{"product_id":"dr-x-john-meachen-9798278301226","title":"Dr. X: Twelve Cautionary Tales","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA collection of short horror stories and novelettes, haunted by the spectre of Dr. Nathaniel Eldtritch, antiquarian of the occult. Twelve characters battle their personal demons, yet fail to see the demonology in their midst until it is too late. The social realities of modern society are laced with the influence of an ancient adversary and his many conduits. \"Be careful what you wish for.\"\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eAcoustics I\u003c\/b\u003e: A lonely gent turns to a dating agency in hope of adventure, but money can't buy love. A strange pawnbroker is only too eager to help. When a bachelor has unreasonable expectations, he might regret his wishes when his dreams come true.\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWalk On By\u003c\/b\u003e: Damaged by trauma, a young woman escapes to a seaside resort to start again, but the bane of her life walks back into sight. Confrontation looms as she braves the hall of waxen faces, and the wave after wave of blind rage that rises within her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDay Tripper\u003c\/b\u003e: An unassuming villager eagerly anticipates the senior citizen's annual coach trip. Shaking off his gossiping companions, he ventures into a rambler's paradise of glorious lakes and enchanted hills, but there is more to his yearly ritual than meets the eye.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eShot At Fame\u003c\/b\u003e: A warped young man dreams of celebrity. The dark web that weaves through his online world further facilitates his macabre fantasies. If he can take his one big shot, the Birmingham Hippodrome will one day overshadow Dealey Plaza.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCall You Later\u003c\/b\u003e: A notorious psychic passes away, bequeathing her dark legacy to the parishioners of Godney. While her son is distraught, her daughter hopes to flee with the cash. Tempted to teach him a final lesson, she mistakenly invokes a vengeful wrath.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBugging Me\u003c\/b\u003e: Mourning the loss of his beloved wife, a lonely pensioner battles a parasitic infestation, or his inner demons made flesh. Holding true to his principles, but urgently in need of support, he has the fight of his life just to be believed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCongratulations\u003c\/b\u003e: An age-discrepant couple withstand scornful parents, cruel rumours and persistent doubts while trying to start a family. Terrifying, ominous visions plague the young mother, yet a kindly doctor offers a helping hand to deliver her cherished progeny.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Curious Case of Dr Polizzo\u003c\/b\u003e: A troubled doctor decamps to Whitby to escape her past. Puzzled by the records left by her predecessor, she soon uncovers the bloody truth of a local legend. The undead horror of war rears its ugly head and drags her son into a living nightmare.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAppointment at Kirriemuir\u003c\/b\u003e: Haunted by grief, a librarian races into the sunset in search of her shadow. The Neverland she discovers confounds and torments her. Release from her trial is not found by escaping the past, but by embracing an eerie truth woven into its fabric.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Close Shave\u003c\/b\u003e: A Glasgow barber receives an unexpected visit from some illustrious clients. Meanwhile, violence erupts throughout the divided city as a gangland boss wreaks his havoc. The course of rock n'roll history careens toward a perilous collision.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Clay Man\u003c\/b\u003e: The manager of a London nightclub is sent back to the site of a torturous memory. While he thinks he is merely finishing an old job, tying up loose ends for the boss, it has long been written in fate's ledger that he will embody the kabbalist's curse.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAcoustics II\u003c\/b\u003e: A songwriter is charmed by a mysterious, antique guitar and lured into a devious pawnbroker's trap. Craving escape from a rapacious music industry, the devilish instrument gives him more than he bargained for-down by the Old Blue river.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e John Meachen\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798278301226\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/13\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 376\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.11lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.78d","brand":"John Meachen","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":49171387810047,"sku":"9798278301226","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/dr-x-john-meachen-9798278301226","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}