Jeremy Bates

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About Jeremy Bates
USA TODAY and #1 AMAZON bestselling author Jeremy Bates has published more than twenty novels and novellas. They have sold more than one million copies, been translated into several languages, and been optioned for film and TV by major studios. Midwest Book Review compares his work to “Stephen King, Joe Lansdale, and other masters of the art.” He has won both an Australian Shadows Award and a Canadian Arthur Ellis Award. He was also a finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards, the only major book awards decided by readers. The novels in the “World’s Scariest Places” series are set in real locations and include Suicide Forest in Japan, The Catacombs in Paris, Helltown in Ohio, Island of the Dolls in Mexico, Mountain of the Dead in Russia, and Hotel Chelsea in New York City. The novels in the "World's Scariest Legends" series are based on real legends and include Mosquito Man, The Sleep Experiment, The Man From Taured, Merfolk, and The Dancing Plague. You can check out any of these places or legends on the web. Also, visit JEREMYBATESBOOKS.COM to receive Black Canyon, WINNER of The Lou Allin Memorial Award.
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Author updates
Books By Jeremy Bates
What would you get if you smashed together Stephen King's coming-of-age tale The Body (aka Stand by Me) with Richard Laymon's The Traveling Vampire Show? Give The Dancing Plague a read to find out!
In the sixteenth century hundreds of residents of Strasbourg in Alsace (now France) danced uncontrollably for days on end, many dropping dead from their exertions.
Nearly four hundred years later “the dancing plague” has returned, this time afflicting the residents of an idyllic Cape Cod town.
For twelve-year-old Ben Graves and his two friends, the inexplicable dancing mania is only the beginning of the horror to come.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Although The Dancing Plague can be read as a complete, stand-alone, full-length novel, it has been conceived as a two-part story. This is Book 1. It is set in 1988 and tells the story from the perspectives of three 12-year-old children. Book 2 will be set in the present day and continue the story from the perspectives of the same three children, only as middle-aged adults. So please stay tuned! The release date for Book 2 is late 2022.
A collection of four critically acclaimed short novels.
Box of Bones - Jim is an American expat teaching English in the Philippines. After a night out with his girlfriend in one of the country's remote provinces, he wakes to find himself in a pitch-black coffin—and quickly running out of oxygen. With only his cell phone and his own wits to rely on, it's a race against time to escape the claustrophobic death trap.
Six Bullets - The end of civilization arrived in the form of a giant asteroid thirteen months ago. For Burt James, a survivalist, it was not a complete surprise. He'd spent much of his adult life prepping for such a catastrophe. Consequently, while the majority of the population scoured the post-apocalyptic landscape for water and food, regressing into primitive killers, he bunkered down in his fortified hilltop home in a small town in the middle of the Australian Outback. But now he's out of food and down to his last six bullets, and he will have to make the most difficult choice of his life.
The Mailman - Los Angeles, 1985. Never was the motto sex, drugs, and rock n' roll more apt than the scene on the legendary Sunset Strip with the arrival of the underground Hollywood glam bands.
While Mick Freeman, a record executive with a major label, works tirelessly to sign five toxic rockers whom he believes might flip the entire music world on its head, his wife, Jade, spends her days bored and alone at home, struggling with a midlife crisis that threatens to topple their twenty-year marriage.
And then she meets the new mailman. Young and handsome, he sweeps her off her feet—straight into a nightmare the likes of which she could never have imagined.
Re-roll - In the near future, breathtakingly humanoid robots called Mechs are for sale, and they're designed to fulfill whatever role you want: husband, wife, best friend, slave. Manufacturers allow new owners one free "roll" to randomly determine their Mech's three leading characteristics. But as everybody knows, scoring your ideal traits is a crapshoot, though you can always re-roll—at a price.
You never know where a lie may lead...
While driving to a charming village tucked away deep in the Cascade Mountains of eastern Washington, where she is to begin a new job teaching high school English, Katrina Burton picks up a young hitchhiker who turns out to be a drunken creep. Fearful for her safety, she lies about her destination in order to get him out of the car. But when she later discovers that he is a teacher at the same school, she finds herself feeding that initial lie with more lies.
