J. W. Ocker

Douglas has grown up around the business of death. Generations of his family have run the Mortimer Family Funeral Home. The mortician and gravediggers are all his buddies. And the display room of caskets is an awesome place for hide and seek. Its business as usual in Douglass small New England town. Until one day an incredibly out of the ordinary murder victim is brought to the funeral home. And more startling: others follow. On the cusp of Halloween, a serial killer has arrived. And unsatisfied with the small-town investigation, Douglas enlists his friends to help him solve the mystery. With sumptuous descriptions of a bucolic town and its quirky people, fascinating yet middle gradeappropriate insider information about the funeral process, and a crackling mystery with a heart-pounding conclusionDeath and Douglas has something for readers young and old.

Beware...this book is cursed! These strange but true stories of the worlds most infamous items will appeal to true believers as well as history buffs, horror fans, and anyone who loves a good spine-tingling tale. Theyre lurking in museums, graveyards, and private homes. Their often tragic and always bizarre stories have inspired countless horror movies, reality TV shows, novels, and campfire tales. Theyre cursed objects, and all they need to unleash a wave of misfortune is . . . you. Many of these unfortunate items have intersected with some of the most notable events and people in history, leaving death and destruction in their wake. But never before have the true stories of these eerie oddities been compiled into a fascinating and chilling volume. Inside, readers will learn about: Annabelle the Doll, a Raggedy Ann doll that featured in the horror franchise The Conjuring The Unlucky Mummy, which is rumored to have sunk the Titanic and kick-started World War I The Dybbuk box, which was sold on eBay and spawned the horror film The Possession The Conjured Chest, which has been blamed for fifteen deaths within a single family The Ring of Silvianus, a Roman artifact believed to have inspired J. R. R. Tolkiens The Hobbit And many more!

A must-read.Publishers WeeklyFrom weird history expert J. W. Ocker, an eye-popping compendium of the 30 most infamous, audacious, and dangerous cults in history.Everything youve ever wanted to know about historys most notorious cultsand the psychology of the people who join themis packed into this accessible, engaging volume. Walk in the footsteps of those who were lured into sinister groups from Heavens Gate to NXIVM. Contents also include:Los Narcosatanicos: This group of drug traffickers in 1980s Mexico committed human sacrifice and believed their leader had magic powers. Breatharianism: Breatharians believe that humans can live on air alone, and their founder claimed to have gone without food for seventeen years. Ordo Templi Orientis: Members of this mystical cult attempted to conceive and give birth to the Antichrist through sexual rituals. Rajneesh Movement: This spiritual commune committed the largest bioterrorism attack in American history when they contaminated local salad bars with salmonella. Ocker brings his trademark curiosity and wonder to the subject of cults and the terrifying way they attract followers, demonstrating the elasticity of belief, the desperateness of belonging, and the tragedy of trust.

Meet the monsters in our midst, from bigfoot to Mothman and beyond!Welcome to the United States of Cryptids, where mysterious monsters lurk in the dark forests, deep lakes, and sticky swamps of all fifty states. From the infamous Jersey Devil to the obscure Snallygaster, travel writer and chronicler of the strange J. W. Ocker uncovers the bizarre stories of these creatures and investigates the ways in which communities embrace and celebrate their local cryptids. Readers will learn about: Batsquatch of Washington, a winged bigfoot that is said to have emerged from the eruption of Mount Saint Helens Nain Rouge of Michigan, a fierce red goblin that has been spotted before every major city disaster in Detroit Flatwoods Monster of West Virginia, a robotic extraterrestrial that crash-landed in rural Appalachia Lizard Man of South Carolina, a reptilian mutant that attacked a teenager in the summer of 1988 Glocester Ghoul of Rhode Island, a fire-breathing dragon that guards a hoard of pirate treasure And many more! Whether you believe in bigfoot or not, this fully illustrated compendium is a fun, frightening, fascinating tour through American folklore and history, exploring the stories we tell about monsters and what those stories say about us.

The Ghost Show is coming . . . are you ready? Three friends must face their deepest fears in this spine-tingling horror novel by USA Today bestselling author J.W. Ocker, a spooky middle grade book perfect for fans of R.L. Stine and Mary Downing Hahn.When mysterious ads for the Ghost Show appear around town, nobody can tell what it is. A band? A movie? A game? But that magic wordghostexcites Hazel Gold, or Zel to her friends. As founder of her schools Creepy Club (three members strong!), shes always ready for a new paranormal investigation.Turns out the Ghost Show is a black, five-story skull that appears on the edge of town, promising a supernatural adventure inside a bizarre attraction. Stepping inside, the Creepy Club is greeted by the eccentric Amadeus Everest Mancer, a self-proclaimed ghost catcher who guides them through an aquarium full of vaporous floaty thingssheets that cover gobs of dripping red goo.Then Mancer offers Zel what shes always wanted: the chance to see a real ghost. But it turns out to be more than she bargained for. To stop him, the Creepy Club must fight a massive ghost infestation and free the trapped souls within, culminating in chilling battle that blurs the line between reality and the supernatural. Perfect for Halloween Reading Ideal for fans of the supernatural Features light scares

