Horror & Ghost Stories Books

Book SynopsisIt's time to write it all down. I don't know how much longer I'm going to stay. I'm writing it for me and I'm writing it for you, even though you'll probably never see it. I'm talking to you, Christa, and to no one else. Filled with yearning for lost love, writing against the backdrop of a world in chaos, Alex records an intimate account of his time with Christa, his half-Swedish girlfriend, who disappeared seven years earlier in opaque circumstances. In an isolated part of England, the lonely teenagers forge a defiant and passionate relationship. Alex's father is a bully and an alcoholic; Christa has her own profound family sorrows. The two bond over their deep love of music and a concern for animal welfare. But even as they exchange troubling secrets, sharing stories of cruelties suffered, losses endured, and vengeance taken, the couple become aware that a mysterious group of outsiders is watching over them, a group who would lure them to experiences more disturbing still. What do these strangers want? What are the bitter truths they want the young lovers to learn? And why are they convinced that the darkness within Christa is the key to the fate of the world? Though its central couple are adolescents, here is a book that explores startlingly adult terrain. Even as Alex and Christa are drawn into excitement and adventure, they must confront the inescapable horrors of existence: death, the twin traumas of consciousness and history, the fates of animals forced to share the planet with a truly ferocious species: us.Trade Review"Nature Cults and Teenage Dreams. A cross between Romeo & Juliet, folk horror and Alan Garner. A brilliant evocation of the intense intimacies of teenage love set in the late 1980s in the rural North of England. Alex and Christa find solace from violent, cruel and neglectful parents in each other. Seemingly kindred spirits, they share a concern for animal rights, vegetarianism, and a love of music. In the mysterious woods at the back of their village, they explore together drug-fuelled visions, initiations and stark insights into the nature of the world and their role in the dark transformation of it.;Independent and underground music plays a big part in the teenager's lives and the novel is soundtracked by the music of the era: The Fall, Dinosaur Jr, Cocteau Twins, The Cure, The Cramps, The Gun Club, as well as the mystical acid folk of early 70s cult band Comus which presages the second half of the novel, as the two protagonists become entwined with a mysterious nature cult and come to see the world in a harsh new light.;And that enigmatic title. It keeps its meaning until the afterword where it hits with an unexpected force." Kulchur Kat;"Evocative. Wow, this really did bring back memories of what it was like to be a teenager. As well as the fascinating relationship, the story itself is great, although somewhat disturbing as it builds. I won't spoil the ending..." Amazon Reader;" I enjoyed the many music references, the beautiful description of young and deep love, the animals and nature element, the darkness at the heart of it and discussed the many different interpretations of all the weird occult bits over lunch." Ada CorneillieTable of Contents1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 After

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Book SynopsisA compelling folk horror story of deadly rivalry and the oldest magic from the four times winner of The August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel.No home is heaven with hell next door.Money''s tight and their new home is a fixer-upper. Deep in rural South West England, with an ancient wood at the foot of the garden, Tom and his family are miles from anywhere and anyone familiar. His wife, Fiona, was never convinced that buying the money-pit at auction was a good idea. Not least because the previous owner committed suicide. Though no one can explain why.Within days of crossing the threshold, when hostilities break out with the elderly couple next door, Tom''s dreams of future contentment are threatened by an escalating tit-for-tat campaign of petty damage and disruption.Increasingly isolated and tormented, Tom risks losing his home, everyone dear to him and his mind. Because, surely, only the mad would suspect that the oddballs across the hedgerow command unearthly powers. A malicious magic even older than the eerie wood and the strange barrow therein. A hallowed realm from where, he suspects, his neighbours draw a hideous power."Nevill has crafted some of the tensest scariest horror this reviewer has read in years" SFX"Adam Nevill excels at making nightmares real" Guardian 

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Book SynopsisImagine your worst fear. A fear that eats away at you - fear of death, of illness, of needles, of fire. Even of feelings. The people who live in Roxton know what it''s like to live like that. But they have no choice. Emma Tate had lived with her fear of losing everything for more than two years. Her job is in jeopardy, her parents have been killed in a car crash, her life is collapsing around her. She, her husband and two friends attempt to seek peace in a luxury house in the countryside close to Roxton for two weeks. But the village of Roxton LIKES fear - it has a force within it which needs fear to sustain it and help it grow. And Emma and her companions cannot avoid becoming fearful... For Emma and the others there will be no waking from THIS nightmare...

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Book SynopsisIn a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina doesn't really fit in. And being an assassin - the only profession fit for an outcast - doesn't help matters. But she's never brought her work home. Until now. Her latest mission is uncomfortably complex, and threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races. As Sabina scrambles to figure out which side she's on, she uncovers a tangled political web, some nasty facts about her family and some unexpected new talents. Any of these things could be worryingly life-changing, but together, they could be fatal ...Trade ReviewBrassy, sassy, and hip! Well s' promising debut is a fast-paced trip through a dark and dangerous landscape featuring an unusual take on vampires, mages, faeries, and demons. It hooks you on page one and takes you for a great ride! * Kat Richardson *Fast-paced and funny ... Very enjoyable! * Karen Chance *There's plenty of action, the pacing is fast and the characters interesting ... an interesting book that deserves to be recommended * SFRevu *Action-packed suspense at its best. And urban fantasy doesn't get much better than this. Steeped in mystery, intrigue, and magic, this debut is one of the best I've read in months * Sci-Fi Chick *

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Book SynopsisIt is the time of the Great Depression. The dustbowl has turned the western skies red and thousands leave their homes seeking a better life. Marcus Connelly seeks not a life, but a death - a death for the mysterious scarred man who murdered his daughter. And soon he learns that he is not alone. Countless others have lost someone to the scarred man. They band together to track him, but as they get closer, Connelly begins to suspect that the man they are hunting is more than human. It is said that he who hunts monsters should take care lest he thereby become a monster, and as the chase becomes increasingly desperate, the scarred man's pursuers are forced to choose between what is right and what is necessary. Having come so far and lost so much, Connelly must decide just how much more he is willing to sacrifice to have his revenge.Trade ReviewMr Shivers is a startling debut, a deft amalgam of thriller, cerebral horror and American gothic GUARDIAN A ravishing debut ... Supremely chilling, it never loses its grip in its journey to the edge of the apocalypse DAILY MAIL Read[s] like a collaboration between Stephen King and John Steinbeck ... will captivate horror readers hungry for new voices PUBLISHERS WEEKLY This is one hell of a debut novel, possibly the best first book by an author that I've ever read IMPACT

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