"Smart, scary and beautifully written - a dark fantasy filled with well-crafted characters, lots of action, skilled world building, and above all, real heart. I absolutely loved it." For 100 years the portal to the human world has been closed to them. It is now open. They are free. They are evil. They are Fae. Warning: This is not a fairy tale. It is a tale about faeries. At the edge of an ancient forest steeped in legends, stands a 400-year-old manor House occupied by the mysterious Sinister family since it was built. An accusation of witchcraft against the Sinisters in the past, saw seven of them burnt at the stake. Within a week of their deaths, a deadly blight swept through the village. Those that survived fled never to return. As time passed, the abandoned village was reoccupied and steadily grew into a town. Unaware of the evil that dwelt in the forest overlooking them, the townsfolk went about their daily lives. With the death of the last Sinister descendant, that is about to change. When a caretaker is sought to look after Hagsdell Manor, a down on his luck an author of supernatural thrillers, takes the position. He is searching for something to kickstart his writing mojo and hopes living in the old manor will provide that. When he discovers a macabre casket in the attic and opens it, the strange contents embroil him in a set of life-threatening events, not even his writer's imagination could have dreamed up.

The Strange Side of Midnight

Literature & Fiction

Hammott, Ben

Genre Fiction

Independently published

"The most thrilling, unputdownable book I've read in a long time." "Crackles with oppressive tension infused with a real sense of dread throughout that had me holding my breath." "Stunning, scary, and tightly written - a thriller bursting with shivers and edge of your seat horror." "Brilliant! A thrilling, horrifying, gripping page turner that you want to race through but at the same time don't want to end because you're enjoying it so much." When an ancient document, written by Tom Hardy, the cabin boy aboard the Fortuyn, surfaces, it reveals he was the sole survivor of the stricken Dutch East India vessel and the gruesome events he witnessed that claimed both vessel and crew. Because the terrible events he witnessed onboard were too fantastical to be believed, Tom kept the truth a secret. However, in an attempt to quell his reoccurring nightmares, he wrote down the events leading to the demise of the crew and the Fortuyn. It is believed by some that the Fortuyn is the lost ship that haunts the seas and has become known as The Flying Dutchman. Centuries after Tom's death, and keeping his original title The true catastrophic events of the Fortuyn as witnessed by Tom Hardy, the sole survivor from the aforementioned vessel, the truth can, at last, be revealed. A ghost ship, also known as a phantom ship, is a vessel with no living crew aboard. These encompass ghostly vessels from folklore and fiction, such as the&nbsp;Flying Dutchman, or a derelict found adrift with its crew missing or dead, like the&nbsp;Mary Celeste. In maritime folklore, the ghost ship, the Flying Dutchman, has had an impact like no other lost vessel. It has inspired numerous paintings, films, books, opera, etc. The alleged captain, Van der Decken, was on a heading for the East Indies when a ferocious storm overwhelmed them. With sheer determination, he tried to steer his ship through the hostile weather conditions the Cape of Good Hope was famous for but failed miserably even after he vowed to drift until doomsday. Legend declares that since then, ship and crew have been cursed to sail the oceans for eternity. To this day, hundreds of sailors are credited to having witnessed the Flying Dutchman continuing its never-ending voyage across the waters. To this day, hundreds of sailors are credited to having witnessed the Flying Dutchman continuing its never-ending phantom voyage across the oceans. Tom's account of what happened aboard the Flying Dutchman, however, is considerably more chilling...

HELL SHIP - The Flying Dutchman: The True Catastrophic Events of the Fortuyn as Witnessed by Tom Hardy, the Sole Survivor of the Aforementioned Vessel.

