Family Business

A horror full of creeping dread from the mind behind Thirteen Storeys and The Magnus Archives

By: Jonathan Sims

Narrated by: Jonathan Sims, Rachel Petladwala

A bone-chilling horror from the acclaimed writer of THIRTEEN STOREYS and hit horror podcast THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES

JUST ANOTHER DEAD-END JOB.

DEATH. IT'S A DIRTY BUSINESS.

When Diya Burman's best friend Angie dies, it feels like her own life is falling apart. Wanting a fresh start, she joins Slough & Sons - a family firm that cleans up after the recently deceased.

Old love letters. Porcelain dolls. Broken trinkets. Clearing away the remnants of other people's lives, Diya begins to see things. Horrible things. Things that get harder and harder to write off as merely her grieving imagination. All is not as it seems with the Slough family. Why won't they speak about their own recent loss? And who is the strange man that keeps turning up at their jobs?

If Diya's not careful, she might just end up getting buried under the family tree. . .

People can't look away from Family Business:

'Great horror novel that gets scarier by the page!' Netgalley reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Sims is a master of the horror genre . . . perfect for Halloween reading' Netgalley reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Very much in the style of Stephen King . . . [this story will make you] fear to turn the page. A great read' Netgalley reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Critic reviews

A very readable, very powerful novel which drew me in and didn't let go until the terrifying end

A triumph, thriving on relatable fears, hyper-realistic dirty homes, and understandable grief. This novel has the momentum of a train with no breaks

A great Halloween read I found difficult to put down. A realistic setting, with likeable characters and some genuinely icky and creepy moments along the way

Family Business is a story about keeping secrets and remembering loved ones, told in a plain, unfussy style whose groundedness makes the book's unfolding sense of dread all the more tangible

I can't put into words just how cleverly written Family Business is. It completely blew me away

Another Knockout

Jonathan Sims is possibly the freshest breath of air on the horror scene I've found in some time. A skilled hand at atmospheric tension and an increasingly well-honed political and social commentary meeting lively and diverse characters.

What is the forsaken was a thing?

It’s beautiful. The lovely framing of grief, not in some contrived way, is framed in a respect while retaining the entertaining quality of horror. The ending was sadifying in a way I’ve grown to enjoy from Jonny Sims.

Great

I love horror & Jonathan Sims so this was great. Thirteen Storeys is still my favourite from him but this was great too. Great narration but a lot slower to start than Thirteen Storeys. It was worth it though.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Admittedly a slow burn at first but the pay off was a wonderfully horror-filled delight!

This is the second audiobook I have ever heard with multiple voices. The first being Jonathan Sims' "13 Storeys" (another excellent title). Jonny, if you see this review, please keep doing this. It's new and fresh and I love it. If I had to add anything, I would have added sound effects like you did in "13 Storeys" but regardless, I will listen to this again and again. Guaranteed!

Absolutely Delightful

I thoroughly appreciate Johnathan Sims’ particular style of storytelling. The growing unease and horror of the narrative is greatly enhanced by the quality of the narrator.