Hive Mind - by Allison Gunn (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

"A dark, propulsive horror-thriller with all the drama and psychological terror of a lost season of American Horror Story." --Luke Dumas, USA TODAY bestselling author

Gillian Flynn meets Marcus Kliewer in this chilling, eerie thriller chronicling the brutal murder of a troubled scream queen in remote Appalachia.

Infamous Hollywood manager Jacob Peyton is on trial for what's been dubbed the crime of the century. The victim in question? Bee Torrance: his client-turned-wife and a horror artist whose controversial art and escapades were live streamed to keep viewers, known as her Hive, entertained.

Just one week prior to his arrest, Jacob and Bee disappeared deep in the Appalachian Mountains. Bee was found brutally murdered in an abandoned cabin. The evidence undeniably points to Jacob as the culprit, yet he claims to have no memory of the killing or their ill-fated trip. The last thing he remembers before inexplicably losing consciousness is hooded figures descending on his wife. Now, haunted by flashbacks and twisted visions, Jacob argues Bee died at the hands of demonic spirits. But is there any truth to it?

Scrambling for damage control, his Hollywood executive sister hires two journalists to dig into Bee Torrance's sordid past and build public sympathy for Jacob. Savvy investigative journalist, Greg Tomlin, is paired with spunky documentarian Skylar Ryan, who has her own hidden motivation for defending the Peyton family. Together, they embark on a winding journey through mayhem, memories, and monsters, both human and otherworldly.

The further the duo descend into Bee's world, the more their own realities become as warped as the nightmares devouring Jacob's sanity. A rollercoaster ride with nonstop twists and turns, Hive Mind extinguishes the bright lights of Hollywood to expose untold horrors and the reckoning that awaits in the wilds of Appalachia.

Review Quotes

Praise for Nowhere

"Unflinching, observant, and harrowing, in Nowhere, Gunn goes there... so let her take you. You couldn't have a better, more assured guide into the darkness." --Emily Carpenter, author of Gothictown and Burying the Honeysuckle Girls

"A relentlessly unsettling, blood-stained portrait of small-town America's dark corners, Nowhere conjures a roster of memorable characters then methodically turns the screws on them until one-by-one, they break in spectacularly horrific fashion. Fans of The Wicker Man and True Detective take note, Gunn mines similar rich veins of flawed, humanistic characters forced to confront their own personal Hells. This is real horror." --Collin Armstrong, author of Polybius

"Alternately eerie and gory, this first novel has appeal for new and seasoned horror fans." --Booklist

"Forget Satanic Panic. Allison Gunn delivers a full-blown occult nightmare in Hive Mind, a dark, propulsive horror-thriller with all the drama and psychological terror of a lost season of American Horror Story. With her signature blend of bold characters, brutal violence, and a gritty, supernatural Appalachian setting, Gunn presents a view of evil as deeply human as it is hellish."
--Luke Dumas, USA Today bestselling author of Nothing Tastes as Good and A History of Fear

"Gunn knows how to generate tension, and this trip into the woods should enchant fans of Stephen King's The Outsider as well as readers of supernatural thrillers." --Library Journal

"Gunn proves herself an assured new voice in horror." --Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Allison Gunn is a professional researcher, writer, and educator. With an MA in history and an MLIS from the University of Maryland, she is now a graduate student at Shepherd University in Appalachian Studies with a focus on folklore. She is the author of NOWHERE, an Appalachian horror tale, and Hive Mind. She resides in wonderfully weird West Virginia with her children, both human and fuzzy. Writing is the one thing keeping her even remotely sane.