Best Selling Books by Richard Chizmar

Stephen King teams up with long-time friend and award-winning author Richard Chizmar for the first time in this original, chilling novella that revisits the mysterious town of Castle Rock. There are three ways up to Castle View from the town of Castle Rock: Route 117, Pleasant Road, and the Suicide Stairs. Every day in the summer of 1974, twelve-year-old Gwendy Peterson has taken the stairs, which are held by strong—if time-rusted—iron bolts and zig-zag up the precarious cliffside. Then one day when Gwendy gets to the top of Castle View, after catching her breath and hearing the shouts of kids on the playground below, a stranger calls to her. There on a bench in the shade sits a man in black jeans, a black coat, and a white shirt unbuttoned at the top. On his head is a small, neat black hat. The time will come when Gwendy has nightmares about that hat… The little town of Castle Rock, Maine has witnessed some strange events and unusual visitors over the years, but there is one story that has never been told—until now.

A group of students encounter a supernatural terror while on a road trip through Appalachia in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the “unforgettable and scary” (Harlan Coben) Chasing the Boogeyman. 1983: Three students from a small college embark on a week-long road trip to film a documentary on roadside memorials for their American Studies class. The project starts out as a fun adventure with long stretches of empty road and nightly campfires where they begin to open up with one another. But as they venture deeper into the Appalachian backwoods, the atmosphere begins to darken. They notice more and more of the memorials feature a strange, unsettling symbol hinting at a sinister secret. Paranoia sets in when it appears they are being followed. Their vehicle is tampered with overnight and some of the locals appear to be anything but welcoming. Before long, the students can’t help but wonder if these roadside deaths were really random accidents…or is something terrifying at work here?

New York Times bestselling author Richard Chizmar, “one of horror’s indispensable writers” (Paste), and his son W.H. Chizmar, critically acclaimed author of Them (hailed by New York Times bestselling author Josh Malerman as “one of the best debuts I’ve ever read”) present a riveting found footage narrative about doomed thrill-seekers trapped in a haunted lighthouse. “This is a bad place. I don’t think people are meant to live here.” Longtime residents of Harper’s Cove believe that something is wrong with the Widow’s Point Lighthouse. Some say it’s cursed. Others claim it’s haunted. Originally built in 1838, three workers were killed during the lighthouse’s construction, including one who mysteriously plunged to his death from the catwalk. That tragic accident was never explained, and it was just the beginning of the terror. In the decades that followed, nearly two dozen additional deaths occurred in or around the lighthouse including cold-blooded murder, suicide, unexplained accidents and disappearances, the slaughter of an entire family, and the inexplicable death of a Hollywood starlet who was filming a movie on the grounds. The lighthouse was finally shuttered tight in 1988 and a security fence was erected around the property. No one has been inside since. Until now. Told across two harrowing incidents from 2017 and 2025, those who enter the Widow’s Point Lighthouse searching for supernatural proof and the next big thing find themselves cut off from the outside world. And although no one has recently stepped foot inside the structure, they are not alone. In this remarkable collaboration, father and son writing team, Richard and W.H. Chizmar combine forces to tell a terrifying ghost story that will make you think twice about what’s waiting for you in the dark.

Darkness Whispers will introduce you to the town of Windbrook, a sleepy little community nestled deep in the secluded Skullkin Valley of western Pennsylvania. All is well in Windbrook, just like usual, just like always. Nothing changes here, nothing is different. Except... except today something is different. An old man with piercing gray eyes will arrive in town this morning. This man isn''t human. Not even close. And he isn''t coming alone. Death travels with him. Richard Chizmar, award-winning author of A Long December, and Brian James Freeman, acclaimed author of The Painted Darkness, have combined forces to create an old-fashioned tale of horror, full of good and evil, with a breathtaking ending that will leave you wondering when this peculiar old man might be coming for you.

