`A tense, creepy page-turner Ian Rankin, New Statesman`Malone is the master of twists, turns and the unexpected Herald Scotland_______Annie surged forward, but she was too slow, too late.A hand came over and down, and she felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck.Then all became smoke, and silence.Hiding from the world in her little white cottage on the shores of a loch, Annie Jackson is fighting to come to terms with the world of the murmurs, a curse that has haunted female members of her family for centuries.While she is within the ancient, heavy stone of the old dwelling, the voices merely buzz, but the moment she steps outside the door they clamour to torment her all over again, bringing with them shocking visions of imminent deaths.Into this oasis comes her adoptive mother, Mandy McEvoy, begging for Annie's help. Mandy's nephew Damien has gone missing, after dropping off his four-year old son at his mother's home.Unable to refuse, but terrified to leave her sanctuary, Annie, with the help of her brother Lewis, is drawn in to a secretive, seductive world that will have her question everything she holds dear, while Lewis' life may be changed foreverThe second book in the critically acclaimed Annie Jackson Mysteries series, The Torments is both a contemporary gothic thriller and a spellbinding mystery that deeps deep into a past that should, perhaps, remain undisturbed_______Praise for Michael J. Malone`An assured paranormal thriller in which the paranormal isn't even the scariest part' Herald Scotland`A beautifully written tale, original, engrossing and scary a dark joy The Times`A deeply satisfying read Sunday Times`A fine, page-turning thriller Daily Mail`Brilliantly creepy a spine-tingling treat Daily Record`Prepare to have your marrow well and truly chilled by this deeply creepy Scottish horror A complex and multi-layered story Sunday Mirror`Unsettling, multi-layered and expertly paced CultureFly`Disturbing but compulsive I loved it Martina Cole`Both thought-provoking and heartbreaking Foreword Reviews