Jonathan Aycliffe

Not long after his daughter Naomi is abducted and then found murdered in a field, Charles Hillenbrand begins hearing sinister whispers in the night, and he soon tries to uncover the truth behind his daughter's demise. Original.

Naomis Room

Naomi's Room

The Matrix

Tired of his life as a prep school teacher in England, Michael moves to Romania to reclaim his grandparents' land, discovers that he is a titled lord, and learns of an ancient evil.

The Lost

When the Blitz starts in London, Dominic Lancaster, injured out of service at the battle of Narvik, accompanies his 10 year old sister Octavia to the family house on the shores of Ullswater in the Lake District. Octavia is profoundly deaf but at night she can hear disturbing noises in the house. When questioned by Dominic as to what she can hear, she replies: 'voices'. Two nights later she comes into his bedroom to tell him that the dead children in the house want them to leave.And then Octavia falls mysteriously ill... during her sickness she tells Dominic he must go to the attic. There, he releases an older, darker evil that threatens the lives of Olivia and himself.Praise for Naomi's Roomt:'A chilling story which gives the lie to any notion that supernatural horror is remotely theraputic. Aycliffe has a fine touch.' The Independent.'Naomi's Room must rank among the finest of English ghost stories... They certainly don't come any more dark and fearsome.' Newcastle Evening Chronicle.

The Silence of Ghosts

A statue, unearthed in ancient Babylon during the course of an archaeological dig, is transported to London. Once there, it quickly exerts an evil influence over those with whom it comes into contact; an influence which threatens to spread throughout London and beyond, and which pits the living against the dead in a battle for all mankind.

The Talisman

Mary Robinette Kowal

Jo Walton

Edgar Allan Poe

Lily Herne

This sampler contains something for every fantasy fan, with tasters of: Deadlands by Lily Herne The first in a series following a group of zombie-fighting teen exiles as they try to survive in the living dead-infested deadlands of Cape Town. 'The Hunger Games meets The Walking Dead.' Lauren Beukes, author of The Shining Girls Shades of Milk & Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal The first of the Glamouist Histories series, Shades of Milk & Honey is the fantasy novel you’ve always wished Jane Austen had written. Full of wit, historical nuance, romantic entanglements and domestic magic, this is pure entertainment. The Silence of Ghosts by Jonathan Aycliffe A mesmerising tale of terror set during the Second World War, from the author of the ghostly classic, Naomi’s Room. Psycho-Mania! Edited by Stephen Jones, story by Edgar Allan Poe The Tell-Tale Heart, a horrifying short story from a master of terror. Taken from the Psycho-Mania! collection of twisted tales of psychos, schizoids and serial killers collected by the master horror anthologist Stephen Jones. Among Others by Jo Walton Winner of the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Novel. Winner of the 2011 Nebula Award for Best Novel. Among Others is at once the compelling story of a young woman struggling to escape a troubled childhood, a brilliant diary of first encounters with the great novels of modern fantasy and SF, and a spellbinding tale of escape from ancient enchantment.

Five free tasters of other-worldly literary delights, from horror and zombies to spooks and fairies

Leave Your World Behind - A Fantasy Fiction Sampler

A chilling supernatural tale set on the atmospheric Cornish coast after the Great War. What are the mysteries of Trevelyan Priors and, in particular, who is the young girl who wanders in the abandoned garden?

A Garden Lost in Time

Some things are best left undisturbed . . . In the countryside of Victorian England, Edward Atherton, rector of Thornham St. Stephen, has taken on the arduous task of restoring the ancient church. But he should never have meddled with the tomb that lay beneath the church’s crumbling walls. The moment the workman raised the tomb lid, an unspeakable horror escaped. At a loss to explain the unsettling noises and frightening visions that begin to plague the church, Atherton calls upon fellow antiquarian and Cambridge professor Richard Asquith to help investigate the strange events that began in the wake of the tomb’s disturbance. The two discover tantalizing hints of whom and what may have been laid to rest in the tomb, but the unforeseen circumstances force Asquith to give up his inquiries and leave the small village of Thornham behind. Asquith tries to put the frightening experiences behind him and focus on his new wife and family. But death and disappearances abound, and Asquith soon has no choice but to confront the darkness that has followed him from that ancient church into his own home. English novelist Jonathan Aycliffe has mastered the classic English ghost story, and A Shadow on the Wall, nominated in 2000 for the International Horror Guild Award, is sure to both mesmerize and haunt you. Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.

A Novel

A Shadow on the Wall

Peter and Sarah Clare's idyllic vacation in an old house on the Cornish coast is transformed into a nightmare when an ominous air of menace begins to surround them, Sarah disappears without a trace, and Peter begins to see shadowy figures in the night. Original.

Vanishment

The Vanishment

Those who live in silence hear them best . . . Dominic Lancaster hoped to prove himself to his family by excelling in the Navy during World War II. Instead he is wounded while serving as a gunner, and loses his leg. Still recovering from his wounds and the trauma of his amputation when the Blitz begins, Dominic finds himself shuffled off to the countryside by his family, along with his partially deaf sister, Octavia. The crumbling family estate on the shores of Ullswater is an old, much-neglected place that doesn’t seem to promise much in the way of happiness or recovery. Something more than a friendship begins to flourish between Dominic and his nurse Rose in the late autumn of that English countryside, as he struggles to come to terms with his new life as an amputee. Another thing that seems to be flourishing is Octavia’s hearing. As winter descends, sinister forces seem to be materializing around Octavia, who is hearing voices of children. After seeing things that no one else can see and hearing things that no one else can hear, Octavia is afflicted with a sickness that cannot be explained. With Octavia’s help, Dominic sets out to find the truth behind the voices that have haunted his sister. In doing so, he uncovers an even older, darker evil that threatens not only Octavia, but Rose and himself. Jonathan Aycliffe delivers a disturbingly tense ghost story set in the middle of World War II during England’s darkest hour, demonstrating that some fears are timeless . . . Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.

