness, Ava Anna Ada is unsettling and arresting. It moves from character to character, page to page, with beguiling relentlessness. Ali Millar's writing is full of dark richness and fevered heat, but also cool stringency in its exploration of grief and femininity.' * Wendy Erskine *
£17.09
Transworld Publishers Ltd Follow Me To Ground
Book Synopsis'A tangled, gnarled, wonderfully original, strange, beautiful beast of a book' DAISY JOHNSON, author of Everything Under'Beautiful and terrifying' SUNDAY TIMES'Seethingly assured debut fuses magical realism with critical and feminist theory' GUARDIANIn house in a wood, Ada and her father live peacefully, tending to their garden and the wildlife in it. They are not human though. Ada was made by her father from the Ground, a unique patch of earth with birthing and healing properties. Though perhaps he didn’t get her quite right. They spend their days healing the local human folk – named Cures - who visit them, suspiciously, with their ailments. When Ada embarks on a relationship with a local Cure named Samson, and is forced to choose between her old life with her father, and a new one with her human lover. Her decision will uproot the town – and the Ground itself – for ever.A poised and simmering tour-de-force, FOLLOW ME TO GROUND is a sinister vision of desire and freewill, voiced in earthy prose and eviscerating detail by an astoundingly original new writer.'Equal parts beauty and horror, and unlike anything you will read this year’ TEA OBREHT'Fierce, palpable, hynoptic. A dazzling, troubling dream' COLIN BARRETT'A writer to watch' METRO'An astonishing debut heralding the career of an exciting new writer. Strange, lyrical, and arresting, this novel will draw readers into its extraordinary spell.' KIRKUS starred review LONGLISTED FOR THE DESMOND ELLIOT PRIZE 2019Trade ReviewSeethingly assured ... odd and muscular enough to resist easy interpretation. It can be read on many levels – as a fable about female yearning, or about containment and contagion; as an investigation into toxic relationships or a puzzle over the borders between human and non-human – but it is always singularly and entirely itself * GUARDIAN *Enthralling . . . Lyrical, dark and detailed, the story twists like a root, bent in one way by desire, in another by fate. * Daily Mail *Impressive . . . Rainsford is a writer to watch. * Metro *A tangled, gnarled, wonderfully original, strange, beautiful beast of a book * DAISY JOHNSON *Rainsford writes beautifully with a lyrical, earthy prose which is evocative and eviscerating yet mesmerising. She gives Ada a unique voice which fills and haunts the narrative. One of the strangest books I've read in a long time, it is utterly compelling and will linger, uninvited, in your consciousness long after you've turned the last page. * Irish Independent *
£8.54
Flame Tree Publishing The Hungry Moon
Book Synopsis"In every respect, Campbell's best." - Kirkus Reviews Isolated on the moors of northern England, the town of Moonwell has remained faithful to their Druid traditions and kept their old rituals alive. Right-wing evangelist Godwin Mann isn’t about to let that continue, and his intolerant brand of fundamentalism has struck a chord with the residents. But Mann goes too far when he descends into the pit where the ancient being who’s been worshipped by the Druids for centuries is said to dwell. What emerges is a demon in Mann’s shape, and only the town’s outcasts can see that something is horribly wrong. As the evil spreads, Moonwell becomes cut off from the rest of the world… FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. Trade Review"This horror story is beautifully written, populated with well-realized characters and pervaded by an increasingly chilling atmosphere of dread and anxiety." -- Publishers Weekly"In every respect, Campbell's best." -- Kirkus Reviews“Britain’s most respected living horror writer” -- Oxford Companion to English Literature“Easily the best horror writer working in Britain today” -- Time Out“Britain’s leading horror writer... His novels have been getting better and better” -- City Limits“One of Britain’s most accomplished horror writers” -- Oxford Star“The John Le Carre of horror fiction” -- Bookshelf, Radio 4“One of the best real horror writers at work today” -- Interzone“The greatest living exponent of the British weird fiction tradition” -- The Penguin Encyclopaedia of Horror and the Supernatural“England’s contemporary king of the horror genre” -- Atlanta Constitution“One of the few real writers in our field... In some ways Ramsey Campbell is the best of us all” -- Peter Straub“Ramsey Campbell has a talent for terror – he knows how to give you nightmares while you’re still awake... Only a few writers can lay claim to such a level of consummate craftsmanship” -- Robert Bloch“Campbell writes the most terrifying horror tales of anyone now alive” -- Twilight Zone Magazine“He is unsurpassed in the subtle manipulation of mood... You forget you’re just reading a story” -- Publishers Weekly“One of the world’s finest exponents of the classic British ghost story” -- Sounds“Britain’s greatest living horror writer” -- Alan Moore“For sheer ability to compose disturbing, evocative prose, he is unmatched in the horror/fantasy field... He turns the traditional horror novel inside out, and makes it work brilliantly” -- Fangoria“Britain’s leading horror novelist” -- New Statesman“Campbell writes the most disturbing horror fiction around” -- Today“Ramsey Campbell is better than all the rest of us put together” -- Dennis Etchison“Ramsey Campbell is the best horror writer alive, period” -- Thomas Tessier“A horror writer in the classic mould... Britain’s premier contemporary exponent of the art of scaring you out of your skin” -- Q Magazine“The undisputed master of the psychological horror novel” -- Robert Holdstock“Perhaps the most important living writer in the horror fiction field” -- David Hartwell“Ramsey Campbell’s work is tremendous” -- Jonathan Ross“Campbell is a rightful tenant of M. R. James country, the genuine badlands of the human psyche” -- Norman Shrapnel in the Guardian“One of the world’s finest exponents of the classic British ghost story... His writing explores the potential for fear in the mundane, the barely heard footsteps, the shadow flitting past at the edge of one’s sight” -- Daily Telegraph“Britain’s greatest horror writer... Realistic, subtle and arcane” -- Waterstones Guide to Books“Ramsey Campbell is the nearest thing we have to an heir to M. R. James” -- Times“Campbell is literate in a field which has attracted too many comic-book intellects, cool in a field where too many writers – myself included – tend toward panting melodrama... Good horror writers are quite rare, and Campbell is better than just good” -- Stephen King“Easily the finest practising British horror novelist and the one whose work can most wholeheartedly be recommended to those who dislike the genre... His misclassification as a genre writer obscures his status as the finest magic realist Britain possesses this side of J. G. Ballard” -- Daily Telegraph“The most sophisticated and highly regarded of British horror writers” -- Financial Times“He writes of our deepest fears in a precise, clear prose that somehow manages to be beautiful and terrifying at the same time. He is a powerful, original writer, and you owe it to yourself to make his acquaintance” -- Washington Post“The foremost stylist and innovator in British horror fiction” -- The Scream Factory“There are a few writers who are special. They make the world in their books; or rather, they open a window or a door or a magic casement, and they show you the world in which they live. Ramsey Campbell, for example, writes stories that, read in quantity, will re-form your world into a grey and ominous place in which strange shapes flicker at the corner of your eyes, and a patch of smoke or a blown plastic shopping bag takes on some kind of ghastly significance.” -- Neil Gaiman“One of the century’s great literary exponents of the gothic and horrific” -- Guardian
£9.45
Flame Tree Publishing The Rift
Book SynopsisJoe Jimenez, grieving father and estranged husband, on the eve of the anniversary of his son's death is on the brink of complete despair when he witnesses the arrival of a strange atmospheric anomaly. The rift – a curious tear in the very air of his backyard – appears nightly, and after some experimentation, Joe discovers that for everything that's sent through the rift, something similar, but horribly wrong, comes back. And when something on the other side claims to be in possession of his son, Joe has to make the most important decision of his life: should he go through and find out? FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing Independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. Learn more about Flame Tree Press at www.flametreepress.com and connect on social media @FlameTreePress
£11.66
Zaffre The Hiding Place: The most unsettling ghost story
Book Synopsis 'A supernatural tour-de-force' Daily Mail'Haunting and atmospheric' A.J. Gnuse, author of Girl in the Walls'The perfect modern ghost story' Katie Lowe, author of The Furies 'Mason is one of the best ghost story writers around today' Jess Kidd Some secrets can never be concealed . . .Nell Galilee, her husband and twelve year old step-daughter Maude rent a holiday cottage by the sea, needing time and space away from home. Nell grew up in this small, wind-blown town and has mixed feelings about returning, and it isn't long before she is recognised by a neighbour, seemingly desperate to befriend her. The cottage has been empty for some time, and from the start Nell feels uncomfortable there. Something isn't quite right about this place . . .Maude, furious about being brought here against her will, soon finds herself beguiled by the house's strange atmosphere. There are peculiar marks in the roof beams above her bedroom, and in another room, a hiding place, concealing a strange, unnerving object.As the house gradually reveals its secrets, Nell becomes increasingly uneasy - and Maude spellbound. But these women - and the women that surround them - are harbouring their own secrets too, and soon events will come to a terrible head . . .A brilliant, unsettling and chilling ghost story of mothers and daughters, truth and deception that asks how far you would go, to get what you truly desire . . . Everyone is talking about The Hiding Place...'There's nothing like a haunted house to get the heart racing and this deliciously dark contemporary gothic tale set in Whitby will do just that. Hugely atmospheric, the writer builds the tension gradually - unsettling and creepy, it's a perfect supernatural read for Halloween' My Weekly'Satisfyingly unsettling, this is a hugely atmospheric novel that oozes with uncanny menace' Lucie McKnight Hardy'Tense, atmospheric and suffused with the peculiar longing of motherhood' Araminta Hall'Full of intrigue . . . sure to leave readers unsettled' Anita Frank, author of The Lost OnesTrade ReviewAn unsettling, supernatural tour de force ... with a back story steeped in local history and plot teeming with everyday anxieties, Amanda Mason has created a new gothic myth. Home for a family party, Nell decides it's time for a proper holiday with new hubby and step-daughter Maude. But the house they rent is, well, unwelcoming, with marks carved on ancient beams, ghostly footsteps, drifting smells and sinister secrets buried behind panels. As poison from the past seeps into the fractures within Nell's new family, personal histories and past horrors entwine to trap the reader in a claustrophobic, terrifying embrace. * Daily Mail *There's nothing like a haunted house to get the heart racing and this deliciously dark contemporary gothic tale set in Whitby will do just that. This gothic tale about mothers and daughters explores the lengths people will go to, to obtain power and control. Hugely atmospheric the writer builds the tension gradually - unsettling and creepy, it's a perfect supernatural read for Halloween. * My Weekly *A masterful, unnerving thriller. * Woman's Own *Haunting and atmospheric, The Hiding Place lingers in the dark spaces of a home as Amanda Mason deftly crafts a steady, creeping tension. As the Elder House's secrets are revealed, Mason shines a brilliant light on the unsettling extents of desire. * A.J. Gnuse, author of The Girl in the Walls *he Hiding Place has everything; chills that build, an immersive setting and a wonderful clash between the present and the past, the living and the dead. At the heart of this haunting novel are characters so real and compelling their stories continue to resonate long after reading. * Jess Kidd *The Hiding Place is the perfect modern ghost story--evocative, unsettling and genuinely spine-tingling. With vividly realised characters and a chilling mystery at its heart, I truly couldn't put it down--and the atmospheric, immersive world Amanda Mason has created stayed with me long after I'd turned the final page. * Katie Lowe, author of The Furies *Full of intrigue, with hidden agendas, lingering resentments & thwarted desires, this sinister tale is dripping with an insidious malice that is sure to leave readers unsettled. * Anita Frank, author of The Lost Ones *Satisfyingly unsettling, this is a hugely atmospheric novel that oozes with uncanny menace. * Anita Frank, author of The Lost Ones *A really convincing ghost story. Elder House, like Shirley Jackson's Hill House, evoked a chilling and eerie sense of past mystery and unhappiness. I was completely pulled along by the narrative and read it in a fevered rush. * Zoe Somerville, author of The Night of the Flood *A gripping and readable novel, full of subtle characterisation, an acute sense of atmosphere and place, and narrative tension. The Hiding Place is an accomplished modern-gothic haunted-house story, elevated by its exploration of the threads which link mothers and daughters (and step-daughters), the secrets they share (and also hide from each other), and women's wishes and desires, and what they will do to achieve them. * The Countryman *
