This week on Fearsome Fiction we’re sharing a rare gem. “The Judge’s House” buy Bram Stoker follows Malcolm Malcolmson, a student who rents a remote, cheap old house in the fictional town of Benchurch to study for exams in isolation. Locals warn him the house has a bad reputation, but he ignores them and moves in.

The house once belonged to a notoriously cruel hanging judge. As Malcolmson settles in, he notices strange things: a persistent rat that keeps drawing his eye to an old alarm bell rope, and an oppressive sense of being watched. Eventually he realizes there’s a chair in the room that seems to move on its own toward the fireplace whenever his attention lapses.

The story builds toward a chilling climax involving the judge’s portrait, the bell rope, and Malcolmson’s fate. It’s a classic “isolated scholar in a cursed house” setup that plays well for a horror reading, with Stoker’s knack for slow dread. And now, The Judge’s House.

I was delighted to hear from the Grundy Library again. I did a fiction writing workshop there a year ago, and I’ve been invited back for a journaling workshop in

If you’re looking for a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon this fall, look no further than Federal Twist Vineyard in Stockton, New Jersey. On Saturday, September 26, from 2 to 4 p.m., local author Mark McNease and memoir writer Kim Cook will be on hand for an afternoon of books, art, and conversation in one of the most beautiful settings in the Delaware River valley.

Mark McNease is the author of fifteen novels spanning mystery, thriller, and horror — including the Kyle Callahan Mysteries, the Maggie Dahl Mysteries, and the Marshall James Thrillers. Kim Cook is the author of I Am My Father’s Child: A True Story of Mystery, History, Betrayal and Forgiveness, and the just-released Moments with Moose: Life Lessons from the Best Listener I Know, a warm and deeply personal memoir about the lessons we learn from the animals we love.

Federal Twist Vineyard, tucked into the rolling hills of Hunterdon County, provides a stunning backdrop for an event that pairs great books with great wine. Whether you’re a longtime reader of either author or simply looking for a relaxed afternoon out, this is the kind of gathering that reminds you why local events matter.

Both authors will be available to sign books and chat with visitors throughout the afternoon. Copies will be available for purchase.

Federal Twist Vineyard, Stockton, NJ — Saturday, September 26, 2–4 p.m. Free to attend. Bring your curiosity, your love of good books, and your appetite for a glass of something lovely.

I’ve been telling stories for as long as I can remember. A surprising number of them have made it into print—fifteen novels so far, which still surprises me a little when I say it out loud. I live in the woods nears Stockton, New Jersey, a small borough on the Delaware River. The kind of place that inspires mysteries, thrillers and horror in the towns and countryside.

My longest-running series is The Kyle Callahan Mysteries—character-driven, funny in places, dark in others, and rooted in lives you might never expect to be troubled by murder. I also write the Marshall James Thrillers series and the Maggie Dahl Mysteries, each with their own voice and world.

More recently I’ve been working in horror and psychological thriller—territory I find endlessly compelling. And my forthcoming (October, 2026) Devil’s Wood is a supernatural thriller set in nearby Lambertville, drawing on modern small town life and ancient horror.

Through Your Write Path, I offer workshops and coaching for writers at every stage—beginners who’ve never shown anyone their work, experienced writers who’ve hit a wall, people who want to tell the story of their own lives. “Every life is a story, and each of us is the storyteller.”

My imprint Vivid Press publishes annotated editions of public domain classics—recent titles include Carmilla, The Willows, and Gaston Leroux’s The Mystery of the Yellow Room. Stories matter.

Look around, you’ll find much more here, and thanks for stopping by. – Mark