. . After his mother is sent to a nursing home for therapy following hip surgery, artist David Reid soon learns the truth about Haven. Once a magnificent seaside hotel on the coast of Maine, the property is now managed by a greedy corporation and a nursing staff who neglect and abuse the residents. Dealing with the inept staff is an endless battle. And to make matters worse, David's mother claims ghosts are haunting the facility. Are the spirits hallucinations caused by her medications? Or is Haven really haunted?

     FBI profiler Victor Loshak works a brutal murder case in Watertown, New York -- a woman found strangled in her basement, her face gone purple and baggy. But as he sifts through the crime scene details, his mind keeps drifting back to Kansas City, his last job. The human trafficking case there ended in something of a cliffhanger, and it's a loose end that everyone else in law enforcement seems in no hurry to tie up. The truth is out there. Always just out of reach. Loshak finds himself changed by the events that transpired in Missouri. His worldview shifted. His priorities shuffled. He reaches out to the people close to him, hoping to make major changes in his personal life. But they are watching. When Loshak pursues leads relating to Kansas City, however, the warnings start. They are watching him. Seem to know everything about him. If he keeps working the human trafficking case, everything -- and everyone -- he cares about will be in jeopardy. Justice bears a heavy cost. How high of a price will you pay? The shape of a man's life is largely defined by what passions he pursues, Loshak decides. Now he will choose what that means for him. While the Victor Loshak novels can be read in any order, we recommend reading this short after having read the earlier books in the series. Here is the full list of Loshak books in chronological order: Beyond Good & Evil (Victor Loshak Book 1) The Good Life Crisis (Victor Loshak Book 1.5) What Lies Beneath (Victor Loshak Book 2) Take Warning (Victor Loshak Book 2.5)

    and the possible answers behind it. The Woods will never be the same again... Steph Young has appeared on National radio shows including "Coast to Coast Am," "Midnight in the Desert," "Where did the road go?" "The Unexplained," & "Darkness Radio." Steph Young is an independent researcher, addicted to researching all Supernatural, Paranormal, Esoteric and enigmatic Mysteries. Each book seems to lead to further questions and searches for answers, as the Mysteries inevitably deepen & develop into ever more complex riddles in the spectrum of the Unknown.... Creepy true tales of strange disappearances in the woods, unexplained vanishings & mysterious Deaths. Creepy Mysteries of the Unexplained. Unexplained Disappearances & Missing people; True Stories. ....Things can get strange when you're alone in the woods....and something in the woods is taking People; something unknown that we cannot define; something that others have had the misfortune to encounter. People snatched soundlessly, never to be seen again. Or returned; dead. A strange and highly unusual predator. Highly intelligent. Very successful. And able to overpower someone in an instant.... This is a puzzle. An often deadly one. People are disappearing in the Woods. Screams heard in the distance; or, just ominous silence... The primal fear of something dangerous lurking, coming closer…..For some people, this can turn into a deadly reality. For those left behind, there is only confusion, fear, panic…..The Woods will never be the same again....

    Craven. A psychopath takes Trick or Treating a step too far. And a woman's dream of a quiet life is shattered by a knock on the door.Afraid Of The Shadows is a collection of gripping- sometimes funny, always spooky- short stories from some of the biggest names in crime fiction.From possessed sweaters to creepy wardrobes and disco shape shifters, there’s something for everyone in this Halloween bucket of short story goodies making it the perfect companion to snuggle up with as the nights draw in. Though be warned, you might want to leave the lights on...****************************************************************CONTRIBUTORSAfraid Of The Shadows is brought to you by twenty bestselling crime and thriller writers who between them have topped the Sunday Times and Amazon charts, won the Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger Award, Gold Dagger Award and New Blood Dagger Award, the Bath Novel Award, the UK National Book Awards and the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award.Special guests:M.W. CravenPeter JamesT.M. LoganMatt WesolowskiTrevor WoodRachael BlokElle Croft (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Heather CritchlowJames Delargy (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Clare EmpsonJo FurnissT.E. KinseyN.J. MackayS.R. MastersPhoebe MorganDominic Nolan (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Robert Scragg (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Victoria Selman (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)Kate SimantsAdam Southward (Longlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)****************************************************************Profits from the sale of Afraid Of The Shadows will be donated to the Barnardo's Children in Crisis Covid AppealThis delivers practical and emotional support to vulnerable children caught in a downward spiral of deprivation as a result of the coronavirus crisis.Children and families across the UK are increasingly in or on the brink of poverty as a result of coronavirus.The impact of the second wave is pushing a generation of the most vulnerable children into a downward spiral of deprivation. With your support Barnardo’s can deliver the practical and emotional support families in crisis need.

