Book picks similar to
Doggem by John F. Leonard


horror
short-story
short-stories
fiction

Don't Drink the Water: The Year of Short Stories – August


Jeffrey Archer - 2018
    Released as one of a limited number of digital shorts released to celebrate the publication of Jeffrey Archer’s magnificent seventh short-story collection, Tell Tale. Taken from Cat O’ Nine Tales, Jeffrey Archer's fifth collection of short stories, Don’t Drink the Water is a captivating, witty and ingenious short read.Richard Barnsley is in St Petersburg to close a pipeline deal that will make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. Having spent years bribing the Energy Minister, Anatol Chenkov, the deal should go through smoothly. However, the president of Russia wants preside over the signing ceremony which means he needs to finalise the contract in a matter of weeks. But then Richard’s home life unravels when he finds a letter from a divorce lawyer intended for his wife. He suspects she is waiting for the deal to be signed before divorcing him, which leads Richard to take drastic action . . .

Becoming the Dark Prince


Kerri Maniscalco - 2019
    Enigmatic, brooding, and darkly handsome, Thomas Cresswell has always been the one mystery Audrey Rose has never been able to fully solve. As brilliant partners in crime investigation, they understand each other perfectly...but as young lovers, their passionate natures have led to both euphoria and heartbreak throughout the Stalking Jack the Ripper series.This novella features a collection of scenes that takes place during and after the pair's horrifying Atlantic voyage in Escaping From Houdini. Experience new and familiar scenes from Thomas's unique point of view, including an intensely personal look into his plea for Audrey Rose's hand in marriage.With a romance for the ages, Audrey Rose and Thomas reach the conclusion to their epic, irresistible partnership in their final adventure, Capturing the Devil.

Please Remain Calm


Courtney Summers - 2015
    Rhys is determined to reunite with Sloane until he discovers people who might need him more--people who offer him the closest he'll get to everything he's lost, if they can just hold on long enough. Rhys thinks he has what it takes to survive and find the girl he lost, but in a world overrun by the dead, there are no guarantees and the next leg of his journey will test him in unimaginable ways ...

Zachary Zombie and the Lost Boy


John H. Carroll - 2011
    She sent him to fetch newts from the forest. Along the way, he finds a lost boy named Tobias who had been following an emo bunny in the hopes of holding it and making it feel better. When the boy asks nicely for help getting to his home in the village, Zachary agrees.Along the way, they run into a cranky stag and a pretty woman who dreams of meeting a prince. A party in the cemetery isn’t the proper place to take a boy, but zombies aren’t always proper and one of the worst things about villagers is that they always seem to have a supply of pitchforks and torches.Will the boy make it home? Will Zachary give in to the craving for brainsss?Caution: This story is not for normal children. If you have any intention of raising a well adjusted child, this is not the right tale for you.

When Things Get Dark


Ellen DatlowStephen Graham Jones - 2021
    Featuring Joyce Carol Oates, Josh Malerman, Paul Tremblay, Richard Kadrey, Stephen Graham Jones, Elizabeth Hand and more. A collection of new and exclusive short stories inspired by, and in tribute to, Shirley Jackson. Shirley Jackson is a seminal writer of horror and mystery fiction, whose legacy resonates globally today. Chilling, human, poignant and strange, her stories have inspired a generation of writers and readers. This anthology, edited by legendary horror editor Ellen Datlow, will bring together today’s leading horror writers to offer their own personal tribute to the work of Shirley Jackson. Featuring Joyce Carol Oates, Josh Malerman, Paul Tremblay, Richard Kadrey, Stephen Graham Jones, Elizabeth Hand, Cassandra Khaw, Karen Heuler, Benjamin Percy, John Langan, Laird Barron, M. Rickert, Seanan McGuire, and Genevieve Valentine.

Prosper's Demon


K.J. Parker - 2020
    But they don’t die, and we do. Equilibrium.The unnamed and morally questionable narrator is an exorcist with great follow-through and few doubts. His methods aren’t delicate but they’re undeniably effective: he’ll get the demon out — he just doesn’t particularly care what happens to the person.Prosper of Schanz is a man of science, determined to raise the world’s first philosopher-king, reared according to the purest principles. Too bad he’s demonically possessed.

Hell's Bells


Vincent Bivona - 2013
    Andrew and James are looking forward to meeting their favorite author, but when a homeless woman, who claims to be the author’s “biggest fan,” begins to stalk the two friends, they have to wonder if this creepy old woman is who she appears to be, and why the sound of bells follows her wherever she goes.

The Stronger Half


Jeff Coleman - 2018
     It was after his identical twin Bill suffered the traumatic brain injury that left him crippled and unable to speak. George would see the man sitting on a bench at the mall, or at the store standing by the magazines. But he never seemed to notice George, not even when he tried to communicate. Twenty years later, after dropping out of college to care for Bill, George has become a junior high school janitor. Between his struggling with debt, working a physically demanding job, and taking care of Bill’s needs, life has not been easy. But George doesn’t know the meaning of difficult until the man finally acknowledges him, triggering a terrifying series of supernatural events that leaves George and Bill running for their lives. And as George struggles to protect his twin from an otherworldly evil, he discovers a startling secret about Bill—one that leaves him questioning decades-old assumptions and wondering which of them truly is the stronger half.

