Book picks similar to
The Clowns by Tim McBain


horror
horror-thriller
supernatural
horror-with-murder-and-creatures

Leave This Place


Spike Black - 2015
    His wife is asleep. He scans the bedroom of their rented holiday cottage, a spooky and unfamiliar place.He makes out something in the dark. On the chair in the corner of the room. What the...? He's mistaken, surely. It's his over-active imagination. A trick of the moonlight. No. Someone's there - an old man. Sitting there, staring back at him. With a terrifying grin on his face...Featuring two characters in one location over the space of three days, Leave This Place is a stripped down, unnerving tale of quiet horror from the mind of supernatural thriller author Spike Black (Don’t Look Inside).

The Damnation Game


David Brian - 2015
    Kate Stringer is a woman in mourning, her murdered husband the latest victim of the notorious Catholic Jack slayer. A nationwide manhunt remains underway, but the serial killer continues to remain elusive. Now, unknown to her, Kate too has been targeted by the maniac. However, other forces are in play. Things moving in the shadows, with an agenda of their own...From those broken places, where trauma and distress cloister, they watch with accusing eyes. And if they judge us, they may look to share their pain.

The Withering (House of Souls #3)


Ambrose Ibsen - 2020
     Longtime resident Edgar August thinks he knows who's behind them. Edgar has a secret. In his spare time, he enjoys looking into his neighbors' windows, observing their private lives and spreading gossip. The old doctor who lives behind him has been acting strangely as of late, and witnessing his erratic behaviors over the course of weeks, Edgar begins to suspect that the retired physician, Marcel Dubois, is the kidnapper. As his snooping gets more invasive, Edgar becomes convinced that his neighbor is up to something. But that something, it turns out, is more horrifying than a mere kidnapping. The Withering is the third novel in the House of Souls series.

The Vines


Christopher Rice - 2014
    But something sinister lurks beneath the soil of the old estate.After heiress and current owner Caitlin Chaisson is witness to her husband’s stunning betrayal at her birthday party, she tries to take her own life in the mansion’s cherished gazebo. Instead, the blood she spills awakens dark forces in the ground below. Chaos ensues and by morning her husband has vanished without a trace and his mistress has gone mad.Nova, daughter to Spring House’s groundskeeper, has always suspected that something malevolent haunts the old place, and in the aftermath of the birthday party she enlists Caitlin’s estranged best friend, Blake, to help her get to the bottom of it. The pair soon realizes that the vengeance enacted by this sinister and otherworldly force comes at a terrible price.

Hard Tide


Johnny Asa - 2017
    Now, after two decades away, Billy has come back to Pleasantville, Florida, a town whose surf is only rivaled by its share of sun.Only Pleasantville isn't how he remembers it. A local gang has taken over the small fishing village and has scared the locals into submission, and worse, they just may have killed his dad for trying to stop them.Now, if Billy wants to bring them to justice, he'll have to do something he hasn't done since his mother died. Step back on a boat.That's okay though because after six tours in Iraq, Billy is really good at rooting out evil. And Pleasantville has a whole lot of evil. Book 2: Tidal Wave (ASIN: B072W8J7RL) is now available for only $2.99!(Author's Note:If you're looking for a lazy slice of life Florida book don't buy this. If you want guns, guts, and action in the vein of Clive Cussler that takes place along the Florida Coast, buy this book.)

When We Were Animals


Joshua Gaylord - 2015
    In fact, she never thought she would escape her small and peculiar hometown. When We Were Animals is Lumen's confessional: as a well-behaved and over-achieving teenager, she fell beneath the sway of her community's darkest, strangest secret. For one year, beginning at puberty, every resident "breaches" during the full moon. On these nights, adolescents run wild, destroying everything in their path.Lumen resists. Promising her father she will never breach, she investigates the mystery of her community's traditions and the stories erased from the town record. But the more we learn about the town's past, the more we realize that Lumen's memories are harboring secrets of their own.A gothic coming-of-age tale for modern times, When We Were Animals is a dark, provocative journey into the American heartland.

Parasite; The True Story of the Zombie Apocalypse


Doug Ward - 2012
    It has appeared on charts in Australia, Canada, and the UK. The zombies are rising in the sleepy town of Slippery Rock and it's up to Henry Cooper to figure out why. But first he needs to save his wife, Melissa. With the help of his neighbor Dean and some super hero clad, comic book fanboys, he's off to the rescue. Join them as they race across Northwestern Pennsylvania on a quest which involves everything from undead to fire trucks. Along the way you will discover the hard science behind how the dead truly rose from the grave. The second book in the series is called "Symbiote; The True Story of the Zombie Apocalypse." It is also available for purchase. Currently the author is working hard on the 3rd installment of this series. Check for updates on his Facebook page.

