Book picks similar to
A Debt to be Paid by Patrick Lacey
horror
thriller
read-next
b-i-o
Grave Intent
Deborah Leblanc - 2005
That's because they had never seen a Gypsy funeral before, complete with rituals, incantations and a very special gold coin placed beneath the dead girl's hands... — During a chaotic gypsy burial service at the funeral parlor of Michael and Janet Savoy, a ritual gold coin is stolen from the corpse of the teenage daughter of an egomaniacal Roma gypsy chief. The theft unleashes a curse on the Savoys, unwitting unbelievers who come to realize their own five-year-old child is doomed to a gruesome death if they can't unravel a foreign culture's arcane mysteries in time to return the coin "before rising of second sun [sic]."
The Netherwell Horror
Lee Mountford - 2019
But none like Netherwell Bay… ‘Sis, I’m in trouble. Real trouble. And I need help.’ After receiving a worrying message from her estranged brother, Beth Davis sets out to find and help him, ending up in the strange, coastal town of Netherwell Bay. There, she begins to witness terrifying and unexplainable things, and reports of ritualistic murders have the town panicked. A sinister cult soon makes its presence known, and the dark history of Netherwell Bay is unveiled. Beth then finds herself in a race against time to stop a doorway to Hell from opening… permanently. The Netherwell Horror is a Lovecraftian mystery that quickly descends into madness, sickening violence, and chaos. Fans of Silent Hill will love this nightmarish tale, but those of a squeamish disposition need not apply…
The Hunted
Gabriel Bergmoser - 2020
. .and the nightmare begin?Frank owns a service station on a little-used highway. His granddaughter, Allie, is sent to stay with him for the summer, but they don't talk a lot.Simon is a dreamer and an idealist, in thrall to the romance of the open road and desperately in search of something.Maggie is the woman who will bring them together, someone whose own personal journey will visit unimaginable terror on them all. . .'With echoes of Deliverance and Battle Royale, the Australian outback-set The Hunted is a truly terrifying, breathlessly exciting novel. It gut-punches you in the first few pages and doesn't let you recover until the final, thrilling climax. An extraordinary book.' M. W. CRAVEN
What readers are saying:
'A high octane roller-coaster of a novel, brilliantly written with strong characters to cheer for. Just don't read it before going to sleep like I did.''This type of horror/action thriller isn't my usual thing but boy, did I love this book.''This entire book was just pure, fast-paced tension and I loved every insane page of it.''I'd say it's a hard book to put down, but a couple of times I found the suspense heightened enough that I needed a break. That's how good it was.''Even the squeamish would find it difficult to put this book down for very long.'
No Sister of Mine
Vivien Brown - 2020
They couldn’t be more different.Eve, the mature and sensible one. Sarah, headstrong and eager for a taste of life.When Eve brings a new face home for the holidays, Sarah does something that will change both of their lives forever. Something that Eve can never forget – or forgive.But life won’t keep them apart forever and decades later, one of them will have to choose whether to put the past behind her, or to hold on to hate forever…Praise for Vivien Brown:‘A truly gripping read … which keeps you on the edge of your seat’ My Weekly‘Nail-biting… Vivien carefully constructs this web of intrigue’ People’s Friend
Ancient Enemy Box Set
Mark Lukens - 2020
It starts when Stella, an archaeologist specializing in Anasazi culture, finds David, a young Navajo boy who stumbles onto their dig site in a remote corner of the Navajo Reservation. David's coat is smeared with blood and he's in shock from something he's seen, revealing nothing but his name. Soon Stella and the other archaeologists will discover that something is chasing David, an unimaginable ancient evil that will stop at nothing to get him. After Stella escapes the dig site with David, driving north into Colorado, right into a blizzard, she's carjacked by a gang of criminals fleeing a botched bank robbery. All of them take refuge from the snowstorm in what they believe is an abandoned cabin. But after they find the owner's mutilated body stuffed into a freezer, they realize that something is out there in the blizzard waiting for them. The Ancient Enemy wants things . . . you have to give it what it wants or bad things will happen. Very bad things.
The Pumpkin Man
John Everson - 2011
The empty seaside cottage she inherited seemed perfect. Jenn didn't know that the cottage held arcane secrets, mysteries long hidden and best left alone. She didn't realize until it was too late that the old books and Ouija board she found there really do hold great power. And it was only after her friend's headless body was discovered that she knew the legend of the local bogeyman was no mere legend at all. An evil has been unleashed, a terrifying figure previously only spoken of in whispers. But now the whispers will become screams. Beware...The Pumpkin Man.
Judith Wants To Be Your Friend
Annie Weir - 2015
She’ll find out what you do and where you go. She’ll make sure she’s there too. 36-year-old Judith Dillon hasn’t found her place in society. She struggles to make and maintain relationships, especially with women. In Carlisle in September 2009, Judith becomes attracted to Joanna. She follows her, finds out about her family and infiltrates her life. By Christmas they are close enough for Joanna to insist that Judith spends Christmas Day with them. However, all does not go as planned as Joanna’s mother drinks too much and asks Judith awkward questions about her past. That is the start of Judith’s past life catching up with her. Suspensive and gripping, Judith Wants to be Your Friend will appeal to those looking for an intriguing story with thrilling undertones.
