Ghosts of Royston

＂Ghosts of Royston is an intense, chilling, and captivating thriller. From the first page, the story grabs you with its haunting depiction of a family’s gut wrenching and heart pounding fight for survival...I couldn’t put it down!＂
- ROBERT BAILEY, Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of The Boomerang.

A horrific crash stole everything Cole Danner loved. His wife and daughter are presumed dead, leaving him broken and suicidal...until a mysterious wave of debilitating flashbacks convince him the wreck was no accident and his whole world might not be gone. As forces he can’t comprehend propel him to search for the daughter only he believes is alive, Cole has no idea of the profound evil he will soon face to keep her that way.

Injured, confused, and terrified, Sophie Danner awakes captive to a bizarre and remote family who insist she is one of their own. Defying their claims that her parents were killed in the car crash she can barely remember, she fights for escape against the odds and her injuries, while unearthing the family’s dark history of insanity, abuse, and murder, with one malevolent member at its core. And if Sophie won’t be his latest plaything, she’ll face the same brutal end as the rest.

- NO GENERATIVE AI was used in the creation of this novel, audiobook performance, or cover art -

SNEAK PEEK:

Suddenly the gun was pointed at my face. I clenched my eyes shut and thought of Sophie, refusing to let his image be the last I would ever see. When no shot rang out and my face wasn’t disintegrated, I cracked my eyes open. His tremulous hand still aimed the gun in the vicinity of my right eye socket. In his other hand he held a roll of duct tape. Through a blood-soaked and swollen countenance, he managed a broken, sinister smile.

＂I don’t know how the @#＄% you ain’t dead,＂ he said with a wheezy lisp. ＂But it don’t really matter. Your time is just about here, Daddio. Just not quite yet. ’Sides, thanks to you ’n your dead buddy, looks like I’m gonna need some more tarps. @#＄%in’ hardware store...no matter how well you plan, you just cain’t seem to git everything you need for a project in one trip, can ya?＂

＂Please...don’t take my daughter again,＂ I said as politely and calmly as I could. I was trying to hide the unbridled panic in my chest. ＂Please. Just take me with you. She’s just a girl. Please don’t take her again.＂

A laugh erupted from Gabriel like I had just delivered the best punch line to the dirtiest joke ever. The violent belly laugh soon degraded into, ＂ow, ow...mmmph...＄%&*. Don’t do that, dammit...@#＄%in’ hurts when I laugh.＂ He shook his head and nodded all at the same time, like he was having trouble keeping a secret.

＂That is damn noble of you,＂ he said, ＂but I’m really gonna need you both for this last part.＂ He dropped his head and peered at me under his bloodied brow. ＂Son...you got no idea what I got in store for you. This is gonna be good.＂ He refocused the gun barrel on my head. ＂So...how ’bout a lil’ boat ride?＂

In addition to being a novelist, Eric G. Dove is an award-winning audiobook narrator with numerous titles to his credit, and a published songwriter with several Nashville song cuts for other artists. When not writing, narrating, or singing, he’s also an avid sailor and sailboat racer. For more information please go to ericgdove.com.