£9.49
Atlantic Books Black Mamba
Book Synopsis'Great fun... the suspense slips its slow coils around you' Daily MailDaddy, there's a man in our room... This is the chilling announcement Alfie hears one night, when he wakes in his quiet, suburban house to find his twin daughters at the foot of his bed. It's been nine months since Pippa - their mother - suddenly died and they've been unsettled ever since, so Alfie assumes they've probably had a nightmare. Still, he goes to check to reassure the girls. As expected he finds no man, but in the following days the girls begin to refer to someone called Black Mamba. What seemingly begins as an imaginary friend quickly develops into something darker, more obsessive, potentially violent. Alfie finds himself struggling to cope, and so he turns to Julia - Pippa's twin and a psychotherapist - for help. But as Black Mamba's coils tighten around the girls, Alfie and Julia must contend with their own unspoken sense of loss, their unacknowledged attraction to one another, and the true character of the presence poisoning the twins' minds... A darkling tale of tragedy, hauntings and sexual desire, Black Mamba is a novel of a father's love for his struggling daughters, and a widower's growing love for a woman after his wife's death. With smart, gothicky touches and a large and generous challenge to our assumptions of what and who constitutes a modern family, it explores both the limits we'll go to for our children and the sunken taboos of grief - of how erotics can still exist, and can even be life giving, after suffering loss.Trade ReviewGreat fun... the suspense slips its slow coils around you * Daily Mail *Fans of literary horror will be absolutely captivated... I found it almost impossible to put down * Horror Magazine *
£9.49
Transworld Publishers Ltd The Shape of Night
Book Synopsis''This will haunt you. Riveting!'' Shari Lapena, author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR''The Shape of Night is as compulsive as it gets.'' Lesley Kara, author of THE RUMOURIf the walls could talk . . . they''d tell her to leave. Now.When Ava arrives at Brodie's Watch, she thinks she has found the perfect place to hide from her past. Something terrible happened, something she is deeply ashamed of, and all she wants is to forget.But the old house on the hill both welcomes and repels her and Ava quickly begins to suspect she is not alone. Either that or she is losing her mind.The house is full of secrets, but is the creeping sense of danger coming from within its walls, or from somewhere else entirely?***Readers are obsessed with The Shape of Night***** A creepy, atmospheric thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed.'***** A powerful book that I could not put down Trade ReviewThis will haunt you. Riveting! * Shari Lapena, bestselling author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR *A close-knit community, a gothic house, and a shadowy stranger inside . . . I love Tess's writing and The Shape Of Night is as compulsive as it gets. * Lesley Kara, author of THE RUMOUR *Beguiling! Gerritsen is at her atmospheric best in this spine-tingling tale of a lone woman, an old house, and all the secrets everyone tries to hide. * Lisa Gardner *A captivating and seductive tale exploring the dark embrace of grief and guilt, reminding us that nothing can haunt us as insidiously as our personal demons. This is the incomparable Gerritsen at her finest! * Sylvia Day *Curl up in your favorite reading chair and let Tess Gerritsen whisk you away to a coastal town reminiscent of Daphne Du Maurier’s best settings. As the chills run down your spine, and the creeping sense of danger curls your toes, don’t say I didn’t warn you: you are in for a dark and sexy night, and you will be up very late with Tess’ twisted, haunting tale. * Iris Johansen *
£9.49
Flame Tree Publishing Fellstones
Book SynopsisFellstones takes its name from seven objects on the village green. It’s where Paul Dunstan was adopted by the Staveleys after his parents died in an accident for which he blames himself. The way the Staveleys tried to control him made him move away and change his name. Why were they obsessed with a strange song he seemed to have made up as a child? Now their daughter Adele has found him. By the time he discovers the cosmic truth about the stones, he may be trapped. There are other dark secrets he’ll discover, and memories to confront. The Fellstones dream, but they’re about to waken. FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing Independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. Learn more about Flame Tree Press at www.flametreepress.com and connect on social media @FlameTreePress.Trade ReviewPraise for Ramsey Campbell: “An absolute master of modern horror. And a damn fine writer at that” (Guillermo del Toro) “He is unsurpassed in the subtle manipulation of mood... You forget you’re just reading a story” (Publishers Weekly) “He writes of our deepest fears in a precise, clear prose that somehow manages to be beautiful and terrifying at the same time. He is a powerful, original writer, and you owe it to yourself to make his acquaintance” (Washington Post) “Britain’s most respected living horror writer” (Oxford Companion to English Literature) “Easily the best horror writer working in Britain today” (Time Out) “Britain’s leading horror writer... His novels have been getting better and better” (City Limits) “One of Britain’s most accomplished horror writers” (Oxford Star) “The John Le Carre of horror fiction” (Bookshelf, Radio 4) “ One of the best real horror writers at work today” (Interzone) “The greatest living exponent of the British weird fiction tradition” (The Penguin Encyclopaedia of Horror and the Supernatural) “Ramsey Campbell has succeeded more brilliantly than any other writer in bringing the supernatural