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The Bird's Nest (Penguin Modern Classics)
by Shirley JacksonThe unsettling story of a young woman's descent into mental illness, from the author of The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived at the Castle. 'An amazing writer' Neil GaimanElizabeth Richmond is almost too quiet to be believed, with no friends, no parents, and a job that leaves her strangely unnoticed. But soon she starts to behave in ways she can neither control nor understand, to the increasing horror of her doctor, and the humiliation of her self-centred aunt. As a tormented Elizabeth becomes two people, then three, then four, each wilder and more wicked than the last, a battle of wills threatens to destroy the girl and all who surround her. The Bird's Nest is a macabre journey into who we are, and how close we sometimes come to the brink of madness. Shirley Jackson's chilling tales of creeping unease and casual cruelty have the power to unsettle and terrify unlike any other. She was born in California in 1916. When her short story The Lottery was first published in The New Yorker in 1948, readers were so horrified they sent her hate mail; it has since become one of the most iconic American stories of all time. Her first novel, The Road Through the Wall, was published in the same year and was followed by five more: Hangsaman, The Bird's Nest, The Sundial, The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, widely seen as her masterpiece. Shirley Jackson died in her sleep at the age of 48. 'The world of Shirley Jackson is eerie and unforgettable ... It is a place where things are not what they seem; even on a morning that is sunny and clear there is always the threat of darkness looming, of things taking a turn for the worse' - A. M. Homes Shirley Jackson is unparalleled as a leader in the field of beautifully written, quiet, cumulative shudders' - Dorothy Parker 'Shirley Jackson is one of those highly idiosyncratic, inimitable writers ... whose work exerts an enduring spell' - Joyce Carol Oates
Birdy and the Ghosties: Gripping Tales (Gripping Tales)
by Jill Paton WalshSometimes, Birdy watches her father row people across the dangerous sea, but when the wrinkled old woman asks to be ferried across, Birdy jumps in too. The woman tells Birdy that she has second sight, but Birdy isn't sure she wants this special gift. However, soon she finds that looking twice at things can bring the most unexpected results . . .With an engaging story told in short chapters, and illustrations in black and white and colour on every double-page spread, this short novel is ideal for newly confident readers.
Birth of a Killer (The Saga of Larten Crepsley #1)
by Darren ShanFollowing the massive success of the Demonata series, Darren Shan is back where it all started – telling the life story of the vampire Larten Crepsley. Spanning centuries and continents, taking in sea voyages, murder, war and love, this is the epic, bloodsoaked tale of a vampire who started out a nobody… and ended up changing the world forever.
The Birthday Boys: A Novel (Sound Ser.)
by Beryl BainbridgeA brilliantly realized evocation of the thoughts and voices of Captain Scott and the four men with him, who suffered extraordinary hardships before finally dying during their 1912 attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole.'A whole lost era of fantastic courage, determination, idealism, curiosity, boyish foolishness and class mores is brought brilliantly and touchingly back by Bainbridge's penetrating psychological acumen and her superb scene and action painting...A masterly achievement, not to be missed by anyone who cherishes a strong, meaningful story beautifully told' Publishers WeeklyThe Birthday Boys is one of Beryl Bainbridge's most acclaimed novels, telling the story of Scott's doomed expedition through the voices of five men on the voyage. As Scott, Petty Officer Taff Evans, ship's doctor Dr Edward Wilson, Lieutenant Henry Bowers and Captain Lawrence Oates step forward for their place in the narrative, the reader is gripped by the the characters themselves alongside the vividly evoked period.
