All the latest Shadow Writer news and announcements.   Current news can be viewed here.   December   Paul was delighted to help HQ celebrate its fifth birthday last month (above), with a special Zoom party featuring lots of top authors and HQ staff (below, Paul is far right four boxes down). You can find out more on their site here.     Without HQ/HarperCollins, the PL Kane thrillers (below) wouldn’t exist so he has a lot to thank them for.     Speaking of which, Paul went out to wet the book baby’s head (the new paperback The Family Lie) last month when it dropped (above). You can buy all the PL Kanes in paperback here, here, and here. Or on Kindle here, here, and here. ------------------------------------------------     And you can read a brand new PL Kane novelette, ‘Corpsing’ (above) – an O’Brien and Watts Golden Sands mystery – simply by signing up to the PL Kane newsletter, which recently celebrated its one year anniversary. Just go to the bottom of this page here. ----------------------------------------------     It’s been an incredibly strong year for Guest Writers in 2021, and December is no exception. This month we welcome Sammy HK Smith with an extract from her stunning and powerful debut Anna (above and below). To read this, just click here.     ---------------------------------------------------------     Anthology love now, as Cursed made it to PageOne’s listing of top stories to read at Halloween and beyond (above), alongside titles by the likes of Stephen King, Shirley Jackson and Neil Gaiman. You can read the full list here.       Paul and co-editor Marie also took part in a promo for the Brazilian edition of the book. This included a Q&A and video introductions (above).   -------------------------------------------     A reminder that Paul has written a brand new short story set in the same universe as his novella The Rot (above) called ‘Breaking the Mould’ for the charity anthology Hex-periments (below). The book drops around Christmas time and features writers such as Dave Jeffery and Tracy Fahey, is edited by Ross Jeffery/Keith Anthony Baird and is introduced by CJ Tudor, author of The Chalk Man and The Burning Girls.       -------------------------------------------------------     Sticking with new fiction for a moment, and Paul announced the exciting news last month that he will be joining the StokerVerse (above) to work on a project. Created by Dr Chris McAuley and Dacre Stoker, the franchise includes projects like games, comic books, audio and brand new fiction, and has attracted names such as Claudia Christian (Babylon 5), Colin Baker (Doctor Who) and Keanu Reeves (The Matrix). You can read more about it all here. -------------------------------------------     Non-fiction now, and Paul shared his thoughts on the horror sequel Don’t Breathe 2 (above) over at Sci-Fi Bulletin here.     He also introduced Kendall Reviews’ Books of Blood Advent Calendar, which kicked of at the start of this month (above). This is where lots of writers and fans tell us about their favourite stories from Clive Barker’s seminal collections. Read all about it here. -----------------------------------------------     So, it just remains now for us to wish you a very Merry Christmas from all of us at the Shadow Writer site. Thanks so much for checking in throughout this year and see you again in 2022! ----------------------------------------------------- November   Paul’s new PL Kane thriller The Family Lie comes out as a paperback this month and his gorgeous contributor copies have arrived from HQ/Harper (below).                 And there’s been more love for the book on NetGalley, with these 4 and 5 star reviews:   ‘Slow Burn Suspense… When Mitchel Prescott returns to the small town he once called home, following the death of his father, he knows that things do not sit right and he soon becomes certain that his father’s death was no accident. An unsavoury can of worms is about to be opened. A slow burn suspense, tense and immersive. Compelling reading.’   ‘Told via chapters flitting between Mitch and Bella’s perspectives this was a creepy read with an undertone of menace. I thoroughly enjoyed this well-told tale finding it unpredictable and intriguing. The Family Lie, my second novel from P.L. Kane was very worthy and I expect I'll be picking up his next read. Highly recommended.’   ‘I absolutely loved this book, and didn’t want to put it down. I very much expected it to be your run-of-the-mill true crime story, but actually it took a bit of a turn and started going down the more “supernatural” cult type story… I absolutely loved the direction the book took, it added a whole new level of interest to the storyline and really helped me speed through the last quarter of the book because I just needed to know what happened next! Definitely a must read for me!’   ‘Oooooh I liked this. It was a page turner. I was kept enthralled by the storyteller’s ability to suck me in rapidly.’   ‘Excellent story! Totally engrossing! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Could not put this down!’   The Kindle version is out now and can be ordered here or you can preorder the paperback here. ------------------------------------------     Our Guest Writer for November is Hannah (H) Adkins with a sneak peek at her impressive debut novel, The Room (above and below). To have a read for yourself, just click here.       -------------------------------------------------------     News about a couple of contributions Paul has made to publications, starting with an afterword for Danny Stewart’s book War is Hell (above), all about the making of Hellraiser III. You can order that in hardback here and paperback here.     Paul has also written a brand new short story set in the same universe as his novella The Rot. You’ll be able to find ‘Breaking the Mould’ in the charity anthology Hex-periments (above). More on this book soon.    -----------------------------------------     A reviews roundup now, and Paul did three last month – starting with the new TV series Chucky (above) and the limited edition of The Guest (below) for Sci-Fi Bulletin. You can read these here and here.     Plus he shared his thoughts on the sequel Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (below) for Mass Movement. You can read that here.     -----------------------------------------------     A review of something Paul did now, the anthology he co-edited with Marie: Wonderland (above). And here’s what Brown Flopsy had to say: ‘Welcome to a fresh and exciting look at the world of Alice, with an anthology of short stories inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, with an introduction by the editors Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane. I think the first thing to say about this wonderful collection, which holds true for every anthology I have read from Titan Books, is that it amazes me how much variety in style and content there is incorporated in these stories, coming as they do from the same source material – the imagination of a talented author truly holds no bounds and many of the writers who have contributed to this collection are huge literary names. Here there are stories of Dystopian nightmares full of death; macabre horror tales dripping with blood; fantastical fables with an ironic twist; historical themed magical realism with a quirky look at famous murderers; alien invasions that slice through the notion of the civilised human mind; and even rootin’ tootin’ westerns that will make you think very differently about the white rabbit – and everything in between – exploring a myriad of aspects based on Alice’s adventures and the characters she meets. Some are metaphorical looks at coming of age, some are thought-provoking examinations of the human psyche, and some are profoundly shocking, but each and every one is superb in its own way and will hold you spell-bound…This book is absolutely brilliant and the perfect mind-bending, spine chiller for spooky season, so if you are after a sideways look at a world you thought you knew well then head down the rabbit hole or through the looking glass, and prepare to be gripped! Incidentally, the audio version of this book is astoundingly good too, and is beautifully narrated by a cast of voices who vividly bring these tales alive. Daytime reading/listening recommended!’   You can read the full thing here.     In addition, Waterstones were showing the anthology some love too – placing it on a recommended table and pushing it on their site (above and below). You can buy the book from them here.       ----------------------------------------------------------   October     Last month saw the launch of Paul’s new PL Kane thriller The Family Lie, out as an ebook (see the previous news update for more details). And already there’s been a lot of love for the novel…     Firstly, AJ Gnuse, author of Girl in the Walls had this to say: ‘PL Kane has built a tinderbox of a novel. As its mystery is revealed, Kane fans the flames until the tension grows white-hot.’     Bestselling author of the DS McAvoy series including Dark Winter, Cruel Mercy and Cold Bones (above) – David Mark – said: ‘Brilliantly clever and wonderfully plotted. Confirms Kane’s growing reputation as a top, top talent. Made me genuinely jealous not to have written it myself.’     While the bestselling author of Sleepless (above), Louise Mumford, said: ‘The Family Lie grabbed me from the start with its shocking, fiery beginning! This is a chilling story, heavy with a creeping sense of unease, which delves into the lies and deceit hidden within family bonds. Highly recommended!’     And the book continued to gain more 4 and 5* reviews on NetGalley like the ones below: ‘Now this is a chillingly atmospheric thriller. What it reminded me of immediately was the cult folk horror movie The Wicker Man (1976) (British Lion Films). PC Mitchel Prescott resigns from his force following his involvement in an avoidable riot. At the same time he receives a message from Green Acres’ hospital to say his father Thomas has died; he’d been involved in a fire. Mitchel’s older sister Bella (a psychic who’s only goal is to help people) refuses to go back to their childhood village. She has a fairly simple life living in her caravan in a seaside town. Mitchel and partner Lucy have a shaky relationship but he promises they will talk about their future when he returns as he heads off hundreds of miles away on his motorbike to Green Acres to make arrangements for his father and try to discover what exactly happened to him. His aunt and uncle still live there and make him welcome – he settles into his father’s house (which is still standing) and tries to discover what happened. His father didn’t die IN a fire – he was ON fire – but no one seems worried about investigating any further, except to say that he had been suffering from dementia. There’s a new commune in situ just outside the village; the phone lines are always unreliable; he’s told of local break-ins and the blame rests solely on outsiders. Green Acres has a rich history involving witchcraft… Then weird things start to happen. Once she’d learned of her father’s death Bella cannot shake her blinding headaches and experiences terrifying hallucinations. Mitchel starts to experience similar things – including a break-in and his mobile phone being taken. When a property developer is found smouldering in the village square – well, what next? Despite the set-backs Mitchel continues to try to solve the mystery of his father’s death, whilst Bella’s waking nightmares lead her to engage the help of her friend Ashley to take her to Green Acres – she’s sure her brother is in danger. Can they get there in time to save him? There are lots of tense and creepy moments in this… An horrific ending – but look out for the final twist!’ ‘What a thrilling read! Wonderful, well-written plot and storyline that had me engaged from the start. Love the well fleshed-out characters and found them believable. Great drama and suspense with wonderful world-building. Can’t wait to read what the author brings out next. Recommend reading!’     ‘I just was consumed by this book! The plot just had me hooked from the start, this is exactly the type of story that I love. A bit dark and creepy, the wee hint that something just isn’t right but you can’t put your finger on what exactly. It’s very well written and was a delight to read.’ ‘“A scream cut through the night as they watched flames engulf the woodland. Fire ripped through the trees, leaving only charred branches behind. And then they saw it… on the ashen forest floor… was a body.” Did you get goosebumps reading that? I know I sure did! I am so excited for The Family Lie to hit shelves, so I can purchase a couple of copies for my reading group. The storyline was fluid, the chapters perfectly narrated and characters so well developed, you loved to hate them! I was not a huge fan of Mitch, BUT I thoroughly enjoyed his sister Bella…The twist was a bit out of left field but it contributed to the story and left me completely satisfied when it concluded. If you are a fan of family drama thrillers, this is the book for you!’     ‘I read Her Husband’s Grave and when I saw a new release I had to get it. A fast-paced, spine-tingling read that will have you holding your breath with every twist and turn of the plot. Mitch, I loved his character. Going back home to bury his father after a fire accident he discovers this might not have been an accident after all! And when no will in his old small town will talk to him about it…  Weird things start happening to Mitch! Did his father discover something that would have gotten him killed? This story was amazing! And had me hooked from beginning to end. The writing flowed effortlessly and the story was packed with mystery and twists as it spiralled its way to a compelling climax!’     ‘I found this book quite intriguing. I’ve never read a fiction book on this topic before (don’t want to say too much in case I spoil anything!!) so this was a first for me. The book started off with a whammy and I was instantly thinking “wow wtf?!” However, rather than the galloping thrilling rollercoaster I had anticipated, it was a slow burn that revealed its murky evil at the end. I feel the book was based a lot on the characters and who they are, or were…. (as there were quite a lot of them – some rather unlikeable, especially at the end!) rather than focusing on twists and suspense. I actually liked both Mitch and Bella while also finding them rather frustrating – sometimes Mitch’s actions can come across “cop out-ish” and I wanted to say “come on man, grow a pair!” But there was a vulnerable and humorous side to him, his relationship with Cat (bless) and Lucy (oh god, Lucy! Ha ha) Bella on the other hand I really wanted to know why she wasn’t there helping her brother out… If you are feeling like you don’t know where it’s going, or that Mitch’s decisions / actions are frustrating you, I would encourage you to read to the end for the final reveal – it really will explain it all!! The final reveal is quite a good one. A little far fetched? Maybe. But it’s fiction so fair enough. In fact, it wasn’t dark enough for me, and I feel there was the opportunity to go daaaaaark with this one, but maybe that wasn’t where the author wished it to go. Oh and there’s one last little surprise at the end…’     ‘Gripping, thrilling, suspenseful. Drew me in and couldn’t put it down, literally! Finished in one day. Highly recommended.’ ‘An enjoyable thriller that I loved reading. It was gripping and captivating I couldn’t put it down. A really good book.’       The Family Lie was also part of a blog tour (above) and below are just some of the reviews that came in during that.     To begin with, here’s what Jera’s Jamboree had to say: ‘Police officer Mitch Prescott answers a call one evening to be told that his father Thomas has died in the night. A fire has spread through the forest and all that is left is a body on the ground. He must now go back to the hometown he has done his very best to avoid and sort out his father’s affairs and lay him to rest. He doesn’t relish this at all and soon becomes suspicious when it looks as though his father was in fact murdered. While he’s there, the home he grew up in is broken into and he receives warnings to leave which all point to the fact that Thomas had become involved in something dangerous and which has ultimately killed him. Mitch is determined to get to the bottom of his father’s death. What was he involved in? The Family Lie starts off with a bang – it really grabbed my attention from the very beginning and I couldn’t look away! Mitch as a character is flawed and there were a few moments that I didn’t like him much, but that made things interesting. I enjoyed the chapters as told by his sister Bella which added a spiritual aspect with descriptions of witchcraft making the story so much more than a standard crime thriller. I was eager to find out what happened to Thomas and couldn’t guess the ending which I was pleased about! The book is entertaining and the eerie setting adds so much atmosphere. Thomas was clearly in possession of a dangerous secret despite his dementia and I couldn’t wait to find out just what that secret was! A thoroughly gripping read.’  Read the full review here.     @labibliobecca, meanwhile, over on Instagram said: ‘This is a book that throws you straight in at the deep end, with an intense and fast-paced dual perspective and a real blurring of lines between reality and nightmares. I’d say for me my biggest criticism of this was the slight confusion of what genre this initially fit into, it felt like it was floating somewhere between crime and fantasy, but actually as the book went along it was easy to see how this was a strategy to put you into the same mental state as Mitch. This book was written in a very psychologically intense manner, initially difficult to understand exactly what’s going on but soon understanding this is intentional and remedied by the ending which was very satisfying to me. I don’t want to give too much away because I went in very much blind and I enjoyed watching it unfold, but there was part of this book near the end that was such a chilling and terrifying read. I finished this book around 2am and struggled to sleep after reading such a creepy scene and have had a few looking over my shoulder and being suspicious of rustling moments since, nothing but a testament to Kane’s writing. I really recommend this to those of you who enjoy psychological thrillers and darker crime books and I loved the way it subverted a sometimes typical genre.’     Next up Rebecca Millar Editorial offered: ‘The Family Lie has one of the most gripping and atmospheric openings I’ve read in a crime novel this past year. The novel literally starts with a man on fire! And so sets up a tale of twisting intrigue as Mitch Prescott tries to uncover what really happened to his father, and the family secrets that lie within. PL Kane has a strong grasp on grabbing the reader’s attention, and I was intrigued by the cast of characters – including Cat, the black cat that befriends Mitch on his arrival, and Mitch’s somewhat odd sister who can supposedly speak to the dead. I enjoyed the story and the reading experience, but although the middle did slow down a bit, this prepares the reader for a creepy and memorable finale… Congratulations.’      Then came The Book Magnet’s 4* review: ‘I rather enjoyed that! The Family Lie is pretty creepy with an underlying hint of menace and the town of Green Acres is definitely somewhere I would not want to visit! Its oddness reminded me of the setting of Royston Vasey from The League of Gentlemen but the characters in The Family Lie are more threatening in a duplicitous kind of way. Although it has quite a gruesome and intriguing beginning, it took me a little while to get into the story as it flicks back and forth between Mitch and his sister Bella. When their father dies, Bella refuses to return to Green Acres so Mitch is the one who goes back home to arrange his father’s funeral. Mitch has just quit his job in the police force but he sniffs out something sinister about his father’s death and begins to investigate, but someone seems intent to stop him. I loved the character of Bella and her psychic ability which added a supernatural air of mystery to the whole proceedings. There is so much more to Bella’s story than meets the eye and I loved discovering everything about her. It’s odd but I didn’t really take to Mitch as much as Bella, although I loved Mitch’s interactions with the cat, but I think perhaps I just found Bella to be a more interesting character. Chilling and intriguing with a hint of the supernatural, anything could happen in The Family Lie which makes it impossible to predict and difficult to put down. I enjoyed it; it’s an entertaining, disturbing and imaginative crime thriller.’ You can read the full review here.     Followed closely by Lizzie’s Little Book Nook:‘Wow, this book certainly starts with a bang, instantly sinking its proverbial claws into you and dragging you in. The Family Lie is a story about family, loss and the damage that one big secret can cause. After a stressful few days, Mitch arrives in his hometown to deal with his deceased father’s affairs and prepare the house to sell. But as more details emerge about his father’s demise he can’t help but don his police hat and investigate the matter further. He has no idea what he is getting himself into, and just how deep this secret really runs. The switch of chapters between Mitch and his sister, Bella, gave us an idea of both characters who are vital to the story. It’s really intriguing to see the contrast of the two siblings and how both deal with emotion and stress. Their strained relationship is stretched to its limit upon their father’s death and we see both react in different ways… I enjoyed the storyline and the twists in the story, which were not all expected. I especially liked Bella and her personality… The ending was dramatic and tensions rose in the last few chapters… I liked where the story went in the end, it was a twist which we haven’t seen as much in thrillers and was a refreshing change from the norm.’ Then full review is here.     