Psychological Thriller Short Stories

A young man struggles with flashbacks and nightmares in a society which has a new and controversial way to deal with violent crime. Some say this is a groundbreaking new form of justice. Others say it's criminal.

Claire Delaney is a typical young teenage girl who likes nothing more than reading the latest gossip about what the celebs have been up to. Her ultimate dream is to become a famous A-list star, but without any real talent to speak of a dream it must remain - according to her mother, at least. Things aren’t so clear-cut these days, though, and one does not necessarily need to be a skilled actress, singer or model to become famous. Sometimes the stars align and people get what they wish for...but is Claire truly prepared for the consequences?

Sarah Vernon has spent 20 years trying to make it as a novelist...and she’s never even come close. None of her novels has sold more than 5,000 copies, and she’s never earned enough money to make fiction her full-time job. After her last disappointing publication, Sarah’s agent dumped her, and it seems like her dream is dead. Sarah vows that she’ll do anything for one last shot at the best seller list. Enter Will Presser. Nicknamed The Viper, Will is a literary agent whose career-making reputation precedes him.

What lengths would you go to in order to ensure a peaceful existence? Newlyweds Eve and Leigh Chandler are thrilled to be given a council house on a recently built estate after living with Eve's parents for a year, and are eager to get to know their new neighbors. Eve quickly forms a friendship with Tessa Patterson at number 16, but things turn sour when Mark Denny moves into number 18 with his two teenage sons.

When Ella boards a sumptuous charter off the coast of Australia, she feels…dread. Her husband, Mac, the social butterfly who makes these wellness retreats so much easier to navigate, is stuck at work, leaving her exposed to the other passengers. Luckily, she forms an instant bond with the charismatic Chloe, a newly single woman salving a broken heart. But as the friendship grows, Ella discovers they share more than the need for an escape, and their devastating connection has the power to forever alter their lives.

The short story Voices follows Michael, a very successful business man. He loses each of his wives after they absurdly claim they can hear or talk to the spirits in the house. Michael is dragged through turmoil until he confronts the voices. Voices is loosely based on a true encounter.

Mark has a wife and two kids, a sense of purpose, financial security, and a fragile contentment. However wistful his visions of the future, Mark knows who he is. But a summer trip with his abrasive brother-in-law and unhappy sister-in-law leave Mark questioning everything he thinks he knows about his family—and himself.

What really happened to the girl who walked into the woods and vanished forever? It’s a never-forgotten mystery that clings like a shadow in a short story about dark memories and inescapable fears.

Driven by an uncanny mystery from his youth, Ian Randall became a “spiritual cleanser”, ridding disturbances from homes. But his belief in the beyond was challenged by his wife’s death. Merle House, the root of Ian’s obsession, could change that. The woods are restless again. Maybe here, Ian will find what he needs - if he’s willing to make a deal with the dark.

The first story collection from prize-winning author Fabio Morábito available in English, Mothers and Dogs features fifteen tales that show the emotional extremes in seemingly trivial details and quotidian situations: two brothers worry more about a dog locked in an apartment who hasn’t been fed than they do about their dying mother; when the lights go out on a racetrack, a man’s evening jog turns into a savage battle between runners; a daughter learns to draft business letters as an homage to her mother.

It's been twenty years since the night Jake Marcott was brutally murdered at St. Elizabeth High School. It's a night that shattered the lives of Lindsay Farrell, Kirsten Daniels, and Rachel Alsace. It's a night they'll never forget. A killer will make sure of that....

Is it a hoax, or is it something unspeakably real? In this short story about evil games and spiraling secrets, whatever bargain you strike, there’s a price to be paid. Mason Brandt dropped out of seminary and found a job at a spiritual center offering guidance to troubled teens. Mason was one himself years ago - a suspect in a young girl’s disappearance. When a female student is found murdered, Mason is dogged by suspicion and flees. He hopes Merle House will offer him sanctuary once again.

Matthew, Claire, Ian, and Mason haven’t set foot on the Merle family property since the summer they were sixteen. They tried for years to put their history behind them, to forget the mystery of the girl who vanished so long ago. But a powerful force from their past is still at play. This time, there’s no hiding from it.

Seven strange stand-alone tales involving unusual people caught in disturbing circumstances are presented in this collection.

Self-destructive. The worst thing that could happen to herself is continuing to be herself. Continuing to be where she is. The need to be released has found her. Taking steps forward is difficult, seeing the chaos in the world is difficult. And anytime she sees a glimmer of confidence, any crumb of thought that could be her savior the words of those closest to her ears refill her with doubt. Reminded of the worst in her, if there’s a best in her it’s unseen here.

Eve has a fake ID, a .38, and a violent lover receding in the rearview mirror. He’ll never find her at the isolated motel, and its kindly manager is happy to ease her fears. But if Eve is the only guest, whom does she keep hearing on the other side of the wall? Eve won’t get a good night’s rest until she finds out.

With hold-your-breath suspense and shocking endings, the five short stories in this collection will put you on the edge of your seat and get your brain and blood pumping.

It’s dreaded news for actress Lyla McCord and her husband, Nolan. Their eight-year-old daughter has vanished. To find her, Nolan reaches out to a psychic gifted with uncanny visions about the lost girl. But Lyla thinks she sees right through him. Is he a con artist or the real thing? Either way, he might be telling the truth. And that’s too frightening for Lyla to bear.

A fairytale ball with a not-so-happy ending. A company that secretly experiments on the minds of the mentally ill. The Angel of Death with a deathwish of her own. Monsters who can kill with just one look into their eyes. These are just some of the stories When Night Falls has to offer. Fast-paced, thrilling, and filled to the brim with darkness and characters driven by the voices in their head, this collection focuses on the darker side of life. Trigger Warning: Not for the faint of heart. This collection contains stories that deal with difficult subject matter.

"Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street" is a short story by the American writer Herman Melville, first serialized anonymously in two parts in the November and December 1853 issues of Putnam's Magazine, and reprinted with minor textual alterations in his The Piazza Tales in 1856. A Wall Street lawyer hires a new clerk who, after an initial bout of hard work, refuses to make copy and any other task required of him, with the words "I would prefer not to".