    In fact, the entire community seems to be cursed and haunted. But why? An atmospheric, old-fashioned ghost story that follows each family as they fight for survival and try to unravel the mystery of a fogbound spirit. (Mystery/supernatural suspense)

    But when she and her all-female crew answer a mysterious distress call during a tropical storm, they stumble across an abandoned yacht worth millions. It seems like a dream come true, the Lotto, the Big Ticket to all their dreams... Until they discover what's waiting for them inside the ship... DERELICT A horror novella by Todd Travis

    A short story to be read after Outage 5: The Change due to spoilers A year after The Great Storm has ended, two survivors cope with the aftermath.

    Now four lives will be forever changed. High school senior Rachel Black hears Annabel's ghost crying out in her dreams. Madam Bovell, a medium who sells fraudulent readings since losing her gift years ago, finds her abilities mysteriously returning—and guiding her to Rachel. Jason Hardy, an auditor up from Chicago, sees inexplicable things while working late in Williston's old hospital wing. And Dr. Donovan Graves, bereaved father and renowned debunker of paranormal research, feels his son's spirit urgently trying to reach him. Only five days before the next Halloween, time is running out for all four to uncover the secrets of a small town, and the lurking evil that threatens everyone in it.

    Quinn O'Brion and Kate Tassel, two small-town journalists, became the Prince of Sanheim and used that power to defeat a serial killer.In Band of Demons, Quinn and Kate battled a new threat, two legendary creatures who had already destroyed everyone in their path. But Kate and Quinn's victory came at a heavy price. In Give the Devil His Due, Kate's only hope to save Quinn is to trust the man who took him from her. Don't miss the epic finale to the trilogy that has readers raving about its great characters, plot twists and deft combination of urban fantasy, mystery and suspense.The Lord Sanheim rules forever...

    Also included are stories of ghost animals, haunted houses, vengeful spirits, guardian angels and much, much more. Many of the stories you are about to read will warm your heart, while others will leave you in a cold sweat. Sit back and relax. Make sure you are locked in safe and sound as you settle in for a scary read. Oh, and if you hear a strange noise in the hallway, don't worry, it's probably just the house settling. Well, maybe not.

    Now Jordan has come to Clayton County, North Carolina, where the latest in a string of kidnapping victims has turned up dead. Complicating the situation is the presence - and predictions - of someone who’s even more of an outsider than Jordan himself: carnival psychic Samantha Burke, a woman out of his own haunted past.Chill of Fear:FBI agent Quentin Hayes always knew he had an unusual talent, even before he was recruited by Noah Bishop for the controversial Special Crimes Unit. But for twenty years he’s been haunted by a heartbreaking unsolved murder that took place at The Lodge, a secluded Victorian-era resort in Tennessee. Now he’s returned one final time, determined to put the mystery to rest.Sleeping with Fear:A federal agent assigned to the Special Crimes Unit, Riley was a chameleon - a clairvoyant who could blend in with her surroundings. She’d been sent to the beachfront cottage on Opal Island by her enigmatic chief, Noah Bishop, to investigate reports of dangerous occult activity. But that was three weeks ago. Now she’s awoken to discover that she’s got a sexy new man in her life and an unreliable memory, and that the clairvoyant abilities she’s always depended on to protect her are MIA.

