Douglas Clegg

Enter a nightmare country of supernatural suspense and haunting horror tales." Disturbing, compelling, powerful..." ★★★★★ Dean Koontz says, "Clegg's stories can chill the spine so effectively the reader should keep paramedics on standby "Meet Oliver, whose dead wife may just be waiting for him down a dark alley. Or Jane Boone, in a distant country to meet the most brutal of killers - or is he a god?..and more from the NY Times bestselling author whose tales "can chill the spine so effectively the reader should keep paramedics on standby " (Dean Koontz). Scroll down for the Table of Contents. This collection/anthology won both the Bram Stoker Award and the International Horror Guild Award. Praise for The Nightmare Chronicles: "Clegg brings his stories together with a chilling fictive conceit.... The effect is dangerously seductive." - Locus Magazine"Clegg's (The Halloween Man, etc.) collection of 13 tales takes risks and is full of passions that sometimes burst forth violently... Clegg's use of innovative metaphors catapults each story beyond a landscape crowded with the horror genre's usual monsters and madmen into a territory he alone can claim." - Publisher's Weekly"... Like M. R. James, Douglas Clegg can 'write about the vile and horrific without seeming to smear it over himself or you.' Like Shirley Jackson he has an understated precision of language and the ability to portray his characters emotionally in a wickedly effective manner. And, like Stephen King, he loves to tell stories and tells them well. At the same time, Clegg is a thoroughly modern writer... Without doubt, one of the best collections of the year. - DarkEcho"Every story is perfectly different and definitely unlike any other horror novel/film I've read or watched...all of them have their images that could come back to you in your dreams." - Doubleshot Reviews." Clegg writes some of the most harrowing, unforgettable tales you're ever likely to come upon.. Clegg's best stories...slip into your subconscious and stay with you well beyond the last turning of the page..." - The ChiaroscuroContains the short stories: "Underworld" "O Rare and Most Exquisite" "The Rendering Man" "The Fruit of Her Womb" "The Hurting Season" "Chosen" "The Night Before Alec Got Married" "Only Connect" "The Little Mermaid," "Damned If You Do" "The Ripening Sweetness of Late Afternoon" "White Chapel""I Am Infinite, I Contain Multitudes."

If you lost someone you loved, what price would you pay to bring them back from the dead? From award-winning author Douglas Clegg comes a chilling supernatural gothic set at the end of the 19th century about a girl who speaks to the dead... A Harrow Prequel Novella. The Harrow series can be read in any order and includes Nightmare House, Mischief, The Infinite, The Abandoned, The Necromancer, and Isis. For fans of Guillermo del Toro, Susan Hill, and Daphne Du Maurier. About the BookOld Marsh, the gardener at Belerion Hall, warned the Villiers girl about the dark places and old ruins along the sea-cliffs. "Never go in, miss. Never say a prayer at its door. If you are angry, do not seek revenge by the Laughing Maiden stone or at the threshold of the Tombs. There be those who listen for oaths and vows.... What may be said in innocence becomes flesh and blood in such places." But when a tragic accident occurs from the ledge of an open window, Iris Villiers discovers that she possesses a terrifying psychic ability... From Publishers Weekly: "Clegg (The Abandoned) expands the burgeoning backstory of his multivolume Harrow haunted house saga with this poignant chamber tragedy involving young Iris Catherine Villiers (who, as an adult, will become Isis Claviger, oracle of the spook-ridden Hudson Valley academy)... This potent novella, one of Clegg's best, is both a stand-alone triumph and a powerful new chapter in his evolving series." From Fangoria Magazine: "...a story of love, loss and longing...told with the beautiful prose of an old-fashioned Gothic era." From The Strand magazine: "Haunting yet poignant, Isis is a work that should firmly place Clegg among the all-stars of horror such as Straub, Machen, LeFanu, and Stoker."

Occult societies, murder, brothels, London, and a young debauched Victorian on the loose... From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Douglas Clegg comes "...a cross between the Marquis de Sade and Charles Dickens... Scintillatingly brilliant."* Not for the faint of heart For fans of Victorian debauchery and Lovecraftian occultism and absolutely classic degeneracy of the aristocracy. Takes place prior to the creation of Harrow." Readers will find themselves enthralled by the early life and lessons of young Justin Gravesend... There is a richness to the prose in this book reminiscent of 'The Confessions of an Opium Eater' penned so long ago. Side by side, they might have been written by contemporaries, and that is the magic of Clegg's prose in this volume." -- FeoAmante.com Reviews. A short and very disturbing novel (or novella), 140 pages in print. Set in the British Isles, Wales, London, Manchester."... A terrific prequel to the Harrow House novels as readers obtain an intriguing look at Gravesend through his late nineteenth century journal and a scholarly introduction to Necromancy... Together these segments give this strong 'coming of age' horror tale a deep Victorian Era feel. Fans of the series will treasure this brilliant work, while newcomers will go chasing after the rest of the series." -- The Best Reviews.*"... Like reading a cross between the Marquis DeSade and Charles Dickens.. Clegg's] prose is scintillatingly brilliant in parts and I was sucked right into this squalid tale of black magic. ...the book is worth this little gem of horror literature..." - Alternative Reality Webzine." Justin Gravesend's story is one of perversity and debauchery and his embracing of it. Clegg does not back away from the more unsavory elements, yet keeps the language of the time (presumably the late 1800s), so that sometimes it felt as if I were reading something from Boccaccio or the like. 'The Necromancer' is never anything less than compelling, and I finished this relatively short tale in two sittings." - Craig's Book Club Reviews.

"I'm coming for you. You will never escape me." She's the most dangerous inmate in the hospital for the criminally insane...and she just broke out. Get the series: Red Angel(#2) and Night Cage (#3). When Trey Campbell takes his family to Catalina Island, his escaped patient leaves a trail of bodies behind as she hunts for her one true love - from a previous life. A gripping psychological thriller full of page-turning suspense and mind-bending horror for fans of James Patterson, Gillian Flynn, and Robert Bryndza. 364 pages. Read all the books in the Criminally Insane series." Clegg's stories can chill the spine so effectively that the reader should keep paramedics on standby." - Dean Koontz, New York Times bestselling author*"A sleek, smooth, and constantly surprising page-turner..." - Ed Gorman, bestselling author of The Marilyn Tapes and The Poker Club." Douglas Clegg knows exactly what scares us, and he knows just how to twist those fears into hair-raising chills..." - Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author.

Some houses go bad. Harrow was born that way. Claiming his inheritance, a young man unlocks long-buried secrets within his occultist-grandfather's house of infinite hauntings, awakening a nest of hungry ghosts. First in series. Get ALL the Harrow novels: Mischief, The Infinite, and The Abandoned now. For fans of Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, H. P. Lovecraft and Guillermo del Toro." Douglas Clegg has become the new star in horror fiction." - Peter Straub, NY Times bestselling author of The Talisman (with Stephen King) and Ghost Story. Don't Miss A Single Harrow Novel The Harrow Series: Book #1, Nightmare House - set at Harrow in the 1920s, the grandson of its creator has come to claim his deadly inheritance and explore the terrifying mystery within the ancient stones and passages of the house.#2, Mischief - Boys will be boys - and a dark fraternity of misfits seek out Jim Hook, the new student at Harrow Academy - but something more terrifying is hunting Jim, as well.#3, The Infinite - A handful of psychic investigators are called in to document the horrors of Harrow - but little do they know that the house is more than simply a haunted place - it may be the soul of evil itself.#4, The Abandoned - In the village of Watch Point, New York, in the bucolic Hudson Valley, something toxic and horrifying has leaked from the old boarded-up mansion called Harrow. Throughout the town, people who sleep awaken with blood-lust in their hearts - and hatchets in their fists. A rampage of mayhem, murder and madness begins - and only those brave enough to enter Harrow may find a way to stop the terror. Harrow Prequel Novellas: The Necromancer - set in the 1800s, this is the story of the young Justin Gravesend and his initiation into a terrifying mystery cult. Isis - set right at the end of the 1800s, the story of the young Iris Villiers when she discovers the terrible price that must be paid to speak with the dead.