Action adventure sci-fi horror set in Antarctica. 
An ancient terror dwells below the ice...
Humans have always looked to the stars for signs of Extraterrestrials.They have been looking in the wrong place.They are already here, entombed in a spaceship beneath Antarctic ice for thousands of years.The ice is melting and they will soon be free.When a huge rift in the ice is discovered in Antarctica that stretches for 18 miles, (29 km) and 820 feet (250 meters) apart at its widest point, environmental scientists enter the ice rift to check out an anomaly on NASA's satellite scans. Beneath the ice they discover something far more life threatening than the raging blizzard trapping them in the rift. They are unarmed and unprepared for their ensuing fight for survival.
Ice Rift plot themes: 
<ul>
<li>Action </li>
<li>Adventure </li>
<li>Survival </li>
<li>Horror </li>
<li>Science fiction </li>
<li>First Contact </li>
<li>Aliens </li>
<li>Spacecraft </li>
<li>Exploration </li>
<li>Antarctica</li>
</ul>
First feedback: "An exciting adrenaline rush that rarely lets you stop for a breather.""The story quickly draws you in and refuses to let go until the last page. An excellent adventure set in Antarctica. 10/10."
"An exciting adrenaline rush that rarely lets you stop for a breather."
"The imaginative mind of the author has produced a thrilling action adventure horror filled with atmosphere and claustrophobic locations. I dreaded each time the characters opened another door. Highly enjoyable read."
"Atmospheric locations and a cleverly written plot full of surprises. Richard was my favourite character. It was easy to imagine myself exploring the spacecraft with them. I liked the way the scientists had no weapons to defend themselves with, but had to rely on their wits to survive. It made a change from the usual gung-ho hero machinegun killing scenarios."

Ice Rift: An Action Adventure Sci-Fi Horror set in Antarctica

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Science Fiction

Action adventure sci-fi horror set in Antarctica. The spaceship entombed in the huge iceberg calved from the Pine Island Glacier drifts towards the warmer air and ocean temperatures of the South Atlantic. The race is on to claim the alien technology before the ice melts and releases its hold on the trapped alien vessel. 
The mission: Board the spaceship and salvage as much alien technology as possible before the doomed vessel sinks to the bottom of the ocean. The obstacles: A disintegrating iceberg, a collapsing spaceship, an armed Russian salvage force intent on claiming alien technology for themselves, an approaching storm, and the biggest obstacle of all—the spacecraft’s alien inhabitants. The aliens have another mission—survival—and when opposing species clash, there can be only one victor. Ice Rift - Salvage is the sequel to Ice Rift, which needs to be read first to gain the most enjoyment from the story.

Ice Rift - Salvage: In Antarctica everyone can hear you scream!

<h3>One of the world's most legendary and elusive treasures, sought after for centuries. . .</h3> An ancient mystery.A Lost Treasure.A Hidden City.An impossible location.An unimaginable adventure. Included in Aztec and Mayan legends, Conquistadors had heard rumors of its existence when exploring the New World, but never found it. During World War 2, Nazi inspired archaeologists were convinced they had pinpointed its location. They packed a U-Boat with supplies and set a course for the Amazon Jungle. They disappeared!Many adventurers eager to claim the legendary gold as their own entered one of the most inhospitable places on earth, the Amazon Jungle. Most were never seen again!And yet the exact location of El Dorado and its fantastic hoard of Mayan, Aztec and Inca treasure so many have dreamed of finding, remains a mystery. Any who may have stumbled upon it never returned to tell the tale. It was as if someone, or something, was protecting it... In 1925, Victorian explorer Colonel Percy Fawcett enters the Amazon Jungle to search for a Lost City. Like so many before him, he was never seen or heard from again. Until now!When a message from the past is discovered washed up on an English beach, it reveals new information about the ill-fated 1925 expedition. A modern day expedition sets off to follow in the footsteps of Colonel Fawcett in an attempt to locate the Lost City and its legendary hoard of priceless treasure. El Dorado Book 1 & 2 will take on a journey filled with danger to seek out and enter the fabled Lost City. A thrilling story of adventure and discovery that weaves together an exciting blend of fact and fiction linked to the legends surrounding El Dorado, the lost Fawcett expedition and the mysterious Amazonian Jungle. Rumored to be guarded by remote, mist-veiled mountains, the fabulous treasure hoard was hidden from the greedy clutches of Spanish conquistadors somewhere deep inside the unforgiving and mysterious Amazon jungle. As far as anyone knows, it is still there. Waiting to be discovered by those brave or foolhardy enough, to try their luck. <h2>Reviews</h2> "This is a terrific two book series set within the atmospherically described Amazon jungle. I could easily imagine myself tagging along with the adventurers." "If you like reading Clive Cussler, Matthew Reilly, James Rollins or Michael Crichton, you will enjoy this action adventure from Ben Hammott." " Has all the ingredients for an instant success: great plot, interesting characters, a large dose of mystery, impressive locations , unexpected twists and discoveries, deception and betrayal and even a touch of romance and a spattering of humor. This story will keep you entertained from beginning to end. Recommended for the permanent library of all action adventure readers." "The Mysterious and Dangerous Amazon Jungle, Subterranean Rooms, Tunnels, Pyramids, Ancient Aliens, Nazis, Traps, Thrilling Escapes, Chases, Strange Creatures, Dangerous Enemies, a Lost City and Great Characters, are just a few ingredients that make this exciting adventure thriller a must read for fans of this genre." (NY.Post.book.reviews) "From bestselling author Ben Hammott this action packed adventure takes you into the Amazon Jungle to follow in the footsteps of lost Victorian Explorer, Colonel Percy Fawcett. What we have here, in part, is an excellent dramatization of what may have happened to Fawcett and what he may have discovered in the unexplored regions of the Amazon. The well written plot is seldom predictable and some of the characters you think are safe, and will be alive by the time the book reaches its climax, are not. Sights and sounds of the Amazon are described well and help to set the atmospheric tone the explorers travel through. A thoroughly enjoyable adventure."An exciting archaeological mystery thriller with flashbacks to Colonel Fawcett's 1925 Expedition.

