Superstitions only survive if people believe in them…

Renowned academic Dr Sparling seeks help with his project on a remote Irish village. Historical researchers Ben and Chloe are thrilled to be chosen – until they arrive.

The village is isolated and forgotten. There is no record of its history, its stories. There is no friendliness from the locals, only wary looks and whispers. The villagers lock down their homes at sundown.

It seems a nameless fear stalks the streets, but nobody will talk – nobody except one little girl. Her words strike dread into the hearts of the newcomers. Three times you see him. Each night he comes closer…

That night, Ben and Chloe see a sinister figure watching them. He is the Creeper. He is the nameless fear in the night. Stories keep him alive. And nothing will keep him away…

For a reader like me, The Creeper by A.M. Shine is the perfect nightmare fuel. I have a tendency towards night terrors and on more than one occasion I’ve woken in the middle of the night utterly convinced there is someone in the room standing over me*. With that in mind, I am either absolutely the worst or the very best audience for this novel. I’m a glutton for punishment so I’ll assume I’m the best.

For researchers Ben and Chloe, the opportunity to make some much-needed money by interviewing the inhabitants of a remote village couldn’t have come at a better time. A reclusive academic offers them the chance to discover the truth behind an old Irish legend. The villagers however, are an insular, distrustful bunch. Their entire lives are bound by the rules that surround an entity known as the Creeper. To these simple souls, an abrupt intrusion by outsiders is tantamount to blasphemy. The interviews don’t go according to plan, and after failing to get the answers they are looking for, Ben and Chloe decide to leave. On their journey home a strange figure appears in the distance.

Where the folk horror of The Creeper excels is in picking apart the nature of belief and superstition. Initially, our two protagonists are dismissive of the villagers and their archaic lifestyle. Ben is particularly sceptical. He is the sort of person who is constantly looking for the rational explanation in all things. He can’t allow himself to accept any other possibility. The idea that the Creeper could be real is too ridiculous to entertain.

A horror that slowly burrows its way directly into my brain like this always leaves a distinct impression. I remember the first time I saw Ring I was unsettled for days. The Creeper emanates that same air of disquiet. It’s that growing feeling of uncertainty, of everything being not quite right. An air of tension that builds slowly, chipping away at your sanity in tiny increments. There is a sense of desperate inevitability hangs heavy over events. The Creeper is coming and he will get you eventually.

Though The Creeper is firmly rooted in the realms of psychological horror, there are some moments of physical trauma peppered throughout the narrative that also manage to illicit shock. As an aside, top marks to the author for the use of the word ‘creamy’ in a horror novel. So very, very icky.

If you are looking for a modern take on old-school folk horror then I can heartily recommend The Creeper. With subtle nods to the likes of The Wicker Man and James Herbert’s back catalogue, I’m sure you’re going to be pleased and horrified in equal measure.

The Creeper is published by Head of Zeus and is available now.

My musical recommendation to accompany this read is the soundtrack to Slender Man by Ramin Djawadi and Brandon Campbell. It has a suitably ominous tone that captures the unsettling nature of the novel.

*My other half will confirm this is sometimes paired with me screaming at full volume**.

**I know, I’m quite the catch aren’t I?

The Creeper

I was terrified by A.M. Shine’s first horror novel The Watchers last year and I was looking forward to his new novel The Creeper. It has such an interesting premise. Academic Dr. Alec Sparling lives a very regimented existence in a remote Manor House in Ireland. His house is set back, covered and disguised with vegetation. There are shutters for the windows and and bolts for the doors. What is he hiding from? He has advertised for two academics to undertake field research and chooses Ben and Chloe. She is an archaeologist and he is an historical researcher with a wealth of experience in interviewing people. They must hike out to a remote Irish village and interview the residents about their life and their minimal contact with the outside world. This is a forgotten place, wary of strangers and as they stumble through a forest, tripwires attached to church style bells ring out their presence, giving the villagers plenty of warning. As Chloe and Ben finally meet the people they are shocked by their physical appearance. Poverty and hardship has marked their faces, but it’s the lack of new residents that explains the deformities they observe, years of in-breeding has clearly had it’s effect. These people are not pleased to see them and like Dr Sparling, they are nervous about dusk creeping up on them and Chloe observes the shutters at their windows, less high tech than the wealthy doctor’s, but for exactly the same purpose. Are they to stop people looking out after dark, or are they to stop someone looking in?

As the pair start to interview villagers, they get the sense they’re being fed stock answers. There is something very wrong here, but no one is willing to talk about it, except for one little girl who repeats a piece of folklore:

Three times you see him. Each night he comes closer...

