The Haunted by Bentley Little

The Haunted, Bentley Little, 2012 (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS) My favorite quote: “I was in the room where things grow old.” Most interesting characters: Honestly, the only characters here that really captured my interest were the neighbors who snuck into the basement during a party for a frantic, satanic quickie — a tryst that even involved

The House on Vesper Sands by Paraic O’Donnell

The House on Vesper Sands, Paraic O’Donnell, 2018 My favorite quote: “Fate is a fairy tale, my darling. In life, there is only opportunity and advantage.” Notable characters: Inspector Cutter, a determined detective; Gideon Bliss, a dropout in love with a missing girl; Octavia Hillingdon, an ambitious young journalist  Most memorable scene: The seamstress jumping

The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes

The Lodger, Marie Belloc Lowndes, 1913 My favorite quote: “For the first time in her life, she visioned the infinite mystery, the sadness and strangeness, of human life.” Most interesting characters: Mr. Sleuth, the mysterious lodger who may or may not be quite what he seems Opening scene: Middle-aged couple, Robert and Ellen Bunting, sitting

Who Will Your Valentine Be This Year?

If you want to find out who your Thorne & Cross Valentine will be this year, sign up for our newsletter, The Purple Probe, now and take the quiz!

Speaks the Nightbird by Robert McCammon

Speaks the Nightbird, Robert McCammon, 2009 My favorite quote: “Tell me. What is the point of life, if truth is not worth standing up for? If justice is a hollow shell? If beauty and grace are burnt to ashes, and evil rejoices in the flames?” Most interesting characters: Matthew Corbett, young clerk to the traveling

Blood and Ice by Robert Masello

Blood and Ice, Robert Masello, 1999 My favorite quote: “Every species, from the blue whale to the fruit fly, will struggle, with every fiber of its being, to preserve its own existence.” Notable characters: Michael Wilde, a journalist on a month-long assignment to the South Pole  Most memorable scene: The discovery of a man and

The Private Practice of Michael Shayne by Brett Halliday

The Private Practice of Michael Shayne, Brett Halliday, 1940 My favorite quote: “The moon had not yet risen, and stars studded the dark velvety blue of the tropical sky, casting an illusively perceptible sheen through the still night.” Notable characters: Mike Shayne, the PI; Larry Kincaid, his friend; Harry Grange, the crooked lawyer; Phyllis Brighton,

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides, 2019 My favorite quote: “…we often mistake love for fireworks – for drama and dysfunction. But real love is very quiet, very still. It’s boring, if seen from the perspective of high drama. Love is deep and calm – and constant.” Notable characters: Alicia Berenson, a famous painter who shoots

Affinity by Sarah Waters

Affinity, Sarah Waters,  1999 My favorite quote: “Your twisting is done–you have the last thread of my heart. I wonder: when the thread grows slack, will you feel it?” Notable characters: Margaret Prior, a woman recovering from a suicide attempt; Selina Dawes, a mysterious spiritualist imprisoned for a seance-gone-wrong which left one woman dead another

Die a Little by Megan Abbott

Die a Little, Megan Abbot,  2005 My favorite quote: “The hardest thing in this world is finding out what you’re capable of.” Notable characters: Lora King, a schoolteacher; Bill King, her brother, a junior investigator with the DA’s office; Alice Steele, a Hollywood wardrobe assistant with a sketchy past … and Bill’s new wife Most

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Great Expectations, Charles Dickens, 1861 My favorite quote: “I am what you designed me to be. I am your blade. You cannot now complain if you also feel the hurt.” Notable characters: Pip, an orphan who dreams of one becoming a gentleman; Mrs. Joe, his hot-tempered older sister; Joe, her husband; Miss Havisham, a wealthy