Red Moon


Benjamin Percy - 2013
    They are our neighbors, our mothers, our lovers.They change.When government agents kick down Claire Forrester's front door and murder her parents, Claire realizes just how different she is.Patrick Gamble was nothing special until the day he got on a plane and hours later stepped off it, the only passenger left alive, a hero.Chase Williams has sworn to protect the people of the United States from the menace in their midst, but he is becoming the very thing he has promised to destroy. So far, the threat has been controlled by laws and violence and drugs. But the night of the red moon is coming, when an unrecognizable world will emerge...and the battle for humanity will begin.

Beneath the Deep


J.T. Cross - 2014
    Cross, acclaimed author of the LOST VALLEY, returns with BENEATH THE DEEP, an epic underwater science thriller. When Megan O’Brien, an archaeologist on a quest for a lost underwater civilization, and her treasure hunting partner, Matt Turner, rescue a disgraced physics professor, they stumble upon a man with a stunning scientific discovery—a location under the ocean where quantum physics fails. Joining forces with Sam DeCourcy, a wealthy undersea salvage expert, they form a crack exploration team to dive and drill beneath the ocean floor in the Bermuda Triangle. Danger arises when a rival team aims to get there first and they’re armed with explosives and a plan that could kill them all. Now, racing against their competition, the explorers discover remnants of a mysterious lost civilization, and then, the game changer unfurls: evidence of an ancient intelligent species—and they are not happy to have company. J.T. Cross weaves science fact with science fiction to create a believable, riveting epic adventure that will appeal to readers of Michael Crichton and fans of James Cameron's THE ABYSS. **Acclaim for J.T. Cross** “Pulse-pounding action, brilliant speculation, and the introduction of a lost world filled with horrors and wonders. J.T. Cross is a lot of writer.” ―J.R. Rain, #1 bestselling author of MOON DANCE and THE LOST ARK.

The Small Hand


Susan Hill - 2010
    Compelled by curiosity, he approaches the door, and, standing before the entrance feels the unmistakable sensation of a small hand creeping into his own, 'as if a child had taken hold of it'.Intrigued by the encounter, he determines to learn more, and discovers that the owner's grandson had drowned tragically many years before. At first unperturbed by the odd experience, Snow begins to be plagued by haunting dreams, panic attacks, and more frequent visits from the small hand which become increasingly threatening and sinister ...

The Original's Return


David Watkins - 2013
    Returning to Britain, he jumps at the chance to lead a small team in Devon. The task sounds more like a holiday; exactly what Knowles and his men need.The mission: watch Jack Stadler. Jack has always led a quiet life, but now he is suffering blackouts and has violent fantasies. When the first dismembered body is found, Knowles begins to realise he has made a terrible mistake…

Warm, Dark Places Are Best


Mike Duke - 2017
     From day one they see lots of roaches in the hallways but nothing in their own apartment. Hoping their luck will hold, they have no idea just what kind of hell is coming their way or what hideous secrets their apartment, in particular, holds. Buckle up. Carl and Jessica are in for a nasty ride and so are you. * NOT Extreme Horror but NOT for the Squeamish. Reactions to 'Warm, Dark Places Are Best' from some of my beta readers: "No. No. Dear God, NO! AAAGGHHH!!!" - William Holloway, master of cosmic dread and author of Lucky's Girl, The Immortal Body and the soon to be released Song of the Death God (all from Horrific Tales Publishing) "Oh god, I am clenching inside!! Uuuuuggghhh!!!....Mike, every time I messaged you while reading, I tossed my kindle down and grabbed my phone. I was squirming....Heebie Jeebie Creep Factor of infinity and beyond!...12:06 am Facebook message – ‘GAAWWDDAMMIT!!!!' *slaps leg*" - Lisa Swearengin, beta reader extraordinaire and veteran horror and extreme horror connoisseur "I loved the whole story. The flow, plot and characters were perfect. [But] Mike, you had me almost puking." - Robin Lee's Darkside Horror Reviews “Heebie Jeebies is an understatement. I'm still being startled half to death by my own hair. (A week after reading it.)” Lisa Lee – avid reader and watcher of all things horror "Oh holy f@#$ing shit! I will never sleep again but hells bells that was really amazing! I couldn't stop reading it, even tho I was horrified." Becky Narron, Reviewer at Roadie Notes "Dude. I was like eww and had to put down my kindle. Like nasty. I had to take a hot shower afterwards…(later that day) It's been 12 hours since I read your story and I gotta say, I can't stop thinking about it." Jason Morton, Published Poet and horror and extreme horror lover “Sent shivers up my spine [and] it certainly did get under my skin.” - Dale Robertson, author of the horror short stories Dobson Lane and Skee-Bo “Not sure if husband is even aware that his sex life is on hiatus...not sure for how long just yet but I know I'm not willing to go to bed with anything less than undies and thick yoga pants for at least a few days! (8 days later) I am still sleeping in double-decker yoga pants!” - Ruthann Jagge – lover of horror and an outstanding beta reader “A couple of times I had to stop reading and walk around my house as I'm yelling, Holy f@#$! Squirming as I try to get a few visual thoughts out of my head.” - Ta Bratcher, author of two contemporary women’s fiction novels and an avid fan of the horror genre

