Shaun Hutson

Can it be true that God demands a terrible price of those He has gifted with great creativity? Giacomo Cassano, little known mentor of Dante, thought so. He held other beliefs too - beliefs that the Church found so abhorrent they had Cassano blinded and his tongue cut out to silence him forever.Bestselling biographer Megan Hunter's new book about Cassano looks set to be as successful as her previous biographies of Caravaggio and Dante. As she embarks on a publicity tour, Megan finds her book attracting attention for the wrong reasons when her editor is found horrifically murdered. It is a classic locked-room mystery. The only pieces of evidence are the destroyed remains of Megan Hunter's Cassano biography and the latest blockbuster by horror writer John Paxton. But there is nothing to link the two authors. Nothing but another murder. And another.And a secret beyond the belief of even Cassano himself ...

Masters of Horror A selection of some of the finest horror writers of today were invited by Matt Shaw to bring him their twisted tales for this anthology. A book put together with the sole purpose of reminding readers what the horror genre is really about. Each author was told they could write about any subject matter they wanted so long as it was set in a world of horror. The only rule they had: No Paranormal Romance. Vampires do not sparkle, werewolves do not date, Witches do not scour Tinder for Virgins and ghosts do not declare their undying love whilst tidying the apartment... This is horror... Featuring work from: Introduction- Matt Shaw Brian Lumley - The Cyprus Shell Ramsey Campbell- Again Sam West- Survival J R Park - Mary Peter McKeirnon- Doll Face Andrew Freudenberg- A Taste of Mercy Mason Sabre - Chocolate Shaun Hutson- The Contract Anton Palmer- Dead-Eyed Dick Wrath James White- Beast Mode Shane McKenzie- Dewey Davenport Tonia Brown - Zolem Graeme Reynolds- The Pit Adam L.G. Nevill- Hippocampus Gary McMahon- You Can Go Now Ryan Harding - Down There Matt Shaw - Letter From Hell Matt Hickman- Eye For An Eye Daniel Marc Chant - Three Black Dogs Amy Cross- Checkout Kit Power- Loco Parentis Adam Millard - In The Family Guy N. Smith - The Priest Hole Jaime Johnesee- Just Breathe Craig Saunders- Raintown Sam Michael Bray - The End Is Where You'll Find It Jeff Strand- Don't Make Fun Of The Haunted House Mark Cassell - Trust Issues Paul Flewitt- The Silent Invader Clare Riley Whitfield- The Clay Man Jim Goforth- Animus Brian Lumley - The Deep-Sea Conch Chris Hall- Afterword

A discovery in a local cemetary finds a sleepy village overrun with the dead 400 years ago, a woman died in agony to keep the secret of a golden disk and went to her grave with it hung around her neck. Now, in a desolate graveyard, a workman has unearthed the amulet by chance and decides to keep it. His first mistake. Wherever the amulet is found, ancient evil--hideous, powerful, and vile--is once again reborn.

They slime, they ooze, they kill One female slug can lay 1.5 million eggs a year--a fact which holds terrifying consequences for the people of Merton. As the town basks in the summer heat, a new breed of slug is growing and multiplying. In the waist-high grass, in the dank, dark cellars they are acquiring new tastes, new cravings. For blood. For flesh. Human flesh.

A gripping supernatural tale of psychological horror The tense atmosphere Beth's sister causes when she comes to stay is strained further by Lucy's references to Beth's inability to conceive. When Lucy has a fatal accident, she leaves the legacy of her child, providing Beth's only chance of motherhood. But forces are bent on Beth remaining childless.

A classic page-turning Hutson novel of splatterpunk and gore After the brutal murder of their young daughter, Sue and John Hackett retreat to the small, peaceful town of Hinkston. But Hinkston isn't peaceful anymore. It's being torn apart by a series of horrific unexplained murders. And it holds a fateful 50-year-old secret.