Red Harvest by Patrick C. Greene

Red Harvest, Patrick C. Greene, 2018 My favorite quote: “‘For, you see, come Halloween, Ember Hollow becomes Haunted Hollow, Halloween Capital of the World.’” That, or, “‘What is this? The Waltons? I thought men were supposed to go all corpsy after sex.’” Notable characters: Stuart Barcroft, an Ember Hollow Junior High School student; Candace Galeens,

The Blackstone Chronicles by John Saul

The Blackstone Chronicles, John Saul, 1997 My favorite quote: “The dark figure cradled the doll, gazing into its porcelain face in the moonlight, stroking its long blond hair, remembering how it had come to be here.” Notable characters: The truth is, they’re all notable. Seriously. This is some of the best work Saul has ever

Icebound by Dean Koontz

Icebound, Dean Koontz, 1976, 1995 My favorite quote: “Politics was an illusion of service that cloaked the corruption of power. It was lies, deceptions, self-interest, and self-aggrandizement: suitable work only for the mad and the venal and the naïve.” Also, “In the end, no lamb could escape the slaughter.” Notable characters: Harry Carpenter, a scientist;

Silent Night by Mary Higgins Clark

Silent Night, Mary Higgins Clark, 2000 My favorite quote: “God rest you merry gentlemen let nothing you dismay.” While this is obviously not the intellectual property of Ms. Higgins Clark, it’s the best collection of words in this book Notable characters: I don’t know that I’d call any of them “notable,” but the main characters

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens, 1843 My favorite quote: The opening line: “Marley was dead, to begin with.” What a great way to start  Notable characters: Ebenezer Scrooge, a heartless miser who finds redemption Most memorable scene: My favorite scenes have always been those early moments when the spookiness is just beginning to take shape.

Bacchanal by Veronica G. Henry

Bacchanal, Veronica G. Henry, 2021 My favorite quote: “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”  Notable characters: Eliza (Liza) Meeks, the new recruit; Clay, the talent scout; Jamey, his assistant Most memorable scene: There are a few that stand out, but my heart will always belong

The Servants of Twilight by Dean Koontz

The Servants of Twilight, Dean Koontz, 1984 My favorite quote: “It began in sunshine, not on a dark and stormy night.” (Best opening line ever, IMO) Notable characters: Chrsitine Scavello, the single mom; Joey, her son; Charlie Harrison, the PI; Grace Spivey, the leader of the religious cult for which the book is named; Kyle

A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton

A is for Alibi, Sue Grafton, 1982 My favorite quote: “Except for cases that clearly involve a homicidal maniac, the police like to believe murders are committed by those we know and love, and most of the time they’re right – a chilling thought when you sit down to dinner with a family of five.

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

The Turn of the Screw, Henry James, 1898 My favorite quote: “I seemed to float not into clearness, but into a darker obscure, and within a minute there had come to me out of my very pity the appalling alarm of his perhaps being innocent. It was for the instant confounding and bottomless, for if

Dark Lover by J.R. Ward

Dark Lover (book 1 in the Black Dagger Brotherhood), J.R. Ward, 2005 My favorite quote: “Whoa. Fangs. She had fangs. She leaned in, prodded them a little. Eating with those puppies was going to take some getting used to, she thought. On impulse, she brought up her hands, turned her fingers into claws. Hissed. Cool.”

Bunnicula Strikes Again! by James Howe

Bunnicula Strikes Again, James Howe, 1999 My favorite quote: “Some of my readers have written expressing their concern about the potentially detrimental effects of chocolate on dogs, to which I can only say that while it is true some dogs have been known to become ill from eating chocolate, others have not. Luckily, I fall

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson, 1886 My favorite quote: “With every day, and from both sides of my intelligence, the moral and the intellectual, I thus drew steadily nearer to the truth, by whose partial discovery I have been doomed to such a dreadful shipwreck: that man is

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

Lock Every Door, Riley Sager, 2019 My favorite quote: “Never take anything you haven’t earned, my father used to say. You always end up paying for it one way or another.” Notable characters: Jules Larsen, the apartment-sitter; Nick, another resident Most memorable scene: The fire. That’s all I’ll say about that for now Greatest strengths:

Return to Howliday Inn by James Howe

Return to Howliday Inn, James Howe, 1992 My favorite quote: “‘My fate is a mirror in which to see / One will look in and end like me.’” Notable characters: Harold, our narrator; Chester (also known here as Cute Whiskers, his friend; Howie, their young companion; Felony and Miss Demeanor, two cat burglars; Bob and

Psstt. Want a Free Book?

