Cirrus@Austlit

 (Publication summary)

'The Black Beacon Book of Horror features dark and disturbing tales from some of the most original and imaginative authors writing in the genre today. These tales of psychological, supernatural, folk, gothic, and cosmic horror will usher you into the darkest of realms and leave you there to fend for yourself. You'll lose your way in abandoned houses and hospitals, and be trapped on stormy beaches and along foggy country roads. There are haunted dolls, creepy-crawlies, malevolent spirits, creatures of legend, Lovecraftian terrors, and the demons within our own minds. But as varied as the settings and themes are, each tale has that one essential trait; the power to make you glance over your shoulder just to be sure the terror hasn't found a way to leave the page.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Was it nuclear war, an uncontrollable pandemic, or forces beyond our reckoning? Will we even know what happened once supply lines have been cut, radio silence has kicked in, and our world has come to a grinding halt? Who will have what it takes to carry on? Who will want to?

'This cataclysmic anthology casts the reader into a post-apocalyptic world where every step taken and every decision made can mean the difference between life and death. These are epic stories of a world in ruins, but they are also intimate and moving accounts. Our masterful contributors take you by the hand and show you what will be. Don't let go, whatever you do...hold on tight! You will share the characters' struggles as you navigate wastelands or hole up as best you can in the crumbling remains of supermarkets and abandoned houses. You will go hungry. Your feet will grow numb. You will fear, and you might have to fight to the death. But in the end, you will remember it is only a book, and that you can close it, knowing you are safe and sound, because we are not in a post-apocalyptic world. Not here. Not now. Not today. But what will tomorrow bring?' (Publication summary)

'The Second Black Beacon Book of Mystery is even more challenging than the first. Our cast of intrepid investigators needs your puzzle-solving talent again, for these aren't merely stories, but fair-play mysteries. In this anthology, you'll be faced with impossible crimes. You'll find frightful amounts of poison...don't invite these authors over for dinner! There are clues to be collected and alibis to be checked, and your general knowledge and attention to detail will be put to the test. Does that sound like your cup of tea? Ah, best not drink that! Will you take the case? Great! We're counting on you!'

'One name springs to mind when we think of classic suspense films; Alfred Hitchcock. His silhouette is instantly recognisable as no one else has quite the same pouty lips and round, chubby face. The way he posed for photographs and his penchant for making cameo appearances in his films bear witness to his larger-than-life personality, but it was his ability to tell a spellbinding tale coupled with his technical brilliance that earned him the epithet of "Master of Suspense". His groundbreaking use of camera movement and the way he framed shots to maximise anxiety and fear place films like "Vertigo" among the very finest examples of creative achievement ever produced within the seventh art. In "Rear Window", he builds edge-of-your-seat tension by placing us in James Stewart's wheelchair and making us watch events unroll through his eyes, and the use of cutting-edge special effects in "The Birds" is almost as impressive as the fact that more than three thousand birds were trained for the film. What else do these three films mentioned have in common, along with "Psycho" and "Rebecca" and so many others? That's right...they were based on novels or short stories; the written word. In "A Hint of Hitchcock", we turn our attention back from the screen to the page, and bring you, the avid suspense reader, modern tales that chill and surprise, all inspired by the work of the master of suspense.' (Publication summary)

'Join Oscar Tremont on his first four cases as he tackles mysteries too strange for the police and assures his clients that a rational explanation lies behind what at first appears to be impossible. You will find clues, question suspects, don disguises, break into abandoned houses, solve codes and puzzles, and if you really have your wits about you, crack the case before our hero.

'Oscar Tremont, Investigator of the Strange and Inexplicable consists of two novellas and two short stories that display the keen intellect of a private investigator who is bound to make a name for himself in the mystery genre.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Lock the doors and switch the power off at the mains!

'Tales of deadly machinery have long fascinated us, from Edgar Allan Poe’s classic pendulum to the Terminator films. 

'Murder and Machinery pays homage to this tradition, offering you gripping tales following this theme but set in different times and places, from colonial America and London during the First World War to dystopian futures on this planet and beyond. Never before has an anthology brought tales of science fiction and suspense together in such a terrifying way, showcasing the nightmarish imagination of authors who know how to play on the reader’s fears and who share those fears of uncontrollable machines, or perhaps even more frightening, of fellow humans mastering technology for their own evil purposes. A word of advice before you start. By all means, settle down in your living room and let this anthology of technological terror and mechanical madness enthral you, but first, you might want to lock your doors and switch the power off at the mains. Best keep it low-tech tonight. Trust me. I hope you have candles?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

Ian Carew left London to become a teacher in Mirebury, a town lost in the moors of Cornwall where everybody knows each other and life is quiet and pleasant. His elderly neighbour, Mrs Mary Hopkins, treats him like a son, and the local butcher, Jack Cochon, is his closest friend. All that is missing from Ian’s life is a good woman to share his bed with and a little adventure.

Little does he know, he is about to get a taste of both.

