Horror & Ghost Stories Books

Book Synopsis*** THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER ***Twice upon a time - for that is how some stories should continue . . .'Book lovers and fans of John Connolly will not be disappointed by this remarkable standalone novel' INDEPENDENT'Will wholly satisfy fans of The Book of Lost Things. The tale is fully immersed in the otherworld of fantasy and fairytale... the novel is also a quietly profound journey to the heart of the human condition' IRISH TIMES'This can be read as a standalone, and may well prove as popular as its predecessor' GUARDIAN Phoebe, an eight-year-old girl, lies comatose following a car accident. She is a body without a spirit, a stolen child. Ceres, her mother, can only sit by her bedside and read aloud to Phoebe the fairy stories she loves in the hope they might summon her back to this world. But it is hard to keep faith, so very hard. Now an old house on the hospital grounds, a property connected to a book written by a vanished author, is calling to Ceres. Something wants her to enter, and to journey - to a land coloured by the memories of Ceres's childhood, and the folklore beloved of her father, to a land of witches and dryads, giants and mandrakes; to a land where old enemies are watching, and waiting. To the Land of Lost Things.For anyone who loved THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS and for all readers who enjoy dark, beautifully written fables that explore the heart of the human condition: love, loyalty and sacrifice.'A unique and compelling journey' DAILY MAIL'Dark and beautiful' HEAT'Captivating... he's certainly spun more gold with The Land of Lost Things' SUNDAY BUSINESS POST'A rollicking adventure... Connolly is such a skilled storyteller that you can't help being swept along' IRISH INDEPENDENT'This dark fairy tale, sequel to The Book of Lost Things (2006), speaks volumes about a mother's devotion [...] A feat of imagination' KIRKUS'I've been waiting for this book for over 15 years and it is everything I hoped it would be and more. Simply breathtaking' MARK BILLINGHAMTrade ReviewThe long awaited sequel to The Book Of Lost Things returns to a magical world of enchantedplants, talking animals and gorgeously crafted myth and legend . . . a truly enchanted world. Beautiful -- Deirdre O'Brien * Best *Dark and beautiful * Heat *Nearly two decades after enchanting a generation of readers with The Book Of Lost Things, Irish writer John Connolly is revisiting his richly dark fairyland . . . Time here is twistier than the gnarly old trees and roots in the forests of our nightmares. Connolly manages to give a subtle nod to the post-pandemic era while reaching out and embracing modern readers from beyond the page. If fairy stories help people confront and come to terms with universal themes of love, loss, grief and fear, then this is a timely and comforting sequel . . . Book lovers and fans of John Connolly will not be disappointed by this remarkable standalone novel * Independent *AT LAST we have a sequel to The Book Of Lost Things, Connolly's standout lyrical fantasy from 17 years ago . . . A unique and compelling journey -- Jamie Buxton * Daily Mail *A return to the world of The Book of Lost Things by the award-winning author of the Charlie Parker crime thrillers. This can be read as a standalone, and may well prove as popular as its predecessor, but probably will appeal most to those who are not regular fantasy readers -- Lisa Tuttle * Guardian *Captivating . . . Connolly spins more gold from dark fairy tale world . . . with The Land of Lost Things * Sunday Business Post (Ireland) *A rollicking adventure . . . Connolly is such a skilled storyteller that you can't help being swept along -- Darragh McManus * Irish Independent *'Will wholly satisfy fans of The Book of Lost Things. The tale is fully immersed in the otherworld of fantasy and fairytale . . . the novel is also a quietly profound journey to the heart of the human condition -- Declan Burke * The Irish Times *A gripping tale, which again demonstrates Connolly's masterful storytelling flair * Hot Press *A magical, absorbing read, in places comic, in others horrifying . . . Connolly uses fantasy to explore reality . . . Central to the novel is reading and its importance, together with the escapism books offer us. It's a dark and dangerous fairy tale, where awful things happen, but where there is also kindness, loyalty, love. Ultimately, it's a story of hope -- Tina Neylon * Irish Examiner *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA fusion of travel literature and cultural criticisminvestigating the darkhistory of the US and exploring how past horrors from witch trials to slavery and genocide continue to haunt the national consciousness.

