The Torments

by Michael J. Malone

Overview

‘A tense, creepy page-turner´ Ian Rankin, New Statesman

‘Malone is the master of twists, turns and the unexpected´ Herald Scotland

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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…

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Praise for Michael J. Malone

‘An assured paranormal thriller in which the paranormal isn’t even the scariest part…’ Herald Scotland

‘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

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781916788282
Publisher:	Orenda Books
Publication date:	03/11/2025
Series:	The Annie Jackson Mysteries , #2
Pages:	276
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.75(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

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.

Editorial Reviews

"A creepy tale with the terrifying legend of the baobhan sith at its core."—The Observer

"As their paths begin to converge, it becomes apparant how skilfully Malone has woven the two strands together, and what slender but unbreakable threads bind them to each other. It's a book to savour. And, as in The Murmurs, a story that begins with a palpable mood of tensions and unease gathers pace so much in its final third that it becomes almost impossible to put down."—Herald Scotland Magazine

From the Publisher