Charlotte Metcalf is taken in by the Ayrtons, distant relatives of her father, but strange events at Barras Hall convince her she must flee for her life

Whispers in the Dark

When the Blitz starts in London, Dominic Lancaster, injured out of service at the battle of Narvik, accompanies his 10 year old sister Octavia to the family house on the shores of Ullswater in the Lake District. Octavia is profoundly deaf but at night she can hear disturbing noises in the house. When questioned by Dominic as to what she can hear, she replies: 'voices'. Two nights later she comes into his bedroom to tell him that the dead children in the house want them to leave. And then Octavia falls mysteriously ill... during her sickness she tells Dominic he must go to the attic. There, he releases an older, darker evil that threatens the lives of Olivia and himself. Praise for Naomi's Roomt: 'A chilling story which gives the lie to any notion that supernatural horror is remotely theraputic. Aycliffe has a fine touch.' The Independent. 'Naomi's Room must rank among the finest of English ghost stories... They certainly don't come any more dark and fearsome.' Newcastle Evening Chronicle.

At the end of the nineteenth century Charlotte Metcalf is a child of good fortune: a prosperous father, a loving mother, a loved brother all cocoon her from the fears of the outside world. But then her father dies. and she is plunged into poverty and the workhouse becomes her miserable home. Yet Charlotte escapes, determined to find her lost brother, and her search brings her to Barras Hall, home of unknown relations where fine clothes, good food and wealth seem to promise her all she desires. But at night the horror begins - of sound and sense, surpassing all earthy terror. And Charlotte finds that daytime comfort comes at a price...and she must fulfil her terrible destiny. Praise for Jonathan Aycliffe: 'Aycliffe has a fine touch' Independent 'Aycliffe conjures up a feeling of dread that deepens with each unsettling incident' Time Out 'Naomi's Room must rank among the finest of English ghost stories. They certainly don't come more dark or fearsome.' Newcastle Evening Chronicle

In the countryside of Victorian England, Edward Atherton, rector of Thornham St. Stephen, has taken on the arduous task of restoring the ancient church. But he should never have meddled with the tomb that lay beneath the church’s crumbling walls. The moment the workman raised the tomb’s lid, an unspeakable horror escaped. At a loss to explain the unsettling noises and frightening visions that begin to plague the church, Atherton calls upon fellow antiquarian and Cambridge professor Richard Asquith to help investigate the strange events that began in the wake of the tomb’s disturbance. The two discover tantalizing hints of who and what may have been laid to rest in the tomb, but the unforeseen circumstances force Asquith to give up his inquiries and leave the small village of Thornham behind. Asquith tries to put the frightening experiences behind him and focus on his new wife and family. But death and disappearances abound, and Richard Asquith soon has no choice but to confront the darkness that has followed him from that ancient church into his own home. English novelist Jonathan Aycliffe has mastered the classic English ghost story, and A Shadow on the Wall, nominated in 2000 for the International Horror Guild Award, is sure to both mesmerize and haunt you. Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.

Tired of his life as a prep school teacher in England, Michael moves to Romania to reclaim his grandparents' land, discovers that he is a titled lord, and learns of an ancient evil

Peter and Sarah’s marriage has reached an impasse; their holiday in beautiful Cornwall is chosen to mend old wounds and bandage past pain. The house they go to has space – space for their writing, their painting, and their reconciliation. It has space too for its own memories and its own unforgettable horrors... but they are not to know that. When the locals are less than friendly than they might be and when the house sighs with its secrets, the sands of their marriage shift... and then Sarah vanishes and Peter is left alone. Or is he? Praise for Jonathan Aycliffe: ‘Aycliffe has a fine touch’ Independent ‘Aycliffe conjures up a feeling of dread that deepens with each unsettling incident’ Time Out ‘Naomi’s Room must rank among the finest of English ghost stories... They certainly don’t come more dark or fearsome.’ Newcastle Evening Chronicle

January 1917, Cornwall. Fifteen-year-old Simon Lysaght is sent, after the death of his father in France, to live with family at their estate house, Trevelyan Priors. His uncle, Sir David Trevelyan, is somewhat intimidating and Simon feels ill at ease in the large and forbidding house. On his first day Simon learns of the death of the eldest Trevelyan son in the war and the subsequent suicide of his fiancée, is warned never to wander the corridors of the house after dark by the younger Trevelyan son, crippled and bed-ridden William, and hears that a maid has jumped from a high window, killing her­self. It is not an auspicious start to his life under the Trevelyan's roof. Soon, however, his cousin Tom takes him under his wing and shows Simon the grounds and estate, including the still-functioning shot tower, a tall building which dominates the skyline. Exploring further one day after a heavy snow, the boys enter an enclosed garden, long abandoned and overgrown with dark avenues of trees and bushes and a for­mal fountain laid out in the centre. In the untouched snow, a set of footprints, with no discernible beginning or end. Who do they belong to, and how did they get there? Simon can see no answer, but is soon occupied by other, more urgent matters and the incident is pushed from his mind. Weeks later, however, he has reason to recall the strange sight when he encoun­ters a girl of his own age in the aban­doned garden. She tells him her name is Lily, a fisherman's daughter from nearby Porthmullion. They strike up a friend­ship, although for reasons he cannot fully explain to himself, Simon keeps his new acquaintance a secret. He is soon to find that Trevelyan Priors and its inhabitants all have much to hide and more to tell than he can yet guess at...

Jonathan Aycliffe

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