The “worthy and frightening sequel” (Stephen King) to the acclaimed and “unforgettable” (Harlan Coben) New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling novel Chasing the Boogeyman. Back in the summer of 1988, a young Richard Chizmar was catapulted into the center of a living nightmare as the serial killer Joshua Gallagher—dubbed by the media as “The Boogeyman”—stalked his tranquil Maryland town. A lot has changed in the intervening years. These days, Chizmar enjoys a certain level of celebrity and notoriety himself, being the only person that an incarcerated Josh Gallagher will speak to on or off the record. Chizmar likes to believe that he’s doing the world a public service by visiting Gallagher in prison, as there are plenty of other nameless victims out there who Gallagher might finally admit to killing and bring closure to grieving loved ones, and a dark rhythm and routine begin to take hold. But Chizmar eventually finds there’s a price to be paid for dancing with the devil, when a masked figure with all the hallmarks of Gallagher’s reign of terror from thirty years ago now leaves a horrifying calling card in front of Chizmar’s home, and it’s clear there’s a new player on the board in the ongoing game that the Boogeyman controls… A riveting, haunting sequel to the New York Times bestselling thriller Chasing the Boogeyman, this is a tale of obsession and the adulation of evil, exploring modern society’s true crime infatuation with unflinching honesty, sparing no one from the glare of the spotlight. Will those involved walk away from the story of a lifetime in order to keep their loved ones safe? Or will they once again be drawn into a killer’s web? As the story draws to its shattering conclusion, only one person holds all the answers—and he just may be the most terrifying monster of them all.

"When the Tuckers'' next door neighbor mentions someone rang their doorbell late the previous night, Sarah and Kenny Tucker check their home''s security camera and discover something shocking: the doorbell ringer also visited their house... and it was a terrified young woman with a shackle hanging from her right wrist. Almost overnight, she becomes known as The Girl on the Porch. There is national coverage on CNN and Fox News, and the video goes viral. As days pass and no one comes forward to identify the woman, fresh footprints appear in the garden next to their house; a neighbor''s pet is viciously killed; and a man starts following their daughter Natalie....

The final book in the New York Times bestselling Gwendy’s Button Box trilogy from Stephen King and Richard Chizmar. When Gwendy Peterson was twelve, a mysterious stranger named Richard Farris gave her a mysterious box for safekeeping. It offered treats and vintage coins, but it was dangerous. Pushing any of its eight colored buttons promised death and destruction. Years later, the button box reentered Gwendy’s life. A successful novelist and a rising political star, she was once again forced to deal with the temptation the box represented. Now, malignant forces seek to possess the button box, and it is up to Senator Gwendy Peterson to keep it from them at all costs. But where can one hide something from such powerful entities? In Gwendy’s Final Task, master storytellers Stephen King and Richard Chizmar take us on a journey from Castle Rock to another famous cursed Maine city to the MF-1 space station, where Gwendy must execute a secret mission to save the world. And, maybe, all worlds.

"In the summer of 1988, the mutilated bodies of several missing girls begin to turn up in a small Maryland town. The grisly evidence leads police to the terrifying assumption that a serial killer is on the loose in the quiet suburb. But soon a rumor begins to spread that the evil stalking local teens is not entirely human. Law enforcement, as well as members of the FBI are certain that the killer is a living, breathing madman--and he''s playing games with them. For a once peaceful community trapped in the depths of paranoia and suspicion, it feels like a nightmare that will never end"--

A USA TODAY BESTSELLER In this thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestselling novella by Stephen King and award-winning author Richard Chizmar, an adult Gwendy is summoned back to Castle Rock after the mysterious reappearance of the button box. 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. In Washington, DC, thirty-seven-year-old Gwendy Peterson couldn’t be more different from the self-conscious teenaged girl who once spent a summer running up Castle Rock’s Suicide Stairs. That same summer, she had been entrusted—or some might say cursed—with the extraordinary button box by Richard Farris, the mysterious stranger in the black suit. The seductive and powerful box offered Gwendy small gifts in exchange for its care and feeding until Farris eventually returned, promising the young girl she’d never see the box again. One day, though, the button box suddenly reappears but this time, without Richard Farris to explain why, or what she’s supposed to do with it. Between this and the troubling disappearances back in Castle Rock, Gwendy decides to return home. She just might be able to help rescue the missing girls and stop a dangerous madman before he does something ghastly. With breathtaking and lyrical prose, Gwendy’s Magic Feather explores whether our lives are controlled by fate or the choices we make and what price we sometimes have to pay. Prepare to return again to Stephen King’s Castle Rock, the sleepy little town built on a bedrock of deep, dark secrets, just as it’s about to awaken from its quiet slumber once more.

