Kirjahaku

Shortlisted for the 2022 British Fantasy Horror Award. What can you do when you’re reeling from trauma but you’ve tried it all? Counselling, yoga, pills, meditation, art, healthy living… none of it makes a dent. What’s left? Magpie is out of ideas. She’s desperate enough to try anything. Just when she thinks her life can get no worse, she discovers herself, or rather her own dead body, partially buried in the mudbank of a river. A man stands by, a familiar stranger. What does he want? And why can’t she remember getting here? Why can’t she remember anything? Unbeknownst to her, two pairs of eyes watch from behind an observation screen, in a room filled with computers and sensors. An experiment is unfolding, but is Magpie the subject, or practitioner? Reality becomes a slippery concept. And beyond the glass is something worse still: a hint of an outline, shaped in darkness… Magpie realises all too soon that her journey has transformed from healing to survival. She must become the hunter rather than the hunted, with her missing memories the prey. In turn brutal, beautiful and absolutely terrifying, Full Immersion is the latest speculative horror from Bram Stoker Award-nominated author, Gemma AmorFile Under: Horror Fantasy [ Silhouette | Suspension | Bristol | Motherhood ] **Content Warnings** suicidal ideation??; post-natal depression; implied acts of violence towards a child; birth scene

READERS LOVE GEMMA'S DARK, ITCHY WORLD ??'If you are after something that is both shocking and horrifically beautiful then take a journey and discover this little atrocity for yourself' ?? 'I kept telling myself I really should turn off the light and get to bed now, eyes dry, head heavy, but every sentence in this book commands the reader keep turning the pages and press onward...' ?? 'Gemma pulled me in with this compelling tale. Each page turned yielded me to another. I couldn't stop. Seriously!' ?? Josie is at rock bottom, living a haunted existence after returning to her isolated hometown on the edge of the Forest of Dean. But the tall, dense pine trees are not the only things casting shadows across her skin.When Josie stumbles across a decaying, ant-infested body in the woods, she plummets into a downward spiral, facing uncomfortable truths about the victim and her own past - all whilst battling a growing infestation of her mind . . . and her flesh.Desperate to solve the case, Josie scratches the surface of an age-old mystery - a masked predator stalks the forest around Ellwood, a place deeply gripped by folklore. As the village prepares for its annual festival, Josie gets closer and closer to unveiling a monster, and begins to ask herself:Are these dark crawling insects leading her to uncover the truth? Or is she their next victim? ?? ?? 'From the first page, this story is already under your skin, building a nest in your heart' KYLIE LEE BAKER, New York Times bestselling author of Bat Eater ?? ?? 'A chilling and tremendously disturbing examination of a wounded mind . . . Sinister and utterly fiendish, ITCH! is a shocking and truly surprising blend of mystery, folk horror, and body horror that will burrow deep in your softest places, into your tenderest, most unspoiled secret parts' ERIC LAROCCA, award-winning author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke ???? 'ITCH! places Gemma Amor firmly at the top of today's horror talent pool . . . I couldn't have loved this more. It's under my skin now, and it itches! One of the year's absolute must-reads! CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN, New York Times bestselling author of The Night Birds and The House of Last Resort ?? ?? 'An exquisitely crafted, uniquely unnerving horror story told with stunning empathy. ITCH! has all the makings of a horror classic' RACHEL HARRISON, USA TODAY bestselling author of So Thirsty ??

*** THE FOLK HORROR NOVEL CRAWLING UNDER YOUR SKIN FOR HALLOWEEN 2025 ***Something moves on the forest floor . . .Josie is at rock bottom. Burned out, heartbroken and recovering from an abusive relationship, she lives a haunted existence after returning to her isolated hometown on the edge of the Forest of Dean.But the tall, dense pine trees are not the only things casting shadows across her skin.Josie's hopes of a fresh start are horribly derailed when she stumbles across a dead woman's decaying, ant-infested body in the woods. The grim discovery sends her into a downward spiral, forcing her to face uncomfortable truths about the victim and her own past - all whilst battling the swarming black ants that seem to have burrowed into her mind . . . and her flesh.As Josie struggles with infestations of all kinds, she scratches the surface of an age-old mystery - a masked predator stalks the forest around Ellwood, a place deeply gripped by ancient folklore and strange customs. So when the village dresses up for its annual festival, Josie gets closer and closer to unveiling a monster, and begins to ask herself:Are these dark crawling insects leading her to uncover the truth?Or is she their next victim?

