Book picks similar to
Behind Closed Doors by Matt ShawE. Jones


horror
horror-gore
thriller-suspense-crime
favorite-horror-authors

The Best American Erotica 1993


Susie Bright - 1993
    Delaney, Barbara Gowdy, and others. 15,000 first printing.

Secrets in the Snow: A Collection Of Riveting Haunted House Mysteries


J.S. Donovan - 2019
    Anna Hall arrives in Sebring, Maine with her two teenage boys and a bold dream. Investing her late husband's life insurance policy into the classy yet nearly forgotten motel, Club Blue, the ambitious single mother hits the much-needed reset button on her troubled life. However, when peculiar guests arrive and strange sounds leak through the oddly thick walls, Anna quickly finds her lifelong dream plummeting into a short-lived nightmare.The Haunting of Meade MansionEmily thought she was leaving her money troubles behind when she inherited an old house from her great aunt who went missing the previous year.When she and her husband Jesse arrive at the house, they discover Aunt Matilda was murdered--and the culprit is still at large. Guided by the ghosts of Matilda and the orphans she raised, Emily and Jesse must catch the criminal and save themselves before it's too late.

Inn at Raven's Crest


Salem Marlowe - 2017
    When the opportunity arises, the two jump at the chance to make this dream a reality. They find an old Victorian home that has been vacant for many years and believe this is their chance to fix up and open the Inn at Raven’s Crest. Maggie quickly learns of the ghosts still living in the house. She befriends them; talks to them; helps them find peace, and offers a way to get to the other side. As the first guests arrives, so does an awful storm which puts out the roads, the power and the internet, thus leaving all of the guests captive at the Inn. When one person is found murdered, and then another, everyone is frightened and not sure who to trust and who the murderer is. There are many signs that point to one and then another suspect before the final chapter is revealed. Inn at Raven’s Crest by Salem Marlowe has a plot we may have read before, but the characters and the events are brand new and kept me glued to my Kindle. Each time I thought I had solved the mystery, another twist changed my mind. I couldn’t help but root for Maggie and Lee and for the future success of the Inn. Each character was well portrayed and had all the human characteristics of good and evil in them. I would love to see what happens when the next set of guests arrive at the Inn. It would be an awesome TV series with new guests arriving weekly. I highly recommend reading Inn at Raven’s Crest; mystery fans will not be disappointed. Two friends buy an abandoned Victorian house and turn it into a bed and breakfast. Before renovations are completed they discover their home has come complete with ghosts, and an old, unsolved murder. Can they solve the mystery and get the ghosts to leave? Or will they get caught up in a new set of murders, ones that are decimating their guests?

The Nightmare Collective


PlayWithDeath.comJenny Ashford - 2015
    With 12 terrifically spine chilling short stories, this anthology contains contributions from some of the best young horror writing talent out there, and was curated by the editors of the PlayWithDeath.com, the premier destination for online horror entertainment. If you're searching for stories that will frighten you to your very core, look no further. List of Short Story Authors Tom Wortman M. B. Vujačić Manen Lyset Jenny Ashford Kyle Yadlosky G. T. Montgomery Ari Drew Patrick Winters Trevor James Zaple John Teel Dexter Findley Kyle Rader

American Ghosts & Old World Wonders


Angela Carter - 1993
    It is divided into distinct parts. The first comprises a group of stories inspired by America: Lizzie Borden visits a circus; a John Ford Western is spiced with the story of 'TIS PITY SHE'S A WHORE' and there is a wonderful Gothic extravaganza set in Hollywood. The second section - OLD WORLD WONDERS - draws on fairy tales (Cinderella), on the story of Mary Magdalene, on the folklore of pantomime, on ALICE IN WONDERLAND, an on medieval legend. These stories represent Angela Carter at her most acrobatic and dazzling: erudite, witty, sexy and enthralling. A book to delight her many, many fans.

Secret Story


Ramsey Campbell - 2005
    . . .Your terrifying short story about a horrible murder on an underground train is about to be published.  Even better, it will be made into a movie.  A pretty young journalist is pursuing you.            Except.            You've been fired.            The journalist wants an interview, not a date.              The film's director wants you to make a few changes in your story.              And, worst of all, your imagination has run dry.   You'll just have to kill someone new . . .