The complete omnibus collection of the New York Times bestselling trilogy from Stephen King and Richard Chizmar! In Gwendy’s Button Box, twelve-year-old Gwendy Peterson’s life is forever changed when she is given a mysterious wooden box by a stranger for safekeeping. It offers enticing treats and vintage coins, but he warns her that if she presses any of the box’s beautifully colored buttons, death and destruction will follow. Years later, in Gwendy’s Magic Feather, she’s a successful novelist with a promising future in politics. But when the button box suddenly reappears in her life, she must decide if she is willing to risk everything for its temptations. And in the thrilling conclusion Gwendy’s Final Task, evil forces seek to possess the button box and it is up to Senator Gwendy Peterson to keep it from them at all costs. But where can one hide something so destructive from such powerful entities?

Deep in the serene forest of Silverwood, California, a monster from another dimension is desperate for the human blood it needs to return home. What begins as a relaxing week in the woods for two groups of campers—employees on a corporate retreat and a Cub Scout troop—turns into a hellish ordeal when a mysterious dark force lurking among the trees preys on their most violent impulses. A rustic getaway featuring evil whispering trees, a teddy bear-clutching child laughing at your pain, and a malevolent otherworldly presence terrorizing the campground? Welcome to the most terrifying wilderness trip of your lives, campers. Based on Silverwood by Tony E. Valenzuela, Silverwood is a Realm Production written by Brian Keene, Richard Chizmar, Stephen Kozeniewski, and the Sisters of Slaughter — Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason. Listen away.

Richard Chizmar, Lisa Tuttle, Norman Prentiss, Kevin Quigley, and Peter Straub unmask monsters hiding in plain sight in an anthology of heart-pounding short fiction assembled by horror author and editor Brian James Freeman. DEVIL’S NIGHT by Richard Chizmar You’ve read about what happened that night. What you don’t know is the true extent of the damage. The papers got it wrong—and the truth is so much worse than you thought. THE LAST DARE by Lisa Tuttle Elaine hasn’t been back to her hometown in years. The house she lived in is gone. The tower house isn’t—nor are the stories of the fate that befalls whoever dares to go there. THE HALLOWEEN BLEED by Norman Prentiss People think there’s some sort of mystical power that allows enchantments and witchcraft to come to life on Halloween night. But real magic obeys no calendar—and true evil strikes whenever it’s least expected. SWING by Kevin Quigley In Hollywood, everyone lives forever. At least that’s what I used to think . . . before Jessica. But no one seems to live long when they’re around me. PORK PIE HAT by Peter Straub When it comes to jazz, there are players, and there are legends. “Hat” was a legend. His real name didn’t even matter. Still, he had his secrets—secrets best left buried in the past. Praise for Halloween Carnival Volume 5 “This miniature cavalcade of spine-tingling and thought-provoking horrors lives up to its name and is the perfect Halloween treat.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The third act in the critically-acclaimed series by Written Backwards, is a symmetrically-structured anthology of psychological horror by Bram Stoker Award nominated editor Michael Bailey, whose previous anthologies include The Library of the Dead, Qualia Nous and Pellucid Lunacy. The anthology contains 45 illustrations by Glenn Chadbourne, over 20 stories by the likes of Stephen King, Jack Ketchum, Ramsey Campbell, Gary A. Braunbeck, Mort Castle, Josh Malerman, Scott Edelman, Richard Thomas, Richard Chizmar and Gene O''Neill, and with 20 intertwined poems by the likes of Elizabeth Massie, Marge Simon, Bruce Boston, Erik T. Johnson, Stephanie M. Wytovich, and also includes an introduction by the extraordinary Chuck Palahniuk.

