Blind Panic

by Graham Masterton

Overview

The ancient Native American spirit from bestselling novel The Manitou is back in a disturbing and terrifying tale from the master of horror, Graham Masterton.

The demon is back. And his thirst for revenge is stronger than ever.

The President of the United States, without warning, is struck blind. High above the Rockies, the pilot and crew of a 747 suddenly find that they have lost their sight. Thousands of people across America all realise they are blinded – communications fail, TV screens go blank and civilisation is taken back two hundred years overnight.

Self-proclaimed mystic Harry Erskine is telling the fortunes of the gullible in Miami when his friend Amelia Crusoe, a genuine psychic, calls on him to help her sister, who has also been blinded. Together they discover that the Indigenous medicine-man spirit Misquamacus has come back to life to seek a final devastating revenge against the white man who massacred his people.

Only Harry and Amelia know that this spirit, and his band of resurrected shamans and terrifying killers from ancient legend, are responsible for the chaos. But this time, the odds of beating him are suicidal indeed...

Praise for Graham Masterton:

'One of the most original and frightening storytellers of our time' Peter James

'Suspenseful and tension-filled... All the finesse of a master storyteller' Guardian

'One of Britain's finest horror writers' Daily Mail

'You are in for a hell of a ride' Grimdark Magazine

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781801107884
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	10/27/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Graham Masterton is best known as a writer of horror and thrillers, but his career as an author spans many genres, including historical epics and sex-advice books. His first horror novel, The Manitou, became a bestseller and was made into a film starring Tony Curtis. In 2019, Graham was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Horror Writers Association. He is also the author of the Katie Maguire series of crime thrillers, which have sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide.
Graham Masterton is best known as a writer of horror and thrillers, but his career as an author spans many genres, including historical epics and sex advice books. His first horror novel, The Manitou, became a bestseller and was made into a film starring Tony Curtis.

In 2019, Graham was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Horror Writers Association. He is also the author of the Katie Maguire series of crime thrillers, which have sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide.

Visit www.grahammasterton.co.uk.

Read an Excerpt

Blind Panic

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By Graham Masterton

Dorchester Publishing

Copyright © 2010 Graham Masterton
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-8439-6268-0

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Chapter One

Washington, DC

He was little more than halfway across the White House lawn when the president of the United States went blind.

He swayed, and his arm swung out to catch the First Lady's hand.

"David?" she said. "What's wrong?"

"Christ, Marian, I can't see."

Marine One's rotors were already turning and she could hardly hear him.

"What?"

"I can't see, Marian. Hold on to my hand; steady me. Guide me up to the steps. I don't want anybody to know that anything's wrong."

"David, we have to take you to the hospital, now!"

"Dr. Cronin's on board, he can take a look at me first."

"David-"

"Marian, please! Think what could happen, even if I get my sight back!"

"I don't care what could happen! I care about you-that's all!"

But the president gripped the First Lady's hand even tighter and continued to walk with jerky determination toward the helicopter, and all she could do was make sure that he didn't veer off in the wrong direction.

"Steps," she said, warning him. He reached out with his right hand and felt for the guardrail. Then he turned back and waved to the assembled press corps, smiling broadly as if nothing were wrong.

"Help me climbup. Count the steps for me."

The two of them mounted the steps, both of them still smiling, while the First Lady said through her teeth, "One-two-three-Doug Latterby's standing at the top, to your right. Don't bump into him."

"Hi, Doug!" said the president, trying to sound cheery. "How's it going? Got those security reports in yet?"

"Just came through, Mr. President. You can look through them right now."

"Great stuff."

"Top step," the First Lady cautioned him.

The president turned around again and gave another wave for the cameras. Then the First Lady steered him through the door of Marine One and along to his private cabin.

"Mrs. Perry?" said Doug Latterby, trying to follow her.

"Go fetch Dr. Cronin right now! And get this thing off the ground as fast as you like. Head for George Washington Hospital."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Perry-is the president sick?"

The president stopped and looked over Doug Latterby's right shoulder. "I can't see, Doug. I've suddenly gone blind."

"Jesus Christ. When did this happen?"

"Only a couple of minutes ago. Maybe it's only temporary. But get me Dr. Cronin, will you? And get us into the air."

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Blind Panic by Graham Masterton Copyright © 2010 by Graham Masterton. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

Blindness, the 1998 novel by Portugal's Jose Saramago, tells the story of a city whose people inexplicably suffer an epidemic of blindness. Masterton's latest horror novel tells somewhat the same story but on a grander scale: here, it is the entire U.S. that is struck down by widespread and instantaneous blindness. Planes fall from the sky; cars collide; and in the space of less than a day, the country is plunged into panic. Saramago used blindness as a way to explore spiritual and philosophical themes, but Masterton uses it to unleash, once again, the ancient Algonquin medicine man, Misquamacus, on the world. Harry Erskine, the self-styled (and admittedly fake) psychic who appeared in the author's very first horror novel, The Manitou (1975), and several follow-ups, takes center stage here, once again going toe-to-toe with this mystical, hate-filled villain, who possesses awesome supernatural powers. A cleverly constructed, completely effective horror thriller from a talented genre veteran.

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