From now until December 31st, you’ll get one free ebook copy of our paranormal thriller, The Ghosts of Ravencrest, by subscribing to our monthly newsletter, The Purple Probe. In The Purple Probe, you’ll get character interviews, behind-the-scenes tell-alls, a gossip column that sheds light on the darkest monsters in the Thorne & Cross Universe, and

Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King

Dolores Claiborne, Stephen King, 1992 (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS) My favorite quote: “An accident is sometimes an unhappy woman’s best friend.” (hint, hint, nudge, nudge, Dolores) Notable characters: Dolores Claiborne, a housekeeper who’s had enough and ain’t taking no more; Joe St. George, her husband, with whom she’s had enough and ain’t taking no more; Vera

Nighty-Nightmare by James Howe

Nighty-Nightmare, James Howe, 1987 My favorite quote: “‘In the woods it’s always dark,’ he said. ‘In the forest of the soul it’s always night.’” Notable characters: Harold, our canine narrator; Chester, his feline friend; Howie, the young punster, the Monroes, their oblivious human family; Bud, Spud, and Dawg, their mysterious camping companions Most memorable scene:

The Rolling Darkness Revue

It’s that time of year again! Join Peter Atkins (screenwriter of Hellraiser 2, 3, 4, and Wishmaster), Glen Hirshberg (Shirley Jackson Award-winner) and us (Tamara and Alistair) as we sit around the campfire and tell scary stories. You’ll even get to hear a crazy ghost story out of the upcoming Thorne & Cross thriller, Spite

Prepare to be Probed …

The October issue is out now!

The Purple Probe is Coming!

The Purple Probe is on it’s way … and here’s what you can expect to find: Greenjacks. Tis the season! Signs and symptoms that you have a greenjack infestation, and what they’ll do to you on Halloween night if you let them! Scandal at Ravencrest Manor! Rumors are flying and Purple Probe reporter Regina Von

Bend Over …

The Purple Probe is coming … What’s the Purple Probe, you ask? In short, it’s the Thorne and Cross newsletter … with a facelift. Starting with it’s first edition this October, the Purple Probe will including interviews with our characters, inside information on what’s coming up next, behind-the-scenes tell-alls, and a gossip column written by

BEND OVER and Pick Up Your Copy Today!

What’s the Purple Probe, you ask? In short, it’s the Thorne and Cross newsletter … with a facelift. Starting with its first edition this October, the Purple Probe will include interviews with our characters, inside information on what’s coming up next, behind-the-scenes tell-alls, and a gossip column written by none other than Jojo McFerrell (from

Get Your Ghost On!

Tis the season and today’s the day! Shadowland, book 4 in the Ravencrest Saga, is out now!: amzn.to/39edNx5 Something ancient stirs in the Raven Woods … A creature out of the darkest fairy tales calls to Thad and Cynthia, seducing them with promises of gingerbread and magick. Belinda must keep them safe, but her patience

Second Child by John Saul

Second Child, John Saul, 1990 My favorite quote: “But though her lips smiled warmly as she accepted the embrace, her eyes — had anyone noticed — betrayed an emotionless chill.” Notable characters: Melissa Holloway, a shy young girl; Teri MacIver, her older half-sister; D’Arcy, Melissa’s not-so-imaginary friend; Phyllis Holloway, the horrible mother; Charles, the excruciatingly

The Dark is Getting Deeper

One week from today, Shadowland, book 4 in the Ravencrest Saga, will be available. Per-order at: https://amzn.to/39edNx5 For the complete series (so far): https://amzn.to/3Ct0163

The Black Wasp is Available in Audiobook!