Bite: A vivid and shocking vampire novel (Love Spell Ser. #Vol. 12)
by Richard LaymonWhat do you do when a vampire comes knocking? Bite is a thrilling adventure of horror, vampires and old flames, from the master of the macabre Richard Laymon. Perfect for fans of Stephen King and Joe Hill.When Sam's ex-girlfriend Cat arrives at his door, he can't believe his eyes. It's been a long time, but he's never forgotten her. But before the night is over, Cat will be lying face down on the bed, acting as bait, and Sam will be hiding in the wardrobe with a hammer in one hard and a wooden stake in the other. They won't have long to wait. The vampire is coming. What readers are saying about Bite: 'I can honestly say that this book is brilliant, nay, a masterpiece... You can really hear, smell and feel everything that is happening. Laymon writes characters that are among the most believable, three-dimensional and exciting ever written''Very addictive and suspenseful with a generous portion of Laymon's usual sense of humour' 'Bite is pure Laymon - great characters, a terrific storyline and a surprising ending'
Bite Club: The bestselling action-packed series (Morganville Vampires #10)
by Rachel CaineMorganville, Texas, is a quiet college town where humans and vampires live in relative peace. But lately a great deal of blood is being spilled – not in a feeding frenzy, but for someone’s twisted idea of entertainment.After discovering that vampires populate Morganville – and surviving a number of adventures with her new night-dwelling friends – college student Claire Danvers has come to realise that for the most part, the undead just want to live their lives.But someone else wants them to get ready to rumble.There’s a new extreme sport being broadcast over the Internet: bare-knuckle fights pitting captured vampires against one another – or, worse, against humans. Tracking the signal leads Claire – accompanied by a loyal group of friends and frenemies – to discover that what started as an online brawl will soon threaten everyone in Morganville. And if they want to survive, they’ll have to do a lot more than fight...
Bitten: Number 1 in series (Otherworld #1)
by Kelley ArmstrongI've been fighting it all night. I'm going to lose ... Nature wins out. It always does.' Elena Michaels didn't know that her lover Clay was a werewolf until he bit her, changing her life forever. Betrayed and furious, she cannot accept her transformation, and wants nothing to do with her Pack - a charismatic group of fellow werewolves who say they want to help. When a series of brutal murders threatens the Pack - and Clay - Elena is forced to make an impossible choice. Abandon the only people who truly understand her new nature, or help them to save the lover who ruined her life, and who still wants her back at any cost.
Bitter Blood: The Morganville Vampires (Morganville Vampires #Bk. 13)
by Rachel CaineNow that the threat to the vampires of Morganville has been defeated, the gravest danger to the human residents is the enemy within . . . For years, the human and vampire residents of Morganville have managed to coexist in peace. But thanks to the eradication of the parasitic creatures known as the draug, the vampires of Morganville have now been freed of their usual constraints. With the vampires indulging their every whim, the town’s human population is determined to hold on to their lives by taking up arms. College student Claire Danvers, with ties to both humans and vampires, isn’t about to take sides. To make matters worse, a television show comes to Morganville searching for ghosts, just as vampire and human politics collide.Now, Claire and her friends have to figure out how to keep the peace without ending up on the nightly news . . . or worse.
Bitter In The Mouth: A Novel
by Monique TruongGrowing up in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, in the '70s and '80s, Linda Hammerick knows that she is different. She has strong, almost paralysing associations between words and tastes; she doesn't look like everyone else; and she isn't popular at school. She finds her way through life with the help of her great uncle 'Baby' Harper, who loves her and loves to dance, and her best friend fat-thin-fat Kelly with whom she has been exchanging letters since they were seven. But then a tragedy and a revelation will make her question everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.
Bitter Sweet Love: Bitter Sweet Love White Hot Kiss Stone Cold Touch Every Last Breath (The Dark Elements prequel #1)
by Jennifer L. ArmentroutIn a sizzling prequel novella to her new series The Dark Elements, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout draws readers into the extraordinary, irresistible world of Wardens and demons.
Bizarre Romance
by Audrey Niffenegger Eddie CampbellInternationally bestselling author Audrey Niffenegger and her husband, graphic artist Eddie Campbell, collaborate on this quirky, irreverent collection that celebrates and satirises love of all kinds. With thirteen different vignettes about love, loss, fairies, misbehaviour, regret, wanton wrongheadedness, cats, supernatural exterminators, spies, ghosts, more cats, more fairies, and a handful of ex-boyfriends, Bizarre Romance runs the gamut when it comes to relationships. It explores the good, the bad, the ugly and the just plain weird – with Niffenegger's sharp, imaginative prose and Campbell's diverse comic styles, always with a sense of humour and cosmic justice.
