From the acclaimed author of Anno Dracula, the perfect gift for those who love the dark fantastic imaginations of Neil Gaiman and T. Kingfisher, this is a nightmarish tale of a haunted Christmas set deep in the British countryside not too long ago. Cosy traditions are made twisted and terrifying as a mother and son grapple with their painful past.
December 1st. Angie and her teenage son Rust prepare for Christmas, stringing fairy lights around their isolated home on the Somerset levels and decorating a tree with traditional ornaments. The first door of the advent calendar is opened, but the chocolate inside tastes off. Rust receives his first Christmas card; it’s unsigned, and the message is ‘pinch, punch… first of the month’. The robin chirruping on a bough in a snowy woodland picture looks like a nasty piece of work.
The cards keep coming, one each day and each more sinister than the last, and a frightened Angie recalls ‘The Cards’ – a seasonal TV show from her childhood that featured similar happenings, and while she remembers it vividly, there is no evidence that it was ever broadcast…
Christmas cheer is gradually poisoned, with cruels instead of carols, the turkey rotting in the fridge, unwelcome visits from the Merciless Gentlemen and the Jingle Basterds, and Rust becoming increasingly unwell. Angie begins to wonder if her childhood Christmases were in fact as joy filled as she remembers…
A frightening tale of seasonal dread from the acclaimed author of Anno Dracula. Cosy traditions are made twisted and terrifying as a mother and son grapple with their painful past.
"A spooky situation and interesting characters set up a story that draws on family dynamics, festive ritual and the uncertainty of memory. A welcome addition to the tradition of Christmas ghost stories." The Guardian
Praise for Kim Newman:
“A terrific read!” William Friedkin
“Compulsory reading... Glorious” Neil Gaiman
“Immersive, claustrophobic and utterly wonderful” M.R. Carey
“The perfect book… If more mysteries were written like this, I’d read more mysteries” Grady Hendrix
“An author who continues to push the limits of every genre he works in” Stephen Jones
“Intelligent, atmospheric, written with passion and wit. A pure joy to read” Rio Youers
“Kim Newman is slowly making his way into the canon of English literary greats… He describes perfectly the way fiction has invaded our real lives, and he got there first” Paul Cornell
Kim Newman is an award-winning writer, critic, journalist and broadcaster who lives in London. He is a contributing editor to the UK film magazine Empire, and writes its popular monthly segment, ‘The Cult of Kim Newman’. He also writes for assorted publications including Sight & Sound, The Dark Side and The Guardian. He makes frequent appearances on radio and TV, and is the chief writer of the BBC TV series Mark Kermode’s Secrets of Cinema.
He has won many awards, including the Bram Stoker, International Horror Guild, Prix Ozone, British Fantasy and British Science Fiction Awards, and been nominated for the Hugo, World Fantasy, and James Herbert Awards. Kim also writes non-fiction books focused on popular culture, film, and television, including a comprehensive overview of the horror film industry, Nightmare Movies (Bloomsbury).
You can keep up to date with Kim’s events and writing via his website johnnyalucard.com. Find him on Twitter @annodracula.
From the acclaimed author of Anno Dracula, the perfect gift for those who love the dark fantastic imaginations of Neil Gaiman and T. Kingfisher, this is a nightmarish tale of a haunted Christmas set deep in the British countryside not too long ago. Cosy traditions are made twisted and terrifying as a mother and son grapple with their painful past.
December 1st. Angie and her teenage son Rust prepare for Christmas, stringing fairy lights around their isolated home on the Somerset levels and decorating a tree with traditional ornaments. The first door of the advent calendar is opened, but the chocolate inside tastes off. Rust receives his first Christmas card; it’s unsigned, and the message is ‘pinch, punch… first of the month’. The robin chirruping on a bough in a snowy woodland picture looks like a nasty piece of work.
The cards keep coming, one each day and each more sinister than the last, and a frightened Angie recalls ‘The Cards’ – a seasonal TV show from her childhood that featured similar happenings, and while she remembers it vividly, there is no evidence that it was ever broadcast…
Christmas cheer is gradually poisoned, with cruels instead of carols, the turkey rotting in the fridge, unwelcome visits from the Merciless Gentlemen and the Jingle Basterds, and Rust becoming increasingly unwell. Angie begins to wonder if her childhood Christmases were in fact as joy filled as she remembers…
A frightening tale of seasonal dread from the acclaimed author of Anno Dracula. Cosy traditions are made twisted and terrifying as a mother and son grapple with their painful past.
Reviews
"A spooky situation and interesting characters set up a story that draws on family dynamics, festive ritual and the uncertainty of memory. A welcome addition to the tradition of Christmas ghost stories." The Guardian
Praise for Kim Newman:
“A terrific read!” William Friedkin
“Compulsory reading... Glorious” Neil Gaiman
“Immersive, claustrophobic and utterly wonderful” M.R. Carey
“The perfect book… If more mysteries were written like this, I’d read more mysteries” Grady Hendrix
“An author who continues to push the limits of every genre he works in” Stephen Jones
“Intelligent, atmospheric, written with passion and wit. A pure joy to read” Rio Youers
“Kim Newman is slowly making his way into the canon of English literary greats… He describes perfectly the way fiction has invaded our real lives, and he got there first” Paul Cornell
Author
Kim Newman is an award-winning writer, critic, journalist and broadcaster who lives in London. He is a contributing editor to the UK film magazine Empire, and writes its popular monthly segment, ‘The Cult of Kim Newman’. He also writes for assorted publications including Sight & Sound, The Dark Side and The Guardian. He makes frequent appearances on radio and TV, and is the chief writer of the BBC TV series Mark Kermode’s Secrets of Cinema.
He has won many awards, including the Bram Stoker, International Horror Guild, Prix Ozone, British Fantasy and British Science Fiction Awards, and been nominated for the Hugo, World Fantasy, and James Herbert Awards. Kim also writes non-fiction books focused on popular culture, film, and television, including a comprehensive overview of the horror film industry, Nightmare Movies (Bloomsbury).
You can keep up to date with Kim’s events and writing via his website johnnyalucard.com. Find him on Twitter @annodracula.