The Haunting of Stone Street Cemetery: A Halloween Haunting


Cat Knight - 2017
    It was a cemetery afterall. Now she’s paying for it. Perhaps the psychic was right about ghosts and Halloween. When television talk show host Monica Stanford goes out for a night of Halloween partying with her life-long friends, things begin to go awry when they take a short cut through the local cemetery on Stone Street. Charlie is convinced that they have unleashed an angry ghost, as bloodcurdling events begin to unfold with deadly consequences. Can they find a way to put to rest the tormented spirit they have provoked before they all wind up dead?If you love ghosts and Haunted houses, you really should be reading Cat Knight’s other books. List of Books The Haunting of Elleric LodgeThe Haunting of Grayson HouseThe Haunting of Fairview HouseThe Haunting of Weaver HouseThe Haunting of Keira O’ConnellThe Haunting of Ferncoombe ManorThe Haunting of Highcliff HallThe Haunting of Knoll HouseIf you read stories in the occult, occultism, horror, supernatural and paranormal genres then add these to your reading list.

The Boy


Nrupal Das - 2018
    Nothing was unusual that day. Until in the evening when the boy does not return. and a friend tells her mom that the boy never went to play that day. A frantic search begins with the neighbours and the boy’s friends pulling in all their resources. Does the boy return? Where did he go? Where was he taken? What happens at the end? Some Reviews: One of the most amazing short stories I have read in recent times – Rahul Bhatt A joy ride of read. A great beginning and an eventful ending, just loved the short story – Priyanka Sharma What a lovely story this is, it reminded me of my childhood – Sourav Mohanty

Beast in the Basement


Jason Arnopp - 2012
    It always does."In a big house in the English countryside, a reclusive and increasingly unstable author toils over a book which will close the best-selling trilogy of Jade Nexus fantasy novels.Speculation and rumour are rife among hardcore Jade Nexus fans that their heroine will die at the hotly-anticipated novel’s conclusion - a possibility against which they have begun to loudly protest via social media as the release date nears.How do you deal with such intense pressure? How do you cope with distractions to your work such as a violent intruder, panicked messages from your agent and a potential love interest moving into the cottage across the field? And far worse than any of those problems... what do you do about the Beast in your basement?BEAST IN THE BASEMENT is a contemporary horror novella about obsession, revenge, censorship, blame culture and parental responsibility. A dark tale with a real kick.Read it fast before someone spoilers you!Author Jason Arnopp's previous credits include the feature film STORMHOUSE, DOCTOR WHO: THE GEMINI CONTAGION, THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES: DEADLY DOWNLOAD and the New Line Cinema novel FRIDAY THE 13TH: HATE-KILL-REPEAT. He is also the author of the non-fiction Kindle book HOW TO INTERVIEW DOCTOR WHO, OZZY OSBOURNE AND EVERYONE ELSE.Parental advice: this novella features strong bloody violence, profanity and some sexual scenes. Not recommended for minors.

The Old Man at the End of the World: No.1: Note: the apocalypse isn't really going to happen


A.K. Silversmith - 2017
    and Gerald Stockwell-Poulter has had quite enough of it already. Pesky business altogether. All this hiding and running about. Makes Brexit look like a doddle. After 87 largely well-behaved years as a model citizen, less than four hours into the ‘zompocalypse’ and he has already killed a neighbour, rescued a moody millennial drug dealer and forged an unlikely allegiance with a giant ginger Scotsman. And it isn’t even tea time. Join Gerald as he and his newfound allies navigate the post-apocalyptic English countryside in their hilarious bid to stay off the menu. THE GOOD LIFE meets DOUGLAS ADAMS meets SHAUN OF THE DEAD! - Dave F, Amazon The first instalment of the Old Man at the End of the World. A novella of 20,000 words. For fans of Frank Tayell (Surviving the Evacuation), Mark Tufo (Zombie Fallout), Diana Rowland (White Trash Zombie) and also Jonas Jonasson (The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared) , Fredrik Backman (A Man Called Ove) and Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg (The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules).

The Wild Adventure of Jasper Renn


Kady Cross - 2013
    So when the group's mechanical genius Emily is abducted, he'll plunge into England's darkest places to rescue her….But his old flame Wildcat is turning London town upside down to find her missing sister, and Jasper finds the attraction between himself and the fierce beauty as tempting and dangerous as ever. Their trail leads deep into the city's most unusual circus. Soon, Jasper will find his loyalties—and future—tested more than he could ever imagine….And don't miss Jasper's continuing exploits in The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross, available now from Harlequin TEEN.

The 5:22


George Harrar - 1999
    When a fellow passenger on his usual train goes missing, a man begins to wonder if everything is as it seems.

The Safe Man: A Ghost Story


Michael Connelly - 2012
    That is, his specialty is opening safes. Every job is a little mystery, and he has yet to encounter a lock he can't break or a box he can't crack. But the day Holloway gets called in to open a rare, antique safe in a famous author's library, his skills open a door that should have remained closed.In this haunting and singular story, previously published anonymously, Michael Connelly proves once again that he is "superb at building suspense.... the reader can never be sure what sudden turns the plot may take" (Wall Street Journal).