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Rockabye Baby
Mr. Macready was such a nice old man. He liked to watch the children walking home from school, especially the little girls. In fact, Mr. Macready knew all about the children of Granite Heights—their names, their houses, even the nights when their parents were away.
And when he put on his white nurse’s uniform and smeared his lips with blood-red lipstick, any child would be happy to let him through the door. Oh, they always stared a bit at his clear plastic gloves. But that was nothing compared to how they stared when he got his hands around their fragile little necks and crooned...
And when he put on his white nurse’s uniform and smeared his lips with blood-red lipstick, any child would be happy to let him through the door. Oh, they always stared a bit at his clear plastic gloves. But that was nothing compared to how they stared when he got his hands around their fragile little necks and crooned...
- GenresHorror
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 1984
4 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Gresham
33 books35 followersSuspense, supernatural, and young adult fiction writer Stephen Gresham (1947- ) has been intrigued by the gothic tradition of the South since moving to Auburn, Lee County, in 1975 to take a teaching position at Auburn University. This area of Alabama provides the backdrop for his novel The Fraternity (2004) and imbues works such as Rockabye Baby (1984) with the horror and fantasy elements of the southern magic genre that guide him as he writes of supernatural creatures and forces.
Gresham was born in Halstead, Kansas, on September 23, 1947, to Chester Gresham, a building contractor, and Helen Kennedy, housewife and wartime riveter. He was raised with five brothers. Gresham's literary passion was sparked by listening to his grandmother read him everything from comic books to Edgar Allan Poe and watching 1940s B movies by horror film producer Val Lewton. Gresham studied journalism for two years at Wichita State University, where he began his professional writing career as a freelance sports reporter at the Wichita Eagle. He then transferred to Kansas State Teachers College (present-day Emporia State University) to earn a bachelor's and a master's degree. In 1975, he completed a Ph.D. in English Renaissance literature at the University of Missouri. While in Missouri, Gresham married Linda Duffy in 1969, and the couple had their only child, Aaron, in 1974.
In 1975, Gresham joined the English Department at Auburn University as a professor of creative writing. By the later 1970s, he had published several pieces of short fiction with two small presses. Gresham is drawn to the mythical South and has described east Alabama as an inspirational place. Moon Lake, Gresham's first novel, uses such a backdrop to tell the tale of two honeymooners who encounter evil hidden in the water hyacinths on Moon Lake.
Gresham's novels have aimed to mesh the supernatural world of ghosts, magic, and witchcraft with the real horrors of places like his boyhood Kansas, with its tornados, polio scares, and threats of nuclear war. The most distinctive aspect of his writing is the centrality of unrequited love and the unexpected yet powerful bonds formed by his characters. When Teddy, the teenage hero of Haunted Ground, battles ghosts at a neighboring farm, he must also come to terms with his adolescence and the wrath of his dysfunctional family. This focus on the destructive innerworkings of families is balanced by a respect for what Gresham refers to as "soul" families, those united not necessarily by blood but by heart or circumstance. Even after Teddy is assaulted by his own brother and neglected by his psychologically unfit mother, he is able to find solace with his cousin Judith, the black sheep of his extended family.
Another characteristic of Gresham's books is his attention to research and historical settings. In the 1990 novel Blood Wings, Gresham researched the field of cryptozoology to create the massive batlike creature from which the novel gets its title. In The Fraternity (2004), two warring vampire fraternities battle against the backdrop of Depression-era America where the only threat greater than the crumbled economy of the Hoover years is the risk of being kidnapped by rival vampires.
In addition to the many novels he has published under his own name, Gresham has also written under two pennames to establish a distinct identity between his suspense thrillers and his young adult fiction. For the 1994 suspense/thriller Primal Instinct, he adopted the name John Newland from the 1950s television series "One Step Beyond." The next year, he paid homage to director Val Lewton when he published two novels, Just Pretend and Called to Darkness, under the name J. V. Lewton. Gresham's best selling novel to date has been Midnight Boy (1987), and Haunted Ground (2003) has garnered the most favorable response from readers. Reception from readers, especially young ones, has been largely favorable, and he continues to publish thrillers.
Gres
Gresham was born in Halstead, Kansas, on September 23, 1947, to Chester Gresham, a building contractor, and Helen Kennedy, housewife and wartime riveter. He was raised with five brothers. Gresham's literary passion was sparked by listening to his grandmother read him everything from comic books to Edgar Allan Poe and watching 1940s B movies by horror film producer Val Lewton. Gresham studied journalism for two years at Wichita State University, where he began his professional writing career as a freelance sports reporter at the Wichita Eagle. He then transferred to Kansas State Teachers College (present-day Emporia State University) to earn a bachelor's and a master's degree. In 1975, he completed a Ph.D. in English Renaissance literature at the University of Missouri. While in Missouri, Gresham married Linda Duffy in 1969, and the couple had their only child, Aaron, in 1974.