tale up to date without sacrificing the literary standards that early masters made an indelible part of the tradition” (Jack Sullivan, editor of the Penguin encyclopaedia) “England’s contemporary king of the horror genre” (Atlanta Constitution) “One of the few real writers in our field... In some ways Ramsey Campbell is the best of us all” (Peter Straub) “Ramsey Campbell has a talent for terror – he knows how to give you nightmares while you’re still awake... Only a few writers can lay claim to such a level of consummate craftsmanship” (Robert Bloch) “Campbell writes the most terrifying horror tales of anyone now alive” (Twilight Zone Magazine) “One of the world’s finest exponents of the classic British ghost story” (Sounds) “Britain’s greatest living horror writer” (Alan Moore) “For sheer ability to compose disturbing, evocative prose, he is unmatched in the horror/fantasy field... He turns the traditional horror novel inside out, and makes it work brilliantly” (Fangoria) “Campbell has solidly established himself to be the best writer working in this field today” (Karl Edward Wagner, The Year’s Best Horror Stories) “When Mr Campbell pits his fallible, most human characters against enormous forces bent on incomprehensible errands the results are, as you might expect, often frightening, and, as you might not expect, often touching; even heartwarming” (Gahan Wilson in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction) “Britain’s leading horror novelist” (New Statesman) “Ramsey Campbell is Britain’s finest living writer of horror stories: considerable praise for a man whose country boasts the talents of Clive Barker and Roald Dahl, M. John Harrison and Nigel Kneale” (Douglas Winter, editor of Prime Evil) “Campbell writes the most disturbing horror fiction around” (Today) “Ramsey Campbell is better than all the rest of us put together” (Dennis Etchison) “Ramsey Campbell is the best horror writer alive, period” (Thomas Tessier) “A horror writer in the classic mould... Britain’s premier contemporary exponent of the art of scaring you out of your skin” (Q Magazine) “The undisputed master of the psychological horror novel” (Robert Holdstock) “Perhaps the most important living writer in the horror fiction field” (David Hartwell) “Ramsey Campbell’s work is tremendous” (Jonathan Ross) “Campbell is a rightful tenant of M. R. James country, the genuine badlands of the human psyche” (Norman Shrapnel in the Guardian) “One of the world’s finest exponents of the classic British ghost story... His writing explores the potential for fear in the mundane, the barely heard footsteps, the shadow flitting past at the edge of one’s sight” (Daily Telegraph) “The Grand Master of British horror... the greatest living writer of horror fiction” (Vector) “Britain’s greatest horror writer... Realistic, subtle and arcane” (Waterstone’s Guide to Books) “In Campbell’s hands words take on a life of their own, creating images that stay with you, feelings that prey on you, and people you hope never ever to meet” (Starburst) “The finest writer now working in the horror field” (Interzone) “Ramsey Campbell is the nearest thing we have to an heir to M. R. James” (Times) “Campbell is literate in a field which has attracted too many comic-book intellects, cool in a field where too many writers – myself included – tend toward panting melodrama... Good horror writers are quite rare, and Campbell is better than just good” (Stephen King) “Easily the finest practising British horror novelist and the one whose work can most wholeheartedly be recommended to those who dislike the genre... His misclassification as a genre writer obscures his status as the finest magic realist Britain possesses this side of J. G. Ballard” (Daily Telegraph) “Good stuff. But strange; so uniquely Campbell that it might as well be trademarked” (Stephen King) “One of the few who can scare and disturb as well as make me laugh out loud. His humour is very black but very funny, and that’s a rare gift to have” (Mark Morris in the Observer) “The most sophisticated and highly regarded of British horror writers” (Financial Times) “I would say that only five writers have written serious novels which incorporate themes of fantasy or the inexplicable and still qualify as literature: T. E. D. Klein, Peter Straub, Richard Adams, Jonathan Carroll and Ramsey Campbell” (Stephen King) “Ramsey Campbell is the best of us all” (Poppy Z. Brite) “The foremost stylist and innovator in British horror fiction” (The Scream Factory) “One of the century’s great literary exponents of the gothic and horrific” (Guardian) “Ramsey Campbell is one of the modern masters of horror… He has a genius for infusing horror into the everyday, piling up small moments of dread and confusion and fear until they become insurmountable.” (Tim Pratt in Locus) “One of the all-time greats of British horror fiction” (Damien Walter in the Guardian) “There are a few writers who are special. They make the world in their books; or rather, they open a window or a door or a magic casement, and they show you the world in which they live. Ramsey Campbell, for example, writes stories that, read in quantity, will re-form your world into a grey and ominous place in which strange shapes flicker at the corner of your eyes, and a patch of smoke or a blown plastic shopping bag takes on some kind of ghastly significance.” (Neil Gaiman)
£9.45
Duckworth Books Out of Service
Book SynopsisAfter the events in Coldbay where they sealed the hell hole, Lucy is trying to learn more about it and how to save Murzzzz from eternal damnation. Yes, he’s a demon and all, but he’s also a part of the family. Lucy’s turned to her diocese for guidance but they’ve gone strangely quiet so she persuades the Rooks to drive there so they can sort this out. On the way, they realise something is incredibly wrong with a motorway service station - it’s empty except for lingering, sad ghosts and… oh no, another hell hole has opened up and sucked in a load of people. They know they need to stay until they can rescue them and close it down, but not before they’ve done everything in their collective power to rescue Murzzzz. After all, one man’s hellhole is a family of ghost-hunter’s opportunity to save their demon friend. That’s the expression, right?Trade Review'Gabby is one of the funniest writers I know' Sarah Millican
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers The Players The utterly gripping mustread serial
