Showing results by author "K.R.M. Morgan" in All Categories

Some books are dangerous. This one can unwrite reality itself. In the most secure vault in the Vatican, a book that has not been opened in four hundred years has been breached in an impossible way. The physical artifact remains, but its words, the very text itself, have been stolen right off the page. The only clue is a scent—not the absence of a smell, but the smell of absence itself. When logic fails, the Vatican calls Father Thomas O’Neill. A disgraced academic and Chief Exorcist, O'Neill has a reputation for the absurd, a pack of foul cigarettes to mask the stench of true evil, and ...

Are you ready for a theatrical romp that’s more twisted than a pretzel on opening night? Dive into the enchanting chaos of K.R.M. Morgan's "The Understudy of the Underworld"! Join Brenda, a retired dental hygienist with dreams of stardom, as she battles her own performance demons under the watchful eye of Julian, the cravat-wearing director with expectations higher than the theatre’s chandelier! From her feeble falsettos to the eerie antics of Aoife, a banshee stuck in a ghostly rut, every moment is a laugh-out-loud exercise in the art of theatrics (and potential disaster). Why should ...

In "The Madrid Contingency," the story unfolds during a live episode of Spain's premier late-night talk show, Noche de Fuego, hosted by Isabella Rossi. The atmosphere is electric as Professor Jose Gonzalez, the head of Parapsychology at the University of Madrid, boldly claims he can summon and control spirits on air. As he performs rituals using mystical artifacts, he attracts both fascination and unease from the audience and Isabella herself. As Gonzalez invokes the spirits, strange phenomena occur; lights flicker and an unnerving hum fills the studio. Suddenly, Isabella undergoes a ...

In "The Abbot’s Shadow," set within the serene confines of the Monastery of Saint-Michel-du-Valais in southern France, Brother Luc, a devout monk, confronts a chilling temptation that shatters his tranquil existence. One fateful night, he is awakened not by sound, but by an otherworldly presence; a succubus, a demon of seduction and desire, who disrupts his peaceful slumber with her intoxicating beauty and allure. As she materialises in his dim cell, her enchanting essence brings forth a conflict between his vows of piety and the primal urges she awakens within him. Despite his training ...

In the sun-drenched Aegean, the idyllic charm of a Greek island masks a chilling secret. Father Thomas O'Neill, a seasoned priest with a penchant for the paranormal, arrives to investigate reports of bizarre behaviour among a handful of villagers. But as he and his unusual companion, Ezekiel—the formidable exorcist cat with a nose for imbalance—delve deeper, they uncover a sinister undercurrent threatening to engulf the tranquil shores. With tales of possession swirling around the local taverns and a mysterious chemical leak raising alarm, Father O'Neill must untangle a web of deception...

Unravel the Mystery of the Blackwood Curse! Step into the spine-chilling world of The Blackwood Curse, a gripping tale that blends folklore, suspense, and the haunting whispers of a village on the brink of terror. In the idyllic English village of Warblington, tradition collides with the uncanny when the peaceful life is shattered by the inexplicable death of a beloved librarian, Miss Eleanor Ainsworth. With no clear cause of death and peculiar marks on her neck, the local police find themselves at a loss. Enter Professor Karl Murphy, a retired folklore expert, whose knowledge of myth and ...

In the quiet coastal town of Emsworth, a man sits in his favourite café, lost in the tranquillity of retirement. John Rehurt, once a skilled field operative, now enjoys his days surrounded by familiar faces and comforting routines. The scent of freshly baked scones and the murmur of locals create a serene backdrop, but beneath the surface of this idyllic existence lies a life filled with secrets and shadows. When an enigmatic stranger enters the café, her sharp demeanour and purposeful stride disrupt the peace, awakening instincts long dormant within him. With a cryptic message from an ...

[In a previous John Rehurt adventure, "Agent Red", I described what could happen if the American President had become a Russian asset, allowing the KGB to control American policy. This story got me feedback from my US readership, so I thought it would only be fair to have a British-themed exploration.] In "Traitors At The Top," retired covert operative John Rehurt finds solace in the comfort of his armchair and an ancient biography, reflecting on the weight of history and his own life experiences. As he immerses himself in tales of valour and betrayal, the tranquillity of his apartment is ...

Beneath the shimmering surface of the Venetian lagoon lies a world where secrets lie buried and shadows whisper tales of the past. The moon hung low that fateful night, casting an ethereal glow over the crumbling remains of an ancient nunnery, a place long forgotten and marked by a 19th-century papal decree. It stood as a silent guardian of dark histories, echoing with the footsteps of those who once tread its halls and cloistered in mysteries now cloaked in dust. As the clock struck three, a witching hour when the veil between the living and the dead grows perilously thin, three daring ...

In the tranquil coastal town of Emsworth, the morning sun glinted off the calm waters, casting a serene glow over the quaint cottages that lined the harbour. Yet beneath this picturesque façade lay the stirring currents of disquiet. John Rehurt, a man with a past steeped in intrigue and danger, might have been content to enjoy his retirement, taking long strolls along the shoreline. But fate had other plans. As the familiar scent of the sea mingled with the aroma of baked bread from the local bakery, a familiar figure emerged from the shadows of his memories. Mrs. Jenkins, his long-time ...