Nightmare prisons with no way out... Men imprisoned, one in war and one in an asylum, psychological suspense and spine-tingling horror at its darkest. One man, a prisoner of war; and the other, a disturbed young man who wants out of a hospital for the criminally insane - at any cost New York Times bestselling author Douglas Clegg gathers two dark horror classics with The Dark Game and I Am Infinite, I Contain Multitudes. Note: 132 pages of page-turning suspenseThese two short novellas/novelettes can also be found together in the collection Lights Out.

Home is where the Haunt is.. From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Douglas Clegg comes a riveting supernatural thriller of dangerous secrets within a haunted family. After the brutal murder of a loved one, Nemo Raglan must return to the New England family he thought he'd escaped for good...and the shadowy home called Hawthorn. As Nemo unravels the mysteries of the past and a terrible night from his childhood, a dark presence makes itself known on Burnley Island. PRAISE FOR THE HOUR BEFORE DARK"Douglas Clegg has become the new star in horror fiction, and The Hour Before Dark is his best and most exciting novel to date. This is pure imagination, and it is wearing speed skates." - Peter Straub, author of Ghost Story and, with Stephen King, The Talisman."... An eerie psychological tale of supernatural horror that builds suspense gradually as the characters slowly peel back the layers of their past and face the terrors of their shared childhood. Clegg approaches horror with a stark and vital simplicity that is utterly convincing. Fans of Stephen King and Dean Koontz will appreciate this atmospheric gem." - Library Journal"Suspenseful and relentlessly spooky, told in economical prose yet peopled by characters as fully realized as one's own blood kin, this is at once the most artful and most mainstream tale yet from one of horror's brightest lights." - Publishers Weekly, Starred ReviewRead More from Douglas CleggNeverlandThe Children's HourGoat DancePurityDark of the EyeThe WordsWild ThingsNightmare HouseBad KarmaRed AngelNight CageMischiefThe InfiniteThe AbandonedThe NecromancerIsisThe Hour Before DarkYou Come When I Call YouNaomiThe Nightmare ChroniclesBreederThe AttractionThe Halloween ManNight AsylumLights OutFunerary RitesDinner with the Cannibal SistersAfterlife

I was born during the fires of Beltane. My mother was called the Witch-Queen and my father, Arthur, King of the Britons. From New York Times bestselling author Douglas Clegg comes a spellbinding novel of Arthurian historical fantasy. Conceived in violence, born of royalty, and raised in exile, Mordred grows to manhood torn between his powerful mother's desire for revenge, his own conflicted feelings towards the father who betrayed him, and his passionate coming of age into first love with one of the greatest knights of Camelot. Reviews of Mordred, Bastard Son*Starred Review* "Riveting... Clegg puts an inspired wrinkle in the hoary tale of Arthur and the grail by casting Arthur's kindred enemy, Mordred, as a gay man. An injured stranger in a cloak and odd, paganish mask, is captured and held in a monastery, igniting wild speculation among the locals, who believe him a notorious traitor. And so he is. He is Mordred, the bastard son of Arthur Pendragon and his half sister, the witch-queen Morgan Le Fay, and he now awaits trial for murder and treason... How excellent." - Booklist"Douglas Clegg's stunning Mordred, Bastard Son will inspire and refresh..." - Michael Rowe, Advocate Magazine"Clegg (The Priest of Blood) maintains a nice balance between the human and mythic dimensions of his characters, portraying the familiar elements of their story from refreshingly original angles." - Publishers Weekly"Well-crafted. Written in lyrical prose with colorful characters and historical depth. Lovers of both history and fantasy will discover...an enchanting read." - Edge Boston"Clegg beautifully skewers the Arthurian legends, weaving a compelling story, single-handedly reinventing Mordred's sexuality. He is no longer the betrayer of Arthur, the knight Lancelot, and Guinevere, Queen of the Britons; he is now the seductive and passionate hero, a lover of men given the almost insurmountable task of finding the cauldron of rebirth..." - Michael Leonard, Curled Up with a Good Book Blog"... Magic-true magic that really works-takes center stage in... Mordred, Bastard Son...a refreshing return to the myth and magic of the legends... Clegg's approach recalls Sir Thomas Mallory, Chr tien de Troyes, and even Edmund Spenser at times; his setting is never made temporally explicit but rather melds Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and high medieval British elements." - Strange HorizonsDiscover Douglas Clegg's fictionLights Out Neverland The Children's Hour The Halloween Man You Come When I Call You The Hour Before Dark Nightmare House MischiefThe InfiniteThe AbandonedIsisThe NecromancerGoat Dance Breeder Afterlife Purity Dark of the Eye The Words Wild ThingsBad Karma Red Angel Night Cage Naomi The Nightmare Chronicles The Attraction Night Asylum The Priest of Blood The Lady of Serpents The Queen of Wolves Dinner with the Cannibal SistersMordred, Bastard Son