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book Synopsis"Tightly wound, atmospheric, and creepy as hell... I loved it." Stephen King Pursued by unknown terrors across the frozen Siberian tundra, a documentary-maker experiences a nightmare journey into the icy darkness in the terrifying new novel from the multi award-winning author. Surrounded by barren trees in a snow-covered wilderness with a dim, dusky sky forever overhead, Siberia's Kolyma Highway is 1200 miles of gravel packed permafrost within driving distance of the Arctic Circle. A narrow path where drivers face such challenging conditions as icy surfaces, limited visibility, and an average temperature of sixty degrees below zero, fatal car accidents are common. But motorists are not the only victims of the highway. Known as the Road of Bones, it is a massive graveyard for the former Soviet Union's gulag prisoners. Hundreds of thousands of people worked to death and were left where their bodies fell, consumed by the frozen elements and plowed beneath the permafrost road. Fascinated by the history, documentary producer Felix "Teig" Teigland is in Russia to drive the highway, envisioning a new series capturing Life and Death on the Road of Bones with a ride to the town of Akhust, "the coldest place on Earth", collecting ghost stories and local legends along the way. Only, when Teig and his team reach their destination, they find an abandoned town, save one catatonic nine-year-old girl and a pack of predatory wolves, faster and smarter than any wild animals should be. Pursued by the otherworldly beasts, Teig's companions confront even more uncanny and inexplicable phenomena along the Road of Bones, as if the ghosts of Stalin's victims were haunting them. It is a harrowing journey that will push Teig beyond endurance and force him to confront the sins of his past.

Read more less

Book SynopsisI couldn''t put it down, read it cover to cover in a day A fabulous chilling thriller.' NetGalley reviewer, ?????A mysterious figure. A whispering community. A deadly secretWhen Stina and Jack move to an old rural cottage, they're hoping for a fresh start. Their new home is run-down compared to their neighbour's, but generous Mrs Barley quickly becomes a friend.Until Stina sees a mysterious figure in the widow's garden, and her happy new life begins to unravel. And when she hears strange noises in the night, she is forced to question if Mrs Barley is what she seems.Why do the other villagers whisper about her? Why is she so eager to help the couple? And what is she hiding in her picture-perfect home?A haunting, twisty story about the power of secrets and rumours, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware's The Turn of the Key and Lucy Atkins's Magpie Lane. Readers are gripped by Whisper Cottage: Unputdownable. I loved it! Had me hooked Great, fast paced mystery.' NetGalley reviewer, ?????Full of twists and turns you just don't see coming Read it in one sitting.' NetGalley reviewer, ?????Super suspenseful book with lots of twists and could it be you moments Keeps the reader guessing until the end.' NetGalley reviewer, ?????Excellent Gripping I raced through it.' NetGalley reviewer, ?????Brilliant! Suspenseful, gripping, compulsive It would make an amazeballs Netflix film (hint, hint)!' NetGalley reviewer, ?????I was shocked to the core and that doesn't happen often! It's one of those stories that you're dying to figure out (but can't!) 5/5, loved it.' NetGalley reviewer, ?????Creepy, claustrophobic and compelling! A beautifully written thriller that kept me glued to my Kindle' Miranda RijksI devoured this book in a couple of sittings because I needed to find out what was going on! Twists and turn to keep the reader enthralled!' NetGalley reviewer, ?????Trade Review‘Creepy, claustrophobic and compelling! A beautifully written thriller that kept me glued to my Kindle’ Miranda Rijks, author of The Visitors ‘Haunting psychological suspense… Will send shivers down your spine’ Alice Hunter, author of The Serial Killer’s Wife “Whisper Cottage was a dark and atmospheric thriller that pulled me in from the very first page.” Stephanie DeCarolis, author of The Guilty Husband 'Chilling and wonderfully atmospheric, with an ending that took me surprise – I couldn’t put it down' Amanda Brittany, author of Her Last Lie

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen the corpse of Sir Charles Baskerville is found on the grounds of his Dartmoor estate next to a mysterious animal footprint, thoughts turn to a fabled family curse: that of a hellhound set out to avenge a crime committed by one of Sir Charles's ancestors. As the only surviving heir of the Baskervilles is terrified for his safety, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are called in to investigate. The most famous novel in Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes cycle, The Hound of the Baskervilles is a masterpiece of terror, suspense and mystery which has enthralled readers young and old since it was first published in 1902.Trade ReviewSherlock Holmes's best remains a classic. The Times"

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe final book in Dolores Redondo's atmospheric Baztan trilogy, featuring Inspector Amaia Salazar. With masterful storytelling and a detective to rival Sarah Lund, this Spanish bestselling series has taken Europe by storm.It begins with a murdered child. It ends in a valley where nightmares are born.When Detective Inspector Amaia Salazar is called in to investigate the death of a baby girl, she finds an ominous sign that points to murder.The girl's grandmother tells the police that the Inguma' was responsible an evil demon of Basque mythology that kills people in their sleep Amaia is forced to return to the Baztán valley for answers.Back where it all began, she comes face to face with a ghost from her past. And finally uncovers a devastating truth that has ravaged the valley for years.Trade Review‘A remarkable trilogy … a brilliant novel in its own right … magnificent’ Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month Praise for Dolores Redondo: ‘A fascinating protagonist’ Isabel Allende ‘Myth and reality blend in this sophisticated and razor-sharp thriller … gritty, fascinating and compelling’ Steve Berry ‘This first volume in a planned trilogy is an international bestseller, combining singular characters and an eerily atmospheric setting’ Sunday Times ‘Has so many facets to it that it becomes utterly compelling’Publishing Perspectives An intriguing read – compelling and often dark’ Liz Loves Books blog ‘Well-written and engaging’ Raven Crime Reads blog

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe SUNDAY TIMES bestselling series continuesPraise for world of THREADNEEDLEEnthralling and original fantasy' Jay Kristoff, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of EMPIRE OF THE VAMPIREThe magic both gleams and threatens' Robin Hobb, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling authorAnna survived the attempt to bind her magic, but Anna and her coven aren't free from danger yet.Haunted by her aunt's death, living in fear of her curse, and fated to love the one man she can never have, the last thing Anna needs is a witch hunt. Now she must conceal her magic once more or risk losing everything.But when deadly hysteria strikes across the capital, and in her own school, the coven are left dangerously exposed. Delving deeper into the magical underworld of London, Anna and her twin sister Effie must find a way to work together to protect the coven.But as the witch hunt intensifies and the hysteria spirals out of control, can Effie and Anna truly trust each other?

Read more less

Book SynopsisLily, Alice, Grace, and Jem are back in the third and final spellbinding instalment in the Sisters of Shadow trilogy by Katherine Livesey!She couldn't work out if it was the world that had changed, or herselfWhen lightning shatters the darkness into a blazing jigsaw of panic and pain, Lily and her friends realise they've been transported through the jaws of the wild storm right to the gates of Midnight Manor, home of High Priestess of the Shadow Sect herself, Hecate Winter.But as a swarm of figures in hooded golden cloaks surrounds them it soon becomes clear: the real enemy was never hewn from the shadows but hidden in the light.A notorious legion of exorcists from beyond their borders, the Brotherhood of Light have been secretly abducting them for generations and indoctrinating them into believing there are good witches and bad witches, all subordinate to the whims of their oppressors.Now it's up to them to build a sisterhood strong enough to survive the sunrise.Readers have been captTrade Review‘Hot freaking damn guys. Sisters of Shadow was so good! Beyond addicting. I honestly couldn't put the book down until I reached the very last page’ Alaina, NetGalley ‘Full of raw, dripping magic… characters that are complex, something that I would expect to come from V E Schwab… I cannot get it out of my head. I need more, MORE, from Livesey’ Dalton, NetGalley ‘This was a gripping read, full of love, friendship, working together to overcome fears and the battle of good vs evil… should definitely be added to your TBR’ Ronni, NetGalley ‘I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The world the author created was brilliant and so immersive’ Amy, NetGalley ‘I suspect this book will have a certain Tik-Tok generation appeal… A gentle, whimsical fantasy story of best friends, first love and witches!’ Rebecca, NetGalley ‘The young adults in this book are so fierce and full of action’ Kelly, NetGalley ‘This book didn't disappoint’ Natàlia, NetGalley

Read more less

Book SynopsisOates's imagination is as unique, dystopian and vivid as Lewis Carroll's' ROSE TREMAIN''A master storyteller'' THE TIMES''Electric'' NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEWZero-sum games are played for lethal stakes in these arresting stories by one of America's most acclaimed writers.A brilliant young philosophy student bent on seducing her famous philosopher-mentor finds herself outmaneuvered; diabolically clever high school girls wreak a particularly apt sort of vengeance on sexual predators in their community; a woman stalked by a would-be killer may be confiding in the wrong former lover; a young woman is morbidly obsessed by her unfamiliar new role as mother. In the collection's longest story, a much-praised cutting-edge writer cruelly experiments with drafts of his own suicide.In these powerfully wrought stories that hold a mirror up to our time, Joyce Carol Oates has created a world of erotic obsession, thwarted idealism, and ever-shifting identities. Provocative and stunning, Zero-Sum reinTrade Review‘Zero-Sum is brilliant – bloodied, breathless, weird’ A. K. Blakemore, author of The Manningtree Witches ‘A genuine, sharp chronicler of our times, with a remarkable ability to sway from keen modernity to complete Gothic’ Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl ‘A writer of extraordinary strengths’ Guardian ‘American’s pre-eminent fiction writer’ New Yorker