EL DORADO - BOOK 1 - Search for the Lost City: An Unexpected Adventure

<h3>One of the world's most legendary and elusive treasures, sought after for centuries. . .</h3> An ancient mystery.A Lost Treasure.A Hidden City.An impossible location.An unimaginable adventure. El Dorado Book 2 Continues from The Lost City Book 1, and will take you inside the Lost City to learn of its many secrets and dangers.After a perilous journey through the inhospitable Amazon Jungle, the expedition team stand at the entrance of a strange construction leading inside one of the seven surrounding pyramid shaped mountains Fawcett's journal has led them to. Where will it lead? Is it El Darodo? What secrets will they find within? They venture inside the mountain to find out. Not all will survive. What lies before them as an unimaginable adventure full of danger, sacrifice, nightmare creatures and an ancient treasure so vast it rivals the greatest treasures of the world so far discovered. Escape will be almost impossible. Waiting for them is something worshiped by the Aztec and Mayan tribes for hundreds of years, and it is alive! A thrilling story of adventure and discovery that weaves together an exciting blend of fact and fiction linked to the legends surrounding the lost 1925 Fawcett expedition and the mysterious Amazonian Jungle. Pleases use the 'Look Inside' feature to view the book contents and don't forget you can download a free sample of "The Lost City" to your Kindle <h2>Reviews</h2> "This is a terrific two book series set within the atmospherically described Amazon jungle. I could easily imagine myself tagging along with the adventurers." "If you like reading Clive Cussler, Matthew Reilly, James Rollins or Michael Crichton, you will enjoy this action adventure from Ben Hammott." " Has all the ingredients for an instant success: great plot, interesting characters, a large dose of mystery, impressive locations , unexpected twists and discoveries, deception and betrayal and even a touch of romance and a spattering of humor. This story will keep you entertained from beginning to end. Recommended for the permanent library of all action adventure readers." "The Mysterious and Dangerous Amazon Jungle, Subterranean Rooms, Tunnels, Pyramids, Ancient Aliens, Nazis, Traps, Thrilling Escapes, Chases, Strange Creatures, Dangerous Enemies, a Lost City and Great Characters, are just a few ingredients that make this exciting adventure thriller a must read for fans of this genre." (NY.Post.book.reviews)"From bestselling author Ben Hammott this action packed adventure takes you into the Amazon Jungle to follow in the footsteps of lost Victorian Explorer, Colonel Percy Fawcett. What we have here, in part, is an excellent dramatization of what may have happened to Fawcett and what he may have discovered in the unexplored regions of the Amazon. The well written plot is seldom predictable and some of the characters you think are safe, and will be alive by the time the book reaches its climax, are not. Sights and sounds of the Amazon are described well and help to set the atmospheric tone the explorers travel through. A thoroughly enjoyable adventure."