In 1975, Gresham joined the English Department at Auburn University as a professor of creative writing. By the later 1970s, he had published several pieces of short fiction with two small presses. Gresham is drawn to the mythical South and has described east Alabama as an inspirational place. Moon Lake, Gresham's first novel, uses such a backdrop to tell the tale of two honeymooners who encounter evil hidden in the water hyacinths on Moon Lake.
Gresham's novels have aimed to mesh the supernatural world of ghosts, magic, and witchcraft with the real horrors of places like his boyhood Kansas, with its tornados, polio scares, and threats of nuclear war. The most distinctive aspect of his writing is the centrality of unrequited love and the unexpected yet powerful bonds formed by his characters. When Teddy, the teenage hero of Haunted Ground, battles ghosts at a neighboring farm, he must also come to terms with his adolescence and the wrath of his dysfunctional family. This focus on the destructive innerworkings of families is balanced by a respect for what Gresham refers to as "soul" families, those united not necessarily by blood but by heart or circumstance. Even after Teddy is assaulted by his own brother and neglected by his psychologically unfit mother, he is able to find solace with his cousin Judith, the black sheep of his extended family.
Another characteristic of Gresham's books is his attention to research and historical settings. In the 1990 novel Blood Wings, Gresham researched the field of cryptozoology to create the massive batlike creature from which the novel gets its title. In The Fraternity (2004), two warring vampire fraternities battle against the backdrop of Depression-era America where the only threat greater than the crumbled economy of the Hoover years is the risk of being kidnapped by rival vampires.
In addition to the many novels he has published under his own name, Gresham has also written under two pennames to establish a distinct identity between his suspense thrillers and his young adult fiction. For the 1994 suspense/thriller Primal Instinct, he adopted the name John Newland from the 1950s television series "One Step Beyond." The next year, he paid homage to director Val Lewton when he published two novels, Just Pretend and Called to Darkness, under the name J. V. Lewton. Gresham's best selling novel to date has been Midnight Boy (1987), and Haunted Ground (2003) has garnered the most favorable response from readers. Reception from readers, especially young ones, has been largely favorable, and he continues to publish thrillers.
Gres
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 2, 2024
A potential victim barely escapes this book's serial killer and then takes 2 weeks to remember a telling detail that he shares with the police: the killer was dressed as Garfield the Cat.
September 24, 2022
What a great blast from the past. We have a real nasty serial killer of little girls (he's dressed up as a nurse) and a nerdy kid named Prince Gannon in search of darkness. Can this uncanny killer be stopped? Why is it so important to follow the darkness? What about Prince's father John. Can he be saved? And what is the secret behind Prince's creepy friends Aunt Evie and Nandina? Why can't this killer be stopped by the police? This is a brilliant 80s supernatural horror with many sinister scenes, darkness and dark magic. The prose is fine and fluent. The suspense level very high. Really enjoyed this one (also the cover) and can highly recommend it!
April 11, 2021
Maris Macready pretends he needs a wheelchair, but when night comes, he dresses up as a nurse, calling himself Bloofer Lady, and murders pre-teen girls. Young Prince Gannon, fearing for the lives of his friends, vows to stop the killer. He is best friends with a hunchbacked girl, Nandina, that he met in the woods (who may or may not be real), as well as old Aunt Evie, who lives in a shanty in the woods. They both have "Darkness" and Prince begs that they teach it to him. It essentially involves being able to transform into a shadow and move freely at will.
And all of that sounds a lot more interesting than it actually is.
There are a couple of genuinely creepy scenes here as Macready stalks his victims, dressed as a female nurse, emerging from the woods, or letting himself into somebody's home. He's a gross, bizarre, fascinating creation, and if the book had been more centered around the task of identifying him and capturing him, the book could have worked. Instead, most of the focus is on 12 year old Prince and his friend Nandina, and learning the art of "Darkness". The supernatural angle didn't interest me much, and to be honest, I'm not a huge fan of books with adolescent protagonists.
And there's a ton of padding. No dream goes undescribed. There's a lengthy flashback the detective tracking Macready has about when he busted his knee in college. What that really necessary? The main storyline ends with a whimper, and the book carries on for several more chapters with nothing to add except for a very odd, downbeat ending. Macready was memorably evil and his little crime spree in the elementary school was joyously whacked-out, but the rest of the book was a bit of a hard slog. More like sleep-a-bye baby.
And all of that sounds a lot more interesting than it actually is.
There are a couple of genuinely creepy scenes here as Macready stalks his victims, dressed as a female nurse, emerging from the woods, or letting himself into somebody's home. He's a gross, bizarre, fascinating creation, and if the book had been more centered around the task of identifying him and capturing him, the book could have worked. Instead, most of the focus is on 12 year old Prince and his friend Nandina, and learning the art of "Darkness". The supernatural angle didn't interest me much, and to be honest, I'm not a huge fan of books with adolescent protagonists.