In this gripping supernatural thriller of horror and edge-of-your-seat suspense -- from New York Times bestselling author Douglas Clegg -- something is terribly wrong with the children of Colony, West Virginia. They come out at night - to hunt. When Joe Gardner and his family return to the small town of Colony, they discover a nightmarish force taking over the old mining town... Praise for Douglas Clegg's Fiction: "Clegg is the best horror writer of the post-Stephen King generation." - Bentley Little, author of The Policy "Clegg delivers " - John Saul, bestselling author of Faces of Fear and The Devil's Labyrinth. "Douglas Clegg has become the new star in horror fiction." - Peter Straub author of Lost Boy, Lost Girl and the New York Times Bestseller Black House (with Stephen King) "Clegg's stories can chill the spine so effectively that the reader should keep paramedics on standby." - Dean Koontz "Clegg is one of the best " - Richard Laymon "Douglas Clegg is a weaver of nightmares " - Robert R. McCammon author of The Queen of Bedlam and Speaks The Nightbird.

What calls to the children from within the dark shadows of the shack called Neverland? New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Douglas Clegg blends dark suspense and gothic horror in Neverland, a novel of deadly secrets and innocence corrupted. What lurks within the shack? What kinds of dangerous - and deadly - games do the children play there? For years, the Jackson family vacationed at their matriarch's old Victorian house on Gull Island, a place of superstition and legend off the southern coast of the U. S. One particular summer, young Beau follows his cousin Sumter into a shack hidden among the brambles and windswept trees near bluffs overlooking the sea. And within Neverland, the mysteries and terror grow... For fans of Dean Koontz, Stephen King, and Bentley Little." Neverland is a masterpiece of dark suspense that will forever haunt your dreams." - Douglas Preston, New York Times Bestselling Author of Impact and (with Lincoln Child) of Relic and Gideon's Corpse." Douglas Clegg's Neverland is an unforgettable novel that combines creeping horror and psychological suspense. It starts like a bullet and never slows down." - David Morrell, New York Times Bestselling Author of Murder as a Fine Art." This is a powerful and thrilling tale, Douglas Clegg's best novel yet. The novel builds in whispers and ends in a scream. You will never forget Neverland." - F. Paul Wilson, New York Times Bestselling Author of Nightworld and the Repairman Jack series." From start to finish, Neverland is a haunting and tragic masterpiece. A powerful, thrilling tale, Douglas Clegg tells Beau and Sumner's incredible story with a subtle blend of humor and sadness that resonates with the reader long after the novel ends." - Marjorie M. Liu, New York Times Bestselling Author." A brilliant novel that grows richer with each reading, a multilayered marvel that will one day be recognized as one of the classics of supernatural literature." - Bentley Little, Bestselling Author of The Influence and The Haunted." Clegg's stories can chill the spine so effectively that the reader should keep paramedics on standby." - Dean Koontz, New York Times Bestselling Author of Odd Thomas and Innocence." Clegg knows exactly what scares us, and he knows just how to twist those fears into hair-raising chills. Neverland is Clegg at his best." - Tess Gerritsen, New York Times Bestselling Author of Girl Missing and the Rizzoli & Isles series of novels." Douglas Clegg . . . could have hung out with (in a better world) Robert R. McCammon, Bentley Little and Stephen King. These are guys who know America, and know how to literally scare up the best and worst aspects of the American character and slap them into a ripping yarn full of monsters, terror and enough action to keep the pages turning late into the night." - Rick Kleffel, book commentator for NPR"Combing elements of H. P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, southern gothic, and adolescent angst, Douglas Clegg subsumes us in horror with Neverland, a tale so chilling it infected my dreams. Clegg builds horror in rich detailed layers. It is a testament to Clegg's gifts that we can't turn away; scary though the trip may be, the fright reaches out from the pages and pulls us along... Neverland is scary stuff, the product of a skilled writer of horror, and best read with the lights on." - San Francisco Book Reviews"I can tell you without hesitation that Neverland is a true gothic masterpiece. I am incredibly impressed with it. This is a remarkable piece of literature."- Scott A. Johnson, Dread Central.com"Neverland is a scary work written by an author soaring to the top of his game." - The Merry Genre Go Round Review." Neverland delivers . . . delicious slow horror... I'm going to put a library hold on one of Clegg's other novels, because if they're anything like this one, I'm an instant fan." - Sci-Fi Saturday Night.