As darkness starts to fall and the villagers start itching to close themselves away for the night, Ben and Chloe realise they will not be able to get back to the car tonight. So they set up camp in the driest grass field they can find. As they organise themselves and darkness falls, Ben gets the sense they are not alone. Towards the back of the field, there’s a shape in the darkness. Could it be a person or something worse? This is The Creeper, kept alive by the villager’s superstitions and stories, he is the nameless fear in the night and tomorrow night, he’ll be even closer.

A.M. Shine is a horror genius. His clash of old Irish folklore and modern life is irresistible. I had only read Ben and Chloe’s first day at the village and I had a nightmare! He’s brilliant at creating a sense of foreboding in the reader and here it’s heightened by not describing The Creeper till part way through the book. The author knows that our own imaginations are adequate enough to scare us and there’s nothing worse than not knowing or fully seeing the thing you fear. On the first night it’s so far away, covered in raggedy clothing, that we never see it’s face. The villager’s deformed appearances also feed the imagination, leaving the suggestion that the Creeper may be even more disfigured. The doctor’s preparations are also ominous, suggesting that the Creeper isn’t just restricted to the village, but can appear anywhere. We can explain away a superstition held by an isolated settlement, who still live like it’s the Dark Ages! However, if a respected academic who lives in the ‘normal’ world is scared, then we should be too. The author also drops little clues that are easy to dismiss at first, such as the unearthly cry Ben hears as they approach the village. Is it just a child crying out or something much much worse?

The whole atmosphere of this novel is dark, damp and dreary. The waterlogged fields that surround the village create mist. So it feels like everything is obscured and shrouded in mystery. The weather is constantly damp and miserable, so Ben and Chloe’s quest feels grounded and based in reality. Their discomfort as they set up camp for the night is something I remember well from my camping days, that awful feeling that you’ll never be dry again. The contrast between what is familiar and what is very, very wrong, adds to the horror of the situation. The author leaves us suspicious about everyone; I doubted the doctor’s motives in giving the academics this mission and I doubted the villagers too. I found the villagers furtive and secretive, I wondered what they were withholding and whether they were really as downtrodden as they seemed to be. There was the hint that previous academics had come this way and if they had, where were they and where was their research? By the time something terrifying happened my nerves were as taught as bow strings. The final confrontations and the horrifying conclusion were both expected and at the same time shocking. I kept thinking about the author and asking myself ‘he’s not really going to do this is he?’ He really did. I won’t be divulging any of the final chapters, but it really was heart-stopping. This book cemented the feeling I had after reading his first novel The Watchers, Shine has become one of the best horror writers around.

Enjoyment: 5
Total rating: 5

The Watchers was one of my favourite 2021 horror books and one of the few to ever scare me. I jumped at the chance to read The Creeper as soon as I saw it available to request on Netgalley.

The Creeper is a remarkable, atmospheric, mysteriously dark novel. Again, Shine plays with elements of Irish lore and takes the reader on a journey their heart might not survive.

I can't talk more about this book without spoiling it, but I will say that The Creeper proves, in my opinion, that Shine is an author that knows how to tell a story and does it well. I am already looking forward to his next book.

Added bonus - The cover is stunning.

Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to the publishers and NetGalley for providing a copy of The Creeper.

I finished this ages ago, but I had to let the steam stop coming out of my ears before I wrote my review. The beginning of this story sucked me right in!! I was with the characters every step of the way, basically becoming easily startled and loving every minute of it. The world building was good and the story and characters were oh so interesting.

But then I go to the end. And I was so seriously let down that I was actually super mad. You can’t go from being an amazing book to bashing me over the head with ridiculousness!!! You just can’t. But that’s totally what this book. The end made the whole rest of the book I unenjoyable. I can’t believe the ending and I am still mad about it weeks later.

Of course I do not recommend this one at all. Don’t waste your time. What a let down. Go read something written by Josh Malerman or someone else who can handle strange and interesting horror. Sorry for being harsh, but I’m totally still ticked off here!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Ok so here's the thing........... nothing much actually happened. As in I love a juicy build up and big action and that was definitely absent. BUT..... somehow I was sucked in by this book. If creating a tense, uncertain atmosphere was a subject at University then A.M Shine would have a First Class Honours Degree easily! Ha ha ha.... I was all up in it and happy to be there. Having read The Watchers previously I had high hopes for this book, so much so that I barely even glanced at the blurb before deciding I was definitely going to read it. Prior to reading The Watchers I would have said that folklore horror was of no interest, and then, even though The Creeper was even more folklore(y) than that I still really enjoyed it. I wouldn't have believed it myself until it happened!
I really think that the characters drew me in to their stories and motivations which made me care about what happened to them. At the start I loved Chloe and her strength, but I then when roles reversed I also loved how Ben really came through for her and was so determined to sort things out. And Dr Sparling..... well he's just a 'villain' I loved to hate.
Did I know what was going on? No. Did I guess the ending? No. Did it capture my imagination? Yes. Will I be pouncing on the author's next book the first opportunity that I get? Hell YES!