From USA Today bestselling author J.W. Ocker comes a chilling middle grade horror perfect for fans of R.L. Stine and Holly Black alike.Noe Wiley couldnt be more excited to move. After the slumber party sleepwalking incident of last year, shes ready to make some new friends.But Noe didnt expect the sullen, strange girls who live on her new street. And she certainly didnt expect the strange warning they give herto stay out of her basement, no matter what.Noes not going to let these girls boss her around. Shell go in her own basement whenever she wants.So she does. And there he is.And now theres no going back.A Terrifying New Monster: Hes flat, hes terrifying, and hes oozing out of a crack in the basement wall. They call him the Smashed Man. Kids Save the Day: Only the neighborhood kids can see the creature that haunts their homes. If the adults wont listen, Noe and her new friends will have to fight back themselves. Haunted House Horror: Noe thought she was moving to the perfect new house, but a dark secret lurks beneath the floorboardsand its in every house on Dread End. Sleepwalking Danger: Noe has a history of parasomnia, but what happens when she sleepwalks her way right into the monsters path? And what if her little sister does, too?

An ominous new slide on the playground leads to a world of fear in USA Today bestselling author J.W. Ockers latest middle grade horror, perfect for fans of R.L. Stine and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.Griffin Birch isnt known for being brave, but theres something about the new black slide on the elementary school playground thats made him curious. Against his better judgment, he just has to follow his best friend, Laila, down.But the Black Slide is no ordinary piece of playground equipment. What Griffin and Laila find at the other end of this strange portal is a cruel world, populated by bloodthirsty creatures on a quest to become immortal.And its up to Griffin to save himself, his best friendand the future of earth itself.Fans of classic horror will devour this creepy adventure packed with more twists and turns than the ominous black slide itself.What horrors lurk at the bottom of the slide?Portal Fantasy Adventure: One minute Griffin and Laila are on the school playground. The next, theyre trapped in the Painful Place, a bizarre world of metal, rock, and terrifying creatures. Unlikely Allies: Griffin has spent his whole life avoiding the school bully, Ozzie. Now, surviving the monsters of the Black Slide might mean trusting his worst enemy. Friendship and Courage: Laila has always been the brave one, but this time its up to Griffin to face his fears. Hell have to find his courage to save the only best friend hes ever had. Perfect for Spooky Season: With creepy creatures and a vibe perfect for fans of R.L. Stine and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, this is an adventure to read with the lights on.

Guía ilustrada que revela las historias reales que se esconden detrás de los objetos malditos más infames, escalofriantes y raros de todo el mundo.En estas páginas encontrarás desde el opulentoDiamante Hopeo la terrorificaMuñeca Annabelle hasta el español Sillon del Diablo. Son objetos malditos, y todo lo que necesitan para desatar una ola de desgracia es tu participacionLeeras relatos que tienen lugar a lo largo de muchas decadas y en todos los continentes. Los objetos estan al acecho en museos, cementerios o casas particulares. Sus historias, a menudo tragicas y siempre extrañas, han inspirado innumerables peliculas de terror, novelas y cuentos.Algunos de estos elementos se han cruzado con personas notables o eventos importantes, dejando muerte y destruccion a su paso.Es laprimera vez que hallarasrecopiladas en un solo libro estasextrañas rarezas fascinantes a la vez que escalofriantes.

En estas páginas encontrarás desde el opulento Diamante Hope o la terrorífica Muñeca Annabelle hasta el español Sillón del Diablo. Son objetos malditos, y todo lo que necesitan para desatar una ola de desgracia es tu participacionLeeras relatos que tienen lugar a lo largo de muchas decadas y en todos los continentes. Los objetos estan al acecho en museos, cementerios o casas particulares. Sus historias, a menudo tragicas y siempre extrañas, han inspirado innumerables peliculas de terror, novelas y cuentos.Algunos de estos elementos se han cruzado con personas notables o eventos importantes, dejando muerte y destruccion a su paso.Es la primera vez que hallaras recopiladas en un solo libro estas extrañas rarezas fascinantes a la vez que escalofriantes.

En estas páginas encontrarás desde el opulento Diamante Hope o la terrorífica Muñeca Annabelle hasta el español Sillón del Diablo. Son objetos malditos, y todo lo que necesitan para desatar una ola de desgracia es tu participacionLeeras relatos que tienen lugar a lo largo de muchas decadas y en todos los continentes. Los objetos estan al acecho en museos, cementerios o casas particulares. Sus historias, a menudo tragicas y siempre extrañas, han inspirado innumerables peliculas de terror, novelas y cuentos.Algunos de estos elementos se han cruzado con personas notables o eventos importantes, dejando muerte y destruccion a su paso.Es la primera vez que hallaras recopiladas en un solo libro estas extrañas rarezas fascinantes a la vez que escalofriantes.