Here’s a small selection of the horror and genre news that caught our eye during the last week …
Book nine in Unnerving’s outstanding ‘Rewind Or Die’ series comes from Lisa Quigley, in the form of Hell’s Bells. It’s 1991, and Sasha, Hayley, Tiffany and Jessica are four best friends into black clothes and rock music. They dabble in ouija boards and occult games like ‘light as a feather.’ But when Hayley gets ‘saved’, she’s convinced rock music is satanic and conspires to save them all. Her good intentions go up in flames and the four girls accidentally summon the devil. Trapped in the basement with entities beyond their wildest nightmares, their only saving grace is rock & roll. They have to hope to hell it’s enough, before another one bites the dust. Coming 28 May, you can pre-order your eBook copy now, while paperbacks will be available soon.
Released 28 May is book eight in Unnerving’s ‘Rewind or Die’ range of horror novellas and collections, The Kelping, the debut novella from Jan Stinchcomb. Doctor Craig Bo has everything: a perfect wife and children, a thriving dermatology practice, and a house in a lovely coastal town. Nobody is surprised when he is chosen to be the Sea King of Beachside in his hometown’s annual festival. But after the festival Craig’s world turns upside down. Something starts growing on his skin. His son tells him a story about a sinister mermaid who lives in the attic of the local history museum. And his beautiful wife, Penelope, can no longer hide her dark connection to the sea. As Craig grapples with his own secrets and misdeeds, he finally understands the woman he married and the plans she has for him. The Kelping is available for preorder now in eBook, with the paperback coming soon.
A mute girl found floating in a lifeboat, with no name, no memory, and with no one looking for her. A disgraced psychiatrist. A sleepy coastal town with a brutal past. As the town awakens, the storm clouds build, and the bodies pile up, can the psychiatrist help this girl to find herself, before her forgotten past catches up with them both. Not all secrets remain lost at sea, some won’t stay silent, some need to be found! The Last Few Days of Autumn is a malevolent supernatural thriller, blending traditional ghost storytelling with a modern setting; the barren coastal town of Anchor Point, where nothing is as it seems. Get hold of your copy right now, here.
A mother and son with a strained relationship inherit a house following the sudden death of a family member who had a history of violence. When the son moves his bedroom into the basement he starts to experience unexplainable and terrifying phenomena. After he uncovers a dark secret concealed in the house, they quickly learn that some truths are better left a mystery. Can they overcome their differences in order to survive or will the darkness consume them both? Released on 11 May, Scratches is available now in paperback and eBook formats, here.
KEV HARRISON