More Twisted: Collected Stories Vol. II


Jeffery Deaver - 2006
    Now the author of the Lincoln Rhyme series ("The Cold Moon" and "The Bone Collector," among others) has compiled a second volume of his award-winning, spine-tingling short stories of suspense.While best known for his twenty-four novels, Jeffery Deaver is also a short story master -- he is a three-time recipient of the Ellery Queen Reader's Award for Best Short Story, and he won the Short Story Dagger from the Crime Writers Association for a piece that appeared in his first short story collection, "Twisted. The New York Times" said of that book: "A mystery hit for those who like their intrigue short and sweet . . . [The stories] feature tight, bare-bones plotting and the sneaky tricks that Mr. Deaver's title promises." The sneaky tricks are here in spades, and Deaver even gives his fans a new Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs story.Deaver is back with sixteen stories in the tradition of O. Henry and Edgar Allan Poe. His subjects range from a Westchester commuter to a brilliant Victorian England caper. With these intricately plotted, bone-chilling stories, Jeffery Deaver is at the top of his crime-writing game.

Darkness Creeping: Twenty Twisted Tales


Neal Shusterman - 2007
    Or caught on one of the most terrifying roller coasters of all time, when suddenly the tracks ahead just disappear. Enter the world of Darkness Creeping, where hollow-eyed skulls arrive in the mail and nothing is as it seems. Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winner and beloved author Neal Shusterman walks on the dark side with this classic collection of masterfully creepy stories so horrifying, you may have to read them twice to remind yourself they’re not real.Contents:• Foreword (Darkness Creeping: Twenty Twisted Tales) (2007) - essay by Neal Shusterman• Catching Cold (2007)• Who Do We Appreciate? (2007)• Soul Survivor (1995)• Black Box (1993)• Resting Deep (1993)• Security Blanket (1995)• Same Time Next Year (1993)• The River Tour (2007)• Flushie (1993)• Monkeys Tonight (1993)• Screaming at the Wall (1993)• Growing Pains (1995)• Alexander's Skull (1993)• Connecting Flight (1995)• Ralphy Sherman's Root Canal (2007)• An Ear for Music (1995)• Riding the Raptor (1995)• Trash Day (1995)• Crystalloid (1995)• Shadows of Doubt (1993)

J.A. Konrath Horror Trilogy - Three Scary Thriller Novels (Origin, The List, Haunted House)


J.A. Konrath - 2013
     O R I G I N Thriller writer J.A. Konrath, author of the Lt. Jack Daniels series, digs into the vaults and unearths a technohorror tale from the depths of hell... 1906 - Something is discovered by workers digging the Panama Canal. Something dormant. Sinister. Very much alive. 2009 - Project Samhain. A secret underground government installation begun 103 years ago in New Mexico. The best minds in the world have been recruited to study the most amazing discovery in the history of mankind. But the century of peaceful research is about to end. BECAUSE IT JUST WOKE UP. Book Description: When linguist Andrew Dennison is yanked from his bed by the Secret Service and taken to a top secret facility in the desert , he has no idea he's been brought there to translate the words of an ancient demon. He joins pretty but cold veterinarian Sun Jones, eccentric molecular biologist Dr. Frank Belgium, and a hodge-podge of religious, military, and science personnel to try and figure out if the creature is, indeed, Satan. But things quickly go bad, and very soon Andy isn't just fighting for his life, but the lives of everyone on earth... T H E L I S T A billionaire Senator with money to burn... A thirty year old science experiment, about to be revealed... Seven people, marked for death, not for what they know, but for what they are... History is about to repeat itself. THE LIST is a bit of a departure for Konrath, who is known for his Jack Daniels mystery series. It's a technothriller about a group of ten people who each have tattoos of numbers on the bottoms their feet, and don't know why. One of them, a Chicago Homicide cop named Tom Mankowski, has had one of these strange tattoos since birth. When he investigates a violent murder and discovers the victim also has a tattooed number, it sets the ball rolling for an adventure of historic proportions. To say more would give away too much. Like the Jack Daniels series, THE LIST combines laugh out loud humor with serious suspense and thrills. H A U N T E D H O U S E BEYOND AFRAID... It was an experiment in fear. Eight people, each chosen because they lived through a terrifying experience. Survivors. They don't scare easily. They know how to fight back. BEYOND TRAPPED... Each is paid a million dollars to spend one night in a house. The old Butler House, where those grisly murders occurred so many years ago. A house that is supposedly haunted. BEYOND ENDURANCE... They can take whatever they want with them. Religious items. Survival gear. Weapons. All they need to do is last the night. But there is something evil in this house. Something very evil, and very real. And when the dying starts, it comes with horrifying violence and brutal finality. There are much scarier things than ghosts. Things that will kill you slowly and delight in your screams. Things that won't let you get out alive.