Source: Author's Blurb

'The Animal Inside is a collection of thirteen strange and twisted stories that will take you for a walk along the fine line between insanity and reason, the peculiar and the prosaic, and the animal kingdom and human society, then leave you wondering where one ends and the other begins. These tales will confuse, amuse, shock, and intrigue, but they will also cause you to contemplate your very own animal inside. The stories collected here are Cleopatra's Mystery Box, The Church of Asag, Old Mabel's Stray Cat, Veronica's Dogs, The Crows of Eildon Hill, Lauren, Milk, Horror at Hollow Head, Declan's Fantasy (previously unpublished), Forgotten Falls, Animal, Like Sisters, and It Starts with Insects.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'An anthology for readers who love stormy weather, whether it be the thunderstorms of the tropics, the tempests of the Atlantic, or the blizzards of the frozen north. Seek shelter, batten down the hatches, and lose yourself in this short anthology of suspense, mystery, and terror, designed to be read in one stormy sitting while the wind howls or thunder bellows.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Who is Oscar Tremont, Investigator of the Strange and Inexplicable?
He is a private investigator who solves seemingly inexplicable puzzles. He is a dichotomy of Victorian charm and progressive spirit. He has a keen intellect, is a master of disguise, is rather fond of whisky, and has a tendency to enter buildings illegally while working on a case. He uncovers secrets, but he also has many of his own. With every new adventure, you'll grow to understand this complex chap a little more.

'The Hunt for the Stayne Fortune introduces the mystery fan to Oscar Tremont, Investigator of the Strange and Inexplicable. Work is slow and Oscar is having a hard time making ends meet, but when he stumbles across a coded message in a second-hand bookshop, he knows he won't rest until he's cracked it. With secret messages and family legends, hidden compartments and masterful disguises, The Hunt for the Stayne Fortune has everything the armchair detective needs.
 

'Can you get to the bottom of the mystery before Oscar Tremont? You'd better hop to it! He's already in his "thinking chair" with a dram of whisky at hand. The hunt is on!' (Publication summary)

Entering the tunnels is easy, but Ripley and Gabriela soon discover that reaching the surface again will be the greatest challenge they have ever faced...

The Tunnel Runner is a tale of urban adventure and social discontent that plunges the reader deep beneath the city of Brisbane.

Come and explore the world on the other side of the street.

Source: Author's Blurb

'Black Beacon Books presents an anthology of dark tales about lighthouses and beacons. This unique book offers you, the most daring of readers, fourteen original stories of horror, mystery, suspense, and adventure. Within these pages lurk monsters from the depths of the seas and the far reaches of the cosmos. There are murders to solve, hauntings to investigate, and loved ones to be rescued. There are tales of hidden treasure, timeless curses, and ancient orders. Seafarers face ferocious storms while families fall apart and lighthouse keepers lose their sanity. The storm is coming, so batten down the hatches and let Lighthouses guide you into the darkness.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Black Beacon Books presents Subtropical Suspense, an anthology of scorching tales of mystery set in and around Brisbane. If you call the river city home, or have ever visited, this anthology will take pride of place on your bookshelf. If you haven't yet found your way to Brisbane, and you are not faint-hearted, feel free to use this anthology as a travel guide ... of places best avoided!

'Subtropical Suspense will take you from a caravan park in Newmarket to an ice rink in Acacia Ridge, and from the grubbiest corners of Fortitude Valley to the quiet and respectable streets of Wilston. You will hunt murderers, thieves, and fraudsters. You will survive floods and thunderstorms. You will never look at jacarandas the same way again and the murky mysteries of the Brisbane River will be revealed. You will get lost, but you will find yourself again. You will, above all, find Brisbane again.

'Sit down in a cool reading spot–on a verandah or under a Moreton Bay fig tree would be ideal–and let the subtropical suspense take hold.'

Source: Publisher's blurb (back cover)

'A businessman staying in a Scottish manor makes the mistake of deciding to spend the evening in the library. A group of unpopular teenage girls use witchcraft to pursue their aims. A rich banking tycoon has forgotten his university days when he and his friends dared to imagine a world ruled by social justice and working class ideals. The estranged family of a deceased aristocrat bicker over their inheritance. A botanist’s love for his plants is unnaturally deep-rooted.'

Source: Publisher's blurb. (Sighted: 10/12/2013)

'Fourteen year old Byron James wishes he'd never been dragged to Parkton.

'It's a crazy sideshow of a town in the middle of damn nowhere, and he's stranded there. To make matters worse, his two new friends - his only friends - turn out to be class rejects with an unhealthy interest in monsters. They want to discover the truth to the infamous monster house at number 809 Jacob Street.

'Joey Blue is an old bluesman who fell into his songs and couldn’t find his way out again. Now he’s a Gutterbreed, one of the slinking shifting shadows haunting the town’s alleys. When an old dead friend comes begging for help, Joey’s world is torn apart. He is forced to stare down the man he has become in order to rescue the man he once was - and there is only one place he can do that.

'The house on Jacob Street calls to them all, but what will they find when they open its door?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.