The Culling

by Anthony Hulse

A series of child abductions are linked to Jules Devlin’s touring circus. A team of CID detectives are deployed and attempt to unravel the mystery. The performers, including a clown, a lion-tamer, a fire-eater, a dwarf, and conjoined twins harbour a terrifying secret. Jimmy Crawford, an ex-CID detective turned private investigator is hired by the parents of a teenage girl, who believe her disappearance is linked to the circus. Crawford is aided in his task by a child psychologist and a priest. Through a handicapped boy, they discover that the circus is not what it seems. DS Jenny Stiles, believing Devlin is the head of a paedophile ring, soon discovers something more sinister. Could the evil carnival be responsible for the burning of churches and their priests? The Culling is a supernatural thriller set in Whitby and Dartmoor. From Edinburgh, Cleveland and Lourdes in France, strange and unexplainable episodes occur, which leads Jenny to believe that Devlin is indeed evil.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Paranormal, Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy, Suspense

280 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2005

About the author

I am an author and live in the north east of England. After working thirty-two years as a steelworker, I retired early to concentrate on writing. I have been writing approximately eighteen years and have written and published thirty-four novels and over fifty short stories. My main genre is psychological thrillers and horror, but I have published a biography of a late friend and a war novel concerning the Holocaust.
My impatience with the mainstream publishers and my former publishers folding prompted me to self publish. i have rewritten and republished my books with KDP in 2022 and 2023. When purchasing, I would advise the latter editions. I appreciate all feedback. Thank you.

Reviews

[Fabian]

For some reason, the macabre level in this really tickled my fancy. There's something very sick about infant-eating dwarves, murderous circus folk, & Satan's "culling"/weeding out of children, a-la "The Final Conflict: The Omen Part 3". Forget the so-so prose, the cliches. Its wickedness becomes its sole attribute after a while, but it is at the end of the day, without a doubt, wicked fun!

[Tom Elder]

Anthony Hulse
Great mystery.
The Culling.
A spate of children disappearing and teenagers going missing leads to the Devlin circus. But all is not as it seems with the circus. There's a dwarf,conjoined twins, among other weird people and non more so than Jules Devlin the owner of the circus. This book will keep you hooked to the very end. Highly recommended.
5 stars 16 April 2015.

[Sheryl Seal]

The Culling by Anthony Hulse is a real thrill a minute read!

This was a seriously scary story.

A series of missing children are linked to Jules Devlin’s traveling circus. Anthony introduces us to a group of macabre characters, whose secret is revealed in an exquisite fashion.

Beautifully crafted with wonderful dialogue and breathtaking scenes. Chilling , but superb.

I received this book as a gift and highly recommend it with 5 stars!

[C. A. Deegan]

Supernatural horror.

Arson at churches, babies, children and teenagers disappearing in what are seemingly unlinked crimes. The police are baffled and no further on with any leads. Independently seeking a missing person, a private detective stumbles across a missed link with Devlin's Circus. What follows is a great supernatural horror story. How are the colourful Circus performers involved? And why? Can the police get to the bottom of it as the Circus moves around, leaving devastation in its wake? Just don't go in the lion's pen...

[Mii]

This book was a great read!

[Kevin]

This author is a notorious spammer of horror list. Try using your writing skills and not your spamming skills to sell books!

[Lori]

Fast paced but not for the squeamish. Likable characters, interesting and unusual plot. Like this author.

[Jeanette Ford]

There are many books about good versus evil, but what about when you could be up against the Devil himself? I’ve read some of Mr Hulse’s books before, and each one never fails to amaze me. His stories are so original, and he can make you believe the unbelievable. I recall going to see a circus when I was a child, and being scared stiff of the clowns! I never went to another live circus. This story centres around Devlin’s circus, and much of the story takes place in a favourite place of mine, Whitby, in North Yorkshire. With its ruined abbey on the clifftop and its association with Dracular, it’s a perfect setting for a scary story! It seems wherever the circus goes, a church burns down, along with the priest, a baby is snatched, a young child goes missing, as do some others, amongst them, a couple of beautiful young women, one of them a member of the police force taking part in the investigations. The police is suspicious of Devlin and certain members of the circus, but where on earth could the missing children be? Or if they’re dead, where are the bodies? And how could a circus disappear in the night, even though the perimeter was being guarded by police? So many mysteries!
This would make a fantastic horror film, but I have to say I’m glad I read it and not watched it, for some of it would have been very hard to see. This is definitely not bedtime reading, but at the same time, so compelling, I had to keep reading, even though I was supposed to be doing other things. Absolutely brilliant.

[Molly Garcia]

Anthony Hulse introduces a number of seemingly unconnected events at the start of the book, however, as the reader progresses the links between them become alarmingly clear. The story revolves around a circus, allowing the author to introduce some unusual characters!
The background and characters are described in a way that brings them to life for the reader, the plot builds well and there are lots of interesting twists to the story culminating in a great ending.
Not a book for the faint-hearted........

[Liz]

unsettling horror story

A perfect creepy scary tale for Halloween. Who is the mysterious Devlin and where did his creepy circus come from? There is a kid who is seeing visions. A cool young priest. A very odd therapist and an ex policeman turned PI who will work together with the police force to uncover something far more sinister than they ever thought possible. There is gore galore, and some truly unsettling scenes, and the religious roots in this story really ramps up the creep factor.
Very enjoyable for fans of horror.

[Meg Tome Infinity]

Absolutely terrible! Zero Stars

[Kelly]

Totally amateur writing. Couldn't finish it.

[Tony]

Probably the worst thing I ever read. Had to stop less than 50 pages in.