The Roald Dahl Omnibus: Perfect Bedtime Stories for Sleepless Nights


Roald Dahl - 1986
    Bawdy, funny, touching, and downright outrageous, there's simply no one else like Roald Dahl.This volume is a diabolical collection of 28 of Dahl's best stories. Shiver to classics like The Man From the South, Taste, Royal Jelly and The Great Switcheroo and hard-to-find gems like Poison, The Wish and Neck. It's the perfect remedy for a sleepless night. From Someone Like YouTasteLamb to the SlaughterMan from the SouthThe SoldierDip in the PoolGalloping FoxleySkinPoisonWishNeckSound MachineNunc DimittisGreat Automatic GrammatizatorClaud's DogRatcatcherRumminsMr HoddyMr FeaseyFrom Kiss KissLandladyWilliam and MaryThe Way Up to HeavenRoyal JellyGeorgy PorgyGenesis and CatastropheEdward the ConquerorPigChampion of the WorldFrom Switch BitchGreat SwitcherooLast ActBitch

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015


John Joseph AdamsNathan Ballingrud - 2015
    G. Wells, and Jules Verne to Ray Bradbury, Ursula K. Le Guin, and William Gibson. In The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy award-winning editor John Joseph Adams delivers a diverse and vibrant collection of stories published in the previous year. Featuring writers with deep science fiction and fantasy backgrounds, along with those who are infusing traditional fiction with speculative elements, these stories uphold a longstanding tradition in both genres—looking at the world and asking, What if . . . ?  The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015 includes  Kelly Link, Neil Gaiman, Karen Russell T. C. Boyle, Sofia Samatar, Jo Walton, Cat Rambo Daniel H. Wilson, Seanan McGuire, Jess Rowand others  JOE HILL, guest editor, is the New York Times best-selling author of the novels Heart-Shaped Box, Horns, and NOS4A2 and the short story collection 20th Century Ghosts. He is also the writer of the comic book series Locke & Key.   JOHN JOSEPH ADAMS, series editor, is the best-selling editor of more than two dozen anthologies, including Brave New Worlds, Wastelands, and The Living Dead. He is also the editor and publisher of the digital magazines Lightspeed and Nightmare and is a producer of Wired’s podcast The Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Nightmares Unhinged


Joshua ViolaAaron Lovett - 2015
    Some rend the veil of sleep with heart-stopping madness. Others defy sanity to leave a helpless corner of your mind twitching for release. Sometimes, hours after waking, a nightmare drifts across your memory, tainting your day with wisps of discomfort. NIGHTMARES UNHINGED reveals horror in all its mutable forms—abject to absurd—through twenty tales of terror.Contributors include Mario Acevedo, Edward Bryant, Dustin Carpenter, Sean Eads, Keith Ferrell, Warren Hammond, Jason Heller, Gary Jonas, Stephen Graham Jones, J.V. Kyle, Aaron Michael Ritchey, Jeanne C. Stein, Steve Rasnic Tem, and Dean Wyant. Foreword by New York Times bestseller Steve Alten. Edited by Joshua Viola. Illustrations by Aaron Lovett.A portion of the book's proceeds will be donated to Rocky Mountain Cancer Assistance in honor of Melanie Tem.Contents:Foreword “Terrors In The Night” by Steve AltenIntroduction “Reclaim Your Fears” by Joshua Viola“The Brollachan” by Steve Rasnic Tem“Fangs” by J.V. Kyle“Be Seated” by Keith Ferrell“The Man Who Killed Texas” by Stephen Graham Jones “Scarecrows” by Joshua Viola “Zou Gou” by Mario Acevedo “Needles” by Joshua Viola and Dean Wyant “The Projectionist” by Jason Heller “The Wolf’s Paw” by Jeanne C. Stein “Danniker’s Coffin” by Keith Ferrell “Deep Woods” by Aaron Michael Ritchey “Diamond Widow” by Dustin Carpenter “The Camera” by Joshua Viola “Lost Balls” by Sean Eads “Bathroom Break” by J.V. Kyle “Marginal Ha’nts” by Edward Bryant “Delicioso” by Warren Hammond “The Librarian” by Joshua Viola “Gurgle. Gurgle.” by Mario Acevedo “Taking The Dare” by Gary Jonas Afterword “Melanie Tem: Hubble’s Child” by Edward Bryant