Harold Pierce didn't mean to kill his baby brother all those years ago. He didn't intend to incinerate him in a fire but he did and he has spent most of his adult life in a psychiatric hospital because of that. Upon release he is given a job as a hospital porter but that job involves the burning of aborted foetuses and the memories of what happened to his brother begin to torment Harold. In the small town where he lives the terror is mounting because of the escape from prison of psychopath Paul Harvey. Within days of his escape a horrifying series of murders begins but there is much worse to come. Pierce and Harvey, both disturbed and guarding terrible secrets, are about to unleash a terror beyond belief..."

London is gripped by the bloodiest outbreak of gang warfare ever seen. Shootings in the street, kidnappings, bombs and car chases have become commonplace. The gutters are running red with blood and the Police are powerless to stop it. Frank Harrison had ruled gangland unopposed for more than two years and yet someone is out to wipe him and his men from the face of the earth. Who and why? The answer, when it comes, will test not just Harrison's courage but his sanity too. For him, there is only one way to fight back against an enemy he can barely believe he faces. So, into this world of violence, corruption, madness and death comes the Assassin. A force more powerful than vengeance, more lethal than a lorry full of high velocity weapons and more terrifying than any nightmare... "Britain's greatest living horror author." -Dark Side "An expert in the art of keeping the reader turning the pages." -Time Out "Hutson writes grippingly." -SFX Magazine 'The one that writes what others only dare imagine.' SUNDAY TIMES

During an archaeological dig, a hidden chamber filled with the skulls of children is discovered. At first glance they seem to have been there for thousands of years but closer examination reveals a more shocking secret. The opening of the chamber triggers a series of horrific murders, each victim mutilated and their entrails used to form a different letter of the alphabet. Who is behind this outrage? And how is it linked to a subterranean chamber thousands of years old? Inspector Stephen Wallace must unmask this crazed killer. Is it the sadistic thug responsible for organising a series of barbaric dog fights? The mysterious recluse who holds Black Mass orgies for drug addicted teenagers? Or is it, in fact, something much worse? An evil so old, so vile and so powerful that it threatens to engulf everyone who comes near it. For Wallace, and possibly for the whole human race, time is running out fast. Something evil is waiting. Something monstrous is loose... "Britain's greatest living horror author." -Dark Side "An expert in the art of keeping the reader turning the pages." -Time Out "Hutson writes grippingly." -SFX Magazine 'The one that writes what others only dare imagine.' SUNDAY TIMES

There is a fine line between obsession and madness and Frankenstein just stepped across it�Escaping the guillotine Victor Frankenstein is now posing as Doctor Stein, altruistic patron of the hospital for the poor.

In a quiet field in Buckinghamshire, a huge crack has appeared in the earth's surface. And people are dying. Incinerated beyond recognition. At the same time, hospitals have noticed an increase in catastrophic deformities in foetuses, and cancer levels soaring.Dr Adam Royston, a scientist working at the nearby military base, thinks he knows what it is; a creature as old as the earth that slumbers for centuries, then wakes to feed on the energy and radiation produced by humans. But if he's right, and they can't find a way to destroy the creature roaming the countryside, then it's not just Buckinghamshire that could be in danger, but the whole world.

"Everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes," said Andy Warhol. And fame is something certain people will go to any lengths to achieve: whether to be revered or reviled, the lure of notoriety is strong for those lacking it. When five-year-old Becky goes missing in a crowded shopping centre, her mother's worst nightmare has come true. But Hailey Gibson's nightmares are just beginning. After Becky is safely returned by Adam Walker, Hailey finds her initial gratitude turning to something else. With her marriage close to ruins, she is tempted to begin an affair with this likeable newcomer. Besides, Hailey wants revenge against her husband and his mistress. And Walker seems willing - only too happy to please. But maybe he has his own agenda? As she wisely ends their budding relationship, Hailey begins to wonder if Walker could be behind the acts of vandalism committed against her home and family. Or is someone else seeking revenge, who she has not yet encountered? When petty harassment turns to open violence, Hailey finds herself caught in a spiralling vortex of suffering and death . . . until the shattering truth forces her to make the the most horrendous decision of her life.