The Creeper | A.M. Shine
⭐️ 4.5

In an isolated Irish village, a terrifying superstition lives on. The Creeper follows two academics and a mysterious sponsor, as they try to uncover the secrets and origins of a place lost in time.

The setting was absolutely perfect and one of my favourites. Ireland and its history of folklore create a perfect backdrop.

This book is scary and the writing creates such a dark and foreboding ambience. The author creates this back and forth between the characters with their polarized viewpoints and I found myself taking sides on multiple occasions.

The Creeper was an intriguing read from start to finish. It’s everything I look for in a horror story and Irish folk tales are a huge plus in my opinion.

I was expecting different ending, not to spoil anything, but altogether horrifying none the less!

I can not wait to read The Watchers and honestly anything else A.M Shine comes up with.

This is a great horror story, I love the creepy atmosphere of Irish folklore. Ia am going to read more from the author.
Thanks to Netgalley for this book.

"Three times you see him..."

Tir Mallacht has been cut off from the rest of the world for hundreds of years, it has no recorded history, and nobody leaves or enters. Ben and Chloe are sent to find out their secrets by the reclusive academic, Dr Alec Sparling. The villagers are afraid of something that stalks their streets after dark, but nobody will talk. Except one little girl - her story soon makes them wish they'd never been chosen by Dr Sparling.

The Creeper is story of fear, suspense, and folklore - a story that keeps him alive.

I really enjoyed this book - the pacing was a bit slow at start, but it built suspense really well and it had me gripped from the beginning. I'm a big fan of folklore and I really enjoyed how it explored how these stories are born and evolve, and the all too real human horror behind them.

As the tension build, we learn about the villagers and The Creeper, and why Dr Sparling is so interested in it all. We don't get a full background on Ben and Chloe, their story starts when they meet Dr Sparling, but we learn little pieces as the story unravels. While I found Ben a very frustrating character, both he and Chloe were very believable characters that you can connect with and the contrast between believer and non-believer felt natural.

The ending, while I loved the twist and psychological fear behind it, left me with a lot more questions than it answered but you just need to suspend a little belief and it doesn't take away from the overall experience.

If you're looking for a good read to keep spooky season alive - I definitely recommend this!

This was my first A.M. Shine read and I'm excited to pick up the Watchers very soon.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Creeper scared the living crap out of me. A.M. Shine pulls out all the stops to make you realise that the dark is where evil lies, and where evil lies death will surely follow. His pure storytelling isn’t easily matched.

The Creeper is one of the most phenomenal horror stories I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing. I’m not going to lie I’ve sat on this review for four days – how would I find the words to do it justice? How could I describe the plot which had me gripping my kindle with a force that could rival the hulks? Nothing will be enough to highlight the story’s vice grip on me. The Creeper was truly original and the feelings it emitted from me will no doubt do the same to you.

I’m a big fan of A.M. Shine’s work – it’s stunningly dark. The Watchers, his debut opened the door to the atmosphere of Ireland’s desolated forests and hugely flawed characters that leave you feeling conflicted. The Creeper promised all that more, he delivered with a keen sense of fear and foreboding. I could sum it up in a few words – the story burns with the intensity of a flame. It’s an experience that leaves you needing to fall into this world but also fearful of your fate. One touch will leave you howling in the foetal position.

Ben is aching to find a job that will pay him what he’s worth. Since completing his master’s in history a few years ago he hasn’t been able to find employment in his specialism. It’s soul-destroying and he’s had enough of working in retail. His parents have more faith in him than he does. His daughter is the only thing he lives and breathes for, was he scared when the woman he had a one-night stand with told him she was pregnant? You bloody bet, but he loves her beyond measure.

When Dr. Sparling headhunts both Ben and Chloe for a special research project with a generous payout for their time, Ben nearly takes his hand off in accepting. It’s too good an offer to refuse and it will hopefully mean he can kiss retail goodbye. They’re both asked just one question – “Do you have children?” it seems odd, but Ben says no. The relevance is like a red-hot poker, it’s searing.

