Take his hand and follow him into the darkness . . . John Connolly, bestselling author of five brilliantly scary mystery novels, now turns his pen to the short story to give us a dozen chilling tales of the supernatural. In this macabre collection, echoing masters of the genre from M. R. James to Stephen King, Connolly delves into our darkest fears - lost lovers, missing children, subterranean creatures, and predatory demons.

Framing the collection are two substantial novellas: The Cancer Cowboy Rides charts the fatal progress of a modern-day grim reaper, while The Reflecting Eye is a haunted house tale with a twist and marks the return of private detective Charlie Parker, the troubled hero of Connolly''s crime novels.

Nocturnes is a masterly volume to be read with the lights on - menace has never been so seductive . . .