Tag: Suspense

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Bad Moon on the Rise: An Anthology of the Unsettling is Here!

Mandy Webster

The wait is over! Bad Moon on the Rise: An Anthology of the Unsettling is officially released and ready to haunt your bookshelves. This collection brings together an extraordinary group of writers, artists, and creators who explore life under a dark sky—whether literal or metaphorical. From chilling short fiction to thought-provoking essays and striking black-and-white art, this anthology dives into the unsettling, the eerie, and the uncanny.

We are thrilled to showcase the work of our incredible contributors:

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The Break-in by Katherine Faulkner asks how far you’d go to protect your family

Mandy Webster

How would you deal with killing a violent intruder in self-defense—with your child just a room away? Katherine Faulkner’s The Break-in explores the terrifying aftermath of that choice, blending suspense with tough moral questions about justice, guilt, and survival.

Get your copy of The Break-in from my independent online bookstore today!

Alice, a London mother, is hosting a playdate when a disturbed man forces his way inside. Acting on instinct, she kills him, an act later ruled self-defense. But the relief doesn’t last. Anonymous online comments, cryptic phone calls, and unsettling behavior from her husband, nanny, and friends make Alice question who the intruder really was—and whether the threat has truly ended.

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Kindle pre-orders now open for Bad Moon on the Rise: An Anthology of the Unsettling

Mandy Webster

The moon has turned dark, and something is stirring—Bad Moon on the Rise: An Anthology of the Unsettling is now available for Kindle pre-order!

What stirs when the moon turns dark? A secret long buried, a shadow at the edge of vision, a reckoning that cannot be avoided.

This collection gathers stories, essays, poetry, and art that explore the uncanny corners of life. Within these pages, you’ll encounter merpeople and vampires, terrifying nights in the wilderness, the quiet horror of domestic violence, poisonous plants, the extremes of human appetite, and all the small and large ways life can unsettle us.

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The Trap you won’t see coming: Catherine Ryan Howard’s masterclass in modern crime fiction

Mandy Webster

Catherine Ryan Howard’s The Trap is a masterfully crafted psychological thriller that deserves far more attention than its underwhelming cover might suggest. Inspired by the real-life disappearances of women in 1990s Ireland, the novel is as unsettling as it is propulsive, offering a chilling and suspenseful exploration of grief, obsession, and the desperate human need for answers.

Get your copy of The Trap from my independent online bookstore today!

The story unfolds through three distinct perspectives: Lucy, a woman determined to catch her sister’s killer after her mysterious disappearance; Angela, a civilian working with the Irish police whose side investigation threatens both the case and her career; and a nameless predator whose terrifying narration will keep your heart pounding. These shifting points of view give the book its pace and emotional heft, and Howard moves between them with expert precision.

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What happens when the rich girls fall? Megan Abbott’s El Dorado Drive delivers a smart, suspenseful answer

Mandy Webster

Once upon a time, the Bishop sisters were the kind of women thrillers love to center: wealthy, well-dressed suburbanites who lunch and plot in cul-de-sacs that glisten like glass. But Megan Abbott has never been interested in the fairytale version of domestic noir. In El Dorado Drive, she rips those women from their thrones and deposits them somewhere much more volatile—post-auto-industry Detroit—and asks what happens when the once-powerful fall from grace. The answer is the Wheel.

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Harper Bishop, the youngest of the three sisters, is just trying to survive. Her finances are a mess, and her once-golden life has dulled into daily stress and compromise. When her older sisters—Pam, charming but in the middle of a messy divorce, and Debra, the family’s once-proud matriarch—invite her to join a secretive new club, she’s intrigued. The Wheel, they promise, isn’t an MLM or a pyramid scheme. It’s a sisterhood. A chance. A solution. But readers know better. Abbott knows we know better.

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Book Review: Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger

Mandy Webster

Lisa Unger’s novel, Christmas Presents, is the perfect blend of cozy holiday charm and chilling suspense. Set against the backdrop of a quaint bookshop in a snow-dusted small town, the novel invites readers to unravel a decade-old mystery alongside Madeline Martin, the sole survivor of a brutal attack. 

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger is an excellent holiday gift choice for the thriller reader on your shopping list!

The story begins when Harley Granger, a notorious true crime podcaster, arrives in Madeline’s bookstore just days before Christmas. Known as much for his fame and wealth as for his controversial tactics, Granger is on a mission to reexamine the horrific events that forever altered Madeline’s life. 

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Book Review: Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

Mandy Webster

Sally Hepworth’s Darling Girls is a psychological thriller that delves into the complexities of sisterhood, trauma, and the haunting shadows of a past that refuses to stay buried. At the heart of the story are Jessica, Norah, and Alicia—three women whose childhoods were marred by tragedy and shaped by the unpredictable and controlling presence of their foster mother, Miss Fairchild.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

A Story of Secrets and Survival

From the outside, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia had everything a child in foster care could wish for—a safe, idyllic home on a sprawling estate, and the promise of a second chance at happiness. Miss Fairchild, their foster mother, was seen as a saint by the outside world, offering them a haven in the wake of their traumatic pasts. However, the truth of their upbringing was far from idyllic. Miss Fairchild’s “love” was superficial and performed only for others to see.

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How to write backstory without infodumping

Mandy Webster

Infodumping in novel writing refers to the excessive and often clumsy presentation of background information, context, or details all at once, usually in a way that disrupts the narrative flow. This can happen when an author tries to convey too much information in one go, often through long passages of exposition or dialogue, making it feel overwhelming or tedious for the reader.

Imagine how overwhelming it would be to have all this information dumped on you at once!

Writing backstory without resorting to infodumping involves weaving the information seamlessly into the narrative. Here are some techniques to help you do that:

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What is backstory in novel writing?

Mandy Webster

Backstory in novel writing refers to the history and events that shape the characters, settings, and plot before the main narrative begins. It provides context and depth to the characters and can help explain their motivations, conflicts, and relationships.

Effective backstory is blended into the flow of the narrative, keeping the reader engaged while providing necessary context.

Here are some key aspects of backstory:

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What is exposition in fiction writing? Is it the same as “telling?”

Mandy Webster

In fiction writing, “telling” and “exposition” are related but not exactly the same thing. Telling refers to the technique of stating facts or emotions directly, rather than letting the reader infer them through actions, dialogue, or sensory details. For example, saying, “She was angry,” is telling, whereas showing might involve describing her clenched fists or sharp tone. Exposition, on the other hand, is the presentation of background information, context, or explanation necessary for the story, such as the history of a world, character backstory, or details about a situation.

Exposition can be used to describe a novel’s setting. How would you describe this setting?

Exposition can be done through either telling or showing. In short, telling is a technique, while exposition is a type of content. Exposition can sometimes involve “telling” when the writer needs to explain things quickly, but it can also be shown through more gradual revelations or interactions within the narrative.

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