Read more less

Book Synopsis''A stunning, audacious new thriller... It will shock you, horrify you, unsettle you, and that''s exactly the point. As brave as it is brutal, it lets nothing and nobody off the hook'' NPR''A book that everyone should be reading right now'' TIME New Yorkers Carter and Seth chop up old music to make it new again, ripping off black culture to line white pockets. They are young, hungry and talented. But one day they stumble on an old blues song - an undiscovered gem just waiting to be found - and land themselves in a heap of trouble.Seeking answers, Seth travels deep into the heart of the old South, accompanied by Carter''s bewitching sister Leonie. But this is America, where ghosts lie uneasy in shallow graves and tugging one loose thread can unravel a bloody history of injustice. And the closer Seth gets to the haunting truth, the more he feels pursued . . .White Tears is a nail-biting ride through the terrifying spectre of Trade ReviewWhite Tears is a book that everyone should be reading right now * TIME Magazine *[A] stunning, audacious, urgent thriller, as challenging as it is terrifying, as brave as it is brutal... It will shock you, horrify you, unsettle you, and that's exactly the point. It lets nothing and nobody off the hook * NPR *Delilloesque -- moody, threatening, and profoundly dark... A story about ghosts, about grievances leaking through the fabric of decades, and about retribution, violence and hatred. At every turn, Kunzru's words concoct a dreamlike world where the past isn't dead and the boundaries of reality flicker at the margins. * Huffington Post *Haunting, doom-drenched, genuinely and viscerally disturbing... Kunzru showcases his trademark exhilarating prose throughout - closing with a conclusion that packs a real punch * Independent *Like Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch... A stunning novel of ideas that becomes a page-turning thriller... During Trump's presidency, reading White Tears feels like a necessary and exhilarating act * Stylist *A disorientating odyssey through decades of American history...Kunzru has always been an assured and intellectually gifted novelist, but I am not sure he has ever before displaying such emotional heft * Daily Telegraph *Visceral horror, pacey storytelling and razor tautness. White Tears is a state-of-the-nation novel that ties pre-Civil Rights barbarism with a contemporary amnesia that parades as post racial America * Evening Standard *Graceful [and] exquisitely attuned * Washington Post *Exquisite... captures a yearning achieved fleetingly in life and more fully in art * i *At its heart is a serious reminder of how too often history robs the powerless of their voices * Daily Mail *Think of it as a socially-aware Goosebumps book for grown-ups * Shortlist *What begins as dude-bro send-up soon spirals into a supernatural revenge fantasy keyed to America's history of racism * Observer *A captivating satire about race and music * The Week, Novel of the Week *Both like a radical revenge fantasia and a stern lesson in radical empathy * Spectator *Kunzru's awareness and discernment have particular value in an America of the moment where nothing less than the country's meaning is at stake... unmoored between the heart that's felt it and the tip of the tongue that awaits the heart's transmission, in search of a promise that's determined to keep itself * The New York Times *A witty, strange and often very moving book * Financial Times *Deep themes on the nature of memory, race and authenticity * The Times *A brave book and often very funny * Sunday Telegraph *[An] excellent ghost story... A mesmerising tale of white guilt and black oppression in America * Evening Standard *A nightmarish page-turner... A disorientating odyssey through American history and a lesson in what happens when art is hijacked for less than noble aims * Daily Telegraph *This rich novel embraces the Deep South, a murder and a wealthy family's dark secret, while riffing on art and authenticity * Mail on Sunday *Full of verve and rhythm, White Tears cleverly skewers ideas about angst surrounding white appropriation of black music * Financial Times *A fast-paced, ambitious, hallucinatory mystery * Publishers Weekly *Publisher's description. Electrifying, subversive and wildly original, White Tears is a ghost story and a love story, a story about lost innocence and historical guilt. This unmissable novel penetrates the heart of a nation's darkness, encountering a suppressed history of greed, envy, revenge and exploitation, and holding a mirror up to the true nature of America today. * Penguin *Compulsively readable, masterly - a tour de force -- Rachel KushnerRiveting from the very first page, I was completely addicted... A literary thriller and a timely, unsparing excavation of the very real spectre of race in America's past and present. White Tears is proof that Kunzru is one of the finest novelists of his generation... -- Mirza WaheedHari Kunzru is an incredibly versatile writer who is alert to the inequalities in the world... Powerful and complex, White Tears is a novel about abuses of wealth and power. Brilliantly orchestrated, unforgettable and devastating -- Bernardine EvaristoHari Kunzru is one of our most important novelists * Independent on Sunday *Kunzru's engagingly wired prose and agile plotting sweep all before them * New Yorker *Marvellous, original and intelligent. Kunzru writes like a master storyteller... There's simply nothing [he] couldn't manage in prose * Literary Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisChilling and disturbing, meet the demons in Master of Horror James Herbert's Creed.Sometimes horror is in the mind. And sometimes it's real. Telling the difference isn't always easy. It wasn't for freelance photographer Joe Creed. He'd just photographed the unreal. Now he had to pay the price. Because he always thought that demons were just a joke. But the joke was on him. And it wasn't very funny. It was deadly . . .Trade ReviewChilling event follows chilling event . . . The plot thickens. Your head spins. * Daily Mail *He is one of the few writers taking forward the tradition of the great supernatural storytellers -- and being innovative. * Evening Standard *A streamlined racehorse of a book, pulsing with energy, Creed will delight Herbert fans, and surely astonish them. * Fear *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA SOLDIER''S MISSION IN A RAVAGED WORLD: SURVIVE, RESCUE REBUILD.In a steel-and-lead-encased bunker twenty feet below gorund, a soldier waits for his final orders. On the surface, a bacterium has turned over 90% of the population into hyper-aggressive predators, with an insatiable desire to kill and feed. But now the day has come when he must open the hatch to his bunker, and step out into the chaos . . .The first volume in D.J. Molles''s bestselling series, now in a special edition with the bonus novella The Remaining: Faith.Trade ReviewSurvival horror at almost its very best . . . Molles and Orbit are certainly onto a winner in a series that deserves to be seen by genre fans be it online or on paper * THE BOOK BAG *These are my current favorite post-apocalyptic zombie novels! . . . I love how this series builds fantastic characters and poses them with and against one another in super believable situations. I can believe this future...The action is detailed and vivid * BOING BOING *A well written, taut adventure novel with characters that definitely make a mark * SF CROWSNEST *A thoroughly entertaining read (think Matthew Reilly meets 28 Days Later and you won't go too far wrong) that has me eagerly awaiting the sequel * GRAEME'S SFF *The Walking Dead fans, this one would be right up your alley . . . Pure zombie fiction fun * BIBLIOSANCTUM *Sharply targeted sentences depict an acutely human action hero who wrestles his anxiety . . . Molles's precise construction gives readers ample reason to return, as does the agonizing companion novella, which provides an unnerving view of what occurred while Lee was waiting to begin his mission * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *A solidly entertaining action adventure with just enough horror to keep things nice and tense * THE ELOQUENT PAGE *Those who crave a military take on a zombie-like outbreak will want to check [this] out * LIBRARY JOURNAL *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the number one bestselling author of SAFE HOUSE comes a story about friendship, family, secrets, lies, and the things we do for love.When Claire Cooper was eight, her mother disappeared during Hop-tu-naa, the Manx Halloween. When Claire was eighteen, she and her friends took part in a Hop-tu-naa dare that went terribly wrong. Now in her early twenties and a police officer, what happened that Hop-tu-naa night has come back to haunt them all, and Claire must confront her deepest fears in order to stop a killer from striking again.For fans of Stephen King and Harlan Coben, this is I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER meets THE WICKER MAN from one of the country''s new generation of thriller writers. ''Ewan has become a master storyteller.'' Ann Cleeves''A rising star of the genre.'' Simon Kernick

