One cold November night in 2014, in a small town in the north west of England, 26-year-old Arla Macleod bludgeoned her mother, father and younger sister to death with a hammer, in an unprovoked attack known as the "Macleod Massacre." Now incarcerated at a medium-security mental-health institution, Arla will speak to no one but Scott King, an investigative journalist, whose Six Stories podcasts have become an internet sensation.
King finds himself immersed in an increasingly complex case, interviewing five witnesses and Arla herself, as he questions whether Arla’s responsibility for the massacre was a diminished as her legal team made out. As he unpicks the stories, he finds himself thrust into a world of deadly forbidden "games," online trolls, and the mysterious Black-eyed Children, whose presence extends far beyond the delusions of a murderess.
About the Author
Matt Wesolowski is the author of Six Stories. He started his writing career in horror and his short horror fiction has been published in Ethereal Tales magazine, Midnight Movie Creature Feature anthology, 22 More Quick Shivers anthology and many more. He was a winner of the Pitch Perfect competition at Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival in 2015.
Industry Reviews
`A complex and subtle mystery, unfolding like dark origami to reveal the black heart inside' Michael Marshall Smith * `Wonderfully horrifying ... the suspense crackles' James Oswald * `Original, inventive and brilliantly clever' Fiona Cummins * `The literary equivalent of dark metal - gritty, dark, often shocking, and always exciting. A masterful debut' Kati Hiekkapelto * `Wonderfully atmospheric. Matt Wesolowski is a skilled storyteller with a unique voice. Definitely one to watch' Mari Hannah * `A tight, claustrophobic mystery' David F. Ross * `A remarkable debut from a fine new fictional voice. Written as a series of six podcasts, which attempt to uncover the truth about the death of young Tom Jeffries, this compelling narrative pulls you in from the start and keeps you in its grip to the bitter twisted end. A great book!' Shelley Day * `A stunning piece of writing - chock full of atmosphere, human insight and beautiful writing. Take a note of this guy's name. He's going to be huge!' Michael J. Malone