Book SynopsisDo you dare read the twisted psychological thriller that readers are calling ''breathtaking'' and ''unputdownable''?''Saw meets I See You in this dark, twisted and deadly game of kill or be killed. I held my breath from beginning to end'' C L Taylor, author of The Perfect CoupleThis is a game where nobody winsThe Host has a game for you.Kill or be killed.Kill, or lose someone you love.You are the next player.You have a choice to make.A nerve-shredding cat-and-mouse serial killer thriller that will keep you guessing and reading into the night, perfect for fans of Adrian McKinty, John Marrs and Steve Cavanagh******Readers LOVE this gripping, twisty thriller:''A fabulous storyline with a believable but enthralling plot Superb twists! Absolutely loved it'' Reader review ?????''I couldn''t put it down and completely devoured it in one sitting! The twists are amazing'' Reader review ?????''Absolutely breathtaking writing from an awesome master of the thriller. Completely unputdownable and utTrade Review Praise for Darren O’Sullivan: ‘Saw meets I See You in this dark, twisted and deadly game of kill or be killed. I held my breath from beginning to end’ CL Taylor, Her Last Holiday ‘Taut, terrifying and wonderfully original, I devoured THE PLAYERS in one heart-stopping sitting’ Chris Whitaker, We Begin at the End ‘I was engrossed in this from the very first page – high concept, thrilling and very, very dark, it’s a book that draws the reader in so deeply that you can’t help but ask what you would do in this situation. I couldn’t put it down’ Lisa Hall , The Perfect Couple ‘A clever concept thriller that leaves you breathless. Darren O’Sullivan’s best work yet’ John Marrs, The One ‘There’s a tense game at the heart of this thriller, but the best player by far is O’Sullivan for upping his game once again!’ Louise Beech, I Am Dust ‘An outstandingly taut story which grabbed me and then spat me out breathless at the end’ Angela Marsons, Twisted Lies ‘An intense novel full of secrets, lies and suspense that I thoroughly enjoyed unravelling’ Mel Sherratt, Good Girl ‘Creepy and atmospheric’ Louise Jensen, The Stolen Sisters ‘A terrifying and addictive read I couldn’t get out of my head’ Anna Kent, The House of Whispers ‘Engrossing, compelling and twisty from the first page to the shocking ending’ Michele Campbell, It’s Always the Husband ‘Claustrophobic, original and creepy, Darren O’Sullivan is at the top of his game’ Phoebe Morgan, The Wild Girls
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers The People Before
Book SynopsisAn eerie new psychological thriller from the author of The House GuestI adored it! I found it moody, propulsive, gripping and so terrifying you'll need the lights on. GILLIAN McALLISTERCharlotte Northedge turns the psychological thumbscrews with relish' THE TIMESI read through the night to finish this thriller Spooky, tense, richly atmospheric and profoundly moving' ERIN KELLYWhat if your dream house became your worst nightmare?Jess and her husband need a new start. So when the chance to buy a rambling old house in the Suffolk countryside comes up, they leap at it.But not everyone in Suffolk is welcoming. The locals know a secret about the Maple House, and soon, Jess realises they've made a huge mistake.Something bad happened in that house. Something nobody wants to talk about.Something to do with the people before This is every bit as accomplished as Northedge's debut The House Guest, with the same precise and finely tuned use of language, by no means always a given in the genre.' FINTrade Review‘This is every bit as accomplished as Northedge’s debut The House Guest, with the same precise and finely tuned use of language, by no means always a given in the genre.’ FINANCIAL TIMES ‘Charlotte Northedge creates a riveting psychological study of self-deception and creeping dread.’ THE SUNDAY TIMES ‘Creepy, atmospheric and cleverly plotted, an excellent winter read.’ CATHERINE COOPER ‘Twisty, claustrophobic and deliciously dark, this is the perfect winter chiller’ ELLERY LLOYD ‘This twisty thriller is jam-packed with tense moments and a growing sense of unease’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING ‘Northedge is good at portraying the distinction between the real insecurities of some young women and the minor problems of the privileged type’ DAILY MAIL ‘Charlotte Northedge turns the psychological thumbscrews with relish’ THE TIMES ‘Full of twists, The House Guest spirals towards its dark conclusion, wrong footing the increasingly uneasy reader at every turn.’ THE OBSERVER ‘The tension slowly builds up to a heart-racing end.’ WOMAN’S OWN ‘This is ace. Very acute on class, aspiration, women and status and all those agonising negotiations and anxieties’ SARAH PERRY, author of THE ESSEX SERPENT 'The House Guest is that delicious kind of novel, a slow-burn thriller that carefully draws the reader in, catches fire in the middle and burns with an intensity until the end' FIONA CUMMINS ‘A dark and intriguing debut that simmers with tension and unease’ LUCY CLARKE ‘Dark, smart and classy – I was totally gripped’ GILLIAN MCALLISTER ‘A deliciously dark and totally twisted look at the lengths some people will go to project a perfect life’ ERIN KELLY
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers The Traitors
Book SynopsisWickedly fun and highly addictive a delicious read with all the elements of a perfect whodunit' Jeneva Rose, New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect MarriageHouse on Haunted Hill mixed with Agatha Christie' NetGalley ReviewerThe brand new locked-room thriller for fans of Ruth Ware and Freida McFadden.You are cordially invited to the Beechwood Castle for a night you'll never forgetSix people find a thick cream envelope on their doorstep. Inside is an invitation to spend 24 hours in a crumbling manor house and be in with the chance to win a portion of one million dollars. The catch: Beechwood Castle was the site of one of the most horrific murders in modern history.The smell of blood, decay and death still hangs heavy in the air.Six people walk into the house. One of them is an imposter, all of them are traitors, which of them will survive the night?See what early readers are saying about The Traitors:''A fun, atmospheric read with characters you''ll love to hate and plenty of s
£9.49
CamCat Publishing, LLC Hunterland
Book Synopsis
£12.71
Headline Publishing Group Island
Book Synopsis''If you''ve missed Laymon, you''ve missed a treat'' Stephen King.When eight people are shipwrecked on a deserted island they take solace in the fact that at least they have fresh water, food and firewood. Now all they have to do is sit tight until they''re rescued. There''s just one problem - they''re not alone. In the jungle behind the beach, there''s a maniac on the loose and he''s plotting to kill them all, one by one...
