It's clear to see why acclaimed British author EJ Henry has been attracting favourable comparisons to John Grisham.
The Corpse Lodging
Henry's latest offering, the dark folk-horror thriller The Corpse Lodging, has all the hallmarks of the bestseller's famously compelling psychological thrillers, but with a certain freshness that sets it apart from the competition.
Set on the Isle of Man, fans of all things horror will savour the unnerving remote fishing village locale, which evokes the perfect 'timeless' backdrop for this terrifying tale.
The book begins on a stormy night in 1818, when young mum Mona's husband, a fisherman called Euan, is lost at sea.
The grieving widow is desperate to give him a proper burial and a 'Corpse Lodging' - similar to a wake, which leads her to a local 'witch' for advice. Rather creepily, she is told Euan will return to be buried, but she will not live to see it.
Returning to present day, the book continues with another story of death-defying sea voyage. This time, however, Somali pirates have hijacked a merchant navy ship, with the unfortunate British mariner Ed Donovan elected to broker a deal.
In a bid to overcome the horrors he witnesses, the severely traumatised Donovan is sent to a clinic for therapy, where he meets there he falls in love with Mary - a beautiful yet troubled young American patient.
Their romance continues to blossom and Mary falls pregnant, to the delight of the happy couple. To add to their celebrations, Mary inherits a house in the isolated Manx village of Ballaugh from a distant relative.
There are several rather unorthodox strings attached to their new abode, including, rather worryingly, tending to an empty grave, but the new family hope that the new start will help them recover from the past.
However, this is when things really begin to hot up.
They find a dusty old diary, which reveals disturbing details about Mona and Euan, while the insular locals conduct unsettling rituals.
Mary gives birth to a baby boy, but things are not quite right. Her personality begins to change and both suffer from nightmares.
Ed starts to fear for his mental health, but is it really his mind playing tricks or something more terrifying?
This psychological horror is perfect for fans of spine-tingling classics such as The Wicker Man and supernatural luminaries including Stephen King
In fact, with its creepy setting and well-drawn characters, the book has a cinematic feel and it's easy to imagine the events playing out on the big screen.
The Corpse Lodging by EJ Henry (Endeavour Press) is out now, priced £2.99 as an eBook. A paperback version will be released in late summer 2016. Visit www.ejhenry.co.uk