Black Angel
by Graham Masterton'One of Britain's finest horror writers' DAILY MAIL In a city wreathed in fog, a satanic killer stalks the streets... Enter Lieutenant Foggia who, assisted by a spiritualist medium, must discover the reason for the slayings. But the truth he unearths is beyond anything he's encountered in the real world. For the killings are paving the way for a force so powerful that the lives of a few innocents will appear unimportant in comparison...Packed with twists, and laced with spiritualism, witchcraft and demonology, Black Angel moves at a break-neck pace from its stomach-churning opening to the explosive final confrontation between man and demon.'One of the most original and frightening storytellers of our time' PETER JAMES 'A true master of horror' JAMES HERBERT 'God, he's good' STEPHEN KING
The Black Book of Secrets (Tales From The Sinister City #1)
by F. E. HigginsWhen Ludlow Fitch's parents cruelly betray him, he steals away on the back of a carriage and leaves behind the stinking City. He arrives in the dead of night at a remote village, where he crosses paths with the tall and limping figure of Joe Zabbidou - a pawnbroker with a difference. For Joe trades secrets, not goods, for cash. Ludlow is employed to record the villagers' fiendish confessions in The Black Book of Secrets. Bodysnatching; thievery; murder. The people of Pagus Parvus have much to hide. But is Ludlow Fitch ready to release his own skeletons? And will he ever learn to trust his mysterious master?
The Black Coast: The God-King Chronicles, Book 1 (The God-King Chronicles #1)
by Mike BrooksWAR DRAGONS. FEARSOME RAIDERS. A DAEMONIC WARLORD ON THE RISE.'5/5 stars' SFX Magazine When the citizens of Black Keep see ships on the horizon, terror takes them because they know who is coming: for generations, the keep has been raided by the fearsome clanspeople of Tjakorsha. Saddling their war dragons, Black Keep's warriors rush to defend their home only to discover that the clanspeople have not come to pillage at all. Driven from their own land by a daemonic despot who prophesises the end of the world, the raiders come in search of a new home . . . Meanwhile the wider continent of Narida is lurching toward war. Black Keep is about to be caught in the crossfire - if only its new mismatched society can survive. THE START OF AN UNMISSABLE FANTASY SERIES.'Vibrant and intricate worldbuilding' Matthew Ward'Epic . . . powerful . . . I really, really can't recommend this one enough' Fantasy Inn'Excellent characters and wonderful worldbuilding, with a wealth of interesting cultural collisions . . . I'm already excited for the next one!' Django Wexler'Compelling . . . promises to be a watershed epic fantasy series. I loved it' Fantasy Book ReviewThe Black Coast is the first fantasy novel from critically acclaimed Games Workshop/Warhammer 40k author Mike Brooks. Look out for the sequel: The Splinter King.
The Black Corridor
by Michael MoorcockThe world is sick. The Forces of Chaos have energised the planet. Leaders, führers, duces, prophets, visionaries, gurus, and politicians are all at each others' throats. And Chaos leers over the broken body of Order.So Ryan freezes his family into suspended animation and sets off for the planet Munich 15040, five years distant. There he will re-establish Order in a New World - and create a happier, healthier, saner and more decent society with the ones he loves.But they are suspended. And they cannot talk. And he is alone in space. And he has been travelling for three years. And he will still be travelling two years hence, and he cannot see his destination, and he is ALONE and LOST and CRACKING UP...
Black Dawn: The bestselling action-packed series (Morganville Vampires #12)
by Rachel CaineWhen a tide of ferocious draug, the vampire’s deadliest enemy, floods Morganville, its eclectic mix of residents must fight to save their town from devastationChaos has taken over the quiet college town of Morganville as the threat of the draug rapidly spreads with the help of the city’s water system. Whilst most of the locals have already fled, student Claire Danvers and her friends Shane, Eve and Michael choose to stay and fight. Things take a turn for the worse when vampire Amelie, the town’s founder, is infected by the master draug’s bite. Unless Claire and her friends can find an antidote to save Amelie and overcome the draug, Morganville’s future looks bleak . . .