The Snow Creek Hauntings: A Riveting Haunted House Mystery Boxset


Roger Hayden - 2021
    After an unspeakable tragedy, its doors close. Decades later, a tabloid TV host investigates the vacant lodge with his production crew in search of supernatural evidence. Their show ends in disaster. In the years that follow, family man Greg Barrett purchases the property with dreams of running his own business. But his presence awakens a dormant curse and unleashes a terror from beyond.The Haunting of the Silver Creek LodgeIn a small town rests an old lodge with a big secret.Maxine Finch and Simon York, a recently married couple with little money, use their limited honeymoon funds to buy a foreclosed inn in the tiny snowy town of Silver Ridge, Colorado. But when strange things start happening in the middle of the night, Maxine and Simon wonder if their investment is a dangerous mistake.The Haunting of the Briar RoseJules is recovering from a recent failure when her mysterious uncle makes her an offer she can’t refuse: restore his bed and breakfast the Briar Rose.When Jules inherits the Briar Rose bed and breakfast from her strange and mysterious uncle, she thinks it will be the opportunity of a lifetime for her and her husband, Paul. But Jules and Paul soon discover that the Briar Rose holds many secrets: one of them about the murders that took place a year prior, when two of the guests never checked out.

A Tangled Web


A. Claire Everward - 2019
    Ian Blackwell wanted the gossip chasers to stop disrupting his life. When the two of them said yes, neither had any idea who the other was, and they had nothing for each other but disdain and mistrust. But when Ian is threatened, Tess has a choice to make. Keep her head down, or help the man she married face an opponent who could destroy them both-and risk him discovering her secret.A Tangled Web is the first novel in the new Blackwell romantic suspense series from the author of the groundbreaking Oracle suspense series and of The First, her riveting debut novel.

Five Novellas


Jeff Strand - 2019
    Enough room for story and character development, yet short enough to get straight to the bloody point! This book from Bram Stoker Award-nominee Jeff Strand contains five of his macabre tales, collected together for the first time. You'll find nerve-wracking suspense, insane humor, a cute dog, and plenty of weirdness, especially in the last one. STALKING YOU NOW - The reprehensible man in the restaurant doesn’t know that somebody at another table is watching him. Somebody filled with hatred. Somebody waiting for him to be alone. Somebody with duct tape and a gun. It’s a night for vengeance. And a hell of a lot more. AN APOCALYPSE OF OUR OWN – Missy and Kevin are friends. Just friends. But now people are leaking blood from their eyeballs and turning into homicidal oozing mutants. Fortunately, Kevin has access to an underground shelter, but now they’re trapped down there. Can the Friend Zone survive the end of the world? FAINT OF HEART – Rebecca's husband doesn't return from his weekend camping trip. And when somebody shows up at the house, it’s not him. At gunpoint, Rebecca learns what has happened. Two men have kidnapped Gary. He went through a weekend of pure hell. They’ll give him back to her, but first, Rebecca has to relive his entire experience, step by horrific step…and survive… KUTTER - Charlie Stanlon is a serial killer. A ghastly, vicious sociopath who chains women to a table in his basement and tortures them to death. He has no friends. He has no family. He despises his co-workers. His only pleasure in life is to cause pain and terror. Until the day he finds an adorable Boston Terrier and takes it home… FACIAL - Greg has just killed the man he hired to kill one of his wife’s many lovers. He’s now got a dead body in his office. Carlton, Greg’s brother, desperately needs a dead body. It’s kind of related to the lion corpse that he found in his basement. This is the normal part of the story...