Shepton Mallet Prison has stood for centuries, watching, waiting. When widowed father Alex Roberts buys it to expand his portfolio, he expects cheap scares and local legends. But the ghosts are real, the horrors buried in its stone far worse than stories, and something ancient has begun to stir.
As a paranormal TV crew descends into madness and the line between past and present begins to break, Alex must uncover the prison’s darkest secret before it claims his daughters and finishes what it started in him.
"Do you wanna come on a ghost hunt?"
Supernatural Horror, Psychological Terror,
Folk Horror
Shepton Mallet Prison has stood for centuries, watching, waiting.
When widowed father Alex Roberts buys it to expand his portfolio, he expects cheap scares and local legends. But the ghosts are real, the horrors buried in its stone far worse than stories, and something ancient has begun to stir.
As a paranormal TV crew descends into madness and the line between past and present begins to break, Alex must uncover the prison’s darkest secret before it claims his daughters and finishes what it started in him.
Target Market:
The Infernal Mallet is aimed at readers of intelligent, emotionally resonant horror who crave more than just scares. It will appeal to fans of layered supernatural fiction that blends personal trauma with mythic forces, and who appreciate stories where grief, guilt, and social decay are just as terrifying as ghosts. Ideal readers are drawn to atmospheric, location-bound narratives rooted in British folklore and historical injustice, and who favour psychological unraveling over jump scares.
This novel is for readers who see horror as a vehicle for catharsis, commentary, and legacy, not just a thrill ride.
Comparable Titles:
Comparable in tone and ambition to Adam Nevill’s The Ritual and Paul Tremblay’s A Head Full of Ghosts, The Infernal Mallet similarly explores the collapse of masculinity and identity in the face of the unknowable.
It also shares thematic ground with Laura Purcell’s The Silent Companions, weaving historical misogyny and spectral vengeance into the modern day.
Like Kill Creek by Scott Thomas, it deconstructs ghost-hunting media tropes while leaning into folkloric dread.
Fans of The Haunting of Hill House and Ghostwatch will recognise the creeping dread and family-centred emotional core, while those who enjoyed The Reddening or Ghost Wall will be drawn to its brutal, mythic undertow.
Finally, if you think it's fucking hilarious when Derek Acorah said "Mary Loves Dick" on Most Haunted, or when Zak Bagans gets possessed on Ghost Adventures, and the performative bollocks of these people makes you a tad irate, you may get some satisfaction from this novel.