The Babysitter, Andrew Coburn, 1979
My favorite quote: “What I’m saying, Mr. Wright, is we don’t know who the hell she was. We don’t even know for sure Paula Aherne was her name.”
Notable characters: Paula Aherne, the babysitter; John and Merle Wright, the parents of the missing child; agents Cooger and Spence, the investigators
Most memorable scene: The opening one … because it hooked me
Greatest strengths: Its depiction of Boston’s North End
Standout achievements: A memorable cast of super shady characters
Fun Facts: Andrew Coburn was the author of 13 novels, three of which were adapted into films. The Babysitter isn’t one of them
Other media: N/A
What it taught me: That extremely brave characters (even if they’re bordering on foolishly so) make for great storytelling
How it inspired me: While The Babysitter isn’t anything like my own books, it reminds me not to flinch away from letting my stories take wholly unexpected turns
Additional thoughts: Despite the cover art, fans of 80s horror will be disappointed in this book. It’s a good book for what it actually is (more crime/noir than horror) but unfortunately, its packaging is pretty misleading.
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
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Published by Alistair Cross
Alistair Cross grew up on horror novels and scary movies, and by the age of eight, began writing his own stories. First published in 2012, he has since co-authored The Cliffhouse Haunting and Mother with Tamara Thorne and is working on several other projects. His debut solo novel, The Crimson Corset, was an Amazon bestseller. The Black Wasp, book 3 in The Vampires of Crimson Cove series is on its way. Find out more about him at: http://alistaircross.com
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In collaboration, Thorne and Cross are currently writing several novels, including the next volume in the continuing gothic series, The Ravencrest Saga. Their first novel, The Cliffhouse Haunting, was an immediate bestseller. Together, they hosted the horror-themed radio show Thorne & Cross: Haunted Nights LIVE! which featured such guests as Anne Rice of The Vampire Chronicles, Charlaine Harris of the Southern Vampire Mysteries and basis of the HBO series True Blood, Jeff Lindsay, author of the Dexter novels, Jay Bonansinga of The Walking Dead series, Laurell K. Hamilton of the Anita Blake novels, Peter Atkins, screenwriter of Hellraiser 2, 3, and 4, worldwide bestseller V.C. Andrews, Kim Harrison of the Hollows series, and New York Times best sellers Preston & Child, Christopher Rice, and Christopher Moore.
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Currently, Thorne & Cross are hosts of Thorne & Cross: Carnival Macabre, where listeners can discover all manner of demented delights, unearth terrifying treasures, and explore the dark side of the arts.
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