Psychological Thriller Short Stories

It’s the hottest winter on record, but Raymond’s demanding, bedridden mother doesn’t mind. She likes it warm. Lately, however, control over the thermostat has become a nasty struggle. And each morning that she’s still alive is a suffocating new challenge for Raymond. How high can the mercury climb before he boils over?

Are you ready to confront your deepest fears with "The Mourning Choir"–a bone-chilling horror experience that will HAUNT YOUR VERY SOUL?! Step into the eerie world of Emma Winslet, where every shadow holds a secret and the night air is thick with a haunting melody that beckons her closer to eternal darkness. As the clock strikes 3:33 AM, you’ll be drawn into a realm where the past and present collide, and the whispers of lost souls echo in the stillness.

Meet Jeff Case before his world explodes. Former soldier. Defender of the innocent. Case may have left a war zone, but he soon discovers that the streets of America are just as dangerous. It was kill or be killed in combat, but Case is ready to turn his back on his military career and start a new life with his wife, Becky. During a final interview for his first civilian job, Case steps in to help a woman in danger. It is the catalyst that kick-starts the day from hell. A day that Case and Becky may not survive.

When innocent people begin dying under unexplainable circumstances, devoutly religious Mark Solier is arrested, accused of committing the murders with nothing but the power of his mind. For ambitious law student Mary Morgan, prosecuting Mark seems like the opportunity of a lifetime—until she discovers the case is steeped in something far darker than the law can explain.

His tour is over, but the war rages on for Dickie, one of the forever-haunted veterans who gave up his soul during the Forgotten War. Here is a glimpse of his story, of the battleground he can never leave. Only death can conclude his final objective: closure, and peace. Join him on his road, the Korean Road, as he battles horrors he carries and those that he meets along the way.

This is Book 2 in Series Two: Recovery and Resolution The Vicar’s wife is a gripping psychological mystery where suspicion blooms like poison. Whispers link three sudden deaths to deadly plants found in the vicar’s wife’s garden. But not all poisons grow from the soil. This may seem a story of herbs and hexes, but this is a tale of intellect, intent and silent revenge, This collection of short mystery thriller novels by C.E Okwera carries on the stories from Series One: Obligation to the Family. This second series brings you deeper into the world of secrets, vengeance and ...

In stories like "A Night in the Cemetery," "Night of Horror," and "Murder," not only will Chekhov's dark humor and twisted crimes satisfy even the most hardboiled of mystery fans, but readers will again appreciate the penetrating, absurdist insight into the human condition that only Chekhov can bring. Whether it is the death of a young amateur playwright at the hands of an editor who hates bad writing, or a drunken civil servant who ends up trapped in a graveyard, these stories overflow with the unforgettable characters and unique sensibility that will forever make Chekhov one of the most fascinating figures in literature.

"Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street" is a short story by the American writer Herman Melville, first serialized anonymously in two parts in the November and December 1853 issues of Putnam's Magazine, and reprinted with minor textual alterations in his The Piazza Tales in 1856. A Wall Street lawyer hires a new clerk who, after an initial bout of hard work, refuses to make copy and any other task required of him, with the words "I would prefer not to".

Lack of sleep is a form of torture. And Emily has been tortured for six months now. Ever since her sister unexpectedly died, Emily’s sleeping pattern died too. And now her sanity is in question. The once cozy confines of her home have become a maze of unsettling noises and eerie occurrences. Every creak and every oddity feels like an intruder lurking just out of sight.

Something evil has swept into the small Maine town of Castle Rock on the heels of the latest winter storm. Sheriff Norris Ridgewick and his team are desperately searching for two missing girls, but time is running out to bring them home alive. In Washington, DC, 37-year-old Gwendy Peterson couldn't be more different from the self-conscious teenage girl who once spent a summer running up Castle Rock's Suicide Stairs. That same summer, she was entrusted - or some might say cursed - with the extraordinary button box by a mysterious stranger in a black suit.