The Black Elfstone: The Fall Of Shanna (Fall of Shannara #1)
by Terry Brooks'TERRY'S PLACE IS AT THE HEAD OF THE FANTASY WORLD' Philip Pullman The first book of the triumphant four-part conclusion to the Shannara series, from one of the all-time masters of fantasy.The age of peace that has reigned across the Four Lands is now at an end. An army of invaders, wielding a terrible new magic, is cutting a bloody swathe across the far north . . . The fate of the world now rests on the shoulders of an exiled druid, a conflicted warrior and a young woman struggling to master a powerful magic. As the conflict grows, they will face dangerous adversaries and deadly challenges - and the consequences of their actions will determine the future of the Four Lands.Through twenty-eight novels written over the course of forty years, Terry Brooks's Shannara series has entranced millions of readers around the world. Now, with The Black Elfstone - the first book in the Fall of Shannara - Terry begins to bring his epic vision to a grand conclusion.'I can't even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks's books I've read (and re-read) over the years' Patrick Rothfuss'I would not be writing epic fantasy today if not for Shannara' Peter V. Brett'A master of the craft . . . required reading' Brent Weeks
The Black Feathers: A chillingly haunting Halloween read
by Rebecca Netley'An atmospheric, eerie read’ PRIMA'Looking for an atmospheric read to while away the autumn nights? This Gothic ghost story delivers intrigue and suspense in spades' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING'The perfect book for a cold winter’s night...an immersive gothic tale, dark and mysterious. Truly haunting!' ANITA FRANK'Chilling, haunting and incredibly moving' BARBARA COPPERTHWAITEWhere ghosts tread, black feathers fall . . .When Annie marries widower Edward Stonehouse and arrives at Guardbridge, his estate on the Yorkshire moors, she thinks she has finally put darkness behind her.She is mistaken . . . Edward's sister, Iris, still lives in the family home. A taxidermist and medium, she urges Annie to watch out for black feathers - claiming that they mark the spot where a spirt has visited.At first, Annie dismisses her warnings. But, before long, an eerie almost haunting feeling takes over her.What exactly happened to Edward's first wife? Why is Iris so disturbed?And should Annie be watching for signs from the dead - or rather is she the one being watched?SET ON THE YORKSHIRE MOORS IN THE 1800S, THE BLACK FEATHERS IS A GHOSTLY TALE OF MAGIC AND WICKEDNESS.Praise for THE WHISTLING'Wonderfully atmospheric, genuinely eerie' GUARDIAN'A wicked twist . . . brilliant, scary, clever' 5***** READER REVIEW'Gripping, chilling and very, very satisfying' DAILY MAIL
Black Flowers
by Steve MosbyBlack flowers for the missing ones mean they're never coming back...As if from nowhere, she appears one day on a seaside promenade, with a black flower and a horrifying story about where she's been. But telling that story will start a chain reaction of dangerous lies and deadly illusions that will claim many more victims in the years to come. When Neil Dawson's father commits suicide, he is obviously devastated. But through his grief, Neil knows something isn't right. Among his father's possessions, he finds a copy of an old novel, The Black Flower. Opening it will take Neil into an investigation full of danger, pain and subterfuge. Hannah Price is also mourning her father, having followed his footsteps into the police force. When she gets assigned to Neil's father's case, it will lead her on a journey into her own past and to the heart of a shattering secret.
Black Harvest (Collins Modern Classics)
by Ann PillingThe rugged west coast of Ireland seems like the perfect place for a holiday. Then everything starts to go wrong. Colin is aware of an awful smell coming off the land, a smell of death and decay…
The Black Hawks (Articles of Faith #1)
by David WraggDark, thrilling, and hilarious, The Black Hawks is an epic adventure perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie and Scott Lynch.
