AND CANNOT COME AGAIN

"One of the most accomplished and eloquent British horror writers is Simon Bestwick, and here is a feast of his work."—Ramsey Campbell

Funny, frightening and moving, the stories in Simon Bestwick’s new collection explore how our childhoods mark us, our regrets haunt us, and how our innocence is sometimes lost—and sometimes taken away.

A young policewoman is drawn into a dreadful bargain. Murdered girls walk the streets of Manchester beside their still-living friends. Tormented children call on an urban legend for help, and the events of a long-ago summer and first love return with lethal consequences for four childhood friends. All this and more besides, in these fifteen short stories and novelettes from the author of The Faceless and The Feast of All Souls.

Simon Bestwick was born in Wolverhampton back in the '70s, but his family moved to Manchester when he was two and he lived in the area up until 2014, when he moved to Liverpool. In 2015 he moved to the Wirral with the author Cate Gardner, and in 2016 they got married.

His school years were horrible. His college and University years were great.

He graduated with a 2:1 degree in 1996 and realized what he wanted—needed—to do was write. A succession of dead-end and/or soul-killing jobs followed—office worker, fast food operative, WP operator, training administrator, call centre worker.

Now, finally, he is self-employed and doing what he loves. So far he has published three novels, a chapbook, and four short story collections. Two new novels are forthcoming and he's working on others, not to mention a screenplay.

He is represented by Tom Witcomb at the Blake Friedmann Literary Agency.