Then Katrina meets Jack Reeves. Handsome, charismatic and strong, he is exactly what she needs to extricate her from the expanding network of lies. She falls fast and hard for him. But when Jack lands himself in the middle of a grisly murder, she must decide whether to turn him in—or tell yet another lie.
Praise for Jeremy Bates:
"Old-school horror story reminiscent of Stephen King" ★★★★★
"Best book I've read to date" ★★★★★
"Perfect for Laymon fans!" ★★★★★
"Definitely recommend to all fans of modern horror" ★★★★★
"A master storyteller!" ★★★★★
"I sort of fell into Jeremy Bates by accident, and I'm so glad I did. He's one of my new favorite writers, and I urge everyone to check him out" ★★★★★
"The most chilling book I’ve ever read!" ★★★★★
"Absolutely loved this book" ★★★★★
"Non-stop adrenaline rush from beginning to end" ★★★★★
"Any Stephen King or Dean Koontz fan will love it" ★★★★★
"I was hooked from the first page!" ★★★★★
"Binge worthy!" ★★★★★
"This is one of the best books I have ever read!" ★★★★★
"A very juicy, scary ride" ★★★★★
"Suicide Forest is up there with Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box" ★★★★★
"Scariest book I've ever read" ★★★★★
"Huge fan of Mr Bates! You won't be disappointed" ★★★★★
"Edge-of-my-seat experience! I felt I was indeed living the horror" ★★★★★
"Page-turner with a twist! I was hanging on to every word!" ★★★★★
"One of the greatest suspense-filled books I have ever read" ★★★★★
"If you enjoy Richard Laymon, you'll love reading Jeremy Bates" ★★★★★
"A true edge-of-your-seat thriller...I couldn't put it down!" ★★★★★
"Startlingly Spooky!" ★★★★★
"A non-stop page-turner!" ★★★★★
"Early Stephen King, Robert McCammon, Jeremy Bates is a must read
Whilst Matt Shaw is busy producing, writing and directing the feature film NEXT DOOR he decided to put together a horror anthology of the same name, and with the same theme as the motion picture. None of the stories in this collection feature in the film; the two products are completely separate other than the central concept of exploring who does live NEXT DOOR to us?
Given the fact these are some of the biggest names in horror, you can bet that whomever is living next door probably won't be the friendliest of characters...
The year is 2019 and technology has come so far that we spend more time staring at our mobile devices, and screens in general, than getting to know our next door neighbour. Gone are the days of knowing everyone who lives on the same street, or in the same village. Instead we leave our houses, avoid eye-contact or give the bare minimum of grunts to those we see and go about our daily lives without a care for anyone else. No more street parties, no more kindly neighbours checking in on you, no more Christmas cards from the little old lady who lives across the street. There's only "us" and our technology.
This anthology takes a look at who lives NEXT DOOR and what secrets they may be keeping. And who knows, maybe it will serve as warning to you that, really, you should be paying attention to those living close-by. After all, Fred West was someone's neighbour once...
Featuring stories by:
Tim Lebbon
Shaun Hutson
Ryan C. Thomas
Jeremy Bates
David Moody
Guy N. Smith
Matthew Stokoe
Justin Woodward
Gary McMahon
Rich Hawkins
Jim Goforth
Matt Shaw
includes links to 60 second shorts, directed by Matt Shaw
The 60 Second Shorts were filmed whilst NEXT DOOR was being shot, for inclusion in the credits as "a bit of fun".
NEXT DOOR: The Motion Picture
Coming early 2020. Matt Shaw's second feature film after MONSTER. NEXT DOOR is an anthology film made up of short films based upon his F*cked-Up Shorts range of books. Each of the stories is linked together with a central storyline. With Matt Shaw's twisted imagination in full flow you can expect horror, comedy, suspense, thrills, sex, drama and more!
Starring: Jan Anderson, Vas Blackwood, Amanda Clapham, Jamie Lomas, Nathan Sussex, Danielle Harold, Jeremy Edwards and more!
Find Matt Shaw's directorial debut "MONSTER" on Amazon Prime today!
A collection of four critically acclaimed short novels.
Black Canyon - Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado boasts one of the most beautiful and deepest canyons in the United States. For twelve-year-old Brian Garrett, a weekend camping trip in the park promises to be an opportunity to bond with his aloof parents. But after his father suffers a horrible accident during a hike to the chasm's floor, events spiral quickly out of control, and over the next twenty-four hours Brian will uncover a terrifying dark side to his father—and an even darker side to himself.
