"An archetypal American myth.... Their depiction of 1921 Nebraska is vivid ... but the real heart of the novella lies in the relationship between Luke and Annabelle, two strong but damaged characters who share an eerie bond."

—Paul Witcover, Locus Magazine

"Characterisation is spot on, with no-one who can be considered either evil or a criminal, just ordinary men and woman with all the flaws and virtues that implies.... I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it without reservation."

—Peter Tennant, Black Static

"The authors know how to tell a story. They have good narrative drive, they deliver strong characterization without a lot of exposition, and the supernatural elements of the story are inventive, building one upon the other.... Cast a Cold Eye is one of those stories that work on many levels. I've reread the manuscript a few times since I first received it, and every time I do, I find another layer waiting for me. It's past time for you to discover its treasures for yourself."

—World Fantasy Award-winner Charles de Lint, from the introduction

From three-time Aurora Award nominee Derryl Murphy and Hugo and Nebula Award nominee William Shunn comes a chilling ghost story set in the aftermath of the worst pandemic the world has ever known.

Rural Nebraska, 1921. In a region devastated by Spanish flu, where not a single life has gone unscathed by tragedy, 15-year-old orphan Luke Bryant has lost more than most. And the worst of it is, he can't so much as visit his parents' graves without the statues in the cemetery opening their stony eyes to watch his every move.

That's the worst, at least, until Annabelle Tupper, Spirit Photographer, rolls into town and teaches Luke to see the world in an entirely more terrifying way...

CAST A COLD EYE
A novella by Derryl Murphy & William Shunn
With an introduction by Charles de Lint
Available from PS Publishing, November 2009

Order your copy direct from PS Publishing now!
Signed, jacketed hardcover (100 copies only): £24.99
Unsigned, jacketed hardcover: £11.99

Derryl Murphy's fiction has appeared in various magazines and anthologies, and eleven of those stories were in his collection Wasps at the Speed of Sound, from Prime Books. He is a three-time loser of the Aurora Award and lives in Saskatoon with his wife and two sons.

William Shunn is the author of more than two dozen short stories, which have appeared everywhere from Asimov's to Salon. He is a past nominee for the Hugo, Nebula, and Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Awards. A chapbook of his stories, An Alternate History of the 21st Century, was published by Spilt Milk Press in 2007. He lives in Chicago with his wife Laura Chavoen.