SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 CWA SHORT STORY DAGGER AWARD

All profits from the sale of this anthology will be donated to frontline domestic abuse charities

“TWISTED, DELICIOUS, DEVIOUS”

From the biggest stars in crime fiction comes an eclectic mix of festive shorts

Perfect for fans of Stephen King and Lee Child

"Stellar” —THE GUARDIAN

"Haunting"—THE TIMES

"The biggest stars in contemporary crime fiction"—THE SUNDAY RECORD

"Cracking…All the stories are truly gripping"—MY WEEKLY

"Twisted, devious, delicious. If you're looking for a mystery in your Christmas stocking, this collection of crime tales will be right up your candy-cane lane"—JO SPAIN

“A perfect festive collection of bite-sized crime fiction”—JOHN MARRS

“A deliciously dark selection pack of stories you’ll devour” —SARAH PINBOROUGH

“A bulging stocking full of prize gifts. Funny, tragic, scary and clever- the perfect Christmas present” — LOUISE BEECH

“A wicked slay-ride through the dark days of winter”— TREVOR WOOD

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IT WOULDN’T BE CHRISTMAS WITHOUT A LITTLE CRIME…

A Christmas dinner takes a murderous turn, a friendship group loses the festive spirit, and a young girl goes to extreme measures to keep a beloved dog.

Afraid Of The Christmas Lights is a collection of gripping, sometimes funny, and always festive short stories from a group of bestselling crime writers.

From the hilarious to the macabre, there’s something for everyone – whether you’re a Christmas convert or a bit of a Grinch. From a detective tracking down missing Christmas geese, to a cat lady who goes on a date in order to keep Santa Paws well fed, this anthology is the perfect gift to cosy up with this year.

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CONTRIBUTORS

Afraid Of The Christmas Lights is brought to you by eighteen bestselling crime and thriller writers who between them have topped the Sunday Times and Amazon charts, been Richard and Judy bestsellers, won the Crime Novel of the Year Award, the Bath Novel Award and the UK National Book Awards, had their work made into major television series and been published in over 50 territories worldwide.

Mark Billingham
Rachael Blok
Heather Critchlow
Elle Croft
James Delargy
Clare Empson
Jo Furniss
Sophie Hannah
T.E. Kinsey
N.J. Mackay
S.R. Masters
Val McDermid
Phoebe Morgan
Dominic Nolan
Robert Scragg
Victoria Selman
Kate Simants
Adam Southward
Harriet Tyce

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Profits from Afraid Of The Christmas Lights will support two front-line charities:

ESDAS: Educates professionals, communities,

All profits will be donated to charity

SPOOKY SHORTS FROM THE BIGGEST STARS IN CRIME FICTION

Perfect for fans of Stephen King, Susan Hill…and Halloween

STORIES THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT

Crime fighting duo, Tilly and Poe solve a mystery from inside a pantomime horse in an exclusive short by Gold Dagger winner, M.W. Craven. A psychopath takes Trick or Treating a step too far. And a woman's dream of a quiet life is shattered by a knock on the door.

Afraid Of The Shadows is a collection of gripping- sometimes funny, always spooky- short stories from some of the biggest names in crime fiction.

From possessed sweaters to creepy wardrobes and disco shape shifters, there’s something for everyone in this Halloween bucket of short story goodies making it the perfect companion to snuggle up with as the nights draw in. Though be warned, you might want to leave the lights on...

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CONTRIBUTORS

Afraid Of The Shadows is brought to you by twenty bestselling crime and thriller writers who between them have topped the Sunday Times and Amazon charts, won the Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger Award, Gold Dagger Award and New Blood Dagger Award, the Bath Novel Award, the UK National Book Awards and the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award.

Special guests:

M.W. Craven
Peter James
T.M. Logan
Matt Wesolowski
Trevor Wood

Rachael Blok
Elle Croft (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)
Heather Critchlow
James Delargy (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)
Clare Empson
Jo Furniss
T.E. Kinsey
N.J. Mackay
S.R. Masters
Phoebe Morgan
Dominic Nolan (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)
Robert Scragg (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)
Victoria Selman (Shortlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)
Kate Simants
Adam Southward (Longlisted for the 2021 CWA Short Story Dagger Award)

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Praise for the "Afraid Of..." Series

"Stellar” —THE GUARDIAN

"Haunting"—THE TIMES

"The biggest stars in contemporary crime fiction"—THE SUNDAY RECORD

"Cracking "—MY WEEKLY

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Profits from the sale of Afraid Of The Shadows will be donated to various charities including Rights of Women, ESDAS and Barnardo's

“Dark, menacing and deliciously suspenseful. Another edge-of-your-seat read from Adam Southward.” —Victoria Selman, author of Blood for Blood

She has a dangerous gift. They’ll stop at nothing to take it.