Rewind - When a man wakes in a rundown apartment, hooked up to a strange machine, a dead body in the next room, he has no memory of who he is, or what he is doing there. Over the next forty-eight hours, however, as he works to unravel the mystery of his identity, he'll come to realize that he might be one of the most influential people of the twenty-first century—and that some things are better left unknown.
Run - During a camping trip to the Catskill Mountains, Charlotte's boyfriend Luke, a former soldier suffering PTSD, goes on a rampage, nearly killing Charlotte and her two friends. A year later Charlotte is a graduate student in the small college town of Ashenville, North Carolina. Yet her new life is shattered when Luke, recently released from prison, shows up on her doorstep, demanding to get back together. When it becomes clear to Luke that she is no longer interested in him, and she has in fact moved on with a new boyfriend, he vows to kill her. Now, it seems, Charlotte only has one option: Run.
Neighbors - New York is a city of eight million strangers. For twenty-five-year old Buddy Smith, who values his privacy, it's the only place he would call home. Yet his simple life is flipped upside down when a new neighbor moves in next door. She's young, beautiful, a bit nosy...and might just be a cold-blooded killer. Against his better judgment, Buddy spends the night with her—a decision that will prove to be the biggest mistake of his life.
This omnibus edition includes books three and four in the bestselling World's Scariest Places series.
Helltown - Since the 1980s there have been numerous reports of occult activity and other possibly supernatural phenomenon within certain villages and townships of Summit County, Ohio—an area collectively known as Helltown.
When a group of out-out-town friends investigating the legends are driven off the road by a mysterious hearse, their night of cheap thrills turns to chills as they begin to die one by one.
Island of the Dolls - Deep within an ancient Aztec canal system on the outskirts of Mexico City lies Isla de las Munecas...a reportedly haunted island infested with thousands of decrepit dolls.
While there to film a television documentary, several friends discover a brutal murder. Soon fear and paranoia turn them against one another—even as the unknown killer stalks them throughout the longest night of their lives.
Praise for Jeremy Bates:
"Old-school horror story reminiscent of Stephen King" ★★★★★
"Best book I've read to date" ★★★★★
"Perfect for Laymon fans!" ★★★★★
"Definitely recommend to all fans of modern horror" ★★★★★
"A master storyteller!" ★★★★★
"I sort of fell into Jeremy Bates by accident, and I'm so glad I did. He's one of my new favorite writers, and I urge everyone to check him out" ★★★★★
"The most chilling book I’ve ever read!" ★★★★★
"Absolutely loved this book" ★★★★★
"Non-stop adrenaline rush from beginning to end" ★★★★★
"Any Stephen King or Dean Koontz fan will love it" ★★★★★
"I was hooked from the first page!" ★★★★★
"Binge worthy!" ★★★★★
"This is one of the best books I have ever read!" ★★★★★
"A very juicy, scary ride" ★★★★★
"Suicide Forest is up there with Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box" ★★★★★
"Scariest book I've ever read" ★★★★★
"Huge fan of Mr Bates! You won't be disappointed" ★★★★★
"Edge-of-my-seat experience! I felt I was indeed living the horror" ★★★★★
"Page-turner with a twist! I was hanging on to every word!" ★★★★★
"One of the greatest suspense-filled books I have ever read" ★★★★★
"If you enjoy Richard Laymon, you'll love reading Jeremy Bates" ★★★★★
"A true edge-of-your-seat thriller...
This omnibus edition includes books one and two in the bestselling World's Scariest Legends series
Mosquito Man - After a woman bangs at the door in the middle of the night, and promptly dies from her injury, a couple's remote cabin getaway becomes a psychological night of terror as they are hunted by an unknown assailant. Now they must go far beyond what they thought themselves capable of if they hope to save their young children and survive until morning.
The Sleep Experiment - n 1954, at the start of the Cold War, the Soviet military offered four political prisoners their freedom if they participated in an experiment requiring them to remain awake for fourteen days while under the influence of a powerful stimulant gas. The prisoners ultimately reverted to murder, self-mutilation, and madness. None survived.