They are sent on their way; expenses are taken care of, and they’ve been warned that they might need to camp. Chloe is a bit of an expert so she buys the best tent they can, and they make their way to Tir Mallacht a community that is stuck in time, with maps and directions that seem sketchy at best. What appeared to be an easy task, to begin with now has the feeling of treading through the mud. The community is very insular, they are living 200 years in the past and refuse to give information freely. Only one little girl gives them a look into the darkness – A creeper that will be seen 3 times, the last resulting in your death. Can Chloe and Ben escape the superstition of the Tir Mallacht’s?

Shine dives deep into the psyche of the human condition – Dr. Spalding uses greed and the lure of money to fulfil his task. When I finished the story, I felt uneasy, I like to be moved by a story, I want them to be real, I enjoy the fear and this book certainly managed to scratch that itch. The atmospheric and claustrophobic narrative of The Creeper left me gazing into space. There’s no way you’re starting this book and walking away, it’s a read-to-the-end type read.

If you like your spooky season reads genuinely terrifying then The Creeper is definitely the book for you!!! Let me tell you, I had to put my copy in a drawer over night rather than leaving it on my bedside table!! That’s how creepy this book is. I doubt I’ll ever peek behind my curtains at night again for fear of what might be out there! Absolutely brilliant, atmospheric and frightening. AM Shine is fast becoming a go to author for me for scary autumnal reads. He is a master of gothic horror and I recommend wholeheartedly if this is your kind of read.

I also really recommend The Watchers by this author as that was a great scary read too.

I rated The Creeper 4.5/5 on my Goodreads so I'm bumping it up to a 5 here.

Historian Ben French & Archaeologist Chloe Coogan are headhunted by the mysterious Dr. Alec Sparling for a project he has been working on for years. Dr. Sparling is interested in finding out more about The Creeper - a mysterious figure that appears to people three times before they die. Enticed by the prospect of being paid handsomely for their work, Ben & Chloe agree to help and are sent to investigate the closed community of Tír Mallacht, a group of people who live isolated from the rest of society.

The Tír Mallachts do not want outsiders hanging around and are not forthcoming with information. Why do they lock themselves inside before nightfall every evening? Why are shutters and blinds pulled down to keep the night out? Why is everyone so bloody creepy?

When Ben & Chloe discover that previous investigators have gone missing, they begin to think that Sparling knows more than he's letting on. But is it too late to save themselves?

This was genuinely very unsettling and creepy. The author did a brilliant job of building the tension and letting us get to know the characters and what motivated them. My only real issue was the use (or over-use) of analogies - the story didn't need so many, it was a solid scary tale. I've been reading and watching horror for decades, so it takes a lot to scare me - this genuinely freaked me out a couple of times.

I liked how the story was crafted, I felt like it could have been longer, and I'm still not entirely sure what the point of the story about Ben's Aunt was, but overall I think it's a great spooky horror and will be keeping an eye out for this author's other books.

Sadly this was a case of the idea sounding much better than the execution - I couldn't gel with the writing style, and I hated the characters, so there was little drawing me in. It wasn't a bad book per se, just simply not for me

Please read this book before nighttime because it slowly builds a creepy and terrifying atmosphere mixing folk horror and classic gothic horror.
Well plotted, highly entertaining, perfect if you want to be scared.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I’m not going to lie, I was slightly apprehensive to start this book simply because The Watchers was so so good! I didn’t know whether the second book could be as good as the first or how it could even be better, however I shouldn’t have worried because The Creeper is amazing.
I really wouldn’t have liked to have read this book whilst I was alone in the house because can you say CREEPY!!! I genuinely felt a bit uneasy and I must say I slept with my back to the door and a small light on.

The book is perfect for reading this season (or all year round if you are spooky all year) and is on kindle unlimited so there really is so reason not to rush and pop The Creeper at the top of your tbr pile.

This was definitely a slow burning gothic thriller. The story seemed to almost drag on to the point I was a bit bored just hoping for it to end. It had the creepy feelings to it, but Ben was annoying and Chloe was two dimensional, I really didn't get a good grip on any of the characters at all. There were some storylines that never quite finished, basically leaving it up to the reader's imagination. I found the whole premise of the story really good, I was curious enough to keep reading to see how it all played out. The abrupt ending felt rushed. The book probably could have been cut in half honestly. I understand that it's being edited, but the way it was presented, not knowing if it's past tense or present......seemed to take away from the story, making me upset the entire time. This book was an alright read, not the worst, but something I cannot quite put my finger on left me irritated and not creeped out like I thought I would be.

I started in on this without even reading the synopsis, just seeing the cover and seeing it's a folk horror set in Ireland. And boy was I not disappointed.

