Lauren A. Forry

What happened at the river last night? A twisty psychological thriller for readers of Megan Miranda, Megan Abbot, Taylor Adams, and Catriona Ward Sometime between the late night and early morning hours, in a dank, uncomfortable interrogation room, sits a young woman about to tell you a chilling story. Her pregnant sister, Sarah, is missing. Her cousin is somehow involved. They were all down by the Schuylkill River last night, she says, but she won't say why. She's cold, terrified, and confused about what happened. Or is she just lying? You want to believe her. Her story seems plausible on the surface. But as you dig deeper, it's clear something is very wrong. Instead of helping to find her sister, she keeps telling you stories about her ex-roommate, Gemma. Gemma, who came into their lives offering a six-month cash deposit up front, proffered from a dirty gym bag. Gemma, who disrupted their routines with her manipulative behavior, her bizarre habits, and her secrets. Gemma, who disappeared quietly several months ago, leaving no trace of where she went or that she had ever lived with them all. Who was Gemma and what happened to her? What does it have to do with Sarah's disappearance? Are they part of some elaborate game or is something else going on? And what happened by the river last night? Why can't she just tell the truth? From the author of They Did Bad Things, Gemma is a devious new mystery and slowly escalating psychological thriller with a touch of horror.

Fascism. Greed. Tyranny. An ideal future vision of humanity is a place where these words have no bearing. It is a place where we have collectively realized that progress is for everyone or not at all. But the road to reach this future is a rough one. It will not be easy. There will be conflict. There will be heartache and loss. A primary goal of Brick Moon Fiction is to explore the tensions of the moment in hopes of understanding what our role is on the road to a better future. Here, then, are nine stories from Brick Moon Fiction - some classic, some new, all selected to best encapsulate these themes. Fascism Greed. The End of Tyranny.

You are about to embark on a fascinating adventure through the world of the Maker Movement with protagonists that are rarely, if ever, written about nowadays: a married couple. That like each other. We love the classic Dashiell Hammet series The Thin Man and wanted to bring that kind of fun and spirit into the contemporary world (without quite so much drinking). We're also inspired by the Maker Movement - an umbrella term for independent inventors, designers, tinkerers, computer hackers and traditional artisans - which seems to harness the best of what humanity has to offer. Combine the two and you have Design for Life which introduces the characters of Charlotte Sharp and David Velasquez, two people with complimentary skills who work together to solve problems. These humble geniuses are about to unwittingly mess with the progenitors of a dark and vast-reaching conspiracy.

Amidst the terror of the Second World War, seventeen-year-old Eliza and her troubled little sister Rebecca have had their share of tragedy, losing their mother to the Blitz and their father to suicide. But when they are forced to leave London to work for the mysterious Mr Brownawell at Abigale Hall, they find that the worst is yet to come...There are tales that the ghost of Mr Brownawell's bride-to-be haunts the desolate mansion, and in the village there are shocking rumours of maidservants meeting a terrible fate within its walls. But is it superstition that Eliza should be afraid of or is there something real and deadly lurking in the dark, dusty rooms of Abigale Hall? Yet vicious, cold-hearted housekeeper Mrs Pollard will stop at nothing to keep the mansion's terrible secrets, and she exerts a twisted hold over Rebecca. To save herself and her sister descending into madness, Eliza must wage a desperate battle to escape back to London and uncover the horrifying truth before Abigale Hall claims two more victims. Taut and suspenseful, Abigale Hall is a thrilling debut from Lauren A. Forry.

Amid the terror of the Second World War, seventeen-year-old Eliza and her troubled little sister Rebecca have had their share of tragedy, having lost their mother to the Blitz and their father to suicide. Forced to leave London to work for the mysterious Mr. Brownwell at Abigale Hall, they soon learn that the worst is yet to come. The vicious housekeeper, Mrs. Pollard, seems hell-bent on keeping the ghostly secrets of the house away from the sisters and forbids them from entering the surrounding town--and from the rumors that circulate about Abigale Hall. When Eliza uncovers some blood-splattered books, ominous photographs, and portraits of a mysterious woman, she begins to unravel the mysteries of the house, but with Rebecca falling under Mrs. Pollard's spell, she must act quickly to save her sister, and herself, from certain doom. Perfect for readers who hunger for the strange, Abigale Hall is an atmospheric debut novel where the threat of death looms just beyond the edge of every page. Lauren A. Forry has created a historical ghost story where the setting is as alive as the characters who inhabit it and a resonant family drama of trust, loyalty, and salvation.