A young psychiatric patient disappears from her ward in the dead of night. Eva Jansen’s medical records have been wiped, her history buried. Somebody wanted all trace of her extinguished forever—and fast.

When forensic psychologist Alex Madison is tipped off that Eva possesses an extraordinary ability, he knows he must find her before she falls into the wrong hands. Her dangerous gift has eerie echoes of his previous cases, and he’s convinced there’s a connection to the sinister criminal network he’s been hunting for years.

But Alex is being watched; his family is being followed. And as the search for Eva consumes his mind, it becomes clear that dark forces are determined to keep her for themselves—and keep him off the scent at all costs. With his life in dangerous freefall, can Alex expose the truth before he is silenced for good?

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 CWA SHORT STORY DAGGER AWARD

Profits from the sale of this anthology will be donated to domestic abuse charities.

"A GRIPPING COLLECTION OF SHORTS FROM SOME OF THE BEST WRITERS OUT THERE"

From 14 bestselling authors comes a new crime thriller anthology guaranteed to keep you up all night.

Perfect for fans of Stephen King and Lee Child.

“These stories are all so different and so good-creepy, haunting and funny too with some brilliant twists. Excellent work!” — HARRIET TYCE author of Blood Orange

“Wildly entertaining” — ALEX NORTH author of The Whisper Man

“Delicious bite-sized crime” — TE KINSEY author of A Quiet Life in the Country

“A fantastic short story collection by an amazing bunch of writers.” — ROZ WATKINS author of The Devil’s Dice

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Some people are scared of the dark. But it’s the light that exposes the secrets.

A young boy with nightmares faces up to his demons. A deathbed confession turns the world on its axis. A five-year-old watches his parents bury a body in the garden. A soldier returns from the war to find the horror isn’t yet over.

Afraid Of The Light brings the imagination of fourteen bestselling crime writers together in a collection that will keep you up all night. From a deadly campfire game to a holiday gone wrong, to an AI assistant with a motive and a love affair that can only end in murder, this is a gripping, twisty set of stories to send a shiver down your spine.

CONTRIBUTORS
Are you Listening? - Adam Southward
Daddy Dearest - Dominic Nolan
Deathbed, Beth Dead - Elle Croft
Loveable Alan Atcliffe - S R Masters
Sleep Time - Phoebe Morgan
Coming Home - N J Mackay
Sausage Fingers - Victoria Selman
Just a Game - Rachael Blok
Drowning in Debt - Heather Critchlow
To Evil or Not to Evil - Jo Furniss
Sheep’s Clothing - Robert Scragg
Frantic - Clare Empson
Planting Nan - James Delargy
Shadow - Kate Simants

All profits from the sale of this anthology will be donated to two frontline domestic abuse charities:

ESDAS- Educates professionals, communities, victims and even perpetrators on the nature of domestic abuse. They offer practical measures, such as legal advice and transport, to enable survivors to find a safe place to live.

Rights of Women-Helps women understand their legal rights and access a range of support services to which they are entitled.

A killer intoxicated by pain. Should Alex Madison stop her—or save her?

Across London, hospital patients are dying—in shockingly unnatural circumstances. A sadistic young woman is targeting them as they lie helpless in their beds, eking out every last sensation of pain as their lives ebb to an excruciating close.

The killer is a sadist, but careful too, so the police bring in forensic psychologist Dr Alex Madison to track down what is clearly an extraordinary and damaged mind. For Alex, the case has a personal resonance he can’t reveal: he knows pain and addiction all too well, and must fight to control his own downward spiral long enough to stop the killer’s campaign of cruelty.

As Alex closes in on the killer, it becomes clear that there are darker forces at work, and a connection to his previous case ignites his worst fears. When he uncovers the shocking truth behind the killer’s motivations, Alex must decide: should he pursue the police’s version of justice—or hunt down the sinister organisation that has warped another soul?

“A tense, original thriller that perfectly blends the nail-biting suspense and shocks of Silence of the Lambs and Shutter Island.” —John Marrs, bestselling author of When You Disappeared

His victims are powerless. He is in control. This is his revenge—and he’s only just begun.

Three university scientists are found dead in a gruesome murder-suicide, and the only suspect in the case, Victor Lazar, is quickly captured. When the spate of violent suicides follows him to prison he is moved to solitary confinement, reserved for the highest-risk inmates. And then his assigned psychologist inexplicably takes his own life.

Alex Madison, a former forensic psychologist turned private therapist, is brought in to interview Victor. He suspects that Victor is controlling his victims, somehow coaxing them into a suggestive trance. It seems like science fiction, but as Alex digs deeper he uncovers a frightening reality of secret research and cruel experimentation—and the perpetrators are closer to home than he could ever have imagined.

Too late, Alex learns the true extent of what Victor is capable of—and who he’s after. With everything he holds dear at risk, can Alex take control of a dangerous mind—before it takes control of him?