Read more less

Book SynopsisAiming to firmly position Sheridan Le Fanu alongside other canonical horror writers published by the British Library, this anthology focuses on some of his lesser-known stories, exploring eight thoroughly Gothic tales of murderous families, dark castles and ghosts whose business with the living remains unfinished.

Read more less

Book SynopsisRandalls Round has long been revered by devotees of the weird tale. First published in 1929, its stories of ritualistic folk horror and M. R. James-inspired accounts of ancient forces terrorising humanity are thoroughly deserving of wider recognition.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis volume collects Doyle's most enduring strange stories - ranging from monster encounters and deadly hauntings to dark tales of mesmerism - and also includes a new introduction along with Doyle's never-before-reprinted essay on his own spiritual experiences, 'Stranger than Fiction'.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA new edition exploring the works of one of the great ghost story writers, Edith Wharton, aiming to position her firmly amongst the household names published so far in the Gilded Nightmares series. Featuring some of Wharton's essential classics such as 'The Eyes' and 'Afterward' along with less-anthologised masterpieces of the short story form.

Read more less

Book SynopsisCharlie is a Husker on the prowl in the New Hampshire wilderness when he falls in love with one of them: a girl named Jill. Loving Jill means leaving the Husk clan, with its gruesome cannibalistic rituals, and that will be far more difficult - and dangerous - than Charlie could have foreseen.It''s only in New York City that the secret to ending his terrible cravings may reveal itself - if it doesn''t kill him and everything he has grown to love first. A darkly imagined tale, all the more frightening for its apparent ordinariness and plausibility, Husk is guaranteed to leave readers shaken, stirred - and chilled to the bone.