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Other People
Book SynopsisThe chilling new novel and Sunday Times top 10 bestseller from the bestselling author of The Chalk Man and The Taking of Annie Thorne''C. J. Tudor is terrific. I can''t wait to see what she does next'' Harlan Coben''A mesmerizingly chilling and atmospheric page-turner'' J.P. Delaney, bestselling author of The Girl BeforeDriving home one night, Gabe sees the face of a little girl he knows in the rear window of the car in front.She mouths one word - ''Daddy''. He never sees his five-year-old daughter, Izzy, again.The police believe she''s dead. But three years later, Gabe still drives the roads, searching for the car that took Izzy, never giving up hope . . .Fran and her daughter, Alice, aren''t searching - but running. Always one step ahead of the people who want to hurt them.Because Fran knows the truth about Gabe''s daughter - and she knows what those chasing her and AliTrade ReviewC. J. Tudor is terrific. I can't wait to see what she does next * Harlan Coben *C. J. Tudor has done it again. A mesmerizingly chilling and atmospheric page-turner * J. P. Delaney, author of The Girl Before *Utterly magnificent. Such a beautifully weaved and satisfyingly complex tale, with just the right level of spookiness * James Oswald *Chilling and utterly gripping. Loved the twists and the well-drawn everyday details. A fantastic new book from the Queen of Creepy * Will Dean, bestselling author of Red Snow *The Other People is a creepy, intense novel that drew me right in and never let go. C. J. Tudor's books keep getting better and better, and this one won't let you stop reading until the very last page! * Samantha Downing, author of My Lovely Wife *Hugely enjoyable and deliciously creepy. I was hooked from its gripping opening, all the way through its many twists and turns. Ostensibly about a man searching for his missing daughter, it's a tale about loss, where nothing is quite as it seems; and, although you may think you've got it worked out, C. J. Tudor is always several steps ahead. A brilliant storyteller. * Alex Michaelides, author of The Silent Patient *Her books have the ability to simultaneously make you unable to stop reading while wishing you could bury the book somewhere deep underground where it can't be found anymore. Compelling and haunting * Sunday Express *An intense novel that gets right to the heart of what it means to love and to grieve. Intriguing, dramatic and heart-breaking * Woman & Home *A father's desperate search for his vanished daughter provides the beating heart of this complex thriller, which is suffused with loss, longing and vengeance. Touches of the supernatural bring an extra dimension to the spine-tingling thrills * Sunday Mirror *A darkly compelling tale of justice, revenge and the darkness lurking at the edges of everyday life - with an utterly propulsive plot that makes it very, very hard to put down * T. M. Logan, bestselling author of The Holiday *C. J. Tudor is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. She has such a gift for storytelling. Couldn't turn the pages fast enough * Fiona Cummins, author of The Rattle *C. J. Tudor's best novel to date. This tale of the lengths some people will go to to ease their grief was utterly emotionally believable while still treading at the edges of the worlds of Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Gripping and thoroughly entertaining. I can't wait to see what she does next * Sarah Pinborough *It's rare to read something so downright terrifying but C.J. Tudor manages it time and again. The Other People grabs you by the throat and keeps on squeezing till the very last page. Clever. Original. Brilliant * Chris Whitaker *Fabulous * Paul Burke, author of The Burning Men *I adored The Other People. I was absolutely gripped from start to finish. Deliciously dark, with realistic characters that you simultaneously root for, then recoil from * Caz Frear *Excellent. A clever, tense and touching novel * Literary Review *Sets the bar high for every other thriller this year * John Marrs *Diabolically clever and propulsive as a rollercoaster. If you like twisty thrillers that leave you guessing till the very last page, this is a must-read * Alma Katsu, author of The Hunger and The Deep *Another black fist of doom, smashing into the feeble world . . . loved it! * Max Wesolowski *Such intricate and enthralling storytelling. Evocative and creepy * Amanda Reynolds *This book is chilling. It's the type of book you need to read with the lights on and the doors locked but it's so gripping you won't regret the mild night terrors * Yahoo! Style UK *C. J. Tudor has crafted an intense novel that gets right to the heart of what it means to love and to grieve . . . Intriguing, dramatic and heartbreaking * Woman & Home *A chilling psychological thriller, pulsing with atmosphere and plot twists * Candis *A well-crafted story that blends a mystery with some supernatural chills. You'll want to leave the light on * Best *A chilling, atmospheric tale of justice, revenge, and the darkness lurking on the fringes of society * Daily Express *Vivid characterisation, lots of mystery as well as a twisting plot, it makes for a gripping page turner * NB Magazine *The chilling new novel by the bestselling author of The Chalk Man is an absolute page-turner. We'll just say the author isn't referred to as the 'Queen of Creepy' for nothing * That's Life *Complex thriller which is suffused with loss, longing and vengeance. Touches of the supernatural add to the spine-tingling thrills * The People *A novel with a formidable emotional pull * Financial Times *C.J. Tudor is mastering the suspense/horror genre . . . It's quietly disconcerting, completely relatable and shows you that humans have a wonderfully dark side * Woman's Weekly *Kidnap mystery and horror suspense all rolled into one as a man is haunted by his abduction of his daughter while the woman who knows what happened is on the run for her life * Love it! *Praise for C. J. Tudor * - *CJ Tudor taps into those things that woke you up in the night when you were a kid and then stay with you when you're an adult * Richard Armitage *Britain's female Stephen King * Daily Mail *Some writers have it, and some don't. C. J. Tudor has it big time * Lee Child *A dark star is born * A. J. Finn *An intense novel that gets right to the heart of what it means to love and grieve * Woman *Wonderfully gripping and doubt-inducing * Woman & Home *
£9.49
Pushkin Press Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird
Book SynopsisIn these tense, macabre stories, bodies fall from the sky, perfect nails conceal grisly secrets and violence pulses behind gleaming façades. From hellish visions to obsessive relationships, acclaimed author Agustina Bazterrica takes us to the dark heart of human desires and fears. Shocking, brutal, yet glinting with sharp humour, Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird is a breathtaking dive into human monstrousness from a master of contemporary horror.
