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The Murmurs

The most compulsive, chilling gothic thriller you'll read this year…

Published by Orenda Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

A young woman starts experiencing terrifying premonitions of people dying, as it becomes clear that a family curse known only as The Murmurs has begun, and a long-forgotten crime is about to be unearthed…

‘Malone is the master of twists, turns and the unexpected … a master of his craft’ Herald Scotland

‘A fine, atmospheric chiller couched in Malone’s customary elegant prose’ Douglas Skelton

‘A master storyteller at the very top of his game, Michael J. Malone weaves the most exquisite tale … mesmeric and suspenseful’ Marion Todd
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In the beginning there was fear.
White-hot, nerve-shredding fear.
Terrifying premonitions of deaths.
And then they started…
The Murmurs


On the first morning of her new job at Heartfield House, a care home for the elderly, Annie Jackson wakens from a terrifying dream. And when she arrives at the home, she knows that the first old man she meets is going to die.

How she knows this is a terrifying mystery, but it is the start of horrifying premonitions … a rekindling of the curse that has trickled through generations of women in her family – a wicked gift known only as 'the murmurs'…

With its reappearance comes an old, forgotten fear that is about to grip Annie Jackson.

And this time, it will never let go…

A compulsive gothic thriller and a spellbinding supernatural mystery about secrets and small communities, about faith, courage and self-preservation, The Murmurs is a startling and compulsive read from one of Scotland’s finest authors…
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‘Poetic and beautifully crafted, this is a chilling and compelling read’ Caro Ramsay

Praise for Michael J Malone

'Vivid, visceral and compulsive' Ian Rankin

‘A gothic ghost story and psychological thriller all rolled into one. 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

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

‘Unsettling, multi-layered and expertly paced’ CultureFly

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. His psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number-one bestseller, and the critically acclaimed House of Spines, After He Died, In the Absence of Miracles and A Song of Isolation soon followed suit. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Orenda Books (September 14, 2023)
  • Length: 300 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781914585821

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