The Legend of Walking Sam

Guest Alex Dolan discusses the South Dakota Sioux legend of Walking Sam, the mind-controlling spirit that made local news and the New York Times in 2015 when suicides peaked on the Pine Ridge reservation. Listen in at Thorne & Cross: Carnival Macabre. Legends and lore, monsters and myths, hauntings and horror … bestselling authors Tamara

Ghost Story by Peter Straub

Ghost Story, Peter Straub, 1979 (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS) My favorite quote: “It seemed that if you listened to that snow hissing long enough, you wouldn’t just hear it telling you that it was waiting for you, you’d hear some terrible secret—a secret to turn your life black.” (Thanks, Peter Straub. Now I’m afraid of snow.

The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox

The Witch of Willow Hall, Hester Fox, 2018 (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS) My favorite quote: “Yet at the same time I want to untether my heart, toss it up into the sky and let it take wing. There’s a wildness here that, if nothing else, holds promise, possibility. Who needs society? What has it ever done

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah, 2015 (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS) My favorite quote: “Once you’re ready to die, the plan gets easy.” (Certainly not the most uplifting line in the book, but it’s the one that stood out to me the most) Most interesting characters: Isabelle, code name: The Nightingale; Vianne, her older sister; Gaëtan, the man

Devil’s Waltz by Jonathan Kellerman

Devil’s Waltz (#7 in the Alex Delaware series), Jonathan Kellerman, 2006 (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS) My favorite quote: The opening line: “It was a place of fear and myth, home of miracles and the worst kind of failure.” (I didn’t know what Jonathan Kellerman was describing right away, but soon realized it wasn’t my underwear drawer

Behold … the Probe

The Purple Probe is getting ready to probe you! If you haven’t signed up for our absurdly giddy-licious free monthly newsletter, check us out at: http://eepurl.com/ckaBrr or by visiting our websites: tamarathorne.com and alistaircross.com

4:50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie

4:50 from Paddington, Agatha Christie, 1957 (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS) My favorite quote: “The truth is people are an extraordinary mixture of heroism and cowardice.” (Except me — I’m a total hero. Everyone says so) Most interesting characters: Elspeth McGillicuddy, a train passenger who saw something she shouldn’t have; Miss Marple, the local busybody who not

Join Thorne & Cross: Carnival Macabre!

We have a new page for Thorne & Cross: Carnival Macabre! Follow us on Facebook for all the new shows and updates! Legends and lore, monsters and myths, hauntings and horror … bestselling authors Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross are digging deep in their research files to bring you face-to-face with the unknown, the unusual,

Psychic Machinery: Is it a Ghost or Something More?

Thorne & Cross explore the world of psychic machinery — the paranormal phenomena invoked by the expectations of the living. Is it a ghost, a residual haunting, wishful thinking … or something more?: https://carnivalmacabre.libsyn.com/psychic-machinery Haunt us at: tamarathorne.com and alistaircross.com

Let Your Darkness Out to Play …

“The Crimson Corset” is a good read. There is a colorful cast of characters, a clever plot, and an intricate structure … there are surprises and jumps and starts, sex and death, beauty and gore, something for everyone … if you’re looking for set-up and payoff, this novel will not disappoint.” – HELLNOTES Full Crimson

The Black Death: A Personal History by John Hatcher

The Black Death: A Personal History, John Hatcher, 2008 (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS) My favorite quote: “PESTILENCE!” (That’s what they called the Black Death back then, and hoo-boy, did they like saying that word. “PESTILENCE!” in all caps, just like that. That’s how you have to do it. I don’t make the rules Most interesting characters:

Spite House is Coming This Summer

Haunt me: alistaircross.com

Under the Lake by Stuart Woods

Under the Lake, Stuart Woods, 1987 (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS) My favorite quote: “Howell hung up the phone and pressed his forehead against the cool glass of the booth. The world was suddenly a different place. He wasn’t sure he liked it.”  Most interesting characters: John Howell, a former investigative journalist; Sutherland, a strange little town

The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy

The Black Dahlia, James Ellroy,  1987 (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS) My favorite quote: “The longer I listened, the more they talked about themselves, interweaving their sad tales with the story of the Black Dahlia, who they actually believed to be a glamorous siren headed for Hollywood stardom. It was as if they would have traded their

The Firm by John Grisham

The Firm, John Grisham, 1991 (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS) My favorite quote: “If you don’t think about death, you don’t appreciate life.”  Most interesting characters: Mitch McDeere, a bright-eyed young lawyer with a great future in front of him; Abby McDeere, his wife Opening scene: Royce McKnight, senior partner at Bendini, Lambert, & Locke law firm,

Whistle for the Crows by Dorothy Eden

Whistle for the Crows, Dorothy Eden, 1962 (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS) My favorite quote: “It only took the forlorn sound of the baby crying to complete her loss of morale.” (I really identified with this because I, too, have felt much loss of morale at the sounds of shrieking babies — especially at Walmart when my