Revelation
Carter Wilson - 2016
Now, as the founder of a new religion with disturbing roots Revelation Coyote s most evil side has emerged. From the moment Harden sees that stack of paper, he knows his one chance of escape is through his own words, and only his ability to successfully recount the dark story of what happened over the past year at Wyland University will determine whether he lives to see the woman he loves once again or is silenced forever.This will be the most difficult story Harden has ever written, and each word must be chosen with the utmost care. Because Coyote will be reading each and every one of them."WINNER - 2017 International Book Awards (Mystery/Suspense)WINNER - 2016 Foreword Reviews Book of the Year (Thriller & Suspense)WINNER - 2017 RONE Award (Suspense/Thriller: Long) *tied for first place
Devil's Nightmare
Robert Pruneda - 2013
Nothing could have prepared the seasoned detective for the mutilated remains of an eleven-year-old boy's parents or the equally vicious deaths of three more victims at a nearby cemetery. As Aaron works to solve the homicide cases and protect his only witness, Cody Sumner, he realizes a disturbing connection between the orphaned child and all five victims. Cody's testimony is beyond belief, but when Aaron comes face to face with the perpetrator, he's left questioning everything he's ever believed. True evil often hides in plain sight. Devil's Nightmare is an occult suspense horror novel by Robert Pruneda, who shakes readers with his visually graphic scenes, supernatural twists, and disturbing settings in this first installment of the Devil's Nightmare series.
Dark Passage
Griffin Hayes - 2012
Exhausted and near collapse, he jumps at the chance to get his life back.But Tyson soon discovers a side effect no one could have imagined. Doors are opening between Tyson's nightmares and the real world--and more than memories are coming through.Dark Passage is a terrifying thriller in the tradition of Stephen King and Dean Koontz.
Little Killers A to Z
Howard Odentz - 2016
. . EPIC Award finalist Howard Odentz has penned twenty-six disturbingly fascinating horror stories about the youngest predators among us. From Andy and Boris to Yuri and Zena, this eclectic anthology is filled, A to Z, with psychopaths, monsters, and murderers! So turn on the lights and huddle under your blankets because murder isn't just for grown-ups anymore. Come meet our gallery of little killers. After all, they're dying to meet you! Author and playwright Howard Odentz is a lifelong resident of the gray area between Western Massachusetts and North Central Connecticut. His love of the region is evident in his writing as he often incorporates the foothills of the Berkshires and the small towns of the Bay and Nutmeg states into his work. 5 Stars "a relentless, thrilling ride" - Court Street Literary, on Bloody Bloody Apple. "Howard Odentz takes this mis-mosh of dysfunctional characters and puts together a wonderful story that is equal parts horror and love." - Scared Stiff Reviews, on Bloody Bloody Apple.
Dark Deity (Asylum #3)
David Longhorn - 2019
But others have not been so lucky. Young Ella Cotter, an innocent child, finds herself tormented by a ghost Paul unwittingly freed when he escaped the building's haunted grounds. As Paul attempts to use hypnosis to separate the child from the tortured entity that clings to her soul, blood runs in the streets. A series of mysterious killings rocks the nearby city of Tynecastle. And Paul is convinced the violent incidents are linked to Dr. Palmer, a sadistic wraith, who once turned Rookwood into an asylum of horrors. Working with the local police, and a rare book dealer with an interest in the occult, Paul and his allies soon find themselves face to face with an enemy unlike anything they have ever imagined. This terrifying evil force grows more powerful with each victim it kills. And the only way to stop it may cost Paul his mortal soul…
Hometown
Matthew Keville - 2014
It's the Fall of 1994 in the small milltown of Belford, New York. The leaves are turning, the kids are going back to school, and the heat of Summer is giving way to a cool, misty season. It happens every Fall. Only this Fall, people are disappearing into that mist. Some people are found torn apart, some people are found dead for no reason, and some people aren't found at all. Other people see strange things in the mist: ghosts and campfire stories. There's something out there in that mist. Something old. Something that has slept for a long time, but has now woken up hungry. Maybe the people of Belford could resist it, but as the terrible Fall wears on, more and more of them start...changing. Acting bizarre and violent. In the end, only a small group of teenage defenders are left to make their stand.
Whickering Place
London Clarke - 2019
A violent attack that happened nearly a decade ago has left twenty-seven-year-old Avery Tullinger barely able to walk outside. Following her estranged father’s death, she inherits Whickering Place, a historic mansion in Asheville, North Carolina, currently occupied by two tenants: Colin Gallagher, a young doctor, and his mysterious brother, Pearse. Soon after moving in, Avery learns that her father’s life in the house was consumed by the supernatural … and the activity appears to be starting again. As paranormal events within the house escalate, so does Avery’s attraction for Pearse, even though Colin warns her that his younger brother is involved in a dangerous cult called The Colony. Faced with losing Whickering Place, her heart, and even her life, Avery is forced to make unimaginable choices. And as Whickering Place becomes the focal point for The Colony’s bloody rituals, the house’s dark history threatens to repeat itself. At turns a novel of terror and a story of love, Whickering Place is a paranormal thriller of nonstop suspense about the risks of living and loving outside safe boundaries and the relationships that change, motivate, and sustain us.