Read more less

Book SynopsisCarpathians are an immortal race of beings with animal instincts and the ability to shape shift. Every Carpathian male is drawn to a life mate: a woman - Carpathian or human - able to provide the light to his darkness. Without her, the beast within slowly consumes the man until turning into a vampire is the only option.''Mikhail Dubrinsky, Prince of the Carpathians, fears he can''t protect his people from the extinction of their species - a fate that has become the wicked prayer of his enemies, who plot to slaughter all Carpathian females. Mikhail''s lifemate, Raven, and their daughter, Savannah, are both vulnerable to the encroaching evil, but all is not lost. In this desperate season, Carpathian''s from around the world are gathering to join their strengths, their souls and their powers. But so too are their adversaries uniting - hunters, vampires, demons and betrayers - bringing untold dangers into the fold of the Carpathian people.Trade Review'Feehan has a knack for bringing vampiric Carpathians to vivid, virile life in her Dark Carpathian novels..." (Publishers Weekly) 'satisfying action adventure romance ... Love and danger are a winning combination in Feehan's latest' (Booklist) 'The exciting and multifaceted world that impressive author Christine Feehan has created continues to improve with age' (Romantic Times)

Read more less

Book Synopsis''The new Stephen King. Don''t miss it'' The TimesHe found her as a baby, abandoned in the forest. He saved her life. With her first breath - a perfect, musical note - he realised she was no ordinary child. It was for her own protection that he hid her from the authorities. Was it his fault, what she turned into? Or was that why she was left for dead in the first place? The girl who became a little star. Who became, with her extraordinary powers, the most terrifying thing imaginable.In John Ajvide Lindqvist''s fourth masterpiece, he ratchets up the tension until the story reaches its blood-chilling conclusion. In doing so, he confirms his place as the undisputed new king of horror.''A magician of genre fiction'' IndependentTrade Review'The imagery is so intense you can visualise the torture, and the comparisons so inventive you can picture the unimaginable ... readers will remain gripped' Sci-Fi Now. * Sci-Fi Now *'Excellent. And near unputdownable ... a superbly crafted, deliciously twisted constantly shocking tale' SFX. * SFX *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat will you do? How far will you go? What will you become?Welcome to Banoi, a tropical island where you can leave the stresses of the world behind... Welcome to the Royal Palms Resort - which offers its guests from around the world the ultimate in luxury and relaxation... Welcome to the holiday paradise where your dreams should come true...but where a nightmare is about to begin....Because a mysterious epidemic has suddenly, and without warning, broken out across the island. The local islanders, hotel guests and workers alike are struck down - only to rise again, craving the flesh and the blood of the still living. For four of the holidaymakers and a handful of others scattered around Banoi who are seemingly unaffected by the plague, they must face the awful, terrifying reality of a zombie apocalypse. Now there is only one thing left to do: survive.Welcome to Dead Island... a paradise to die for.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe thrilling conclusion of the zombie apocalypse begun in PLAGUE TOWN and continued in PLAGUE NATION! The zombie plague has gone airborne, and the conspiracy that began it all reaches the boiling point. Having been ambushed in San Francisco, which is now fully engulfed in the zombie plague, Ashley and the wild cards must pursue the enemy to San Diego. There they will discover a splinter of their own organization, the Dolofónoi tou Zontanoús Nekroús, which seeks to weaponize the plague. But that isn't the worst news. The plague has gone airborne, making it transferable without physical contract. It cannot be controlled by anyone, so reports of the zombie swarm are coming in from across the United States - and across the world.

Read more less

Book SynopsisJoan Aiken was born in Rye, Sussex in 1924, daughter of the American poet Conrad Aiken, and started writing herself at the age of five. Since the 1960s she wrote full time and published over 100 books.Best known for her children's books such as The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and Midnight is a Place, she also wrote extensively for adults and published many contemporary and historical novels, including sequels to novels by Jane Austen. In 1968, she won the Guardian Children's book prize for Whispering Mountain, followed by an Edgar Allan Poe award for Night Fall in 1972, and was awarded an MBE for her services to children's literature in 1999.Joan Aiken died in 2004.

