Jeremy Dyson is a master of the macabre, of stories brimming with black humour and the promise of something sinister just around the corner. In his new collection he explores the dark depths of the human condition, offering tales of death, disaster and - just occasionally - redemption.

An unhappy, near-autistic bookseller acquires miraculous powers over life and death and exacts his revenge on the world - in a cruel and unexpected way.

Alone in their isolated boarding school, three boys explore the mysterious cellar that is officially off-limits, only to discover something far worse than they expected about the building and themselves.

A pathological fear of violent crime drives a wealthy property developer to purchase a private island and build himself a home of absolute security. Unfortunately he succeeds in attracting the very thing he fears the most.

In these and other tales of suspense and horror, Jeremy Dyson introduces the reader to a world that is at once mysterious and strangely familiar . . .