The Torments

Annie Jackson and her brother Lewis return to investigate the disappearance of a family friend, leading them to spellbinding mystery that digs deep into a past that should, perhaps, remain undisturbed ... A chilling gothic thriller from the critically acclaimed author of The Murmurs... `Annie and her brother, Lewis ... find themselves uncovering a world of black magic and murder. A creepy tale with the terrifying legend of the baobhan sith at its core´ Observer `Malone is the master of twists, turns and the unexpected´ Herald Scotland _______ Annie surged forward, but she was too slow, too late. A hand came over and down, and she felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck. Then all became smoke, and silence. Hiding from the world in her little white cottage on the shores of a loch, Annie Jackson is fighting to come to terms with the world of the murmurs, a curse that has haunted female members of her family for centuries. While she is within the ancient, heavy stone of the old dwelling, the voices merely buzz, but the moment she steps outside the door they clamour to torment her all over again, bringing with them shocking visions of imminent deaths. Into this oasis comes her adoptive mother, Mandy McEvoy, begging for Annie's help. Mandy's nephew Damien has gone missing, after dropping off his four-year old son at his mother's home. Unable to refuse, but terrified to leave her sanctuary, Annie, with the help of her brother Lewis, is drawn in to a secretive, seductive world that will have her question everything she holds dear, while Lewis' life may be changed forever... The second book in the critically acclaimed Annie Jackson Mysteries series, The Torments is both a contemporary gothic thriller and a spellbinding mystery that deeps deep into a past that should, perhaps, remain undisturbed... _______ Praise for Michael J. Malone `A tense, creepy page-turner´ Ian Rankin, New Statesman `One of the best books I've read ... Dark, tender, human, haunting, compassionate, gripping and rooted in Scotland and its history. A triumph´ S.E. Lynes `His biggest smash hit yet ... an assured paranormal thriller in which the paranormal isn't even the scariest part...´ Herald Scotland `A fine, atmospheric chiller´ Douglas Skelton `Mesmeric and suspenseful´ Marion Todd `One of the best books I've read ... Dark, tender, human, haunting, compassionate, gripping and rooted in Scotland and its history. A triumph´ S.E. Lynes `Poetic and beautifully crafted´ Caro Ramsay `A beautifully written tale, original, engrossing and scary... a dark joy´ The Times `A deeply satisfying read´ Sunday Times `A fine, page-turning thriller´ Daily Mail `Brilliantly creepy ... a spine-tingling treat´ Daily Record `Prepare to have your marrow well and truly chilled by this deeply creepy Scottish horror ... A complex and multi-layered story´ Sunday Mirror `Unsettling, multi-layered and expertly paced´ CultureFly `Disturbing but compulsive ... I loved it' Martina Cole 'Both thought-provoking and heartbreaking´ Foreword Reviews

Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought up in the heart of Burns' country. He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association of Writers. Other published work includes: Carnegie's Call; A Taste for Malice; The Guillotine Choice; Beyond the Rage; The Bad Samaritan; and Dog Fight. His psychological thriller, Suitable Lie, was a number-one bestseller, and the critically acclaimed House of Spines and After He Died soon followed suit. Since then, he's written two further thought-provoking, exquisitely written psychological thrillers In the Absence of Miracles and A Song of Isolation, cementing his position as a key proponent of Tartan Noir and an undeniable talent. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr.