Tag Archives: Supernatural thriller

Death Nest Out Now!

Posted on by
Image created by author in Canva.

My latest novel, Death Nest, is out now!

This gripping mystery thriller was originally written in early 2020. It is one of my most “personal” works to date, and I’ll expound more on why in a future article. In the meantime, I’m immensely excited to finally have this story out for you all to read and enjoy.

Here’s the blurb from the back of the book:

From the author of Spectre of Springwell Forest and The Irresistible Summons…

A nail-biting new mystery.

After his young son Ben writes a disturbing story about murdering a boy in a forest, widower Nick Unwin is alarmed by eerie parallels between his son’s behaviour and that of his younger brother Jason, prior to his inexplicable disappearance twenty years previously. This tragic past returns to haunt Nick when he sees an image of his long-lost brother in a newly released film.

Fearing history will repeat itself, Nick decides to investigate, along with Tanith, an old flame from his early teenage years, with dark secrets of her own connected to Jason’s disappearance. But as they delve deeper into the labyrinthine mysteries of their past, long buried memories resurface. Nick is forced to face the terrible fear that has plagued him for decades: Was he responsible for the death of his brother?

A riveting coming-of-age thriller exploring traumatic sibling relationships, parental fears, and the misleading nature of memory, Death Nest is Simon Dillon’s most gripping novel yet.

Get your copy today! Available in paperback or on Kindle from Amazon (click here for the UK, and here for the US). It’s also available from Smashwords and their various outlets.

Look out for more about Death Nest on this blog over the next few weeks, including excerpts, information on inspiration and influences, and other exclusive insights.

Death Nest Countdown: One Day to Go

Posted on by

My new mystery thriller novel Death Nest is out on the 1st of October and available for pre-order at Amazon and Smashwords. Here’s a final teaser image as we count down to the release with just one day to go!

A cryptic comment on today’s image: What is the White Nest?

Created by author in Canva

Death Nest Countdown: Two Days to Go

Posted on by

My new mystery thriller novel Death Nest is out on the 1st of October and available for pre-order at Amazon and Smashwords. Here’s another teaser image as we count down to the release.

A comment on today’s image: Some of my earlier mystery horror-thrillers featured either (apparently) haunted forests, sinister mansions, secret tunnels, and labyrinths. This novel features all four. I’m not shy about leaning into gothic location tropes when they serve the story well.

Created by author in Canva

Death Nest Countdown: Three Days to Go

Posted on by

My new mystery thriller novel Death Nest is out on the 1st of October and available for pre-order at Amazon and Smashwords. Here’s another teaser image as we count down to the release.

A comment on today’s image: This is more a metaphorical picture, as no one literally plays with marionette puppets in the novel. But the unsettling thematic implications ought to be clear.

Created by author in Canva

Death Nest Countdown: Four Days to Go

Posted on by

My new mystery thriller novel Death Nest is out on the 1st of October and available for pre-order at Amazon and Smashwords. Here’s another teaser image as we count down to the release.

A spoiler-free tease on today’s image: What terrible secret lies at the heart of the Darkfire Forest?

Created by author in Canva

Death Nest Countdown: Five Days to Go

Posted on by

My new mystery thriller novel Death Nest is out on the 1st of October and available for pre-order at Amazon and Smashwords. Here’s another teaser image as we count down to the release.

A brief spoiler-free comment on today’s image: There is a romantic subplot.

Created by author in Canva

Death Nest Countdown: Six Days to Go

Posted on by

My new mystery thriller novel Death Nest is out on the 1st of October and available for pre-order at Amazon and Smashwords. Here’s another teaser image as we count down to the release.

I won’t comment on today’s image for fear of spoilers, except to say, probably needlessly, that the novel features sinister, nail-biting, suspenseful events.

Created by author in Canva

Death Nest Countdown: Seven Days to Go

Posted on by

My new mystery thriller novel Death Nest is out on the 1st of October and available for pre-order at Amazon and Smashwords. Here’s the first of a few teaser images counting down to the release.

A spoiler-free comment on this image: The story features a cave on the north Cornwall coast, in the fictional village of Corthpothan (loosely inspired by the real Cornwall coastal village Porthcothan).

Created by author in Canva

New Novel Update Plus Title Reveal

Posted on by
Image by Andrew Martin from Pixabay

One of my major goals this year was to write the first draft of my new gothic mystery novel. I can tell you that I have now completed this. It’s a twisty-turny murder mystery thriller with hints of the supernatural, and I’m rather pleased with how it turned out.

What’s it called?

Drumroll… The title is A Thorn in Winter. This title not only sounds suitably sinister but has a hidden meaning that only becomes apparent as the plot unfolds.

What’s it about?

It concerns a young woman who is being blackmailed. Upon learning her blackmailer is linked to a decades-old unsolved murder, she discovers an alarming personal connection to the victim, and consequently finds herself in deadly peril.

I don’t really want to get more specific than that at this point, as this is one of the most twist-laden novels I’ve ever written. At the same time, it delves into themes of infidelity, revenge, and even reincarnation. It ticks many of my gothic mystery trope boxes: Imperilled heroine, sinister locations, buried secrets (literally and figuratively), and supporting characters who aren’t quite what they seem. It’s a rollercoaster of suspicion and suspense, and I think it has some emotional heft too (there’s a melancholy romantic subplot of sorts).

“Modbridge” looks a bit like this. Photo by Beth Jnr on Unsplash

The bulk of the novel is set in the fictional town of Modbridge, with occasional visits to Plymouth. Modbridge is a small town based on the real town of Modbury. The name combines the two local towns of Modbury and Kingsbridge. The steep main road running through Modbury, with shops either side, is also a key location that inspired a similar location in the novel.

When can I read it?

Not for a while, as I’ll probably sit on this manuscript for at least a year, per my standard procedure, before looking at it again with fresh eyes. On the other hand, I’m about to polish up the novel I completed this time a year ago, The Hobbford Giant, with a view to submitting it to agents and publishers. So you are one step closer to seeing that one. Watch this space.