In 2018, Dr. Roy Wallis, an esteemed psychology professor at UC Berkeley, is attempting to recreate the same experiment during the summer break in a soon-to-be demolished building on campus. He and two student assistants share an eight-hour rotational schedule to observe their young Australian test subjects around the clock.
What begins innocently enough, however, morphs into a nightmare beyond description that no one could have imagined—with, perhaps, the exception of Dr. Roy Wallis himself.
Praise for Jeremy Bates:
"Old-school horror story reminiscent of Stephen King" ★★★★★
"Best book I've read to date" ★★★★★
"Perfect for Laymon fans!" ★★★★★
"Definitely recommend to all fans of modern horror" ★★★★★
"A master storyteller!" ★★★★★
"I sort of fell into Jeremy Bates by accident, and I'm so glad I did. He's one of my new favorite writers, and I urge everyone to check him out" ★★★★★
"The most chilling book I’ve ever read!" ★★★★★
"Absolutely loved this book" ★★★★★
"Non-stop adrenaline rush from beginning to end" ★★★★★
"Any Stephen King or Dean Koontz fan will love it" ★★★★★
"I was hooked from the first page!" ★★★★★
"Binge worthy!" ★★★★★
"This is one of the best books I have ever read!" ★★★★★
"A very juicy, scary ride" ★★★★★
"Suicide Forest is up there with Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box" ★★★★★
"Scariest book I've ever read" ★★★★★
"Huge fan of Mr Bates! You won't be disap-pointed" ★★★★★
"Edge-of-my-seat experience! I felt I was indeed living the horror" ★★★★★
"Page-turner with a twist! I was hanging on to every word!" ★★★★★
"One of the greatest suspense-filled books I have ever read" ★★★★★
<You never know what kind of psycho may be living next door.
New York is a city of eight million strangers. For twenty-five-year-old Buddy Smith, who values his privacy, it's the only place he would call home. Yet his simple life is flipped upside down when a new neighbor moves in next door. She's young, beautiful, a bit nosy...and might just be a cold-blooded killer. Against his better judgment, Buddy spends the night with her—a decision that will prove to be the biggest mistake of his life.
Praise for Jeremy Bates:
"Old-school horror story reminiscent of Stephen King" ★★★★★
"Best book I've read to date" ★★★★★
"Perfect for Laymon fans!" ★★★★★
"Definitely recommend to all fans of modern horror" ★★★★★
"A master storyteller!" ★★★★★
"I sort of fell into Jeremy Bates by accident, and I'm so glad I did. He's one of my new favorite writers, and I urge everyone to check him out" ★★★★★
"The most chilling book I’ve ever read!" ★★★★★
"Absolutely loved this book" ★★★★★
"Non-stop adrenaline rush from beginning to end" ★★★★★
"Any Stephen King or Dean Koontz fan will love it" ★★★★★
"I was hooked from the first page!" ★★★★★
"Binge worthy!" ★★★★★
"This is one of the best books I have ever read!" ★★★★★
"A very juicy, scary ride" ★★★★★
"Suicide Forest is up there with Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box" ★★★★★
"Scariest book I've ever read" ★★★★★
"Huge fan of Mr Bates! You won't be disappointed" ★★★★★
"Edge-of-my-seat experience! I felt I was indeed living the horror" ★★★★★
"Page-turner with a twist! I was hanging on to every word!" ★★★★★
"One of the greatest suspense-filled books I have ever read" ★★★★★
"If you enjoy Richard Laymon, you'll love reading Jeremy Bates" ★★★★★
"A true edge-of-your-seat thriller...I couldn't put it down!" ★★★★★
"Startlingly Spooky!" ★★★★★
"A non-stop page-turner!" ★★★★★
"Early Stephen King, Robert McCammon, Jeremy Bates is a must read!" ★★★★★
"As usual Jeremy Bates has done it again... Give him a try, you'll not regret it" ★★★★★
Although in a series, this is a STAND-ALONE novel.
Time is running out.
Jim is an American expat teaching English in the Philippines. After a night out with his girlfriend in one of the country's remote provinces, he wakes to find himself in a pitch-black coffin—and quickly running out of oxygen. With only his cell phone and his own wits to rely on, it's a race against time to escape the claustrophobic death trap.