Read more less

Book SynopsisArkady Martine (she/her) is the Hugo Award-winning author of A Memory Called Empire and A Desolation of Peace. She is a speculative fiction writer and, as Dr. AnnaLinden Weller, a historian of the Byzantine Empire and a city planner. She is currently a policy advisor for the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department, where she works on climate change mitigation, energy grid modernization and resiliency planning. Under both names, she writes about border politics, rhetoric, propaganda and the edges of the world. Arkady grew up in New York City and, after some time in Turkey, Canada, and Sweden and Baltimore, lives in Santa Fe with her wife, the author Vivian Shaw.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSpring, 1985. Twelve year old Phoebe MacDonald''s world is falling apart. She has just buried her parents, a fire at their family home claiming both in a freak accident. Now she must leave Scotland, the only place she has ever known, and go to live with her uncle Louis and aunt Maude in their home in the Welsh woods.As spring turns to summer, Phoebe falls slowly into the rhythm of life with her eccentric guardians in their curious home. But there is no one her age in the nearby village, and she is lonely until she meets a strange girl, Gwyneth, who wanders the surrounding forest barefoot and alone. Outsiders both, the two girls form a strong bond, though nobody else seems to believe that Gwyneth is real. Phoebe knows better, and soon with her new friend''s help, she begins to see the woods for what they truly are - a place of magic and wonder, where the line between life and death is blurred. Where spirits roam and secrets fester.Something happ

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisEdgar Allan Poe was born in 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. As the author of The Murders in the Rue Morgue, he is considered to be the father of the detective fiction genre. However, he is also widely known for his poetry, such as "The Raven", which brought him much critical acclaim during his lifetime, but little remuneration, and for his classic horror stories, such as "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "The Masque of the Red Death". The circumstances surrounding his death in 1849 are themselves a mystery because he was delirious when found and was lying in the street. He died four days later in hospital in Baltimore. All the records, including his death certificate, were destroyed. His literary legacy lives on and has influenced countless generations of writers.

Read more less

Book SynopsisM. R. James (1862-1936) was an English author and a medievalist scholar. He was the provost of King's College, Cambridge from 1905 to 1918, and of Eton College from 1918 to 1936. He was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1913-15. Though James's scholarly work is still highly regarded, he is best remembered for his ghost stories, which redefined the genre for the 20th century.

Read more less

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 *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA vividly illustrated, spine-tingling collection of short stories, 31 Days of Spooky will give you goosebumps all Halloween long!

Read more less

Book SynopsisPERFECT for fans of Roald Dahl.Think you know Dahl? Think again. Discover a collection of deliciously dark ghost stories for adults, picked by Dahl himself . . . Do you enjoy being scared? Featuring fourteen classic spine-chilling stories chosen by Roald Dahl, these terrible tales of ghostly goings-on will have you shivering with fear as you turn the pages.They include such timeless and haunting stories as Sheridan Le Fanu''s The Ghost of a Hand, Edith Wharton''s Afterward, Cynthia Asquith''s The Corner Shop and Mary Treadgold''s The Telephone. Featuring extraordinary cover art by Charming Baker, whose paintings echo the dark and twisted world of Dahl''s short stories. Roald Dahl reveals even more about the darker side of human nature in seven other centenary editions featuring his own stories: Lust, Madness, Cruelty, Deception, Trickery, Innocence and War.Trade ReviewA collection of deliciously dark ghost stories for adults, picked by Roald Dahl himself . . . Do you enjoy being scared? Featuring fourteen classic spine-chilling stories chosen by Roald Dahl, these terrible tales of ghostly goings-on will have you shivering with fear as you turn the pages. * From the publisher's description *Roald Dahl is one of the few writers I know whose work can accurately be described as addictive * Irish Times *The absolute master of the twist in the tale * Observer *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe literary classic that inspired the iconic film - the story of two sisters and the hell they made their home.Trade ReviewSlips, chances, hopes, and especially encompassing fears are Mr Farrell's province and he rules with authority * New York Herald Tribune *Spine-twister * Saturday Review *A suspense story with an unusual twist * Springfield Republican *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat would you do to save someone you loved? Husband and father Jon Levande has to ask himself that very question when his daughter is on the brink of death. But what if saving her means losing his own soul . . .Death has followed successful restoration architect, unhappy husband and desperate father, Jonathan Levande, his whole life, but recently the curious incidents around him have surged. Killed deer, decapitated cheerleaders and a dead homeless man are only the beginning of this dark streak. Now it seems he''ll lose his daughter as well. Marie is fatally ill, and the doctors are stumped.Waiting for death to knock on his door again, Jon buries himself in his work and has an affair to escape his depressive life. Until one day his job of restoring old buildings leads him to St Cecelia cathedral - a haunted, old church in Delaware - and its sinister Rector . . . and to a proposition he can''t refuse: a life for a life.Jon doesn''t believe in mi

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisSeven authors enter the manorCan they survive the story within?When legendary horror author Mortimer Queen passes, a group of writers find themselves invited to his last will and testament reading expecting a piece of his massive fortune. Each have their own unique connection to the literary icon, some known, some soon to be discovered, and they've been waiting for their chance to step into the author's shoes for some time. Instead, they arrive at his grand manor and are invited to play a game. The rules are simple, solve the riddle and progress to the next room. If they don't, the manor will take one of them for itself. You see, the Queen estate was built on the bones of Mortimer's family, and like any true horror story, the house is still very, very hungry. With the clever, locked-room thrills of Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone with the ghostly horror of The Fall of the House of Usher, How to Survive a Horror Story is a bright, biting, thrill-ride that begs us to conte