READERS LOVE GEMMA'S DARK, ITCHY WORLD ??'If you are after something that is both shocking and horrifically beautiful then take a journey and discover this little atrocity for yourself' ?? 'I kept telling myself I really should turn off the light and get to bed now, eyes dry, head heavy, but every sentence in this book commands the reader keep turning the pages and press onward...' ?? 'Gemma pulled me in with this compelling tale. Each page turned yielded me to another. I couldn't stop. Seriously!' ?? Josie is at rock bottom, living a haunted existence after returning to her isolated hometown on the edge of the Forest of Dean. But the tall, dense pine trees are not the only things casting shadows across her skin.When Josie stumbles across a decaying, ant-infested body in the woods, she plummets into a downward spiral, facing uncomfortable truths about the victim and her own past - all whilst battling a growing infestation of her mind . . . and her flesh.Desperate to solve the case, Josie scratches the surface of an age-old mystery - a masked predator stalks the forest around Ellwood, a place deeply gripped by folklore. As the village prepares for its annual festival, Josie gets closer and closer to unveiling a monster, and begins to ask herself:Are these dark crawling insects leading her to uncover the truth? Or is she their next victim? ?? ?? 'From the first page, this story is already under your skin, building a nest in your heart' KYLIE LEE BAKER, New York Times bestselling author of Bat Eater ?? ?? 'A chilling and tremendously disturbing examination of a wounded mind . . . Sinister and utterly fiendish, ITCH! is a shocking and truly surprising blend of mystery, folk horror, and body horror that will burrow deep in your softest places, into your tenderest, most unspoiled secret parts' ERIC LAROCCA, award-winning author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke ??

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but supernatural curiosities brought it back. A Jack-in-the-Box made from skulls. A monster egg in the mail.A sketchbook bridging imagination with reality. What other wondrous and terrible secrets will these survivors tell? CRUEL WORKS OF NATURE is a collection of 11 horror novellas about strange and exciting supernatural encounters. Reality and the fantastic are blended seamlessly in these immersive tales, with plenty of mystery to lead the reader on a thrilling journey. Some stories are dark and macabre while others whimsical and lighthearted, together ensuring constant surprises and terrifying twists to keep you reading until the very last page. Special edition with full page illustrations.Hand illustrated by the author herself, these images will bring the stories to life and give unique insights into the wild unknown. Praise for Cruel Works of Nature: "Each of these stories is designed to both ensnare and repulse readers, and it does not disappoint I couldn't put the book down, and let's just say there was more than one sleepless night "★★★★★ Review"Are you into the macabre and supernatural? If so, you're in for a thrill ride."★★★★★ Review"This is one grisly must read horror. The author has really described some morbid stuff that made my skin crawl just reading it."★★★★★ Review

A woman, returning to her roots. A town, built on sacred land. A secret, cloaked in tradition and lore. Welcome to White Pines. Don't get too comfortable. The new cosmic-folk-Celtic-cult-fantasy-horror novel from Gemma Amor, the Bram Stoker Award nominated author of DEAR LAURA and CRUEL WORKS OF NATURE, is available NOW."Gemma writes like her life depends on it" Kealan Patrick Burke, Bram Stoker Award-Winning author of KIN and SOUR CANDY."A sublime supernatural folk horror story... an absolute joy to read" Dan Hanks, author of CAPTAIN MOXLEY & THE EMBERS OF THE EMPIRE

Every year, on her birthday, Laura gets a letter from a stranger. That stranger claims to know the whereabouts of her missing friend Bobby, but there's a catch: he'll only tell her what he knows in exchange for something...personal.So begins Laura's sordid relationship with her new penpal, built on a foundation of quid pro quo. Her quest for closure will push her to bizarre acts of humiliation and harm, yet no matter how hard she tries, she cannot escape her correspondent's demands. The letters keep coming, and as time passes, they have a profound effect on Laura.From the author of Cruel Works of Nature comes a dark and twisted tale about obsession, guilt, and how far a person will go to put her ghosts to bed.