A New England village. A stolen child. A terrifying birthright. Who holds the key to the chilling mystery of Stonehaven, Connecticut, and its desolate woods -- and what shining creature remains trapped within its summer mansion? From New York Times bestselling author Douglas Clegg comes a riveting, edge-of-your-seat American horror novel of "overwhelming love and devastating terror."* For fans of Dean Koontz, Stephen King and Dan Simmons." Clegg's stories can chill the spine so effectively that the reader should keep paramedics on standby."-- Dean Koontz, NY Times bestselling author of The Husband, Odd Thomas, Velocity and many others." Combining both the quiet horror of a Charles Grant with the all-out spectacles of a Stephen King, Clegg's storytelling has never been better. The Halloween Man is a brilliant novel, up there with the best of Straub, King, and Koontz, and one of the most original tales of terror to come along in quite a while." -- Edward Lee, bestselling horror novelist." The Halloween Man is one of the best horror novels that I've read in years... I had never read anything by Clegg before reading this novel, but now I'm going to go out and get the rest of his books. If you've never heard of Clegg either, or are a fan of horror fiction, get this book right now." - Pixel Planet"Halloween Man is a stunning horror novel, written with a degree of conviction that is rare these days." --Fiona Webster"Clegg gets high marks on the terror scale..." -- The Daily News (New York)"Douglas Clegg is one of horror's most captivating voices..." -- BookLovers"Every bit as good as the best works of Stephen King, Peter Straub, or Dan Simmons..." -- Hellnotes: The Newsletter for the Horror Professional*"The Halloween Man is about overwhelming love and devastating terror, human strength and supernatural power, and the eternal cycle of death and re-birth Packed with vivid imagery; a broadly-scoped but fast-paced plot; powerful, evocative writing; superb characterizations; and facile intelligence... Douglas Clegg has given horror lovers the best Halloween gift possible -- an entertaining spinetingler written with unique style..." -- DarkEcho"Douglas Clegg has become the new star in horror fiction.." - Peter Straub, author of Ghost Story and, with Stephen King, The Talisman. Books by Douglas CleggThe Children's HourGoat DancePurityDark of the EyeThe WordsWild ThingsNightmare HouseBad KarmaRed AngelNight CageMischiefThe InfiniteThe AbandonedThe NecromancerIsisThe Hour Before DarkYou Come When I Call YouNaomiThe Nightmare ChroniclesThe Machinery of NightBreederThe AttractionWhere Flies Are Born & Other HorrorsThe VampyriconThe Priest of BloodThe Lady of SerpentsThe Queen of WolvesComing of Age: 3 Novellas BundleHarrow: Three Novels BundleCriminally Insane: The Series BundlePraise for Douglas Clegg's Fiction"Douglas Clegg knows exactly what scares us, and he knows just how to twist those fears into hair-raising chills..." - Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of the Rizzoli & Isles series. "Clegg is the best horror writer of the post-Stephen King generation."- Bentley Little, author of The Policy"Clegg delivers "- John Saul, bestselling author of Faces of Fear and The Devil's Labyrinth." Clegg is one of the best "- Richard Laymon"Douglas Clegg is a weaver of nightmares "- Robert R. McCammonauthor of The Queen of Bedlam and Speaks The Nightbird.

