A good fright, or a taste of the evil men do; luckily it's fiction
If it’s a good fright you’re after for the season that’s in it, or just a taste of the evil that men do, here’s some fiction to keep you up at night. It’s a mashup of crime, noir and psychological thrillers, set among the living, the dead, and in some cases the undead.
Blood Drunk, Ben Shepherd, Tor, €24
Freddie Burns is a drinker, but not just of pints. He’s also partial to the odd drop of human blood to keep him going. And he’s set his sights on his uncle’s fading gangland empire for his retirement. But a routine gangland hit goes wrong, London ends up being Vampire Central and it’s up to Freddie to save the city.
Strange is the Light, Sarah Maria Griffin, Titan, €10.99
When Daphne McSharry was a child, Valentia Island was her annual holiday destination, and there she made up imaginative games with her Valentia friends, three children who were native islanders. But one of their games was stolen and was morphed into something very dark. A tragedy brings Daphne back to the island many years later, and there’s a reckoning to be faced.
The Unsolveable Case, Courtney Smyth, Titan, €12.99
The fourth and final novel in the Undetectables series, which has been described as ‘witchy, delightful and unapologetically queer’ sees the trio of Mallory, Cornelia and Diana on the murder case of a relinquished ghost called Theodore. Who killed him? And why? With just three days to Samhain, it looks like the Undetectables will die themselves if they don’t find out.
The Boy, Mark Gyves, No Exit Press, €15.99
In the wake of his mother’s death, The Boy knows he will be drawn by his older brother into the gangland world of revenge, drugs and guns. Partly inspired by the rise of drug-related violence in Cork in the 1990s, this has been hailed as a searing and lyrical fiction debut.
King Zero, Charlie Higson, Michael Joseph, €16.99
Bond is back! And when an agent is murdered in the Saudi desert, it’s Bond’s job to find out the who and why. The trail takes him around the world, and he soon realises his evil foe is more powerful than any previous enemy he’s ever had to take down.
Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel, Lucy Foley, Harper Collins, €15.99
It’s a new Miss Marple mystery and Foley does a bang-up job in emulating La Christie. The year is 1950 and Jane Marple is staying at a posh Swiss Alpine hotel, courtesy of her wealthy friend Dolly. When hotel guest Anthony Neracott is murdered, it becomes clear that another hotel guest must have done it. But which one? And will the Swiss police ever arrive, given the blizzard that’s raging outside? Delicious.
The Traitor Isn’t Alan, Joe Shooman, Blink, €18.99
It’s a puzzle book for adults, and there are 10 strangers here, including one traitor. But the traitor isn’t Alan. Each puzzle will reveal a clue to the traitor’s identity but it’s up to the reader to find out. Given the success of Traitors on TV worldwide in recent times, this book is bound to be a hit. Equally appealing to amateur sleuths and armchair masterminds.
The Shape of Monsters, CL Hellisen, Tor, €24
A fantasy and dark academia novel, the story throws estranged siblings together to claim their inheritance, Aubrey House, a decaying Gothic mansion full of dark magic and secrets. One sibling accidentally summons Void, a creature of immense evil power, and it’s up to the other to slay the monster. But can they survive?
Galway’s Edge, Ken Bruen, Head of Zeus, €18.99
This is, sadly, Ken Bruen’s final Jack Taylor thriller, written before his death in March of last year. In this explosive finale, the members of Edge, a Galway vigilante group, are targeted by a killer. And one target was a Catholic priest, shunned by the Vatican when it learned of his activism. It’s up to Jack Taylor to discover who killed Fr Whelan and he thinks the culprit might be another member of the group.
The Stepmother, Sheila Bugler, Hodder and Stoughton, €15.99
Stepmother Sarah arrives to school to pick up her two young children, to be told their father took them earlier in the day. But Dad isn’t answering his phone, and he’s lied to the school to take the kids out. Where are they and what secret is her partner keeping? Not that Sarah hasn’t got plenty of secrets of her own…
From Out My Heart, Sue Rainsford, Lilliput, €16.95
Edgar Allen Poe scholar Phyllipa hears of a woman who’s regularly visited by the spirit of Poe’s child bride, Virginia Clemm. Phyl is fascinated and begins to record this strange woman’s hauntings and obsessions. Another deeply atmospheric, eerie and lasting work of fiction from the author of Follow Me to the Ground and Redder Days.
The Thicket, Noelle W Ihli, Pan, €14.99
Norah was supposed to stay with her younger brother at the Halloween Carnival. But after a fight, Norah left him in the woods. He died there. And when the Carnival reopens, Norah is compelled to find out what happened and who killed her brother. The killer, though, is not finished his killing spree.
A Ghostly Little Book, Various Authors, Penguin, €19.95
Published specially for Halloween, this anthology of short stories by writers including Roddy Doyle, Eliza Clark and Tom Crewe is an ideal read for the Halloween weekend. Subtitled ‘Five Frightening Tales from Five Essential Writers’, it includes a young boxer returned from the dead, a strange story set in 2030 and a female voice heard relentlessly pleading in a newly purchased terraced house.
Footnotes
After all the derring-do of this coming weekend you might like to try something different next week. The Dublin Book Festival runs from November 4 to 8 and the many event include big ones for the kids. See dublinbookfestival.com for details.
The Leaves Festival of Writing and Music takes place in Laois from November 4 to 8 and celebrates Irish literature, culture, music, and storytelling. Taking place across a range of venues, including the Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise, it’s worth visiting. See creativeireland.ie for details.