Morgan always knew her father, Owen, never murdered her mother. She has spent the last six years campaigning for his release from prison. Finally, mid-pandemic, Owen is set free, but the debt-riddled pair can no longer afford (or bear) to live in the family home – a house last decorated by a dead woman’s blood. Salvation and the chance for a new start in life comes in the form of a tall, dark and notorious decorative granite tower on the Cornish coastline known only as ‘The Folly’. The structure is empty, prone to break-ins, and the owner needs a caretaker – food and bills included. It’s an offer too good to refuse. Morgan and Owen relocate, leaving everything of their former lives behind and hoping that a change of scene and the remote location will be good for them both. At first, the Folly is indeed idyllic, but soon enough that peace is shattered when a bald-headed stranger arrives. A stranger who acts like Morgan’s mother, talks like her mother, and wears her dead mother’s clothes. What does he want? Why won’t he leave them alone? Why does he keep mentioning the year 1976? And what secrets does the Folly tower hold?

Naive and particular, Amandine is no stranger to being alone since both her parents died in a terrible car accident years earlier. As a neurodiverse adult orphan living in the quiet rural backwaters of Norfolk, she battles loneliness and a raft of mental health complications. Determined to end her solace and find a partner, she embarks on a troubled dating journey that ends in disappointment time and time again. Until she is introduced to the needy, vulnerable Connor, another lonely heart looking for a home. Connor plucks up the courage to ask Amandine on a dinner date, she accepts, and both their lives are changed irrevocably, for unbeknownst to them, a deranged killer is prowling the area. His primary target? Happy couples. At first, the date starts well: the restaurant location is romantic, the conversation meaningful, the food and wine excellent. Sparks fly over a candlelit dinner. But the night takes a sinister turn with their growing awareness of an unpleasant presence in the otherwise empty restaurant: Lone Diner, who acts in increasingly strange and hostile ways until he is evicted from the restaurant. The couple think that’s the end of it, but it turns out to be only the beginning. Lone Diner has a plan, and is forming a nasty habit: capturing and torturing those who are happier than him, and keeping grisly souvenirs. The date ends, and the lovestruck pair find themselves stranded outside the restaurant in the middle of the freezing night with no way of getting home. As temperatures plummet, they resort to walking the dark countryside roads, only to meet car headlights. The driver is Lone Diner, and he offers them a ride: a ride that quickly turns to a battle for survival as his real intentions become horribly clear. When the car crashes, their fate is sealed. The couple wake the next day to find themselves tied to an abandoned jetty out in the empty, reed-choked wetlands of the Norfolk broads. Alone, freezing and badly injured, they know they don’t have long before either the weather, or the violent man who kidnapped them, kills them both. Their only chance of survival lies in each other, but can they work as a team to escape before their time runs out? And even if they do, will they ever be able to escape each other?

From Bram Stoker and British Fantasy Award nominated author Gemma Amor comes anatmospheric gothic mystery that will haunt you long after the final page is turned. Morgan always knew her father, Owen, never murdered her mother, and has spent the last six years campaigning for his release from prison. Finally he is set free, but they can no longer live in the house that was last decorated by her mother's blood. Salvation comes in the form of a tall, dark and notorious decorative granite tower on the Cornish coastline known only as 'The Folly'. The owner makes them an offer: take care of the Folly, and you can live there. It's an offer too good to refuse. At first the Folly is idyllic, but soon a stranger arrives who acts like Morgan's mother, talks like her mother, and wears her dead mother's clothes. Is this stranger hell-bent on vengeance, in touch with her restless mother's spirit itself, or simply just deranged? And, most importantly, what exactly happened the night Morgan's mother died? An atmospheric nod to The Lighthouse, with hints of Du Maurier's Rebecca, played out on a lonely, Cornish backdrop, THE FOLLY is visceral mystery and family drama, a dark examination of love, loyalty, guilt and possession that draws on the very real horror of betrayal by those closest to us, by those we love the best.