Just in time for Halloween, The Black Wasp, book 3 in the Vampires of Crimson Cove series, is available at Audible.com!: https://adbl.co/3EpKKon Something is coming.Cade Colter is dealing with a group of fanatical vampire killers even as he grieves the death of his girlfriend at the fangs of his own brother. His life is in

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert M. Pirsig, 1974 My favorite quote: “When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called a Religion.” Notable characters: Phaedrus, the narrator’s former self Most memorable scene: No single scene really stands out for me

Ghost Walk by Heather Graham

Ghost Walk, Heather Graham, 2005 My favorite quote: “ … you can get the same feeling at a Civil War battle site — even with all the bodies removed. I guess it’s a way of feeling the past, of history, people, the emotions. Remnants of the lives that were lived there, lost there.” I like

They Thirst by Robert McCammon

They Thirst, Robert McCammon, 1981 My favorite quote: “Well, look around. Just look. Have you ever considered the possibility that God might be insane?” Notable characters: Andy, the detective; the Roach, a rapist and murderer; Gayle, a reporter; Rico, a gangster Most memorable scene: When the albino opens fire in that bar in Texas. Not

Winter Moon by Dean Koontz

Winter Moon, Dean Koontz, 1994 (originally titled “Invasion” under the pseudonym, Aaron Wolfe, in 1975) I like “Winter Moon” way better than “Invasion” My favorite quote: “Maybe when all was said and done, the imagination was the most powerful of all weapons.” Yeah, I dig that Notable characters: Jack McGarvey, the cop; Eduardo Fernandez; the

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

White Oleander, Janet Fitch, 1999 My favorite quote: “The phoenix must burn to emerge.” Notable characters: Astrid Magnussen, a foster child trying to find herself as she makes her way through several foster homes; Ingrid, Astrid’s mother — a brilliant poet who’s been imprisoned for murder Most memorable scene: What Ingrid does to her boyfriend,

Come for the Vampires, Stay for the Wasp – by Tamara Thorne

The Black Wasp is the third book in Alistair Cross’  Vampires of Crimson Cove series, and it’s a stunner.  I unabashedly love all my collaborator’s solo works, but with this tale, he has achieved new heights of imagination and storytelling. The book — and the title character — is riveting. When Alistair first introduced her

Guess What’s Coming to Audible…

The Black Wasp, book 3 in the Vampires of Crimson Cove series, is on its way to Audible.com. Here’s an excerpt where Cade Colter meets the Exterminators — a fanatical group of would-be vampire slayers … Get the entire series … The Crimson Corset eBook: https://amzn.to/3ePl34T Paper: https://amzn.to/3xCgTWx Audio: https://adbl.co/3nKUMbV The Silver Dagger eBook: https://amzn.to/3vxN87n

The Silver Dagger is Now Available in Audiobook!

The Silver Dagger, book 2 in the Vampires of Crimson Cove series, is now available at Audible.com! If you haven’t yet read book 1, The Crimson Corset, you can get it in audiobook as well. Book 3, The Black Wasp, is on its way and is available now in eBook and paperback at Amazon. Brother

The Black Wasp – Excerpt #2

Crouching behind a Dumpster near the mouth of the street, Scythe watched one of the women. She was beautiful, Asian, with startling electric blue eyes, and even from here, he could smell her. The bouquet of perfume, female skin, and human blood nearly pushed him over the edge. Her looks didn’t hurt either. She was

The Silver Dagger is Coming to Audiobook!

The Silver Dagger, book 2 in the Vampires of Crimson Cove series, is on its way to audiobook!

Behind the Veil

Death, Cruel and Beautiful

Black Widow