Praise for Jeremy Bates:
"Old-school horror story reminiscent of Stephen King" ★★★★★
"Best book I've read to date" ★★★★★
"Perfect for Laymon fans!" ★★★★★
"Definitely recommend to all fans of modern horror" ★★★★★
"A master storyteller!" ★★★★★
"I sort of fell into Jeremy Bates by accident, and I'm so glad I did. He's one of my new favorite writers, and I urge everyone to check him out" ★★★★★
"The most chilling book I’ve ever read!" ★★★★★
"Absolutely loved this book" ★★★★★
"Non-stop adrenaline rush from beginning to end" ★★★★★
"Any Stephen King or Dean Koontz fan will love it" ★★★★★
"I was hooked from the first page!" ★★★★★
"Binge worthy!" ★★★★★
"This is one of the best books I have ever read!" ★★★★★
"A very juicy, scary ride" ★★★★★
"Suicide Forest is up there with Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box" ★★★★★
"Scariest book I've ever read" ★★★★★
"Huge fan of Mr Bates! You won't be disappointed" ★★★★★
"Edge-of-my-seat experience! I felt I was indeed living the horror" ★★★★★
"Page-turner with a twist! I was hanging on to every word!" ★★★★★
"One of the greatest suspense-filled books I have ever read" ★★★★★
"If you enjoy Richard Laymon, you'll love reading Jeremy Bates" ★★★★★
"A true edge-of-your-seat thriller...I couldn't put it down!" ★★★★★
"Startlingly Spooky!" ★★★★★
"A non-stop page-turner!" ★★★★★
"Early Stephen King, Robert McCammon, Jeremy Bates is a must read!" ★★★★★
"As usual Jeremy Bates has done it again... Give him a try, you'll not regret it" ★★★★★
Although in a series, this is a STAND-ALONE novel.
You can run but you can't hide.
During a camping trip to the Catskill Mountains, Charlotte's boyfriend Luke, a former soldier suffering PTSD, goes on a rampage, nearly killing Charlotte and her two friends. A year later Charlotte is a graduate student in the small college town of Ashenville, North Carolina. Yet her new life is shattered when Luke, recently released from prison, shows up on her doorstep, demanding to get back together. When it becomes clear to Luke that she is no longer interested in him, and she has in fact moved on with a new boyfriend, he vows to kill her. Now, it seems, Charlotte only has one option: Run.
Praise for Jeremy Bates:
"Old-school horror story reminiscent of Stephen King" ★★★★★
"Best book I've read to date" ★★★★★
"Perfect for Laymon fans!" ★★★★★
"Definitely recommend to all fans of modern horror" ★★★★★
"A master storyteller!" ★★★★★
"I sort of fell into Jeremy Bates by accident, and I'm so glad I did. He's one of my new favorite writers, and I urge everyone to check him out" ★★★★★
"The most chilling book I’ve ever read!" ★★★★★
"Absolutely loved this book" ★★★★★
"Non-stop adrenaline rush from beginning to end" ★★★★★
"Any Stephen King or Dean Koontz fan will love it" ★★★★★
"I was hooked from the first page!" ★★★★★
"Binge worthy!" ★★★★★
"This is one of the best books I have ever read!" ★★★★★
"A very juicy, scary ride" ★★★★★
"Suicide Forest is up there with Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box" ★★★★★
"Scariest book I've ever read" ★★★★★
"Huge fan of Mr Bates! You won't be disappointed" ★★★★★
"Edge-of-my-seat experience! I felt I was indeed living the horror" ★★★★★
"Page-turner with a twist! I was hanging on to every word!" ★★★★★
"One of the greatest suspense-filled books I have ever read" ★★★★★
"If you enjoy Richard Laymon, you'll love reading Jeremy Bates" ★★★★★
"A true edge-of-your-seat thriller...I couldn't put it down!" ★★★★★
"Startlingly Spooky!" ★★★★★
"A non-stop page-turner!" ★★★★★
"Early Stephen King, Robert McCammon, Jeremy Bates is a must read!" ★★★★★
"As usual Jeremy Bates has done it again...
Nothing is what it seems.