Rambling Mads commented: ‘This gave me definite Hot Fuzz vibes – small towns give me the creeps. So insular and sinister – which this small rural town definitely is. Mitch has no idea what’s going on when he returns to Green Acres to put his late father’s affairs in order. The fact his father may have been murdered, the utterly useless local police, his weird aunt and uncle. He needs answers but getting them proves deadly. Thank goodness for his psychic sister Bella – the true hero of the book – Cat the cat, and Bella’s copper pal, because Mitch is out of his depth. Gripping and sinister, this is a really clever, enjoyable thriller about insidious evil and why you need a cat. Also, cults, small town strangeness and secrets.’ For the full review click here.     Bobs and Books said: ‘I don’t think I’ve ever known such a powerful start to a book, and when Mitch discovers how his father died has some shocking and hard hitting moments. Bella is a great character and I enjoyed her moments. This definitely has some unique moments, and I don’t think I’ve read a book involving cults before. If you fancy reading something very unusual, and quite different, this is the book for you!’ Read the full review here.     Brown Flopsy was next with this review: ‘Mitch Prescott finds himself a bit lost after resigning from the police force in the wake of a riot that went horribly wrong. It doesn’t help that this happens on the same day he finds out that his estranged father has died and he has to return home to the small town of Green Acres he has been avoiding for years in order to organise a funeral – something he always thought his sister would do. Things in Green Acres seem decidedly off. No one wants to talk to him about what happened to his father, a prospective property development is causing waves with the locals, and a strange cult-like commune has sprung up in the neighbourhood. Things only get weirder when Mitch discovers that the circumstances of his father’s death are highly unusual. What was his father up to? And where the hell is his sister? As Mitch uses his investigative skills, and his uncanny sixth sense, to try to uncover what is going on in Green Acres, he becomes convinced that something is afoot in this small community, and he is going to do his best to find out what it is. The Family Lie is a slow burn tale of secrets, lies and conspiracy that builds its tension nicely as Mitch goes about finding out exactly what is going on in both his home town and at the dark heart of his fractured family. It starts its life as a police procedural that goes way left of field into the delicious realms a mystery that draws heavily on folklore, witchcraft and weird small community dynamics to ham up The Wicker Man vibes to the max, throwing in some nice horror scenes along the way. I must admit that I wasn’t too sure whether this story would hook me, but the supernatural vibes ended up dragging me right into the eerie goings on in Green Acres. It’s a quick, easy read that makes for an entertaining, cross-genre tale, and it has a rather splendid cat in it too, who ended up being my favourite character. There is some scope here for a sequel that could team up Mitch and his sister in a supernatural investigative venture, which would be quite intriguing. Lots of fun, especially in the run up to spooky season.’ The full review is here.   While Hannah’s Book Club’s 4* review stated: ‘Well I had no clue what to anticipate from this story and it didn’t disappoint. I was completely gripped by the prologue especially when it involves someone getting burned alive. Don’t get me wrong I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, but what a great way to start this book. I also thought this would be a police detective thriller thanks to Mitch but it went down a completely different road which involves cults. I’m not going to say anymore on that as it will give it away but honestly you all need to read this book.’ The full review is here.     @kels_reads 4* review on Instagram had this to say: ‘This book was really addictive once I got stuck in! I couldn't put it down! Lots of mystery and intrigue, I'd like to think it’s far fetched but I guess this kind of stuff does happen somewhere in this crazy world!! It gave me some Hot Fuzzvibes in places… Great characters, interesting story and total surprise ending!! Was not expecting that! Looking forward to reading more from this author.’ At the same time another 4* entry from @sarahlouisehope said: ‘When police officer Mitch learns that his elderly father has passed away in the night, he knows he must return to the town he escaped so long ago. Thomas’ death is not as simple as it seems, however, when Mitch discovers accelerant on the body of his father. Small town mentality meets the boy who grew up and changed; a meeting of two opposing sides, neither willing to give in to the other. From the offset, I was hooked! This is a thriller worth being accelerated to the top of your TBR list! Protagonist Mitch’s turbulent work and home life are explored in a way that truly makes you want to punch him and hug him at the same time! It also acts as a clever narrative device, adding a sense of urgency and speed, that when compounded with the suspected murder and the strange familial relations, make for the perfect storm! There is a supernatural element to this tale, that hooked me even more! Mitch’s sixth sense is so finely honed and tuned to the strange and somewhat unnatural small town goings on that you find yourself tumbling deeper into the story until you find out the truths of Green Acres!’     While @bookworm1346 on Insta said: ‘I read this book in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down. There were so many suspenseful parts in this book where I just couldn’t put it down and thought “just one more chapter”. The plot and characters were very believable and I was pulled in by the writing. The book was somewhat disturbing in some places, very tense and full of mystery. I look forward to reading more by this author.’ And @rhianyddmmorris’ 4* review said: ‘This is a fantastic thriller! I was scared, some scenes were quite a shock in this story with an amazing writing style. I loved every page. Plenty of mystery and drama in the story to keep you guessing, plenty of things happening and more clues, with every chapter a suspense. The characters I loved and in every chapter there was a new scene and mystery plot. Loved it.’      Finally, @bookswithacuppa said: ‘I found this book quite intriguing. I’ve never read a fiction book on cult personality before, so a first for me. The book started off with a whammy and I was instantly thinking “wow wtf?!” However, rather than the galloping thrilling rollercoaster I had anticipated, it was a slow burn that revealed its murky evil at the end…’    Also part of the tour was Elementary V Watson’s blog, with an extract from the start of The Family Lie which you can catch here. f all of that sounds good to you, the title can be ordered here or you can pre-order the paperback here. ---------------------------------------------     We’re delighted to reveal that our Guest Writer for the chilling month of October is none other than Allie Reynolds with an extract from her hit debut novel – the appropriately-titled Shiver (above and below). To read this, just click here.       ----------------------------------------     The Torturer, written by Paul and directed by Joe Manco of Little Spark Films, finally screened in its native Texas, as part of a showcase for short horror movies (above and below). In attendance were LSF and star Paul T. Taylor (the current Pinhead).     It also received a new laurel, this time as a selection of the Foreman Empire Productions International Film Festival (below).     ------------------------------------------------- September   We kick off September in style, with the cover reveal to the third PL Kane The Family Lie (above) and doesn’t it look gorgeous? This from the official blurb for the book: ‘A scream cut through the night as they watched flames engulf the woodland. Fire ripped through the trees, leaving only charred branches behind. And then they saw it… on the ashen forest floor… was a body. Police officer Mitchel Prescott answered the phone with a shaking hand. It was the one call he had been dreading. It was the hospital at Green Acres… his father, Thomas, had died in the night. Returning to the small town he had been avoiding since he was a child, Mitch must lay his father to rest. When he arrives, the close-knit residents refuse to speak about Thomas’ death, other to explain he was found burnt to death in the woods and his dementia was the likely cause. But when Mitch discovers traces of accelerant on his father’s body, he’s certain it wasn’t an accident. Then his childhood home is broken into, his father’s study ransacked, and a rock thrown through the window warning him to leave. Mitch is convinced Thomas had discovered something that had got him into trouble… something that would threaten his entire family. But what secret is worth killing for?’   The first two reviews are already in from NetGalley, and they’re five stars! ‘PL Kane is the master of suspense. Excellent writing. Wow I loved it… I was so, so gripped by the narration that it was hard for me to put my Kindle down. He wrote a good book with good characters. Definitely recommend this book to all.’ ‘Wow this is such a brilliant thriller, I am so looking forward to reading more by this author as this book blew me away. If this book got made into a film it would be awesome! The story takes you on a journey where you never really know where it will lead, the story builds up and up to a dramatic and shocking climax. After Mitch’s father dies, he tries to piece together what really happened to him, a few incidents have left him wondering if all was at peace before he died, but can Mitch really find out what was going on? I liked the pace of this book and how tense it made me feel, I wanted to discover if foul play was on the cards or something else. There are a few parts that are a bit graphic like when they mention the body, but I expected it. I now am going to keep PL Kane’s name and look out for more books by this awesome author. It was my kind of thriller and I would recommend it. It deserves more than five stars.’ Paul also spoke to the mighty Crime Time about the book, and you can read that piece here. You can pre-order the title, which is out on Kindle in September and paperback in November, here and here. --------------------------------------------     Paul was delighted to chat to Alex Pearl recently about his life and work. You can read what he had to say in the interview here. -------------------------------------------------     Our Guest Writer for September is a real coup! We’re thrilled to welcome Sarah Pearse, who has been making a huge splash with her acclaimed debut The Sanatorium from Bantam, which was an instant Sunday Times and New York Times Top Ten bestseller in hardback, and a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick! You can read an extract from the novel simply by clicking here.       ---------------------------------------------------------     The short film Paul scripted, The Torturer – directed by Joe Manco and starring Paul T. Taylor (the current Pinhead) – was on fire last month. Not only did it reach the semi-finals of the Lonely Wolf Film Festival (above), it was a winner at the 4th Dimension Film Festival (below)…       …and also won the Only the Best International Film Awards in the Horror Category (below).       ------------------------------------------------ August   We begin this month with a couple of reviews, including one from SFBook Review who had this to say about Paul’s latest collection The Naked Eye: ‘The prolific, versatile, award-winning British author Paul Kane returns with a collection of eight novelettes, four of which are reprints and four previously unpublished. Kane is a veteran in the area of dark fiction and it shows, because all of the included stories are graced by a firm, enticing narrative style, imaginative plots and well-shaped characters. As always, among the included pieces, I have my own favourites… “The Curse” is a superb, insightful tale portraying a life-long relationship between a man and a woman, never becoming a true love story, but just a tormented series of fleeting, inconclusive encounters. “The Queue” is a powerful allegory of what is awaiting us when we sin and break the rules, gripping the reader’s attention from the outset to the very end. With “Pure Evil” we are back to sheer horror in a vivid piece showing how dangerous it is trying to manipulate a man’s character and brain. The extremely enjoyable “Another Life” depicts how a female werewolf has to learn her lessons the hard way until she meets a potential mate. Just a few examples of Kane’s great storytelling ability, apt to entertain and disquiet the reader. Isn’t that what we horror fans want?’ You can read the full thing here and buy the book in all its formats in the UK and US here, here, here, here, here, and here. -----------------------------------------------     While over on Instagram Bea Foster reviewed the anthology Paul co-edited with Marie, Wonderland (above, photo credit by Bea). Here’s what she had to say about that one: ‘Recently found this anthology that centers on Alice in Wonderland, that I did not know existed. This cover. Love it‼️ The illustration is gorgeous and unique... so very pretty. An overall enjoyable collection of stories, especially the ones that were creepy and simply out there in a way only Wonderland could be. If you’re a fan of Christina Henry’s dark retellings, The Chronicles of Alice, you certainly would enjoy this anthology.’ You can pick that book up here or here. ----------------------------------------------     Our August Guest Writer is Louise Mumford, whose debut thriller Sleepless (above and below) has already sold to TV. You can read an exciting extract from the novel simply by clicking here.       ---------------------------------------------     The film based on Paul’s ‘Men of the Cloth’, Sacrifice, has dropped on Amazon Prime, so if you have a subscription you can watch it right now! Prime were actually pushing the movie in the horror section giving it top billing (above and below).     ----------------------------------------------     And sticking with film for a moment, the short Paul scripted – The Torturer – directed by Joe Manco and starring Paul T. Taylor (the current Pinhead) received yet more laurels last month, this time from Only the Best International Film Awards (above) and as a finalist in the Hollywood Horrorfest film competition (below).     -----------------------------------------       Finally, the sad news reached us in July of two authors’ passing. Firstly, William F. Nolan – Paul only met Bill a few times (above is a photo of them together at a convention in California) but he was a lovely guy and a genre legend. Bill of course will be forever remembered at the creator of Logan’s Run (also above). And later on in the month, we lost Mo Hayder (below, with Paul at an event in Chesterfield) – author of phenomenal crime thrillers such as Birdman and Pig Island. Another wonderful person and a huge loss to literature. Rest in peace Bill and Mo.     ----------------------------------------------------- July     The big news for July is that Paul’s second thriller for HQ/HarperCollins as PL Kane, Her Husband’s Grave, hit the coveted Number One slot in ‘Movers and Shakers’ on Amazon (above) last month!           The novel, which features psychologist Robyn Adams as the main character, also hit the top 30 in ‘Police Procedurals’, top 40 in ‘Psychological Thrillers’ and entered the Top 100 of all books at #88. Paul was delighted to receive more 5* reviews on Amazon, as well (all above).       The book was also the subject of an HQ ad campaign across social media, and was included as part of the deals at the Works (both above). In addition, Her Husband’s Grave received a glowing review from @mo_reads on Instagram (below).             Finally, Paul appeared on the HQ site itself last month to promote Indie Book Shop Week, talking about his memories of local bookstores (below). You can read that here.     You can pick up Her Husband’s Grave, which is still currently £2, here and here. -----------------------------------------------       Meanwhile Waterstones were pushing the anthology Paul edited with Marie, Wonderland, with this terrific recommendation (above). The book is being presented on shelves alongside another of their titles, the bestselling Cursed (below).         -------------------------------------------------------     Our Guest Writer for July is Alice Hunter, who is making waves with her hot new debut thriller The Serial Killer’s Wife! And you can read an extract from that here.     ---------------------------------------------------     ChillerCon UK (formerly StokerCon 2020) now has new dates of March 10-13 in Scarborough, and all the guests are still on board. For more information about that, visit the site here. ---------------------------------------------------------         Paul received his contributor copies of The Naked Eye last month, both the hardback variant cover and trade paperback (above and below), and gorgeous they look too!       You can buy that book in all its formats in the UK and US here, here, here, here, here, and here. -----------------------------------------------         Paul also received a copy of the region-free Blu-ray of Sacrifice (above, with thanks to Pete & Kim). This contains not only the disc, with a stunning ‘Slumbering One’ motif, but a snazzy menu, an audio commentary from the directors and interviews with the likes of stars Barbara Crampton, Johanna Adde Dahl, Ludovic Hughes, Lukas Loughran, and Sophie Stevens, plus the short movie The Seventeenth Kind (all below).                   Amazon have import copies for sale in this country here,  and the movie has also landed on Prime, so if you have a subscription you can watch it that way. ---------------------------------------------------------     Lastly, the short film Paul wrote – The Torturer – received another laurel from a festival it will be appearing at, the Thrills, Chills and Kills Film Fest (above). -------------------------------------------------- June         Last month Paul’s latest collection, The Naked Eye published by Encyclopocalypse, came out as an ebook, paperback and hardback variant with a different cover (all above).     It was mentioned on This Is Horror in their weekly roundup here, and people began posting their pics of the book in the wild – like the one above from Helen Brannigan.       And those all-important links to actually buy the book in all its formats in the UK and US are here, here, here, here, here, and here. --------------------------------------------         As mentioned in previous news updates, Paul took part in the WordCrafter online writing conference last month, where he sat on a virtual panel with the likes of Jim Nesbitt (moderator), Anthony Dobranski and Ellie Raine about ‘Characters’ (above) and with his old friend Kevin J. Anderson (again, the moderator) on a packed panel about ‘World Building’ (below).     He was also delighted to be able to deliver the Keynote Speech ‘New Beginnings’, which was subsequently put up on YouTube. You can watch that by clicking on the video below.     ----------------------------------------     Our Guest Writer for June is AJ Gnuse with his awesome debut Girl In the Walls (above and below). To read an extract from this stunning book just click here.     --------------------------------------------------       Paul was honoured to take part in the Books for Vaccines auction last month, donating a signed and dedicated copy of Her Husband’s Grave – his lot was here. And he’s pleased to report that the book found a good home with Andrea Tucker. Thank you Andrea for bidding! ------------------------------------------------     Finally, the short film Paul wrote – The Torturer – has received yet another laurel, this time from the San Francisco Indie Short Festival (which you can see on the poster above). More news about the movie as and when. ---------------------------------------------   May   We kick off May with a brand-new publication, a collection called The Naked Eye (above). Out on the 11th this will be in ebook, paperback, audio and – we’ve just found out – a hardback for those collectors out there. Released by Encyclopocalypse, who you’ll recall have done a lot of Paul’s audio books (see below for the latest), this is from the official PR: ‘A winter’s day, and something terrifyingly dangerous is waiting out there in the snow, while at the same time an even more dangerous curse is spoken… In a possible future a monster uprising is in full flow, but a couple have their own problems to deal with when they’re stuck in a very strange queue... And while a scientist attempts to rid humanity of all evil, a female werewolf is on the prowl… Here we have a clutch of stories by award-winning and # 1 bestselling author Paul Kane (Hooded Man, Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell, Before, Arcana), including another one of his popular horror fairy tales and a ‘Mortis-Man’ prequel, proving once again that there’s more to this world than can be seen by the Naked Eye. With an introduction by Sunday Times bestselling author Cavan Scott (Doctor Who: The Shining Man) and cover by Christian Francis (Wishmaster: The Novelisation) you might just find yourself taking another look at what you thought was possible. Watch out!’ More news as and when, and links to buy soon. ------------------------------------------     And sticking with Encyclopocalypse, Paul’s latest audios with them have dropped on Audible now: Of Darkness and Light (above), The Storm and The Controllers (both below). To buy these, click here, here, and here.       -----------------------------------------------     We’re overjoyed now to bring you our Guest Writer for May, the hugely talented Nadine Matheson with her first crime thriller The Jigsaw Man (above and below). To get stuck into an extract from the book, just click here.     -----------------------------------------------------       Paul appeared on the 300th episode of the Clive Barker Podcast last month, which was also a live video. He joined other fans and celebrities, such as Doug Bradley (Pinhead), Barbie Wilde (Female Cenobite), Simon Bamford (Butterball), Nick Vince (Chatterer) and writer Peter Atkins. To watch the whole thing, just click here. ----------------------------------------------     And Paul’s film tie-in collection, The Colour of Madness, featured on Luna’s roundup of the year for 2020, with publisher Francesca Barbini commenting: ‘Paul doesn’t really go light. You read Paul Kane’s horror stories, you’re gonna remember them!’ To watch the whole thing just click on the below:     ------------------------------------------------     While the movie itself, Sacrifice, received another review – this time from Beyond the Gore. Here’s what they had to say: ‘Perhaps a coincidence, but since the rousing success of Aster’s Midsommar I’ve seen quite a number of aptly dubbed “folk” horrors crop up. In the case of Sacrifice, genre favourite Barbra Crampton leads a clan of hostile Nordic Cthulhu(esque) worshippers against an expectant American couple. The plot opens as the young couple make their way, via a small passenger boat, towards a remote island nestled between vast Norwegian fjords and foreboding jagged mountains. Returning only to sort out the sale of an inherited property on the island, the American tourists soon find themselves embroiled in the island’s ritualistic traditions and intimidating xenophobia. That said, there’s more luring them there than just the dramatic scenery, and before long the couple find themselves at odds, one wants to leave but can’t, the other doesn’t, and, well… watch and find out. As a horror film Sacrifice certainly finds itself in the creepy, tension building category. Don’t misunderstand me, there is plenty to keep you engaged, from the great characters to the outstanding locations (which are something of a visual feast); but just don’t expect this one to be of the spook-a-minute variety. It’s a slow burn, but not so much that you are waiting for something climatic to happen, just that the film chooses a pace and more or less sticks to it right up to the credits. The acting is decent, with good performances all round, but what made it happen, for me at least, was the interesting range of characters presented throughout. It’s made apparent from the start that there is something not right on the island, from a tense stand-off in the bar between locals and the less than warm welcome, to the sinister backstory of the family home dubbed the “murder-house”, then of course are the visions of a squid-like creature dubbed “the slumbering one” who beckons those chosen as they sleep; but ultimately, the island functions as normal, but the folk who inhabit it are far from that. Each interaction has an off-beat edge which I loved. None of them were obviously showing their cards either, and it was difficult to see which role each had to play in the overall story as each of them had their moments of compassion in contrast to their zanier rants or quirks. Much of the film’s lore and backstory is told through the various conversations between characters, all of which elude to someone or something having a hold over the island and its inhabitants, something which for the islanders both feared and revered, but, to the film’s credit, there are no anti-climatic reveals or atmosphere-breaking lengths of exposition… Sacrifice does have some stand-out scenes. There are some scenes which hint at the presence of a creature, others are just unnerving due to the sporadic twists in tone and mannerisms from the characters as they interact with the more relatable US couple; that said, one scene in particular, involving the gushing birth of a child is pretty wince-worthy… Overall Sacrifice has modern festival horror written all over it. It’s got enough Lovecraftian influence over it to be familiar, but with a modern setting and context to make it feel fresh. It was perhaps lacking a little in the violence department, especially considering some of its contemporaries, but then perhaps that would have taken away some of the atmosphere the film does a great job of cultivating. Regardless, I reckon Sacrifice is well worth checking out if you fancy something a little more intriguing than visceral.’ You can read the full thing here. -----------------------------------------------------     Paul managed to get out to his local bookstores last month, abiding by social distancing rules of course – and was delighted to see copies of his books in The Works (below), with Her Husband’s Grave part of their sponsored ad campaign.       And Cursed was on the shelves in Waterstones (below).     Finally, this anthology also reached the bestseller charts on Amazon last month, hitting #41 in Fantasy Anthologies, and #71 in overall Fiction Anthologies! (below).     --------------------------------------------------------------- April     We begin this month with more news about the feature film Sacrifice, based on Paul’s novelette ‘Men of the Cloth’. As reported in the previous News update, over in the US towards the end of February and at the beginning of March Epic/Dread Presents were celebrating the release of the Blu-ray by sending out gorgeous box sets to bloggers, reviewers and directors (like the one above, photo by Ship to Shore). As well as the Blu-ray, it contained extras like a passport holder, a (fake) ticket to Norway, candy, vodka and Kool-Aid (to make a special Sacrifice cocktail) and more!  This led to a few unboxing videos like the one below:         One of the places who received a box was Horror Movies and Beyond, who also interviewed Barbara Crampton about the movie (above). You can watch the whole thing on their Instagram page here.       As part of a month-long watch of Lovecraftian movies, the Lasser Cast also reviewed Sacrifice, saying: ‘If you want a good Lovecraftian movie to start the month with, check out Sacrifice... Really creepy stuff, well worth checking out!’ To watch the whole thing click here.       And of course the film dropped in the UK to rent or buy on the 15th March on Amazon Prime, Sky and Apple (above and below) courtesy of 101 Films.           Which meant that lots of pics were shared online of people watching and enjoying it over on these shores – like the ones below.           Including some quite famous people; check out what Crime Queen Martina Cole had to say below!     Paul was also interviewed to coincide with the release over here, firstly online at Set the Tape where Amy Walker posed the questions here.     He was also interviewed by the guys at the BarkerCast (above), where he not only talked about the movie but also all his other new releases. You can listen to that lengthy but fun conversation by clicking here.     There were more Sacrifice reviews as well last month, starting with a glowing one from The Guardian (above) who said: ‘There’s a touch of giallo stylishness to this aquavit-fuelled monster horror set in a remote Norway of long nights and skinny-dipping… The quirky script, adapted from a short story by Paul Kane and, as the opening credits assert, inspired by the work of HP Lovecraft, is quite good on the cultural friction between Americans and Europeans. It draws very deep from the well of uncanny associations that come with horror stories set in northern Europe such as The Wicker Man and Midsommar…Collier and Mian have a lot of fun with nightmare fakeouts, casting doubt on what’s real and what’s a dream; together with the coloured gels used in the cinematography, this gives the whole thing a 1970s giallo vibe. Just to ice that cake of dried blood, the lovely Barbara Crampton, doyenne of classic horror films such as Re-Animator and From Beyond, is on hand as the local policewoman/high priestess, serving up menace with the pan-fried trout.’  You can read the full thing here.     The mighty SFX (above) had this to say in their latest issue: ‘Something fishy is afoot in a remote Norwegian island... American couple Isaac and Emma travel there to his ancestral home and stumble across a cult that worships a watery Lovecraftian deity. Strong location work helps conjure an atmosphere of isolation and Barbara Crampton is always watchable.’     While Sci-Fi Bulletin said: ‘A couple expecting their first child head to a remote Norwegian village after a death in the family only to find themselves caught up in a deadly cult. There’s something lurking deep in the Norwegian Fjords in Andy Collier and Toor Milan’s atmospheric chiller, inspired by the short story “Men of the Cloth” by Paul Kane and the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Young couple Emma (Sophie Stevens, The Haunted) and Isaac (Ludovic Hughes) have clearly never seen folk horror movies like The Wicker Man or Midsommar, and are surprised when initially met with hostility by the locals of the remote Norwegian island where Isaac grew up… Screened at last Halloween’s FrightFest digital festival, this is a beautiful-looking slow-burn horror movie. Crampton is great as the cop, her blue eyes and blonde hair making her a credible local with an authentic accent (to these ears anyway)… The Lovecraftian influence is strong, particularly “The Shadow over Innsmouth”, the movie’s previous title being the splendid-sounding The Colour of Madness… Brimming with dread and utilising some unfamiliar locations, Sacrifice is a familiar tale, but classily told.’ And the full thing is here.     Back at Set the Tape, Amy Walker also reviewed the movie and had some really nice things to say in her 5 star write-up: ‘Sacrifice is the latest horror film to be released that draws inspiration from the work of H.P. Lovecraft, though in this case it’s less running away from otherworldly tentacle monsters, and more of a slow building psychological horror that will work its way under your skin. Based upon the short story “Men of Cloth” by horror writer Paul Kane, the film sees young married couple Isaac (Ludovic Hughes) and Emma (Sophie Stevens) travelling to a remote Norwegian island when Isaac’s mother dies... At first I thought that Sacrifice would be Isaac’s story, as it’s about him returning to the island where he was born, and discovering more and more about his past, but it soon becomes apparent that the real focus of the film is Emma, played exceptionally well by Sophie Stephens. Emma seems to be the only person who can see the strange effect that everything is having on her husband, and is the only rational voice on the island. It’s an interesting subversion that I wasn’t expecting, as most horror films in the vein would tend to focus on the male lead in this scenario, having to fight to save his pregnant wife from the horrors just below the surface. I think this is one of the things that the film does really well, subverting your expectations, and directors Andy Collier and Tor Mian do a good job of weaving a narrative that feels both familiar and very new... As mentioned earlier, the original story was written by Paul Kane, who’s well known for his unusual, cosmic horror, and who has written some great stories inspired by Lovecraft, and you can definitely tell that this story comes from a place of love for the source material, and that the filmmakers wanted to create something that would appeal to those kinds of fans. This seems to extend to the casting, with horror veteran Barbara Crampton appearing in the film in the role of local police officer Renate. No stranger to Lovecraftian horror, Crampton is a cult favourite thanks to her work on films such as From Beyond and Re-Animator. Her inclusion instantly evokes memories of these films, and lends the production a sense of legacy as it includes such a popular horror actor. She’s not just a throwaway piece of stunt casting though, as she delivers a stunning performance as the sinister yet lovely Renate, a character who you’re never sure if you should trust or not... Sacrifice does a great job of building tension and keeping the audience in suspense. It will throw nightmare sequences and strange visions at you until you’re questioning whether what you’re seeing is going to be real or not, much like the characters. It’s got some damn good performances in it, even from characters with very minor parts who are only in one or two scenes. It looks beautiful thanks to its location shoots, and really evokes feelings of isolation and horror in its audience. Whether you’re a fan of Lovecraft or not, there’s a lot to love with this film, and it is definitely one you should be seeking out.’ To catch the full thing, click here.     Richard Phillips-Jones over at The Spooky Isle had this to say: ‘An interesting twist on the British folk-horror tradition here, as a UK production team transplant it to Norway (from Paul Kane’s Yorkshire-set story) but many of its ingredients remain intact: initially hostile locals, mysterious regional customs, isolation with little hope of escape… The familiar brew is spiced up with a stylistic interloper in the shape of HP Lovecraft’s influence in some hallucinatory dream sequences and a scene-setting, very purple title sequence which recalls the opening of classic Lovecraft adaptation From Beyond (1985). Speaking of that particular film, Sacrifice boasts one of its alumnus in the cast, namely Barbara Crampton (also of Re-Animator fame), and whilst it might initially seem jarring to see her cast as a Norwegian police officer any reservations are quickly swept away: Crampton has clearly done her homework and blends in perfectly with the native supporting players, and it’s a nice addition to the more mature horror roles she’s been gaining in a second burst of genre activity over the last decade. Ludovic Hughes and Sophie Stevens do good work in their lead roles, as what initially appears to be Isaac’s story increasingly shifts its focus to Emma’s attempts to reconcile her love for her husband with her need to get away from the forces which have him under their thumb. The Scandinavian setting may well draw comparisons with Midsommar, but I would argue that Sacrifice perhaps treats both its locale and its residents more respectfully than that much lauded effort. Besides all that, Sacrifice is very much its own creature, an enjoyable mix of folk horror tropes and Lovecraftian strangeness which works its way under the skin… Sacrifice is maybe more about the journey than the terminus, the enveloping sense of inevitability signposting a conclusion which is no less emotionally bruising for already being at least partially in sight towards the film’s end. Indeed, it may be more so as we hope against hope for a different outcome for our leads…All-in-all Sacrifice is a welcome addition to the folk-horror annals which blends in its dashes of Lovecraft to pleasingly disorientating effect.’ The full review can be found here.     It’s Bloggin’ Evil! in their review said: ‘Based off dark fantasy and science fiction writer Paul Kane’s short story “Men of the Cloth,” found in the author’s The Colour of Madness collective works, Sacrifice is an alienating folklore horror bound by the influence of a Lovecraftian core under the direction of a filmmaking due in Andy Collier and Toor Mian. As their sophomore film as collaborating directors, following their 2017 psychological cop horror Charismata, Collier and Mian tackle Kane’s short story head-on by changing only a few details, such as location, family structure and the title, but keep rooted the foremost principles of “Men of the Cloth’s” cultish discomfort that’s greatly inspired with the otherworldly sensation of an amiss atmosphere akin to Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man. Filmed around the idyllic and mountain enclosed shore town of Bjørk, Norway and in the town of Volda, Norway, the 2020 film seeks to plop strangers into a strange land as a production of the London-based companies, Loose Canon Films and Hydra Films RKM, in association with Dread… Over two years ago was the last time we reviewed a Barbara Crampton movie with Death House, that included a plethoric cast of her all-star genre brethren with Kane Hodder, Bill Moseley, Dee Wallace, and others, and, now, Crampton makes her glorious return to the Lovecraftian turf that nostalgically brings most of us horror fans back to the New York-born actress’s From Beyond and Re-Animator days. Sacrifice’s Cthulhu spirit finds Crampton playing a small town Norwegian sheriff, Renate Lygard… Sacrifice’s cult mania lays on a thick coating of grass roots that really set the tone for an foreboding outcome. An idyllic Norway fishing village propped between the eclipsing mountain range and marine inlet intrinsically obscures an already unspoken secret that’s only been rendered on the faces and actions of the residents…  Sacrifice wrecks the nerves and frays warm pleasantries with wicked wallowing, slumbering, nearby in the shallows.’ And the full review is here.     Finally, Horror Obsessive commented: ‘If you’re a fan of Lovecraftian horror, then I’ve got just the movie for you. Sacrifice… was directed by Andy Collier and Toor Mian. It stars Sophie Stevens and Ludovic Hughes as the main characters, and it features the great Barbara Crampton in an important side role. The opening credits say the movie is inspired by H. P. Lovecraft’s works, and it totally lives up to that designation. Sacrifice is a slow-burn, mysterious tale about a young American couple named Emma and Isaac who travel to Isaac’s birthplace, a small town in Norway, so he can claim a house he recently inherited. While there, they encounter a strange local cult, and they uncover some devastating secrets from Isaac’s past. When the couple first arrives in Norway and check out the house, the movie drops a few vague hints about the horrors that might be lurking there, but it doesn’t give you anything too concrete. You get the impression that there might be a Cthulhu-like monster living in the waters around the town, but you can’t be too sure about it. The only thing you really know is that this place is definitely hiding some ominous secrets… Whenever Emma and Isaac interact with the locals and experience the town’s unique culture, it just raises more questions about what’s really going on. For example, they find out that the residents there worship a mysterious, sea-dwelling deity called the Slumbering One, but until the final scene, you’re never sure if this creature actually exists. In good Lovecraftian fashion, this all unfolds at a pretty slow pace, letting you stew in the tension and intrigue without giving you any relief until the very end. The movie purposely avoids anything that might distract from that tension, so it keeps the scares to a minimum. Instead, the horror comes mainly from creepy imagery and a pervasive, eerie atmosphere that unsettles and perplexes you from start to finish… The movie makes it clear that the dreams are somehow connected to the Slumbering One, so they’re not just cheap attempts to insert some jump scares into an otherwise perfectly good slow burn. No, they’re a legit part of the mythology, so they fit perfectly into the story and feed right into the town’s mystery. But those dreams aren’t the only scenes that hit hard. Throughout most of the film, I thought I could see where the story was headed. I obviously didn’t know exactly what was going to happen, but I thought I had a decent idea of what it was all building towards. But I was completely wrong! The ending of this film bowled me over in a way that would make Lovecraft himself proud. Much like his own stories, this one gives you a little peek behind the curtain while still preserving the mystery. It gives you just enough information to let you know what’s really going on, but it doesn’t sacrifice any of the mystique that the film spent so much time establishing. It made me immediately want to watch the movie again, and on my second viewing, that ending still hit me like a ton of bricks… Sacrifice gives you everything you expect from a good Lovecraftian horror story… The film sets up an intriguing mystery and then slowly builds up the tension as the plot unfolds, and it ends with a shocker that gives you just the slightest of glimpses into the horror lurking in this small town. So if you’re looking for something new to watch this month, I’d definitely recommend that you check this one out!’ And the full review is here. -------------------------------------------     Sticking with film for a moment, and the short movie Paul scripted – The Torturer (above, with poster art by Anthony Galatis) – has received a glowing review from The Horror Society, who said: ‘This short is based on a story that was written and adapted by Paul Kane from his collection Nailbiters. I’m not too familiar with Kane’s work but after watching this beautiful piece of cinema from Joe Manco I’m about to take a deep, dark dive into his writings. I’ve watched and reviewed thousands of movies over the decade that I’ve been doing this and I’ve never seen a film with a title that perfectly sums up a movie before like The Torturer. Not only the basis for the film but the plot twist at the end. This short is a powerful one that you really have to see to get it. No words can do this one justice. The acting in this one is absolutely astounding. Paul T. Taylor and Lawrence Varnado are absolutely brilliant. They work so well together which makes the scenes even more powerful. The intensity Taylor brings to the scene is unrivaled in movies with a budget like this. The story for this one is in your face, beautifully written, and the ending makes it all come full circle. After a few minutes I was convinced this was another boring entry in the torture porn sub-genre of extreme horror and was ready for it to be over, then the beauty in the story started to shine through. I was not expecting the ending nor was I ready for the story to come around like it did. I’m glad I stuck with it and let it finish telling me everything it had to say. Finally, this is a beautifully bloody film with some downright amazing practical effects. The make-up effects on the dead look fantastic but the highlight of the film is the effects used during the torture scenes. They are beautifully done and very effective. Overall, The Torturer is a short that shows there is beauty in depravity. It makes you think it’s just another mindless torture porn but then gives you something very different. I highly recommend checking this one out if you ever get the chance.’ You’ll find the full review here.     