From the founder of the Number One Stephen King news website, Lilja''s Library, comes a wonderfully rich anthology of inspirational horror stories, including a rare story from Stephen King himself, classics by Clive Barker and Edgar Allan Poe, and an original novella by John Ajvide Lindqvist (author of Let the Right One In), written for Shining in the Dark. Celebrating twenty years of the expansive Stephen King fan site Lilja''s Library, this is a fabulous collection of deliciously creepy stories, perfect for all horror fans. With a terrifying story that has never been previously included in any of Stephen King''s collections, Shining in the Dark is an unforgettable anthology, featuring short stories by some of the genre''s best-known and most talented authors. Table of Contents: ''The Blue Air Compressor'' by Stephen King ''The Net'' by Jack Ketchum and P. D. Cacek ''The Novel of the Holocaust'' by Stewart O''Nan ''Aeliana'' by Bev Vincent ''Pidgin and Theresa'' by Clive Barker ''An End To All Things'' by Brian Keene ''Cemetery Dance'' by Richard Chizmar ''Drawn to the Flame'' by Kevin Quigley ''The Companion'' by Ramsey Campbell ''The Tell-Tale Heart'' by Edgar Allan Poe ''A Mother''s Love'' by Brian James Freeman ''The Keeper''s Companion'' by John Ajvide Lindqvist

The tales here cover every corner of dark fiction, from the time-warped noir of "Dirty Coppers" to the blood-red west of "The Custer Files." But it''s in traditional horror that he really ups the ante. The particulars may seem familiar at first--the rainy-day child murders in "Roses and Raindrops," the allegedly cursed lighthouse in "Widow''s Point"--but readers will be surprised at how quickly they''re hooked and shocked at how the stories wend their way to unexpected conclusions. Chizmar has a genuine gift for undermining expectations and infusing the widely known tropes of the genre with fresh power

Au lendemain d’une tempête de neige, le shérif Norris Ridgewick et son équipe recherchent désespérément deux jeunes filles disparues, mais le temps presse et les chances de les retrouver vivantes s’amenuisent. À Washington DC, Gwendy Peterson, trente-sept ans, n’a plus rien à voir avec l’adolescente complexée qui passait son été à courir dans Castle Rock. L’été de ses douze ans, on lui avait confié l’extraordinaire boîte à boutons de Richard Farris, l’homme énigmatique au costume noir. Gwendy recevait des cadeaux de la part de la fameuse boîte en échange de ses soins et de son attention. Jusqu’au jour où Farris a disparu en l’emportant avec lui. Vingt-cinq ans plus tard, la boîte réapparaît. Cette mystérieuse résurgence, couplée avec les étranges disparitions à Castle Rock, mène Gwendy à retrouver le chemin de sa maison. Peut-être parviendra-t-elle à arrêter la folie d’un homme avant qu’il ne soit trop tard ? Préface de Stephen King. Traduit de l’anglais (États-Unis) par Michel Pagel.

Wiedersehen mit Castle Rock Die kleine Stadt Castle Rock in Maine hat die seltsamsten Vorkommnisse und ungewöhnlichsten Besucher erlebt. Warum sollte es der 12-jährigen Gwendy anders ergehen? Eines Tages tritt ein schwarz gekleideter Unbekannter an sie heran und macht ihr ein Geschenk: einen Kasten mit lauter Schaltern und Hebeln. Wozu er dient? Gwendy probiert es aus, und ihr Leben verändert sich von Grund auf.

No terceiro volume da série iniciada por A pequena caixa de Gwendy, os mestres Stephen King e Richard Chizmar conduzem o leitor por uma jornada que vai de Castle Rock até uma estação espacial, onde Gwendy deve cumprir sua missão secreta para salvar o mundo — e, quem sabe, todos os mundos. Quando Gwendy Peterson tinha doze anos, um estranho homem chamado Richard Farris a encarregou dos cuidados de uma caixa misteriosa, que retribuía com pequenos presentes, mas também trazia perigos; apertar qualquer um de seus oito botões coloridos poderia levar à morte e à destruição. Anos mais tarde, o objeto voltou à vida de Gwendy. Romancista de sucesso e figura política em ascensão, ela se viu novamente obrigada a lidar com as tentações que a caixa representava. Agora, forças malignas querem se apossar da caixa, e cabe à senadora Gwendy Peterson mantê-la a salvo das ameaças a qualquer custo. Mas onde seria possível esconder um objeto desses de entidades tão poderosas? "A cada ano, ela ganha poder. A cada ano, a capacidade de fazer o bem fica mais fraca e a capacidade de fazer o mal fica mais forte."