This ticked all the boxes:
- Eccentric old man who is obviously more involved than he makes it out to be
- Weird little isolated community in the middle of nowhere, where people seem to live according to stay safe from the danger
- Nursery-type rhyme about how the danger works
- One skeptic, one believer
- Creepy kid
- Defaced church
- Is it actually for REAL real or ...

The story starts out with a chapter that felt a lot like how the opening scene of It Follows felt; quiet but urgent, with growing anticipation leading up to the inevitable first death. And from there, we're off.

Is The Creeper a real entity, or just the remains of old superstitions? That's what the main conflict of the story revolves around, and it really doesn't pull any punches in exploring the possible answers to that question. While the twist didn't surprise me, it was so well executed that it didn't matter whether or not it was predictable. I loved every single page, and you bet I will pick up other books by this author.

Read it if: you like cryptids, creeping folk horror, superstitions and how far you would go to see something through

Don't read it if: you want a fast-paced creature feature, you like clear good vs evil/right vs wrong

I am very pleased to see that my store will carry this book, so that I may recommend it to customers looking for something to read during spooky season!

ARC provided by NetGalley for an Honest Review
I remember reading and being pleasantly surprised by this authors first novel so I jumped at the chance to read this one. The novel revolves around Irish superstition and how much power such myths and folklore stories can be when they are believed and passed down through generations. In fact just wholly believing in such a story can give it weight in reality and unfortunately for the two MCs they’ll have to learn this the hard way. The two are randomly contacted by a rich recluse who will pay them handsomely to research a being known as the Creeper. The two will have to travel to a remote and secluded village, a place lost from time very reminiscent of the movie The Village. After the two are approached I was quickly hooked into the story just as the MCs were on discovering and experiencing such a unique place. Both are graduates in the scientific and work is not easy to find nor is padding their resume, thus this opportunity is too good to pass up. However I think we all know, when something seems too good to be true it probably is and they’ll have to learn this the hard way.
Until the end, I was truly enjoying the story. It was both engaging and equally creepy. The blend of history and horror made for an edge of the seat read that I was hard pressed to put down. Three times you see the creeper and then you’re no more. Such a premise is beyond eerie especially when you’re being told such a thing by a child. However so much of what made the story a joy to read feels misplaced and disappointing given the way it ends. In some ways it ends as it should but I still have lingering questions and I’m not exactly pleased with how it plays out for those involved.

“Three times you see him, she said. The first night he is far, far away. And the next night he’s closer. So close that you can see him, and he can see you. And then, on the third night, his big ugly face is at your window. The fourth night is your last night, because then uh-ho.”

What a creepy story!
I loved the premise of the book and I really enjoyed the feeling of the closed, mysterious community that won't let outsiders in. The starts is slow, but the pace gradually increases as the story comes together, and the last part of the book is a whirlwind of gruesome, nerve-wracking scenes.

Perfect for the spooky season, I will definitely read more by this author.

Thank you NetGallery and Head of Zeus for an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s been a while since I enjoyed a really good remote community/borderline cult book. There’s usually a strong religious element making everything creepier, a doctrine on which the insular locals rely and the worldly interlopers scoff or dread. But The Creeper by A.M. Shine proposes this closed-off community as a place devoid of religion, where a single obscure nursery rhyme has taken over, prompting the inhabitants of Tir Mallacht to cut themselves off from the rest of the world.

The nursery rhyme is, of course, delivered by a creepy child. And the inhabitants themselves do provide a lot of the creeping dread. Shine hasn’t shied away from thinking about what generations of inbreeding might do to a community. But more than this, there is a glee taken in the details, a grim kind of body horror that’s only compounded in the final act, when things become grisly-crystal clear.

One of the things I loved about this book was the characterisation. The mysterious and fastidious Alec Sparling was the main puzzle for me throughout, somehow more attractive than the central questions around the Tir Mallacht community. I enjoyed Chloe, as well, and almost wish the story had been told from her perspective. I confess to finding the ‘true’ main character, Ben, a bit annoying.

The Creeper is an excellent Halloween read for anyone wanting some creeping scares and fascinating character work.

The Creeper by A.M. Shine is out now and available here.

Review writting with thanks to the publishers and NetGalley.co.uk for an e-advanced review copy.

This book has a brilliant slow build up, great suspense and fantastic character development . It's not too long winded and is a really good entryway into irish story telling and the depiction of solitary parts of Ireland, made up or otherwise.
The setting is beautifully written and very cinematic and the storyline builds up to a fantastic crescendo that reaches a very satisfying end. I look forward to getting my hands on Shines next book.