And if that’s whetted your appetite to see the film, Little Spark are hosting a special Twitch event later this month, with Paul introducing a screening of The Torturer himself (above). For the link to the page, just click here. ----------------------------------------     Do we have a treat for you this month on the Guest Writer front! It’s the book everyone’s talking about, which Stephen King himself no less has described as ‘dark and devious, a neo-gothic featuring twin sisters and a deeply frightening old dark house. Beautifully written and plotted with a watchmaker’s precision’ and Ruth Ware has called ‘A dark, twisty and richly atmospheric exploration of the power of imagination’. So without any furth ado, you can read an extract from Mirrorland (above) by the wonderful Carole Johnstone here. ----------------------------------------------       Paul’s most current crime novel as PL Kane Her Husband’s Grave, which sold out twice on Amazon and once on Waterstones, was also getting more love last month – as you can see from the new 5 star review above on Goodreads. It also reached the heady heights of #63 in the bestseller charts for Psychological Thrillers on Amazon (also above). To get your copy, just click here. -------------------------------------------     News about the Distant Grey Gaming adaptation of Shadow Writer and the Order of the Shadows mythos into an RPG hit the Clive Barker Podcast too last month. You can read more about that here. ----------------------------------------------     Paul went back to his teaching roots a bit in March, speaking to film students at the University of Derby first and then making a video about creative writing for GCSE students in Essex (above).     And you can catch more of him online next month at the WordCrafter ‘New Beginnings’ Writing Conference, where he’ll be sitting on Zoom panels about World Building and Character Development and also giving the Keynote Speech. For more on that and to buy tickets, just click here. ------------------------------------------     Finally, Paul reviewed the movie The Ice Cream Truck and the series of N0S4A2 – based on the book by Joe Hill – both for Sci-Fi Bulletin last month, and you can read those here and here.     ---------------------------------------------------- March           Sacrifice (a.k.a The Colour of Madness) was released early last month to stream on many platforms in the US, including Amazon, Google Play and others (above)               It was also one of the top pre-orders on Apple+ TV, scored a Fresh rating of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and was one of the topics of discussion on the Clive Barker Podcast here (all above).             Needless to say, there was a lot of buzz surrounding the movie at that time. In the week that it dropped, star Barbara Crampton did a lot of publicity including multiple interviews with various genre news outlets like Daily Dead, Pop Horror, Nightmare on Film Street and Nightmarish Conjurings (above), which you can read here, here, here, and here. She also chatted to Dead Talk News here and Comic Book Resources here.                                 Barbara was also interviewed live by places like Scream, Coming Soon, LRM, MovieWeb and Horror Patch as well as for the Creatures of the Night on Spotify and Apple Podcasts (all above). You can watch those videos here, here, here, here, and here, as well catch Barbara on Flickering Myth here.                 And there were some Zoom interviews with the directors and cast, first on Dread Central and then Fangoria (above). You can watch those here and here.           As well as the 5 star Amazon ratings (above), reviews also started appearing, like the one above from Killer Horror Critic above and Flesh Wounds, which you can watch here.     In a four star review Letterboxd said: ‘The aesthetic of Sacrifice is consistent throughout, instead of struggling to reconcile that dark, foggy, antiquated feeling with a contemporary story…many of the shots, beautiful and odd, look as if they could be in a painting with their composition. I especially loved the underwater shots and the way such choices allowed for interesting transitions…  I would recommend Sacrifice as both a good folk horror film and a thoughtful engagement of Lovecraft's ideas.’ Read the full thing here.     Aisle Seat’s 3/4 review stated: ‘Sacrifice is a good reminder of how important performances are in horror movies. Too often, emphasis is placed on creating “cool” blood and gore shots, or crafting jump scares. Those components can be essential, too, yet without strong acting, it's impossible to care about anything else. Sacrifice has very good performances, and that allows it to work its twisted magic on viewers…I'm intentionally leaving out significant plot points because Sacrifice doles answers out very strategically. To know too much going in would eliminate a lot of the suspense. What can safely be said is that the story delves into the theme of families – specifically, whether it’s possible to break from the legacies that are handed down by them… Such an ambitious story requires actors who really know how to bring the material alive. Sacrifice has them. Ludovic Hughes does an authentic job charting Isaac’s transition from basically nice guy to hostile, single-minded jerk. The actor makes sure we recognize that his character has had his conscience clouded. Stevens, meanwhile, elevates the slightly cliched role of the “scared wife.” Rather than being a damsel in distress, she palpably conveys Emma’s growing fear, especially for the unborn baby. As it becomes clearer what’s going on at the island, Stevens raises the game on showing the terror of having to confront a grim realization. The best performance comes from Barbara Crampton. Aside from speaking with a credible Norwegian accent, she imbues Renate with a sense of mystery that greatly benefits the movie. We really aren’t sure if the character is benign or malicious. She presents as friendly, yet there’s something off-kilter about her affect. And after performing the ceremony with Isaac, her actions suggest a deeper motivation. Crampton keeps us guessing as to whether Renate is trying to protect Isaac in some strange way or steer him in a bad direction. The answer becomes clear at the end, leading to a pitch-perfect final line of dialogue that Crampton delivers beautifully… Together with their ace cast, directors Andy Collier and Toor Mian have made an atmospheric horror movie that grows increasingly eerie before delivering a knockout finale.’ You can read the full thing here.     Mass Movement commented: ‘What happens when you take the basic premise of The Wicker Man, and then invite H.P. Lovecraft and Paul Kane to the party? What happens, as if all of you wonderful horror hounds didn’t already know, is Sacrifice. A tale of a long overdue homecoming set in an isolated, rural community in Norway that might or might not be in thrall to the ancient thing that sleeps beneath the waters that surrounds it, Sacrifice is masterclass in slow burn dread and gradual creeping fear that explores the psychology of indoctrination, tradition and innate localism and the impact and effect they have on the human psyche. Playing with the finest long-standing tropes of Lovecraftian horror while weaving its own dark and sinister magic, Sacrifice teases its audience with its will they or won’t they plot that twists and turns in all sorts of unexpected directions before finally hitting you with an unexpected shock ending. As reliant on the performances of its cast and characterisation as it is on its deliciously devious plot, Sacrifice thrives on the unseen and the imagined, and is propelled into the realm of soon to be cult classic by a scene stealing turn from Barbara Crampton. And it is horribly good fun. Ia! Ia! Sacrifice fhtagn…’ The full thing can be found here.     Film Craziest had this to say in their 75/100 review: ‘Andy Collier and Toor Mian’s Sacrifice really brings the Lovecraftian in its imagery, horror, and especially in its deity The Slumbering One. In every shot of the sea, there’s dread in the cinematography (also by Andy Collier) and tone as we imagine what is lurking out there. Also a great aspect of the cinematography is the use of bright greens, purples and reds – and I’m sure a bunch of other colours – in several scenes involving water and other aspects…The script, written by co-director Toor Mian with Andy Collier, and based on a short story by Paul Kane, doesn’t answer every question here, either, but it’s smart as it lets you fill in some blanks and it sets everything up well and concludes well, too, albeit abruptly. It’s abrupt in the way that I wanted to see more and wanted to know more, because it could make for an exciting sequel in its own right.’ You can find the full thing here.     Rami Ungar the Writer offered: ‘I first heard about this film last month, described as The Call of Cthulhu meets small Norwegian island and with Barbara Crampton of Re-Animator and Chopping Mall fame heavily featured in the marketing… Based on a short story by Paul Kane (whose work I need to check out) and influenced by the works of HP Lovecraft, Sacrifice follows Isaac Jorgstadt and his pregnant wife Emma as they return to the tiny Norwegian island where he lived until he was a child and his mother took him to America…Pandemic or no pandemic, I think we can call this the first good horror film of 2021! First off, the movie was really well done. The strange behavior of the townsfolk adds to this feeling of unreality in the story, which is heightened by frightening imagery and occurrences…All in all, though, this was a creepy and enjoyable ride. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.1 As of right now, it’s only available from iTunes, but I say it’s worth the cost to check out, especially if you can pair it with some good calamari.’ And the full thing is here.   Meanwhile 411 Mania said: ‘Sacrifice delivers on its mood with some fun performances and a solid use of culty horror tropes. Barbara Crampton is fun in her supporting role of the local sheriff while Sophie Stevens admirably anchors the film opposite Ludovic Hughes as a couple in peril in a town that is increasingly foreign to one and ominously attractive to the other.’ Read the full thing here.   Women in Horror said: ‘Sacrifice is similar to “pagan horror” movies like The Wicker Man and Midsommar, but the “cosmic horror” Lovecraftian angle gives it an otherworldly feel that adds depth and dimension. And the ending? Perfection!’ Full review here.   And Grisly Grinning said: ‘Based on a story by Paul Kane, the Eldritch influence is heavy here, mixed handily with the cult-like folk horror we’ve seen across history, ranging from The Wicker Man all the way up to Aster’s sunlit terrifier Midsommar... Entertaining throughout, with its coy hints at ancient horrors and healthy doses of cosmic and folkloric horror, Sacrifice is a vivid dreamscape full of tentacled terror and cultish chaos that is well worth a watch.’ The full review is here.       In addition to Sacrifice landing at selected Cinemas and online, the region-free Blu-ray also went on sale in the US at the end of February, and went out to reviewers in a gorgeous promo box with extras (above, photo by Chelsea Stardust on Instagram). To check out that release just click here.       Finally, as reported by places like Blazing Minds here, From Page 2 Screen here, Horror Screams Video Vault here and We Are Cult here, the UK streaming date for Sacrifice is March 15th and it is being distributed over on these shores by 101 Films.   ---------------------------------------------     Keeping up our run of excellent Guest Writers this month, we have Louise Carey with her cracking solo fiction debut Inscape (above). It’s already gained praise from the likes of Joe Hill and Claire North (below), so to dive right in and see what all the hype is about just click here.       ------------------------------------------------     ChillerCon UK (formerly StokerCon UK) has new dates at last! It will still be the same convention Paul has been talking about since before it first had to be postponed last April, just moved now to March 10-13th 2022. You can find out more at the website here. --------------------------------------       News of The Shadow Writer game we told you about in the previous news update has been making its way across the net, reported by the likes of Sci-Fi Bulletin here, Kendall Reviews here, and This is Horror here. More about this exciting project soon!       ---------------------------------------------------     Above and below you’ll find photos of the contributor copies of The Gemini Factor Paul received from the publisher last month, and what things of beauty they are we’re sure you’ll agree!             You can get your hands on a copy just by clicking here or here. --------------------------------------------------       Paul’s other crime book out at the moment, Her Husband’s Grave written as PL Kane, sold out not just once but three times on Amazon.co.uk last month. It also saw the novel climbing in the bestseller charts on there (above). The book sold out at Waterstones online as well… You can buy your own copy of the book here. ----------------------------------------------     There was a review of another of Paul’s books last month too, this time a write-up of Arcana from author David Watkins on his site. He said: ‘Paul Kane is a name that deserves far wider recognition. His imagination is all over the place and you are never sure what you’re going to get from him. So far he has covered a reimagination of the Robin Hood myth, the end of the world with a disease, Sherlock Holmes crossing paths with the Cenobites of Hellraiser and a twist on Adam, Eve and the snake. That’s just a snapshot – take a look at his Amazon page and you can see he’s written a lot of stories. They do all have one thing in common: quality. Kane is a great writer and knows above all how to tell a good story. Arcana is another winner from him. The setup is a bit like Harry Potter and Ben Aaronovitch decided to have a baby and then it grew up to be hard as nails. We’re in an alternative world, where magic exists but its users are hunted by magic police called M-Forcers. The opening attack on a shopping centre is superbly done – a masterclass in rising tension as you realise what’s about to happen. From there, we meet Callum and Ferne and the main plot kicks in. There are a few twists along the way, but in Kane’s hands the “chosen one” trope becomes interesting and engaging again…The set pieces are hugely entertaining and are begging to be filmed. A sequel please Mr Kane!’ To read the full thing click here and to order it from Amazon just click here. -----------------------------------------       Paul contributed more reviews for Sci-Fi Bulletin last month, and you can read what he thought of the movies Crone Wood and I Am Toxic (above) here, and here,  the limited edition box set of Host here, and the films The Skin Collector and The Curse of Dracula (all below) here and here.           February     The big news is the announcement that Sacrifice (aka The Colour of Madness), which is based on Paul’s novelette ‘Men of the Cloth’ is coming out this very month, at selected theatres on the 5th February, online on 9th and on Blu-ray on the 23rd. The news came via an exclusive on Entertainment Weekly, which included an interview with star Barbara Crampton and the first look at the trailer. You can take a look at that here.       News then spread to other sites, including Dread Central and Rue Morgue here and here.       And the trailer then went wide (above and below).               But you can watch it by clicking on the below:     A number of reaction videos also went up, of people watching the trail, like the one below, where the viewer said: ‘I loved that! Looked fantastic, I’m in!’:         And you can watch the full thing here. -----------------------------------------------       Paul’s other film at the moment, The Torturer, which he wrote the script for this time, has received not one, but five Gold Tier Laurels in the Horror Movie Awards (above). You can visit the dedicated site for this and find reviews, interviews and more at the link here. ----------------------------------------------     Do we have a Guest Writer for you this month! Only the author of the publishing phenomenon that is Girl A (above): none other than the very talented Abigail Dean. Already a Sunday Times Bestseller, if you haven’t read it yet – and where have you been? – you can dive right into an extract from the beginning of the novel here.     -----------------------------------------------------       Turning to TV now, and the episode of the primetime LionsGate/NBC show Fear Itself based on Paul’s ‘Dead Time’, New Year’s Day, has dropped on Amazon Prime to buy or rent (above). You can still get paperback and audio copies containing the original story and the rest of the Dead Trilogy (below) here and here.       ---------------------------------------------     Paul received his contributor copies of Darkness & Shadows ahead of its publication in March by Sinister (above and below), and they look stunning!             To pre-order the title on Amazon just click here. -----------------------------------------------     Art © Ben Baldwin    While we’re on the subject, some great news connected with that collection. An RPG is coming based on one of the stories from it, ‘Shadow Writer’ itself! This from the official PR which went out on the 1st Feb.   ‘Distant Grey Gaming and Philip J. Bedingfield have teamed up with bestselling and award-winning author Paul Kane (Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell, Before, Arcana) to bring you: Shadow Writer, The RPG! Based on the popular story of the same name and the mythology of the ‘Order of the Shadows’, this will be a tabletop roleplaying game (using the Basic Roleplaying System Reference Document) that will be played initially on the Distant Grey Gaming Podcast soon. In the meantime, you can pre-order the collection Darkness & Shadows, which contains all of the ‘Order of the Shadows’ tales – including ‘Shadow Writer’ – plus the short novel Of Darkness and Light, from The Sinister Horror Company here. ---------------------------------------------------     Paul has been busily reviewing for Sci-Fi Bulletin recently, and you can read what he thought of the new Netflix series Alice in Borderland here, the final season of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina here and new Korean horror series Sweet Home here.       ------------------------------------------------     Finally, February is of course Paul’s birthday month, so we’re sure you’ll join us in wishing him many happy returns!    -------------------------------------------------------- January     Happy New Year! We begin 2021 in fine style with the announcement of another new book coming from Paul. Darkness & Shadows (above) will be published by Sinister (who previously published his Death collection) and out in March. This from the official PR: ‘Are you afraid of the dark? Lee Masterton certainly is. A young man on an ordinary housing estate, who reluctantly takes a job as a nightwatchman only to find himself in the middle of a supernatural struggle... While at the same time reporter Stephen Regis is granted his life-long wish to interview his favourite author – the so-called “Shadow Writer – and a girl named Kelly wakes up during a terrifying total blackout. Then three fathers set out to rescue their children from a mysterious cult and a boxer called Dixon finds himself in the fight of his career... and his life! Finally, as a very unusual lighthouse keeper begins his shift, another man called Brian Newcomb gets invited to a bizarre evening at the theatre... From the imagination of award-winning and #1 bestselling author Paul Kane (Hooded Man, Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell, Arcana), Sinister presents a welcome reissue of the now rare and out of print short novel Of Darkness and Light, coupled with the other side of the coin. For the first time ever in print, all the popular “Order of the Shadows” tales are also gathered together here alongside brand new stories. With an introduction by bestselling author M.R. Carey (The Girl with All the Gifts, Fellside, The Book of Koli) and cover photography by Michael Marshall Smith (Hannah Green and Her Unfeasibly Mundane Existence). If you weren't afraid of the darkness, the shadows, and what lurks within them before, you will be after reading this!’     You can read the official announcement on the Gingernuts of Horror site, with a line or two from Paul,here. And you can preorder the title on Amazon here, or from the publisher directly here. -------------------------------------     Keeping the festive spirit alive now, and Paul’s piece about his personal Christmas Comfort reading featured on the HQ site here last month. He also contributed a short story to Sinister’s Advent Calendar ‘Red Nosed’, which you can still read for a limited time here, plus see what Rebbie Reviews thought of it here.     And an audio adaptation of Paul’s Xmas story ‘Nightmare on 34th Street’ appeared on the 100th episode of the Ghost Guys’ podcast (above) which you can listen to here. -------------------------------------------     For our first Guest Writer slot of the New Year we have a treat for you, BFA-nominated author of Suffer Little Children (above): Penny Jones. We’re lucky enough to have an exclusive sneak peek at her forthcoming novella from Hersham Horror, Matryoshka (below) and you can read that here.     ----------------------------------------       As part of their ‘Christmas in Hell’ series, the guys over at The Horror Show (above) reviewed Paul’s novel Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell in December. You can watch the whole thing and see what they made of the book below.     ----------------------------------------     Paul was also the warden of the graveyard over at Kendall Reviews last month, which means he had to choose his favourite books to take with him on the Graveyard Shift. To see his choices, just click here. ------------------------------------------     The anthology featuring Paul’s story ‘Lifeline’, Leaders of the Pack, was a Number One Kindle bestseller on Kindle last month (above). You can still pick that one up here. ---------------------------------------------       The Torturer movie received another laurel last month, this time as an official selection of the Flixze Film Festival… ----------------------------------------------- Sticking with film for a moment, friend of the SW site Finn Callan’s new short movie has just dropped, and excellent it is too. You can watch it below and find out more about Finn at his site here.     ---------------------------------------     Finally, above is a picture of the box of treats the publisher of Paul’s PL Kane thrillers sent last month – delicious cookies and brownies from the Luminary Bakery!       -------------------------------------------------------------- ARCHIVE 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2022 | 2023 |

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