Dana Johansen is being watched. Someone has been following his every move for months. Each month that's passed, they have been getting closer. He doesn't know who they are or what they want. He just knows that they are after him. Now, they're in his house. It's been invaded. If he leaves, the visitor will follow. He's not sure what to do. One thing is certain - if Dana doesn't do something, the visitor will. The Visitor is the first story in The Dark Corner miniseries, a collection of supernatural, dark fantasy short stories, novelettes, and novellas.

A captivating dystopian thriller short story, Crimson Snow will hold you hostage until you finish every last word. If you like Jennifer McMahon, Melinda Leigh, and Emily St. John Mandell, you’ll love Crimson Snow. "A gripping ride into frozen insanity." ~New York Times Bestselling Author Andra Watkins How far could you go to survive? Whom could you sacrifice? Green Valley was once known for its fertile farming, picturesque mountains, and abundant wildlife. Now snow and ice cover all but the tallest homes. The only sounds are Maverick's boots clumping through the snowdrifts and the frigid ...

Where is everyone? What happened to me? These are the questions Polly Park asks herself while waking on her wedding day in a deserted house, when her friends and family don’t return her calls. Polly suffered alcohol induced amnesia before, but her doctor colleague suggests this time is different. Someone prevents them meeting before Polly discovers the secret, and the police cannot help. They take her back to an unfamiliar home where she finds clues. So what happened to Polly and who’s thwarting her search for the truth?

When forensic psychiatrist Abigail Lee meets a baby-killing mother who has been declared criminally insane and acquitted, she discovers something lurking beneath the surface. Something far deeper and more insidious than mere psychopathy. But can she come to terms with her own struggle with science and faith in time to confront it?

First published in an 1839 edition of Burton's Gentleman's Magazine, "The Fall of the House of Usher" is the story of the declining physical and psychological health of the residents of the House of Usher - and the way in which the house itself reflects that. Gothic in theme and style, the story is an exemplar of Poe's philosophy of composition, which dictates that literary works should be short and methodological and have a unity of effect wherein all the elements of the story are related and relevant.

Diary of a Murderer captivates and provokes in equal measure, exploring what it means to be on the edge - between life and death, good and evil. In the titular novella, a former serial killer suffering from memory loss sets his sights on one final target: his daughter's boyfriend, who he suspects is also a serial killer. In other stories we witness an affair between two childhood friends that questions the limits of loyalty and love; a family's disintegration after a baby son is kidnapped and recovered years later; and more.

This collection of stories follows d.o. allen's previous work, The Die with vivid tales of intrigue that draw you into the minds - and fears - of each character. Each story is matched with an original song from singer-songwriters across America. Pardon Me features the erotic thriller, Deer, Sir where the line between pursuit and consent is blurred. You''ll be drawn into Clayton's struggle with a psychotic demon in the thriller Last Ride. Cavalier Redux brings mystery to life with the discovery of a long-forgotten secret within a deep, cold lake.

Whatever happened to Oskar and Eli? And what became of the beleaguered families in Handling the Undead? Find out in Let the Old Dreams Die. In other tales from this collection, a woman finds a dead body and decides to keep it for herself, a customs officer has a mysterious gift that enables her to see what others hide, and a man believes he knows how to deceive death. These are the stories of John Ajvide Lindqvist’s rich imagination. They are about love and death, and what we do when the two collide and the monsters emerge.

Edgar Allan Poe proposed that “the boundary line between instinct and reason is of a very shadowy nature” (1840). With its 21 stories of serial killers and sociopaths, fixations and fetishes, breakdowns and bad decisions crafted by authors as diverse as their writing styles, Shadowy Natures leads fans of psychological horror down dark and treacherous roads to destinations they will be too unsettled to leave.

From the incomparable master of horror and suspense comes an electrifying collection of contemporary literary horror, with stories from 25 writers representing today’s most talented voices in the genre. Horror writing is usually associated with formulaic gore, but New Wave horror writers have more in common with the wildly inventive, evocative spookiness of Edgar Allan Poe than with the sometimes-predictable hallmarks of their peers. Showcasing this cutting-edge talent, Poe’s Children now brings the best of the genre’s stories to a wider audience.