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group The Chill: 'Wow!' Stephen King
Book Synopsis'This is one terrific horror/suspense/disaster novel. Characters you root for and a story that grips from the first page' STEPHEN KING 'The Chill is an eerie dive into the murky depths of the supernatural. A story that has you looking back over your shoulder on every page' MICHAEL CONNELLY In this terrifying thriller, a supernatural force set in motion a century ago threatens to devastate New York City. In upstate New York a drowned village lies beneath the dark, still waters of the Chilewaukee reservoir. Sacrificed a century ago to bring water to the millions living downstate, the town's destruction was for the greater good . . . at least that's what the politicians said. Years later an inspector overseeing the dangerously neglected dam witnesses something inexplicable. It seems more than the village was left behind in the waters of the Chill; some never left at all. Now a dark prophecy comes to fruition. Those who remember must ask themselves: who will be next? For sacrifices must be made. As the dark water begins inexorably to rise, the demand for a fresh sacrifice emerges from the deep . . . Trade Review'Wow! This is one terrific horror/suspense/disaster novel. Characters you root for and a story that grips from the first page' -- Stephen King, number one bestselling author of The Institute. 'Horror has a new name and it's Scott Carson. The Chill is an eerie dive into the murky depths of the supernatural. A story that has you looking back over your shoulder on every page' -- Michael Connelly, number one bestselling author of The Night Fire. 'The Chill features a clever and chilling premise, and Scott Carson delivers on the promise of it with swift clear prose, well-defined characters, and terrific suspense. This is a must read for fans of eerie, gripping storytelling' -- Dean Koontz, number one bestselling author of The Night Window. 'The year's best spine-tingler is already here. The Chill is a good old-fashioned ghost story, meticulously researched and brilliantly executed. If you've ever wished for a cross between Chinatown and The Fog, Scott Carson has answered your dark prayers' -- John Connolly, internationally bestselling author of The Book of Bones.
£8.54
Flame Tree Publishing The Darkest Lullaby
Book Synopsis"One of the best writers in modern horror to come along in the last decade. Janz is one of my new favorites." - Brian KeeneThe old house waited. For years there had been rumors that the owner, Lilith Martin, had been part of an unholy cult. People spoke of blasphemous rituals, black rites filled with blood, sex…and sacrifices. Then Lilith died and the house sat empty. Until now. Lilith’s nephew, Chris, and his wife, Ellie, are moving in. Ellie isn’t happy about living in such a dark, foreboding place, but she wants to get pregnant and this house has a lot more room to raise a baby than their apartment. Unfortunately, she and Chris will soon learn that Lilith has other plans.FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.Trade Review"One of the best writers in modern horror to come along in the last decade. Janz is one of my new favorites." -- Brian Keene
£17.00
Flame Tree Publishing Dark Observation
Book Synopsis"A dark, disturbing thrill ride." - Publisher's Weekly Eligos is waiting…fulfil your destiny 1941. In the dark days of war-torn London, Violet works in Churchill's subterranean top secret Cabinet War Rooms, where key decisions that will dictate Britain’s conduct of the war are made. Above, the people of London go about their daily business as best they can, unaware of the life that teems beneath their feet. Night after night the bombs rain down, yet Violet has far more to fear than air raids. A mysterious man, a room only she can see, memories she can no longer trust, and a best friend who denies their shared past... Something or someone - is targeting her. FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing Independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. Learn more about Flame Tree Press at www.flametreepress.com and connect on social media @FlameTreePress.Trade Review"A dark, disturbing thrill ride." -- Publishers Weekly“[...]if there is a crown of queen of gothic horror, [Catherine Cavendish] should be wearing it." -- Modern Horrors"Cavendish showcases her expertise at creating a creepy atmosphere and facilitating suspension of disbelief." -- Publisher's Weekly"Established horror author Cavendish weaves an engaging, multigenerational tale of dark magic and occult dealings in London, both in modern day and during the height of the World War II bombing blitz [...] Dark Observation reads as part occult tale, akin to Rosemary’s Baby, and part feminist World War II novel, like Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity (2012). Readers will enjoy the inventive uses of historical and horror-fantasy plot elements and the great many twists." -- Booklist“Dark Observation overlays the tight pacing and intrigue of the spy thriller with a genuinely creepy atmosphere, and the historical details ring true without feeling intrusive." -- Toronto Star
£8.96
Troubador Publishing Revenge of the Bones: a sequel to The Judge’s
Book SynopsisIt has been just a year since the tragic death of eleven people, nine of whom were innocent of any wrong doing. Despite six bodies having never been found, life in the village of Lingtree had gradually begun returning to normal. But then Detective Chief Inspector Eversden is called in to investigate the suspicious death of a pipeline contractor called Harris. Unfortunately for the detective, he was unaware that prior to his death, Harris had handled a number of skulls exposed in the pipe trench. He dismissed these as just skeletal remains of prisoners brutally executed for breaking centuries’ past Stannary Laws, the laws relating to tin mining. As his investigations proceed, events begin to challenge even the vast experience and abilities of Eversden and his colleague, Sergeant Jones. However, unbeknown to him, even the best detective in the force would face the gravest difficulty in dealing with future incidents which have their roots in the past. Two years later, the village has undergone a major change, a change which no one relays to two visiting students, Sally & Helen. Ignoring the weather forecast and a warning from their guesthouse landlady, they set off to explore ‘The Path of the Dead’, the route taken by coffin bearers in the 13th Century, to meet their obligation to bury their dead in the graveyard of Lingtree church. What follows, is a tale of horror beyond anything ever told by even the hardiest and bravest of traveller.