EL DORADO - Book 2 - Fabled Lost Treasure: The Secret City (The Lost City)

A Victorian mystery adventure revolving around the search for a lost inheritance worth millions. The two rival miserly Drooge brothers, a butler, a murderous hunchback, a shadowy assassin, a fashion senseless burglar, a beast named Diablo, strange henchmen, an actor who once had a standing ovation, and many more oddball characters, all conspire in ways you couldn't possibly imagine to steal two paintings that contain clues to the long lost inheritance of Jacobus Drooge.This is a complete stand alone adventure.

The Lost Inheritance Mystery

Humor & Satire

Hell Ships - 3 Monstrous Scary Sea Tales: Suspenseful horror thrillers set at sea - The Derelict - Desolation Whaling Station - The Lighthouse

ICE RIFT - SIBERIA is the 3rd book in the best selling Ice Rift series. Ice Rift and Ice Rift - Salvage need to be read first to gain maximum enjoyment from this novel. Having stowed aboard the Russian vehicle transporting the alien weaponry salvaged from the doomed Antarctic spaceship, the surviving fragment of EV1L arrives at a secret underground complex in the remote wilderness of the Siberian tundra. It will hide. It will feed and grow.  It will breed. When all is ready, EV1L and her hoard of vicious offspring will emerge from the facility and head for the nearest city to start their conquest of Earth. When the Americans intercept a plea for help from the secret facility and learn of the alien menace, a crack team is rushed to Siberia. Their mission is to destroy the alien creatures before they escape. If they fail, it could bring about the end of human civilization.

Ice Rift - Siberia

If your hear him lock the door, you are already dead! This book contains the shocking dramatization of real events carried out by the serial killer, Henry Howard Holmes. America's first documented serial killer, Henry Howard Holmes, holds a dubious and ghastly record that few serial killers in history have surpassed. The 19th century killer is thought to have committed over 200 murders, but, for unexplained reasons, appears to have been overlooked by many true crime enthusiasts. Set partly in the era when "Jack the Ripper" was terrorizing the foggy streets of London with his gruesome slayings in the 19th century, Holmes was committing his nefarious crimes in America, undetected. Holmes, a handsome, well dressed gentleman with high intelligence, was a murderer and accomplished conman. Charm and trust were his most effective weapons and he welded them as expertly as any surgeon would a scalpel. To achieve an easy way to entrap and dispose of his intended victims, Holmes constructed a huge building that when his crimes were revealed, the newspapers of the time named the "Murder Hotel." And this is a fair description as there can be no doubt the building was constructed for the sole purpose of killing his victims and the disposal of their corpses. Though the majority of his victims were women he charmed and ensnared in his murderous grasp, he also murdered men and children. As the trial judge said when charging the jury responsible for convicting Holmes: "Truth is stranger than fiction, and if the story is true—(and it was proven to be true)—it is the most wonderful exhibition of the power of mind over mind I have ever seen, and stranger than any novel I have ever read." After 2 years of research and consultation with modern day serial killer profilers, I believe this to be the most accurate dramatized account of America's first documented serial killer, Henry Holmes. "An atmospheric dramatization of a true crime mystery using source documents and the investigations carried out by detective Frank Geyer to portray a believable and disturbing account of the heinous murders and crimes of the serial killer, Henry H. Holmes." "Insightful thoughts of some characters during their impending death make it too easy to identify with the horror of what they experienced. By the time I got to the end of some parts, I was out of breath, literally!" "Grabs your concentration by the throat with every horrific and appalling act carried out by Holmes and never lets go. The scenes are so well written that you find yourself witnessing everything as if you were there." "This well researched dramatization of the Chicago serial killer, Henry Holmes, because it's based on actual events, isn't something that's always easily digestible; it sits in your gut and gnaws at your insides. It becomes part of your subconscious. You think of it long after you have laid the book aside. No punches are pulled to describe the horrendous crimes carried out by this cold hearted killer." "Hammott's writing is easy to read. He has a real knack for creating great descriptions of scenes, characters, and murderous action." "Absorbingly horrific. As if it were a plane crash that you just can't look away from, because you're intrigued as to how and what will happen next." "An absorbing read that will remain with you long after you've turned the last page." "The prose is very descriptive and emotive. It actually gave me quite an emotional kick in the gut when Holmes's murderous appetite focused on the children. No one was safe from this man." "As fascinating as it is shocking."

An Insatiable Thirst for Murder: Serial Killer Henry Holmes - The Novel

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Wilkinson, Bill

Mystery

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Books by Hammott, Ben