When a man wakes in a rundown apartment, hooked up to a strange machine, a dead body in the next room, he has no memory of who he is, or what he is doing there. Over the next forty-eight hours, however, as he works to unravel the mystery of his identity, he'll come to realize that he might be one of the most influential people of the twenty-first century—and that some things are better left unknown.
Praise for Jeremy Bates:
"Old-school horror story reminiscent of Stephen King" ★★★★★
"Best book I've read to date" ★★★★★
"Perfect for Laymon fans!" ★★★★★
"Definitely recommend to all fans of modern horror" ★★★★★
"A master storyteller!" ★★★★★
"I sort of fell into Jeremy Bates by accident, and I'm so glad I did. He's one of my new favorite writers, and I urge everyone to check him out" ★★★★★
"The most chilling book I’ve ever read!" ★★★★★
"Absolutely loved this book" ★★★★★
"Non-stop adrenaline rush from beginning to end" ★★★★★
"Any Stephen King or Dean Koontz fan will love it" ★★★★★
"I was hooked from the first page!" ★★★★★
"Binge worthy!" ★★★★★
"This is one of the best books I have ever read!" ★★★★★
"A very juicy, scary ride" ★★★★★
"Suicide Forest is up there with Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box" ★★★★★
"Scariest book I've ever read" ★★★★★
"Huge fan of Mr Bates! You won't be disappointed" ★★★★★
"Edge-of-my-seat experience! I felt I was indeed living the horror" ★★★★★
"Page-turner with a twist! I was hanging on to every word!" ★★★★★
"One of the greatest suspense-filled books I have ever read" ★★★★★
"If you enjoy Richard Laymon, you'll love reading Jeremy Bates" ★★★★★
"A true edge-of-your-seat thriller...I couldn't put it down!" ★★★★★
"Startlingly Spooky!" ★★★★★
"A non-stop page-turner!" ★★★★★
"Early Stephen King, Robert McCammon, Jeremy Bates is a must read!" ★★★★★
"As usual Jeremy Bates has done it again... Give him a try, you'll not regret it" ★★★★★
Although in a series, this is a STAND-ALONE novel.
The new face of evil.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado boasts one of the most beautiful and deepest canyons in the United States. For twelve-year-old Brian Garrett, a weekend camping trip in the park promises to be an opportunity to bond with his aloof parents. But after his father suffers a horrible accident during a hike to the chasm's floor, events spiral quickly out of control, and over the next twenty-four hours Brian will uncover a terrifying dark side to his father—and an even darker side to himself.
Praise for Jeremy Bates:
"Old-school horror story reminiscent of Stephen King" ★★★★★
"Best book I've read to date" ★★★★★
"Perfect for Laymon fans!" ★★★★★
"Definitely recommend to all fans of modern horror" ★★★★★
"A master storyteller!" ★★★★★
"I sort of fell into Jeremy Bates by accident, and I'm so glad I did. He's one of my new favorite writers, and I urge everyone to check him out" ★★★★★
"The most chilling book I’ve ever read!" ★★★★★
"Absolutely loved this book" ★★★★★
"Non-stop adrenaline rush from beginning to end" ★★★★★
"Any Stephen King or Dean Koontz fan will love it" ★★★★★
"I was hooked from the first page!" ★★★★★
"Binge worthy!" ★★★★★
"This is one of the best books I have ever read!" ★★★★★
"A very juicy, scary ride" ★★★★★
"Suicide Forest is up there with Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box" ★★★★★
"Scariest book I've ever read" ★★★★★
"Huge fan of Mr Bates! You won't be disappointed" ★★★★★
"Edge-of-my-seat experience! I felt I was indeed living the horror" ★★★★★
"Page-turner with a twist! I was hanging on to every word!" ★★★★★
"One of the greatest suspense-filled books I have ever read" ★★★★★
"If you enjoy Richard Laymon, you'll love reading Jeremy Bates" ★★★★★
"A true edge-of-your-seat thriller...I couldn't put it down!" ★★★★★
"Startlingly Spooky!" ★★★★★
"A non-stop page-turner!" ★★★★★
"Early Stephen King, Robert McCammon, Jeremy Bates is a must read!" ★★★★★
"As usual Jeremy Bates has done it again... Give him a try, you'll not regret it" ★★★★★
Although in a series, this is a STAND-ALONE novel.