From New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Douglas Clegg comes the epic dark fantasy, The Lady of Serpents, Book Two of The Vampyricon. Hailed as the prophesied messiah of the vampyre race, Aleric the Falconer seemed destined for glory until the sorceress Enora captured him. Aleric must escape his prison and hunt for his former enemy, the Lady of Serpents, who ended his mortal life. She alone may hold the key to the survival of vampyres - and of all humankind." This second installment in Clegg's unfolding Vampyricon epic brims with the same dazzling invention and creative mythography as its predecessor... Clegg's rich descriptions, ingenious variations on vampire lore and intriguing speculations on a secret history underlying our own make this an exuberantly imagined dark fantasy." --Publisher's Weekly

A "stunning" (Publishers Weekly) epic from New York Times bestselling and Bram Stoker Award-winning author Douglas Clegg. In a dark medieval age, Aleric the falconer meets his destiny in the bloody embrace of the seductive Pythia, sending him on a quest to unearth the mysteries of the ancient vampyre race. Set in a dangerous world of ancient forests and buried kingdoms, of dark magic, and vengeance beyond lifetimes, The Priest of Blood is an epic dark fantasy of sword, sorcery -- and vampires. Be sure to get the rest of the Vampyricon trilogy: The Lady of Serpents, Book Two The Queen of Wolves, Book Three "Astonishing. Douglas Clegg writes of...nightmares with such clarity and passion you don't end up reading his books; you end up drinking them in. The Priest of Blood is a bloody gem." -- Christopher Rice, New York Times bestselling author of The Vines and Heaven's Rise. "A dark tale of swords, sorcery, and vampires." -- Christine Feehan, New York Times bestselling author. "Douglas Clegg has accomplished a rarity in the horror vein... This book will sink its teeth into you" -- The Kansas City Star"Richly layered, beautifully rendered foray into a past filled with sorcery and mystery -- and a rousing good story." -- Kelley Armstrong, New York Times bestselling author "Stunning...gives the iconic vampire a massive makeover." -- Publishers Weekly, Starred ReviewDiscover All of Douglas Clegg's fiction: Lights Out Neverland The Children's Hour The Halloween Man You Come When I Call You The Hour Before Dark Nightmare House Bad Karma Goat Dance Breeder Afterlife Purity Dark of the Eye The Words Wild Things Red Angel Night Cage Mischief The Infinite The Abandoned The Necromancer Isis Naomi The Nightmare Chronicles The Attraction Night Asylum The Priest of Blood The Lady of Serpents The Queen of Wolves Mordred, Bastard Son My Father's Mistress Mr. DarknessThe Marriage of Figaro The World on Butterfly The Moonlit Dark Coming of Age

A war of dark and dangerous magic burns across the mortal earth. From New York Times bestselling author Douglas Clegg comes the third book in the epic dark fantasy saga, The Vampyricon. In a world of gods and monsters, love and betrayal, handmaidens of Death, terrifying and beautiful vampyres, shapeshifting wolf women, shadow priests, epic battles, and magnificent underworld kingdoms, The Vampyricon concludes with a titanic battle fought between the Queen of Wolves and Aleric, Falconer, the priest-king of the race of vampyres. Praise for The Vampyricon: "Astonishing. Douglas Clegg writes of...nightmares with such clarity and passion you don't end up reading his books; you end up drinking them in. The Priest of Blood is a bloody gem." Christopher Rice, New York Times bestselling author of The Vines and Heaven's Rise. "If you like Game of Thrones and vampires, you're going to love The Vampyricon." - Robert Swartwood, USA Today bestselling author of The Serial Killer's Wife and New Avalon." A dark tale of swords, sorcery, and vampires." -- Christine Feehan, NY Times bestselling author. "Douglas Clegg has accomplished a rarity in the horror vein... This book will sink its teeth into you" -- The Kansas City Star "Richly layered, beautifully rendered foray into a past filled with sorcery and mystery -- and a rousing good story." -- Kelley Armstrong, New York Times bestselling author "Stunning...gives the iconic vampire a massive makeover." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review.