     DEADLY MESSENGERS Nobody's listening, so he'll just keep killing.Three massacres in the same city, the same month. Two detectives discover a link that can't possibly exist. One journalist unwittingly holds the answers. Zero clues to a killer who sends a deadly message.Kendall's usual freelance work consists of fluff magazine pieces until she scores an interview with the survivor of a horrific mass killing. Seven people brutally murdered with an axe at a cafe, with the killer left dead at the scene. She’ll soon discover these killings are part of a plan far greater than just these crimes. Someone is sending a message and soon many more will die. BEHIND THE FIRE What if all that stood between us and hell was a match?An ordinary couple stand accused of a heinous crime. They're the last people you'd expect to save the world. Are they criminals, heroes or completely insane? Or maybe all three?Something terrifying has led Bobby and Emily to leave their two young children with a sitter while they embarked on a crazy fire-bug spree. That something was an incredible secret they'd promised to protect. Inspired by true-life headlines, this is the tale of the random appearances of frightening black things, and one couple's battle to protect their town from these dangerous and hellish creatures. BACK AGAIN Between life and death lies fate and one hell of a fightA single mom struggles with unexplained lost time. An angry young woman makes a fatal mistake, taking them on a collision course that will shatter their lives to pieces.Since childhood, Dawn has "lost time." She awakens in strange places, far away from her last memory. Now she's just trying to be a good mom to her son while fearing another blackout episode. Kylie is over her dead-end job and has just been fired. As she drives from the supermarket lot, she picks up her cell to send a text. In the next terrifying moment, she’ll realize the gravity of her mistake when Dawn’s and her destinies collide.

    In this creepy tale, the twist comes with the very last word…

    A haunted mansion. A haunted woman. Three unforgettable tales of terror. THE HARROWINGFive troubled college students left alone on their isolated campus over the long Thanksgiving break confront their own demons and a mysterious presence... that may or may not be real.Nominated for Bram Stoker and Anthony Awards for Best First Novel"Poltergeist meets The Breakfast Club as five college students tangle with an ancient evil presence." - Kirkus Reviews"Absolutely gripping... it is easy to imagine this as a film. Once started, you won't want to stop reading." - The London TimesTHE UNSEEN"A creepy haunted house, reports of a 40-year-old poltergeist investigation, and a young researcher trying to rebuild her life take the "publish or perish" initiative for college professors to a terrifying new level in this spine-tingling story that has every indication of becoming a horror classic. Based on the famous Rhine ESP experiments at the Duke University parapsychology department that collapsed in the 1960s, this is a chillingly dark look into the unknown." —Romantic Times Book ReviewBOOK OF SHADOWSA cynical Boston homicide detective and a mysterious witch from Salem must join forces in a race to solve a series of satanic killings."A wonderfully dark thriller with amazing 'Is-it-isn't-it?' suspense throughout." — Lee Child-----------------------------------------

    And an old flame to complicate the trip.Check out this beach-y Violet Darger short featuring Darger, Loshak, Owen, and Spinks.When 17-year-old Micaela Tolliver goes missing during her beach vacation, FBI profiler Violet Darger heads to Curacao to investigate. The case vexes local law enforcement, with plenty of suspicious characters around and comparisons to Natalee Holloway aplenty.Red herrings. False starts. People who will go great lengths to protect the island's long held secrets.Further complications emerge due to someone else entangled in the case -- Darger's old friend and former lover, private investigator Owen Baxter. They're working together for the first time after a bad breakup. The tension is palpable, and Darger begins to question the knot of conflicts in her own heart.Corruption. Death. Sand. Romance.Once again, Violet Darger shines her light into the shadows. And what she finds there in the darkness will change her.