Chet and Michael are brothers. They are also police officers. What they are not is friends. Their mother died when they were young. Their only parent was an absent cop father who preferred women and scotch to raising them. So Chet being older had to raise Michael. Chet was the quiet responsible one; Michael was the handsome wild one who came to resent Chet''s rules and regulations. Michael still resents them especially when Chet tries to break up the affair his younger married brother is having on the side. Neither man is willing to back down. Neither man is a stranger to violence. Then Chet decides to pay a late night visit to the woman he calls his brother''s whore. . . .

Na emocionante sequência de A pequena caixa de Gwendy, best-seller do New York Times escrito por Stephen King e Richard Chizmar, Gwendy é convocada de volta a Castle Rock após o misterioso reaparecimento da caixa de botões. A pacata cidadezinha que esconde segredos obscuros e macabros está prestes a despertar outra vez. Algo maligno invadiu a pequena cidade de Castle Rock, no Maine, durante a última tempestade de inverno. Agora, o xerife Norris Ridgewick e sua equipe estão em uma busca incansável por duas garotas desaparecidas. Aos trinta e sete anos e morando em Washington, dc, Gwendy Peterson não se assemelha nem um pouco à adolescente insegura que costumava ser quando passou o verão se exercitando na Escadaria Suicida de Castle Rock. Naquele verão, ela foi incumbida — há quem diga amaldiçoada — de cuidar de uma caixa de botões bastante peculiar, entregue a ela por um desconhecido de terno preto. Gwendy nunca falou para ninguém sobre a caixa — nem mesmo para o marido —, até que, um dia, ela ressurge. Motivada pela inusitada reaparição do objeto e pelos desaparecimentos preocupantes em sua cidade natal, Gwendy retorna a Castle Rock, onde tentará resgatar as garotas desaparecidas antes que algo horrível aconteça com elas. Com uma prosa lírica de tirar o fôlego, o livro nos leva a pensar: nossas vidas são controladas pelo destino ou pelas escolhas que fazemos? "Eu adoro essa história! É frenética, assustadora e tristemente relevante. Amei os personagens e essa ideia da conexão de uma garota com o mundo todo por meio de um objeto peculiar. É pura música." — J.J. Abrams "Completamente envolvente... É uma história arrebatadora." — Publishers Weekly

Vuelve Stephen King con una impactante novela corta en un formato muy especial. La pequeña ciudad de Castle Rock, en Maine, ha sido testigo de algunos extraños sucesos, pero solo hay una historia que no se ha contado... hasta ahora. Existen tres vías para llegar a Castle View desde la ciudad de Castle Rock: por la carretera 117, por Pleasant Road y por las Escaleras de los Suicidios. Cada día del verano de 1974, Gwendy Peterson, de doce años de edad, toma el camino de las escaleras, que ascienden en zigzag por la ladera rocosa. Pero un día, al llegar a lo alto, mientras recupera el aliento con la cara roja y las manos apoyadas sobre las rodillas, un desconocido la llama. Allí, en un banco a la sombra, se sienta un hombre con una chaqueta negra y un pequeño sombrero. Llegará un día en el que Gwendy sufra pesadillas con ese sombrero... ENGLISH DESCRIPTION Set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine Stephen King teams up with long-time friend and award-winning author Richard Chizmar for the first time in this original, chilling novella that revisits the mysterious town of Castle Rock. There are three ways up to Castle View from the town of Castle Rock: Route 117, Pleasant Road, and the Suicide Stairs. Every day in the summer of 1974, twelve-year-old Gwendy Peterson has taken the stairs, which are held by strong—if time-rusted—iron bolts and zig-zag up the precarious cliffside. Then one day when Gwendy gets to the top of Castle View, after catching her breath and hearing the shouts of kids on the playground below, a stranger calls to her. There on a bench in the shade sits a man in black jeans, a black coat, and a white shirt unbuttoned at the top. On his head is a small, neat black hat. The time will come when Gwendy has nightmares about that hat… The little town of Castle Rock, Maine has witnessed some strange events and unusual visitors over the years, but there is one story that has never been told—until now.