Black Hearts (The Skelfs #4)
by Doug JohnstoneA faked death, an obsessive stalker, an old man claiming he’s being abused by the ghost of his late wife, and a devastating spectre from the past. The Skelfs are back in another explosive thriller, and this time things are more than personal…‘A new outing for the Skelfs deserves dancing in the streets of Edinburgh' Val McDermid‘Tense, funny and deeply moving’ Mark Billingham‘A total delight to be returned to the dark, funny, compulsive world of the Skelfs … Johnstone never fails to entertain whilst packing a serious emotional punch. Brilliant!’ Gytha Lodge________________________Death is just the beginning…The Skelf women live in the shadow of death every day, running the family funeral directors and private investigator business in Edinburgh. But now their own grief interwines with that of their clients, as they are left reeling by shocking past events.A fist-fight by an open grave leads Dorothy to investigate the possibility of a faked death, while a young woman’s obsession with Hannah threatens her relationship with Indy and puts them both in mortal danger. An elderly man claims he’s being abused by the ghost of his late wife, while ghosts of another kind come back to haunt Jenny from the grave … pushing her to breaking point.As the Skelfs struggle with increasingly unnerving cases and chilling danger lurks close to home, it becomes clear that grief, in all its forms, can be deadly…________________________‘The Skelfs keep getting better and better. Compelling and compassionate characters, with a dash of physics and philosophy thrown in’ Ambrose Parry‘Expertly written, with poise, insight and compassion’ Mary Paulson-Ellis’If you loved Iain Banks, you’ll devour the Skelfs series’ Erin Kelly‘Dynamic and poignant … Johnstone balances the cosmos, music, death and life, and wraps it all in a compelling mystery’ Marni Graff‘Just when you thought you couldn’t love the Skelfs more, Doug Johnstone finds a way to turn up the heat’ Live & DeadlyPraise for The Skelfs series***Shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book of the Year******Longlisted for Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year******Shortlisted for Amazon Publishing Capital Crime Thriller of the Year***‘An engrossing and beautifully written tale that bears all the Doug Johnstone hallmarks in its warmth and darkly comic undertones’ Herald Scotland‘Gripping and blackly humorous’ Observer‘A tense ride strong, believable characters’ Kerry Hudson, Big Issue‘The power of this book, though, lies in the warm personalities and dark humour of the Skelfs, and by the end readers will be just as interested in their relationships with each other as the mysteries they are trying to solve’ Scotsman‘Remarkable’ Sunday Times‘Keeps you hungry from page to page. A crime reader can’t ask anything more’ The Sun‘A thrilling, atmospheric book, set in the dark streets of Edinburgh. Move over Ian Rankin, Doug Johnstone is coming through!’ Kate Rhodes‘An unstoppable, thrilling, bullet train of a book that cleverly weaves in family and intrigue, and has real emotional impact. I totally loved it’ Helen Fields‘This enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief ... more, please’ Guardian‘Wonderful characters: flawed, funny and brave’ Sunday Times‘Exceptional … a must for those seeking strong, authentic, intelligent female protagonists’ Publishers Weekly
Black House: A Novel
by Stephen King Peter StraubA comfortable, solid, middle-American town - inhabited by a serial killer...Children are disappearing, lost to the world, horrifically murdered. The best clue the detectives have - a serial killer from a century ago. Jack Sawyer, retired from the LAPD at 35, plagued by visions of another world. As a child, Jack visited the Territories, a menacing place of violence and madness, to save his dying mother. Now, if the latest child victim is to be saved, Jack must retrieve his lost childhood memories, and revisit the one place he hoped never to see again.
The Black Isle
by Sandi TanGhosts in the modern world combine with one woman's struggle to create her own destiny in this "epic and intimate" (LA Times) historical novel -- from the director of the Sundance award-winning movie Shirkers.Uprooted from Shanghai with her father and twin brother, young Cassandra finds the Black Isle's bustling, immigrant-filled seaport, swampy jungle, and grand rubber plantations a sharp contrast to the city of her childhood. And she soon makes another discovery: the Black Isle is swarming with ghosts.Haunted and lonely, Cassandra at first tries to ignore her ability to see the restless apparitions that drift down the street and crouch in cold corners at school. Yet despite her struggles with these spirits, Cassandra comes to love her troubled new home. And soon, she attracts the notice of a dangerously charismatic man.Even as she becomes a fearless young woman, the Isle's dark forces won't let her go. War is looming, and Cassandra wonders if her unique gift might be her beloved island's only chance for salvation . . . Taking readers from the 1920s, through the Japanese occupation during WWII, to the Isle's radical transformation into a gleaming cosmopolitan city, THE BLACK ISLE is a sweeping epic--a deeply imagined, fiercely original tale from a vibrant new voice in fiction.
Black Jade: Book Three Of The Ea Cycle (The Ea Cycle #3)
by David ZindellThe third book in the Ea Cycle, BLACK JADE is as rich as Tolkien and as magical as the Arthurian myths