Aurora Resonant: The Complete Collection


G.S. Jennsen - 2018
    The true universe is unfathomably vast, teeming with life and untold wonders. And it is enslaved.Created by ancient aliens in a daring gambit to understand the nature of the enemy, humanity is now asked to be the savior of a universe not their own. If they are to succeed, they must rise above not only their fractious past but the sins of their genetic ancestors to boldly embrace a future they never dared imagine possible.*RELATIVITY"I'd tell you to be careful, but we wouldn't be here if you'd ever taken that advice. No reason to start now, right?"For millennia the Anadens have ruled the known universe. They believe they've crafted the perfect empire, ordered and impervious to challenge. They believe the fight has been crushed out of the species they subjugate. They are wrong.It's a suicide mission, without a doubt. Alex Solovy and Caleb Marano must steal crucial intelligence from the Anadens' central military headquarters. To succeed, they'll need to navigate a strange universe ruled by a cabal of powerful immortals, populated by aliens they've never met and fueled by technology they've never seen. They're going to need a little help--the kind of help only a suicidally defiant anarchist on the run from more than just personal demons can provide.*RUBICON"We are you--the you that you could have been."The Anaden Directorate has ruled Amaranthe for millennia, subjugating species and galaxies in a neverending quest for control and order. For as many millennia, the anarchs have rebelled, defiantly claiming their own freedom yet without hope of winning it for everyone. Now, an alliance with humans offers a tantalizing chance to at last defeat their immortal masters. But can they trust an ally who looks suspiciously like the enemy?Humanity is the genetic recreation of the Anadens, but genetics aren't everything. Humans like to make their own destiny, and they have overcome great challenges to achieve unprecedented peace and prosperity. But have their trials prepared them for the enemy they now face?"The battle for the heart and soul of Amaranthe will be joined, and we must be unafraid."Amidst the chaos of an escalating war, Caleb's bond with the mysterious diati grows ever more powerful, even as Alex's forays into the hidden dimensions of the universe lead them to unfathomable places. But when the anarchs are pushed to the breaking point and the AEGIS fleet is dealt a devastating blow, Miriam Solovy must find a way to defeat a foe wielding superior technology, firepower and numbers, or else more than one civilization will be lost.*REQUIEMThe end of the world began with a library query...how will it conclude?What began as a chance discovery of an anomalous signal is now a multiverse war between humanity and its genetic ancestors over who controls the levers of life and death. Over who decides what life is and whether it will be allowed to exist. For the ruling Anaden Directorate, victory means immortality. For humanity, defeat means extinction.

Christmas Horror Volume 1


Chris MoreyJ.F. Gonzalez - 2015
    Volume 1 features all new and original stories from authors Joe R. Lansdale, John Skipp, Cody Goodfellow, Jeff Strand, J. F. Gonzalez, Stephen Mark Rainey, Nate Southard, Shane McKenzie and (in deluxe hardcover retail editions only) William Meikle. Each story is preceded by a full page/full bleed color illustration by artist Zach McCain. Table of Contents “Santa Explains” by Joe R. Lansdale “The Endless Black of Friday” by Nate Southard “Red Rage” by Stephen Mark Rainey “Pointy Canes” by Jeff Strand “Naughty” by Shane McKenzie “Krampusnacht in Cell Block J” by Cody Goodfellow “The Shittiest Guy in the World (A Christmas Fable)” by John Skipp “Belsnickel” by J. F. Gonzalez “The Color That Stole Christmas” by William Meikle (Deluxe Hardcover Editions Only)

For the Love of Ivy


Cindy Kirk - 2020
    The PhD had one goal when she stepped her stiletto in Sweet River, Montana; complete her research project and get back to civilization.To her surprise, she quickly found herself enchanted by this foreign world of cowboys, ranches and seasonal traditions that tugged at her heartstrings.All widower Seth Anderssen wants for Christmas is a temporary nanny for his injured daughter. Touched by his SOS, Lauren steps up.The sizzling attraction between the two lonely hearts can’t be denied. It’s soon clear to everyone they belong together. But will a promise made long ago keep Lauren from a lifetime of happiness in this sexy cowboy’s arms?