Trois chemins permettent de gagner Castle View depuis la ville de Castle Rock : la Route 117, Pleasant Road et les Marches des suicidés. Comme tous les jours de cet été 1974, la jeune Gwendy Peterson a choisi les marches maintenues par des barres de fer solides qui font en zigzag l’ascension du flanc de la falaise. Lorsqu’elle arrive au sommet, un inconnu affublé d’un petit chapeau noir l’interpelle puis lui offre un drôle de cadeau : une boîte munie de deux manettes et sur laquelle sont disposés huit boutons de différentes couleurs. La vie de Gwendy va changer. Mais le veut-elle vraiment ? Et, surtout, sera-t-elle prête, le moment venu, à en payer le prix ? Tout cadeau n''a-t-il pas sa contrepartie ? J’adore cette histoire. J. J. Abrams. Une nouvelle captivante par le grand maître de l’horreur. Publishers Weekly. Édition illustrée dont 4 illustrations inédites. Traduit de l’anglais (États-Unis) par Michel Pagel.

Vaikka miten aiot hyvää, paha on aina kannoillasi. Kauhutrilogian toisessa, itsenäisessä osassa petollinen lipas palaa yllättäen Gwendy Petersonin elämään. Gwendy Peterson on menestyskirjailija ja kovassa nosteessa oleva poliitikko. Eräänä päivänä lapsuudesta tuttu lipas ilmaantuu hänen elämäänsä. Tällä kertaa Gwendyllä ei vain ole aavistustakaan, mitä lipas haluaa hänen tekevän. Mutta sitten hänen vanhassa kotikaupungissaan, synkkien salaisuuksien varjostamassa Castle Rockissa katoaa kaksi tyttöä. Aika heidän löytämisekseen on käymässä vähiin, ja Gwendyn on palattava sinne, missä kaikki 25 vuotta sitten alkoi. Yhdysvaltalainen Richard Chizmar (s. 1965) on palkittu kauhukirjailija ja kustantaja. Yhdessä Stephen Kingin kanssa kirjoitettu Gwendy-trilogia juontaa juurensa Kingin muinoin hylkäämään Gwendyn lipas -novelliin, jossa Chizmarin mielestä oli aineksia pidemmäksikin tarinaksi. Chizmar oli oikeassa: ilmestyessään trilogia kiilasi välittömästi New York Timesin bestseller-listan kärkeen.

Stephen King y Richard Chizmar se unen una vez más para traernos el increíble desenlace de la historia que comenzaron con La caja de botones de Gwendy . Cuando tenía doce años, Gwendy Peterson conoció a Richard Farris, un tipo misterioso que le pidió que cuidara de una extraña caja de botones. Ahora, Gwendy es una afamada novelista y su carrera política está empezando a despegar. Parece que lo tiene todo a su alcance, pero entonces el insólito objeto vuelve a su vida. Las fuerzas del mal se han apoderado por completo de la caja de botones y ahora recae sobre Gwendy la responsabilidad de alejarlas de ella. ¿Su última misión? Salvar al mundo. Y puede que a todos los mundos. La crítica ha dicho: «La trilogía de Gwendy, de Stephen King y Richard Chizmar, llega a su fin... Las últimas páginas son, a la vez, satisfactorias y profundamente emotivas. Como sus dos predecesores, La última misión de Gwendy es una colaboración exquisita y una reflexión profunda del frágil estado en el que se encuentra nuestro mundo fracturado». The Washington Post Sobre La caja de botones de Gwendy : «¡Tío, me encanta esta historia! Va a toda prisa, tiene la longitud perfecta y es triste y escalofriadamente relevante. Me encantaron los personajes... y cómo una pequeña niña rara conecta con el mundo entero a través de un extraño artefacto». J. J. Abrams «Esta novela sobre el fin de la infancia mezcla un tono dulce con otro más amenazante... La historia brilla especialmente cuando se hace preguntas universales: ¿Cuánto de lo que pasa en nuestras vidas es fruto de nuestras acciones y no el resultado de fuerzas impredecibles? ¿Y cuánto poder tenemos cualquiera de nosotros para salvar el mundo... o para destruirlo? Los lectores devorarán esta estimulante historia». Booklist «Una joya de pequeño tamaño pero llena de fuerza». Publishers Weekly «Una fábula para un mundo que se vuelve más loco cada día». The Washington Post «Una lectura muy entretenida que nunca pierde su impulso inicial». USA Today