Read more less

Book SynopsisIf you delight in the suspense of Stephen King and The Stranger by Harlan Coben chilled you to the bone (in the best possible way), you''ll love Hideaway - the classic thriller by Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz. ''Not just a master of our darkest dreams but also a literary juggler'' - The Times.Although accident victim Hatch Harrison dies en route to the hospital, a brilliant physician miraculously resuscitates him. Given this second chance, Hatch and his wife Lindsey approach each day with a new appreciation of the beauty of life - until a series of mysterious and frightening events brings them face to face with the unknown. Although Hatch was given no glimpse of an afterlife during the period when his heart had stopped, he has reason to fear that he has brought a terrible presence back with him... from the land of the dead. When people who have wronged the Harrisons begin to die violeTrade ReviewKoontz redefines suspense - The TimesKoontz's style bleaches out cliches while showing a genius for detail - Publishers WeeklyKoontz's art is making the reader believe the impossible... sit back and enjoy it - Sunday TelegraphA master of the thriller genre - Washington Post

Read more less

Book SynopsisIf you delight in the suspense of Stephen King and The Stranger by Harlan Coben chilled you to the bone (in the best possible way), you''ll love Dragon Tears - the classic thriller by Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz. ''Not just a master of our darkest dreams but also a literary juggler'' - The Times.Harry Lyon is a cop who embraces tradition and order. The biggest bane of his life is his partner, Connie Gulliver. Harry doesn''t like the messiness of her desk, her lack of social polish or her sometimes casual attitude towards the law. ''Look, Harry, it''s the Age of Chaos,'' she tells him. ''Get with the times.'' And when Harry and Connie have to take out a hopped-up gunman in a restaurant, the chase and shootout swiftly degenerate into a surreal nightmare that seems to justify Connie''s view of the modern world. Shortly after, Harry encounters a filthy, rag-clad denizen of the streets, who says ominousTrade ReviewKoontz redefines suspense - The TimesKoontz's style bleaches out cliches while showing a genius for detail - Publishers WeeklyKoontz's art is making the reader believe the impossible... sit back and enjoy it - Sunday TelegraphA master of the thriller genre - Washington Post

Read more less

Book SynopsisAnita Blake, Vampire Hunter, embarks on a race against time in the name of justice. If you love Charlaine Harris and Anne Rice, you won''t be able to resist the new novel from Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton.''I''ve never read a writer with a more fertile imagination'' Diana GabaldonMy name is Anita Blake and I thought nothing could surprise me. But what if the wrong man is about to be executed?When a fellow U.S. Marshal flies me in on an emergency consult, I know time is running short. Evidence is mounting against a young wereleopard who stands accused of killing his uncle in the most gruesome and bloody way possible.In this tiny Michigan town, the pressure from the cops is escalating, the victim''s family want retribution and a warrant of execution is already under way. But something feels off about the murder - the evidence doesn''t add up.With the local

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of the Charlie Parker mystery series - 'the finest crime series currently in existence' (Independent) - comes a new anthology of chilling short fiction - with two award-winning stories.Trade ReviewConnolly never disappoints; his writing is always flawless, sympathetic and with beautifully drawn characters . . . Night Music is a worthy follow-up to Nocturnes, and there is much to enjoy here - and much to think about, too. A must for John Connolly's many fans. A collection of supernatural fiction to rattle your cage. -- Marie O'Reagan * Mass Movement *Connolly knows how to unsettle, chill and outright terrify his readers . . . he displays his aptitude for crafting creepy supernatural tales -- Michael Berry * Portland Press Herald *Connolly is a master of creating exquisite short stories, and Night Music is (if you'll excuse the music reference) "all killer, no filler!" The stories on offer range from charmingly whimsical to absolutely terrifying, with one or two being reminiscent of Clive Barker at his goriest best. * Starburst *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA present contains a monstrous secret.An uninvited guest haunts a Christmas party.A shadow slips across the floor by firelight.A festive entertainment ends in darkness and screams.Who knows what haunts the night at the dark point of the year? This collection of seasonal chillers looks beneath Christmas cheer to a world of ghosts and horrors, mixing terrifying modern fiction with classic stories by masters of the macabre. From Neil Gaiman and M. R. James to Muriel Spark and E. Nesbit, there are stories here to make the hardiest soul quail - so find a comfy chair, lock the door, ignore the cold breath on your neck and get ready to welcome in the real spirits of Christmas.

Read more less