Dark Thriller

Gwen Frazier is no stranger to ghosts. She sees them in pools of water, windows, mirrors - any reflective surface - at the scene of violent deaths. But finding justice for the dead is something she’s not trained to do and a luxury she can’t afford. What pays the bills is her work as a psychic counselor who sees auras and interprets dreams. The death of her friend and mentor, Evelyn Ballinger, brings Gwen back to the small town of Wilby, Oregon, and brings back memories she would rather forget.

In the beginning was the Oak, its hungry roots reaching deep into the earth, its gnarled limbs searching the distant heavens. Two hundred years ago, Obediah Magrute worshipped the Oak and died violently beneath it, feeding it with his blood and bone, shouting his chilling curse to the skies. Now, Laura and Mark Avery have come to the bustling little Vermont village.

From former Special Forces officer Jason Kasper comes a gripping set of thrillers for fans of Vince Flynn and Brad Thor. Now an international best seller.

It was his first big murder case - and one of the bloodiest and most violent crimes LAPD detective Danny McGuire would ever encounter. Andrew Jakes, an elderly multimillionaire art dealer, had been brutally murdered in his Hollywood home, his lifeless body tied to his naked young wife. Raped and beaten, the lovely Angela Jakes had barely survived the attack herself. Gazing into her deep, soulful eyes, Danny swore that he'd find the psychopath behind this barbarous act.

Early one morning, DS Robin Butler is summoned to a crime scene. Not as a policeman, but as best friend to renowned meteorologist, Dr Finn Mason. The morning after studying an enormous storm, Finn has locked himself in a van. Bloodied, confused, and with no memory of how he came to be there. And alongside him - a dead body.

Nine long years have passed since the killer last struck - nine years since eight helpless young women were brutally slaughtered by an icepick-wielding maniac. The trail grew cold and the book was unofficially closed on a serial killer who stopped killing. But now "The Icepick Prowler" has confessed - but only to seven of the killings. Not only does he deny the eighth, he has an airtight alibi. Barbara Ettinger's family had almost come to accept that the young woman was the victim of a random killing.

In a secluded headquarters on the other side of the globe, a terrorist mission is underway - a plan to set off an underwater explosion so great, and with such hellish force, that it could shift the very foundation of the earth's surface, causing untold calamity and world-wide disaster. The terrorists call it "God's Revenge".

Then: Sergeant Vince Paulo held his best friend's daughter, McKenna, bleeding in his arms as she uttered the name of her murderer and ex-boyfriend, Jamal. That was minutes before a blast made everything go black for Vince - forever. Now: Miami criminal defense lawyer Jack Swyteck has been called in to save Jamal from the death penalty for terrorist activity. Despite urgent warnings from his fiancee, undercover FBI agent Andie Henning, to stay away from the case, Jack finds himself inextricably drawn to Jamal's past - even believing his alibi that he was abducted....

When rock guitarist Ash Hudson suffers a career-ending hand injury, she seeks out the only thing that can heal it - her hometown's darkest secret. For decades the residents of Hollow Hills, Pennsylvania, have offered their diseased and injured body parts to a creek demon named Snare. In return, Snare rewards its Traders with healthy replacement parts. There's only one catch: if Traders leave town, their new parts vanish forever. Ash wants a new hand, but living in Hollow Hills isn't an option. Not when her band is one gig away from hitting the big time.

Ever since Edgar Allan Poe looted a family's ignoble secret history for his classic story "The Fall of the House of Usher", living in the shadow of that sick dynasty has been an inescapable scourge for generations of Usher descendants. But not for horror novelist Rix Usher. Years ago he fled the isolated family estate of Usherland in the menacing North Carolina hills to pursue his writing career. He promised never to return. But his father's impending death has brought Rix back home to assume the role of Usher patriarch - and face his worst fears.

For more than 30 years, Ellen Datlow has been at the center of horror. Bringing you the most frightening and terrifying stories, Datlow always has her finger on the pulse of what horror fans crave. Now, with the 11th volume of the series, Daltow's back again to bring you the stories that will keep you up at night. With each passing year, science, technology, and the march of time shine light into the craggy corners of the universe, making the fears of an earlier generation seem quaint. This light creates its own shadows. The Best Horror of the Year chronicles these shifting shadows.

Growing up in a beautiful house in the English countryside, Katie Shaw lived a charmed life. At the cusp of graduation, she had big dreams, a devoted boyfriend, and a little brother she protected fiercely. Until the day a violent stranger changed the fate of her family forever. Years later, still unable to live down the guilt surrounding what happened to her brother, Chris, and now with a child of her own to protect, Katie struggles to separate the real threats from the imagined. Then she gets the phone call: Chris has gone missing and needs his big sister once more.

A rash of brutal murders set God and the devil at odds, and it’s up to Frank to prove hell’s innocence. With his angelic cousin watching his every move, he quickly learns there’s more to the mission than he was told when he comes face to face with the legend of Jack the Ripper. With time running out, Frank and Scarlett must stop the killings and restore the balance of peace before it spirals out of control. In a battle of wits to determine the fate of heaven and hell, it’s a good thing Frank brought a gun.

Heather lives in her dream house, has a handsome husband and a successful career. Famous in her field, she has legions of devoted followers on social media. But all is not as rosy as the Pinterest-perfect picture she lets them see. Behind closed doors lurks a more sinister story. Heather would be horrified if people knew about the violent scarlet stain near the fireplace...or the shocking secrets that keep her awake at night and could destroy everything she cares about....

Until next time. That was chilling promise made to Ollie, Coco and Brian after they outsmarted the smiling man at Mount Hemlock Resort. And as the trio knows, the smiling man always keeps his promises. So when the lights flicker on and off at Brian's family's inn and a boom sounds at the door, there's just one visitor it could be. Only, there's no one there, just a cryptic note left outside signed simply as - S.

A teenager is found dead, stabbed through the heart by a professional killer. Detective Stephen Greco and his team must find out who the victim was and work to piece together the backstory. Then 'The Knifeman' strikes again, leading DCI Greco into a depraved world of exploitation. How is drugs baron Vinny Costello involved? What is the connection with a private clinic that provides plastic surgery for the elite?

In Berlin, a woman vanishes from the city streets. In Paris, a man plunges from the Eiffel Tower. In Denver, a small plane crashes into the mountains. In Manhattan, a body washes ashore from the East River. At first these seem to be random incidents, but the police soon discover that all four of the victims are connected to Kingsley International Group (KIG), the largest think tank in the world.

The daughter of a close friend is brutally murdered in the desert, and Rye turns away from her mentor to seek revenge. Her quick temper and deadly intentions lead Sydney Rye into a trap where she will need all of her new skills to survive.

An imperial family is found butchered. Officers of God are called to investigate. Evidence points to a rebel group trying to seed fear into the very heart of the empire itself. Inspector Khlid takes the case and begins a harrowing hunt for those responsible. But when a larger conspiracy comes to light, will Inspector Khlid be able to trust those working within her own precinct?

Josh Malerman is a master weaver of stories—and in this spine-chilling collection he spins five twisted tales from the shadows of the human soul.