Iāve been lucky enough to have a happy childhood and enjoy a fulfilling life. Nevertheless, Iāve always been drawn to the darknessā¦ the macabre, the sinister, and the bizarre. My selection of books has, in one way or another, helped to shape me as a writer. Iām constantly fascinated by the process of creating truly disturbed, twisted, or hideous characters. I enjoy the process of working out what makes them tick; shedding my own moral compass and experiencing the world through their eyesā¦ wherever that ends up taking me.
This one is in my top ten books because of its āwowā factor, and its influence on me as a writer. Itās the first in the late, great Mo Hayderās series featuring D.I. Jack Caffrey. Heās a character who is haunted by grief and guilt but driven to find out what happened to his brother, who went missing as a child, and to track down a present-day killer known as āBirdmanā. How this maniac gets his nickname still makes my stomach churn.
This dark and disturbingly compelling thriller from bestselling and prize-winning author Mo Hayder is not for the faint-hearted. Perfect for fans of Stephen King, Stuart MacBride and Karin Slaughter, it is one read you won't be able to forget easily...
'A first-class shocker . . . a frightening mix of forensics, thrills, analytical police work and poetic images.' -- Guardian 'Wickedly constructed . . . The detail, if you can stomach it, is fascinating.' -- Daily Telegraph 'Hayder's vibrant narrative and crunchy characterisation propel the book along to its denouement with fearsome velocity' -- The Times 'WOW! This is oneā¦
This is the first in Mark Billinghamās excellent series featuring D.I Tom Thorne. Heās a compelling main character and in many ways the archetypal maverick cop who hates authority. What sets this book apart for me is not so much the antagonist, but the authorās treatment of the victim. She has been forcibly placed in a coma-like state, but fully aware of whatās going on around her. The reality of her locked-in syndrome is heartbreaking.
āA British police procedural as good as those produced by crime queens Elizabeth George and Ruth Rendell.ā āUSA Today
His first three victims ended up dead. His fourth was not so fortunate . . .
Alison Willetts is unlucky to be alive. She has survived a stroke, deliberately induced by a skillful manipulation of pressure points on the head and neck. She can see, hear, and feel and is aware of everything going on around her, but is completely unable to move or communicate. Her condition is called locked-in syndrome. In leaving Alison Willetts alive, the police believe the killerā¦
When the Marquis de Marquette chooses to spend the summer of 1908 in Marquette, Michigan, a city named for his illustrious Jesuit relative, the residents are all astir with excitement. People begin vying to rub shoulders with the marquis, but he remains very private until he hosts a masquerade ballā¦
The Mermaids Singing was my introduction to the character of criminal profiler Tony Hill. As good as Robson Greene was in the TV series, nothing comes close to matching how vividly this story was brought to life in my own mind. It features some truly gruesome and suspenseful moments but is utterly compelling throughout.
In this special 20th anniversary edition, Lee Child introduces the Gold Dagger award-winning serial killer thriller that began the Number One bestselling crime series featuring clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill, hero of TV's much-loved Wire in the Blood.
You always remember the first time. Isn't that what they say about sex? How much more true it is of murder...
Up till now, the only serial killers Tony Hill had encountered were safely behind bars. This one's different - this one's on the loose.
Four men have been found mutilated and tortured. As fear grips the city, the police turn toā¦
James Herbert is another of my favourite authors who we lost far too soon. He was, primarily, a horror writer and this is his masterful take on the serial killer genre. He creates a deeply flawed main character ā a clairvoyant who is afraid of his own abilities. But he can no longer ignore his gift/curse when he starts glimpsing horrific acts through the eyes of a monster that are seemingly triggered by a full moon. I read this when I was far too young (I nicked it from my Dadās bookshelf), and the memory of its twists and turns chill me to this day.
He had fled from the terrors of his past, finding refuge in the quietness of the island. And for a time he lived in peace. Until the 'sightings' began, visions of horror seeping into his mind like poisonous tendrils, violent acts that were hideously macabre, the thoughts becoming intense.
He witnessed the grotesque acts of another thing, a thing that glorified in murder and mutilation, a monster that soon became aware of the observer within its own mind. And relished contact. A creature that would eventually come to the island to seek him out....
Ophelia, a professor of Dante, is stricken when she discovers that her husband Andy has been cheating on her with a winsome colleague. What follows is Opheliaās figurative descent into hell as she obsessively tracks her subjects, performs surveillance in her beat-up Volvo, and moves into the property next doorā¦
Everyone knows this one, and I could be accused of making an obvious choice. Nevertheless, thereās no denying its influence and I make no apologies for absolutely loving it. The story is pretty much definitive and the Granddaddy of all serial killer thrillers. Even after all these years, the characters of Clarice Starling, Hannibal Lecter, and Buffalo Bill still pack a punch.
As part of the search for a serial murderer nicknames "Buffalo Bill," FBI trainee Clarice Starling is given an assignment. She must visit a man confined to a high-security facility for the criminally insane and interview him.
That man, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, is a former psychiatrist with unusual tastes and an intense curiosity about the darker corners of the mind. His intimate understanding of the killer and of Clarice herself form the core of Thomas Harris' The Silence of the Lambs--an unforgettable classic of suspense fiction.
A serial killer known as Minotaur has already murdered and mutilated twelve women. When novelist David Knight returns home from his latest book tour, he is shattered to find that his wife is the latest victim. But why has Minotaur taken Davidās young son? And what is the significance of the maze drawn in blood at every crime scene?
Davidās world is in ruins. The police have failed him, and time is running out. If he has any hope of saving his son, he must enter the killerās labyrinth. But can he do the unthinkable and submit to the darkness within himself?
A personal memoir which introduces the supernatural in the most natural way.
A message which came in a dream and brought you wealth. A sadhu's warning. The presence you feel as you pray at a grave. A well that dries up. The vision you see as you peer out ofā¦