UN''ESTATE COME TANTE, UNA CITTADINA AMERICANA, UN INCUBO CHE SEMBRA NON F INIRE MAI. L''INDAGINE DI UN RAGAZZO DEL LUOGO DESTINATO A D IVENTARE UN GRANDE SCRITTORE. Nell''estate del 1988, i corpi mutilati di diverse ragazze cominciano a essere ritrovati a Edgewood, nel Maryland. Le macabre prove portano la polizia all''inquietante supposizione che un serial killer sia tra loro. Ma presto inizia a diffondersi una voce secondo cui il male che perseguita gli adolescenti locali non sarebbe del tutto umano. Il neolaureato Richard Chizmar torna nella sua città natale proprio mentre viene decretato il coprifuoco e si ritrova presto catapultato in una vera storia dell''orrore. Ispirato dagli eventi terrificanti, Richard scrive un resoconto personale di questi ultimi, ignaro che lo continueranno a ossessionare negli anni a venire. «L''innocenza, una volta perduta, non si recupera più. L''oscurità, una volta osservata, non potrà mai essere perduta.» Per noi cittadini di Edgewood, era arrivato il momento dell''oscurità.

Poslední zimní bouře nepřinesla do malého mainského městečka Castle Rock jenom chlad. Šerif Norris Ridgewick a jeho tým zoufale pátrají po dvou pohřešovaných dívkách. Sedmatřicetiletá Gwendy Petersonová žije ve Washingtonu a už dávno to není rozpačitá dospívající dívka, která kdysi trávila léto běháním po Sebevražedných schodech v Castle Rocku. Tajemný cizinec v černém obleku jí tehdy svěřil neobvyklou krabičku, jež nabízela drobné dárky, ale její použití mělo přímo katastrofální následky. Když se pro krabičku vrátil, slíbil, že už ji Gwendy nikdy neuvidí. Gwendy o krabičce nikdy nikomu neřekla – ani svému manželovi. Jednoho dne se ale krabička znovu objeví. Gwendy se vrací do rodného města a čas na záchranu dívek se krátí...

A pequena cidade de Castle Rock testemunhou alguns eventos estranhos ao longo dos anos, mas existe uma história que nunca foi contada... até agora. Viaje de volta a Castle Rock nesta história eletrizante de Stephen King, o mestre do terror, e Richard Chizmar, autor premiado de A Long December. O universo misterioso e assustador dessa pacata cidadezinha do Maine já foi cenário de outros clássicos de King, como Cujo e A zona morta, e deu origem à série de TV da Hulu. Há três caminhos para subir até Castle View a partir da cidade de Castle Rock: pela rodovia 117, pela Estrada Pleasant e pela Escada Suicida. Em todos os dias do verão de 1974, Gwendy Peterson, de doze anos, vai pela escada, que fica presa por parafusos de ferro fortes (ainda que enferrujados pelo tempo) e sobe em ziguezague pela encosta do penhasco. Certo dia, um estranho a chama do alto: “Ei, garota. Vem aqui um pouco. A gente precisa conversar, você e eu”. Em um banco na sombra, perto do caminho de cascalho que leva da escada até o Parque Recreativo de Castle View, há um homem de calça jeans preta, casaco preto e uma camisa branca desabotoada no alto. Na cabeça tem um chapeuzinho preto arrumado. Vai chegar um dia em que Gwendy terá pesadelos com isso.