The Holy Terrors

by Simon R. Green, Tim Bruce (Read by)

Overview

Six people locked in a haunted hall … Cameras watching their every move … And then someone dies … This first in a spine-tingling new paranormal mystery series from New York Times bestselling British fantasy author Simon R. Green will make you doubt your judgement—and believe in ghosts!

Welcome to Spooky Time, the hit TV ghost-hunting show where the horror is scripted … and the ratings are declining rapidly. What better way to up the stakes—and boost the viewership—than by locking a select group of Z-list celebrities up for the night in The Most Haunted Hall in England (TM) and live-streaming the ‘terrifying’ results?

Soon Alistair, a newly appointed Bishop, actress Diana, medium Leslie, comedian Toby, and celebrity chef Indira are trapped inside Stonehaven town hall, along with June, the host and producer of the show. The group tries to settle in and put on a good show, but then strange things start happening in their hall of horrors.

What is it about this place—and why is the TV crew outside not responding? Are they even on air? Logical Alistair and intuitive Diana attempt to keep the group’s fears at bay and rationalize the odd events, but there are things that just can’t be explained within reason … Can the pair stop a cold-blooded would-be killer—even if it’s come from beyond the grave?

This locked-room mystery with a paranormal twist is classic Simon R. Green, featuring his trademark humour and imagination, irresistible characters, and thoroughly entertaining plotting.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798874832988
Publisher:	Blackstone Publishing
Publication date:	09/03/2024
Series:	Holy Terrors Mystery , #1
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.50(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Simon Green is the author of more than sixty science fiction, fantasy, and mystery novels in numerous series. His work also appears in the anthology Weird Detectives, along with Jim Butcher, Neil Gaiman, and Patricia Briggs, among others. His books have sold more than three million copies worldwide and have been translated into more than a dozen languages.

Tim Bruce has a warm, friendly, characterful voice and works extensively in voice-over, cartoons, and audiobooks. A regular on the BBC, Tim was the voice of Channel 996 for over three years. A long list of audiobook recordings includes the award-winning Blade series, Mark Billingham’s DI Tom Thorne series, Doctor Who, the Oxford Book of War Poetry, and the poetry of William Blake. Tim has also created a whole host of cartoon character voices for CBBC, Nickelodeon, Disney, and Cartoon Network.

Editorial Reviews

Thoroughly entertaining

Booklist on The House on Widows Hill

Perceptive and witty . . . Great fun

Booklist

A wonderfully imagined setting . . . The Sable novels make perfect fare for fans of urban fantasy, thrillers, or caper novels

Booklist on A Matter of Death and Life

A treat for anyone who relishes the blending of alternate-world fantasy, urban fantasy, and the caper novel. Exciting, witty, and stuffed full of fun

Booklist on The Best Thing You Can Steal

This genre-bending mix of fantasy and thriller is essential reading for series fans and for those who enjoy their fiction a little on the weird side

Booklist on Buried Memories

The story here (and in the previous three series installments) is so strong that it should satisfy even the most demanding of caper-novel devotees

Booklist on Not of This World

2023-11-17
Minor celebrities gather in a building with a historically large body count. What could go wrong?

The ghost of Agatha Christie hovers over Green’s frothy whodunit, which features a haunted setting and colorful characters who arrive there in a considerately slow procession before the inevitable murder. The Stonehaven town hall, arguably the most colorful character of all, is introduced first, as a modest country building but also “the most haunted hall in England,” a trademarked identity. Handsome young Alistair Kincaid, newly appointed bishop of All Souls Hollow in London, arrives simultaneously with glamorous actress Diana Hunt, who openly flirts with him. They’re followed by eager television producer June Colby, host of the ghost-hunting reality show they’ve all come to film. Shabby, acclaimed medium Leslie Derleth arrives next, followed by charismatic comedian Toby Marsh and celebrity chef Indira Singh, the final guest. Once the table is set, subsequent chapters feature eerie, presumably ghostly happenings and a lot of engaged dialogue, fleshing out the character portraits and planting tiny seeds of suspense. Readers’ patience may be tried when they have to wait more than halfway through the tale before anyone is murdered. But things move quickly once a character declares, “It’s clear the killer must be one of us.” And there’s an alternate solution: The killers are the murderous ghosts they’ve gathered to troll. After all, the house is credited with 27 deaths…and one disappearance. Could it be? More violence and more twists play out before the final surprise.

A sleek and appealing, if overlong, homage to vintage whodunits.

Kirkus Reviews