Amidst the vibrant chaos and suffocating heat of Haiti, Father Thomas O’Neill arrives with a sacred, and terrifying, Vatican mandate. Accompanied only by his remarkably intuitive feline companion, Ezekiel, their mission goes beyond pastoral care. Deep within the shadows of a struggling Catholic-run medical clinic, a malevolent Voodoo sorcerer known as a Houngan preys on the vulnerable. He isn't just stealing souls; he's twisting the sick and desperate, binding their spirits to his will, transforming them into the dreaded, mindless creatures of nightmare: the zombie! Drawn into an ancient ...

Dive into a world of intrigue and suspense in K.R.M. Morgan’s captivating short story, "Traitor in Our Midst." Join ex-agent John Rehurt, a man haunted by his past, as he enjoys his quiet retirement in the seaside town of Emsworth. But tranquillity shatters when a mysterious stranger appears, bringing an irresistible offer that could alter the course of history. In this expertly crafted narrative, you'll experience: - The thrill of espionage as John is pulled back into a game of shadows. - A tale of loyalty and betrayal set against the backdrop of a world teetering on the brink of chaos. ...

Unravel the Mystery in “Nest of Vipers: A John Rehurt Adventure”! Are you ready for a thrilling ride? Dive into the heart-pounding world of espionage with John Rehurt, a retired British operative who thought he had left his dangerous past behind. But when a midnight disturbance shatters the tranquillity of Emsworth, Rehurt is thrust back into a nightmare he thought he'd escaped. In "Nest of Vipers," danger lurks in the shadows as mercenaries invade his peaceful life. Armed with only his wits and a hidden arsenal of skills, Rehurt must outsmart seasoned assassins who underestimate him—...

In the hallowed halls of Oxford University, where centuries of knowledge and tradition intertwine, the night was cloaked in an unsettling tranquillity. As moonlight spilled through stained glass windows, illuminating the dust motes swirling like forgotten whispers, the grand library echoed with the soft sounds of strategy and rivalry. Here, two young scholars engaged in a battle of wits over a chessboard, unaware that the true game unfolding would test not only their intellect but their very lives. With each move, the air buzzed with the excitement of competition, but that atmosphere ...

In "The Cursed Village," Father Thomas O'Neill, a seasoned exorcist dispatched by the Vatican, arrives in the sleepy village of Western Thane, Hampshire. His presence disrupts the quaint tranquillity as villagers, wary and fearful, whisper rumours of a sinister force lurking nearby. A priest has been found dead, and Thomas is tasked with investigating the dark undercurrents of the community, which include missing young women and strange occurrences connected to the ominous Manor House on the hill. Amidst polite nods and forced smiles, Thomas senses the deep-seated fear that permeates the ...

Blackwood Sanctorium is a fortress of modern medicine, a high-security hospital for the most dangerous psychiatric patients in the country. It is a place of absolute control. But when a charismatic cult leader is found dead in a room locked and bolted from the inside, that illusion is shattered. With no weapon, no witnesses, and no way in or out, the staff call it a freak accident. The police call it impossible. They call in Professor John Castellanos, an academic expert on the criminal mind who sees patterns where others see chaos. He understands that this isn't a random death, but the ...

His car is dead. The phone lines are down. And the man watching the house isn't waiting for the storm to pass. Professor John Castellanos wanted a quiet escape. What he found was a historian on the verge of a nervous breakdown and a legend about buried treasure. But the truth is far more terrifying. The broken-down car was planned. The isolated cottage is a cage. And the ruthless organisation that has come to this remote Scottish moor isn’t here for Jacobite gold. They are here for him. Trapped and unarmed, Castellanos is forced to play a game designed by a ghost from his past—a dead ...

They Buried the Cold War. They Forgot About the Ghosts. For five years, John Rehurt has lived by a simple code: routine is a fortress. The ex-MI6 operative, a relic of a bygone era of espionage, has found peace in the quiet rhythms of his seaside town. But the fortress of his retirement is about to be breached. A high-profile assassination rocks the nation, executed with a cold, professional precision that is more than just a murder—it's a signature. A signature Rehurt recognises from the frostbitten streets of Cold War Berlin. A calling card is left, a key to a dead language of violence ...

In the heart of London’s most iconic bookstore, author Kurt Morgen’s world is turned upside down when a mysterious stranger collapses at his feet, leaving behind a chilling warning and a sinister object: the enigmatic Janus list. As chaos erupts and sirens wail, Kurt is thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the world’s premier intelligence agencies, where every glance feels like surveillance, and trust is a luxury he cannot afford. With only ten minutes to act before the dark forces lurking in the shadows erase all evidence of the encounter, Kurt must rely on his wits and ...

"Manuscript of Madness" follows Professor John Castellanos, a writer and academic, who receives an invitation to deliver a keynote lecture about his first novel, "Bridge of Souls," at an academic conference. Excited yet anxious about speaking publicly again, he travels to Cambridge, where he finds himself in a grand historic setting filled with eager attendees. His lecture goes surprisingly well, reigniting his passion for academia. However, the atmosphere quickly darkens when a body is discovered in the library, a researcher clutching a page from an ancient tome. As more murders occur, ...