£8.99
Transworld Publishers Ltd The Witch in the Well: A deliciously disturbing
Book SynopsisOnce upon a time, the townspeople of F -. did something bad . . .Local schoolteacher Catherine Evans has made writing the definitive account of what happened when Ilsbeth Clark drowned in the well her life's work.Some don't want the past raked up, but Catherine is determined to shine a light upon that shameful event. Because Ilsbeth was an innocent, shunned and ostracized by rumour-mongers and ill-wishers, and someone has to speak up for her. And who better than Catherine, who has herself felt the sting and hurt of such whisperings?And then a childhood friend returns to F -. Elena is a successful author who's earned a certain celebrity. Now in search of a new subject, she announces her intention to write a book about the long-dead woman.And Elena has everything Catherine has not. A platform. And connections. And no one seems to care that this book will be pure speculation, tainting Ilsbeth's memory. Catherine is left with no option but to blunt her rival's pen ...Before summer is over, one woman will be dead and the other accused of murder.But is she guilty, or are there other forces at work? And who was Ilsbeth Clark, really?An innocent? A witch? Or something else entirely?Trade ReviewTrue to form, Camilla Bruce has spun a slippery yet beguiling spell with this cleverly crafted and intoxicating tale of female rivalry and folklore. A startling and original plot is woven around a cast of gleefully unpleasant characters - I was gripped from the very first page.Haunting and harrowing . . . I couldn't look away.Simmering with unease and spookiness, this creepy read will give you goosebumps. **** * HEAT magazine *A slippery yet beguiling spell ... this is a cleverly crafted and intoxicating tale of female rivalry and folklore. * PICK ME UP! 'Book of the Week' *Uniting the 'found footage' of Janice Hallett's books with Norwegian tales of 'difficult women' and folk horror. * STYLIST *
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Drowning Pool
Book Synopsis A chilling, haunting ghost story set in the modern day which delves into the real-life legend of a 19th century sea witch… Relocated to a coastal town, widowed teacher Sarah Grey is slowly rebuilding her life, along with her young son Alfie. But after an inadvertent séance one drunken night, her world is shaken when she starts to experience frightening visions. She tries to explain them away. But Alfie sees them too and Sarah believes that they have become the targets of a haunting attack. Convinced that the ghost is that of a 19th Century local witch, Sarah delves into local folklore and learns that the witch was thought to have been evil incarnate. And when a series of old letters surface, Sarah discovers that nothing is as it seems, not even the ghost who haunts her very home… Perfect for fans of The Midnight House, The Familiars and The Lighthouse Witches. Trade Review‘A stunning reinvention of the ghost story and an exploration of a 19th-century Essex witch hunt.’ The Guardian ‘A goose-pimply old-fashioned ghost story.’ Christopher Fowler, author of the Bryant and May series ‘A must-read for historical fiction fans. Its vivid descriptions will leave even the toughest of souls with goose pimples.’ Closer
£10.39
Little, Brown Book Group The Boy on the Bridge Discover the wordofmouth
Book Synopsis''SPECTACULAR!'' No. 1 bestselling author Martina Cole''UNPUTDOWNABLE'' Irish TimesDiscover the thrilling stand-alone novel set in the same world as the million-copy bestseller THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS - now also a major film on Netflix.Once upon a time, in a land blighted by terror, there was a very clever boy.The people thought the boy could save them, so they opened their gates and sent him out into the world.To where the monsters lived.''I loved it just as much as The Girl With All the Gifts, if not more'' Martina Cole''A tense story with superbly rendered characters'' SciFiNow''A terrifying, emotional page-turner that explores what it means to be human'' Kirkus''Carey writes with compassion and fire - strange and surprising and humane'' Lauren Beukes, author of The Shining GirlsTrade ReviewSpectacular! I enjoyed it just as much as The Girl With All the Gifts, if not more * No. 1 bestselling author Martina Cole *Unputdownable * IRISH TIMES *Carey writes with compassion and fire - strange and surprising and humane * Lauren Beukes, author of THE SHINING GIRLS *The hefty brio of a Stephen King, the fierce intelligence of a John Wyndham * DAILY MAIL *A tense story with superbly rendered characters -- SCIFINOWA terrifying, emotional page-turner that explores what it means to be human * KIRKUS *Thoughtful and compelling * RT BOOK REVIEWS *Carey manages to again build an impressive story that carries hope within its horror * WEEKEND HERALD *A tense, satisfying post-apocalyptic thriller * BARNES AND NOBLE SCI-FI & FANTASY BLOG *
£9.49