Overview

"Trapped in an isolated old house on Martha's Vineyard in winter, Diana Barlow is either seeing ghosts or losing her mind ... After an estrangement from her parents, Diana came to Martha's Vineyard to start a new life with her husband Ford and young daughter Samantha. The beautiful Victorian house that Ford inherited seemed the perfect home for a fresh beginning. But in the winter, when the tourists go home and the island is deserted, Diana is afraid she's going crazy. Specters of people long dead flicker in and out of her vision. The antique dolls in her house never stay where they're put. Samantha suddenly has a whole group of imaginary friends who live in the house and tell her terrible things. And Ford is becoming increasingly moody, unpredictable, and violent. While Diana investigates the horrifying history of the house, the past, the present, the living and the dead fatally intertwine, and Diana realises she and her daughter must escape - if Ford and the house will let her. AUTHOR: Sean Padraic McCarthy's short stories have appeared in Glimmer Train, The Hopkins Review, Prole, Supernatural Tales, The Indianola Review, South Dakota Review, The Sewanee Review, 2 Bridges Review, Water Stone Review, Hayden's Ferry Review, Shadowgraph Magazine, Fifth Wednesday Journal, and South Dakota Review. McCarthy's story ""Better Man""-originally published in december magazine-was listed as a ""Distinguished Story"" in The Best American Short Stories 2015. He is a ten-time Top 25 Finalist in the Glimmer Train Fiction Open Award, and a 2016 recipient of the Massachusetts Cultural Council's Artist Fellowship in Fiction Award. In the Midst of the Sea is McCarthy's first novel. He lives near Boston, Massachusetts. SELLING POINTS: . In the tradition of Stephen King: Gripping combination of supernatural horror and psychological realism. . Creepy supernatural thriller with plenty of horror and suspense. Gritty, authentic adult characters. . Atmospheric and eerie setting of Martha's Vineyard in wintertime."

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9781610353342

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Reviews

Strong characterizations and startling imagery give powerful dimensions to this riveting novel. The book is both historical and contemporary, literary and startling, and the ghosts -- if ghosts they may be called -- are wonderfully understated. A very compelling read. --James Hanna, author of Call Me Pomeroy, The Siege, and A Second, Less Capable Head: and Other Rogue Stories

In his novel In the Midst of the Sea, Sean Padraic McCarthy gives us an unnerving ghost story that tackles domestic abuse, addiction, and crumbling familial relations. A book filled with compelling characters, beautiful prose, and unsettling specters, In the Midst of the Sea will spread its fog into you, fill you with a chilling sense of unease, but tempt you to read further, as McCarthy has managed to create a pitch perfect blend of psychological realism and horror that will appease fans of literary fiction and horror alike. Trust me, this novel will haunt you long after you put it down. --duncan b. barlow, author of Of Flesh and Fur, The City, Awake, and A Dog Between Us Sean Padraic McCarthy's lyrical gift contributes substantially to this literally haunting tale. Spanning a narrative trajectory between 1871 and 1994, the story depicts two comparable families in two contradistinct times, occupying the same house on Martha's Vineyard in shades of Turn of the Screw and The Haunting of Hill House. Long after the reader has turned the final page, McCarthy's portrayals of both heart and spirit will continue to make their presence felt. --Toni Graham, author of The Suicide Club Strong characterizations and startling imagery give powerful dimensions to this riveting novel. The book is both historical and contemporary, literary and startling, and the ghosts -- if ghosts they may be called -- are wonderfully understated. A very compelling read. --James Hanna, author of Call Me Pomeroy, The Siege, and A Second, Less Capable Head: and Other Rogue Stories

Author Information

Sean Padraic McCarthys short stories have appeared in Glimmer Train, The Hopkins Review, Supernatural Tales and numerous other journals. He is a ten-time Top 25 Finalist in the Glimmer Train Fiction Open Award, and a 2016 recipient of the Massachusetts Cultural Councils Artist Fellowship in Fiction Award. He lives in Massachusetts.

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