And there's a ton of padding. No dream goes undescribed. There's a lengthy flashback the detective tracking Macready has about when he busted his knee in college. What that really necessary? The main storyline ends with a whimper, and the book carries on for several more chapters with nothing to add except for a very odd, downbeat ending. Macready was memorably evil and his little crime spree in the elementary school was joyously whacked-out, but the rest of the book was a bit of a hard slog. More like sleep-a-bye baby.
March 21, 2024
Nandina taught me darkness........
For a Zebra horror novel, I was quite impressed with this tale. My first time reading Stephen Gresham. It is a bit misleading which is typical for a Zebra horror paperback. The cover art and the synopsis on the back only let you know one part of the story.
This is basically a story about a young boy and his special relationship with 2 backwoods hermits in his town and the special magic he learns from one of them. Ofcourse there are pros and cons of using this special power. The other side plot is the serial killer in town preying on young school girls. You get some great character development and many creepy scenes involving the killer. He stalks a elementary school, a kids party, sneaks into homes wearing a nurse outfit, and haunts a police officer/detective.
A novel that really shines with the young boy's relationship with his special friends and his father.
For a Zebra horror novel, I was quite impressed with this tale. My first time reading Stephen Gresham. It is a bit misleading which is typical for a Zebra horror paperback. The cover art and the synopsis on the back only let you know one part of the story.
This is basically a story about a young boy and his special relationship with 2 backwoods hermits in his town and the special magic he learns from one of them. Ofcourse there are pros and cons of using this special power. The other side plot is the serial killer in town preying on young school girls. You get some great character development and many creepy scenes involving the killer. He stalks a elementary school, a kids party, sneaks into homes wearing a nurse outfit, and haunts a police officer/detective.
A novel that really shines with the young boy's relationship with his special friends and his father.
February 20, 2017
The Zebra horror books of the 80's still draw me in from time to time. The raised title. The crazy artwork. The BAD stories. It's almost always the same.
This time around we have a insane man that dresses like a nurse and calls himself "The Bloofer Lady" (no explanation given). He pretends to be wheel chair bound, but he gets up at night and puts on his rubber gloves and stalks the neighborhood for children. There is a fourth grade boy named Prince Gannon who ventures into the woods by his house and learns "Darkness" from a humped-backed girl who may or may not be real. He tries to stop the killings. Add a ex-football playing detective that's on the case and you get 396 pages of padded confusing trash.
I would not recommend this book unless you are a die hard 80's horror fan or a masochist for Zebra books. Unfortunately I'll be dragged back in soon.
This time around we have a insane man that dresses like a nurse and calls himself "The Bloofer Lady" (no explanation given). He pretends to be wheel chair bound, but he gets up at night and puts on his rubber gloves and stalks the neighborhood for children. There is a fourth grade boy named Prince Gannon who ventures into the woods by his house and learns "Darkness" from a humped-backed girl who may or may not be real. He tries to stop the killings. Add a ex-football playing detective that's on the case and you get 396 pages of padded confusing trash.
I would not recommend this book unless you are a die hard 80's horror fan or a masochist for Zebra books. Unfortunately I'll be dragged back in soon.
November 11, 2019
What actually is this? This book defeated me. I simply had to give up about half way through. Solid writing just couldn’t save this absolutely ridiculous plot. I don’t even know how to break the plot down and I don’t really want to. Gresham has some good books out there, my favorite being Blood Wings, but, wow, this is not worth your time. The book description is by far the best thing about it and don’t let it suck you in like me. Read literally anything else. Well, this is better than Riptide by Catherine Coulter but not much.
December 9, 2023
Probably the worst Zebra horror novel I’ve ever read. It had such a great premise and a phenomenal cover that I thought it was going to be something special. It had its moments to where I thought ok now it’s going to turn the page and become a classic zebra title that I’m use to but that never happened. This was way more science fictiony then I like in a horror novel. I hated Grisham’s writing style and this has turned me off on reading anything he’s written under the zebra horror line in the future. Good enough to where I didn’t want to put it down and I was able to finish it but when it was finished, the best part was that it was over. Grady Hendrix was right though, the killer was Garfield the cat. 2.5 stars and rounding down to 2 stars for Goodreads.
March 13, 2024
Absolutely loved this book. The subject matter is touchy with the murder of preteen girls. The story is not a straightforward killer story. There’s a deeper story going on and I could not out this book down. You wind up falling in love with the two main characters that are friends. The killer was a lot of fun to read, especially with his dialogue. Definitely recommend this book if you are looking for something different with a nice twist. Be prepared to need tissues at the end
April 10, 2024
Loved this
I loved this book. It was creepy good. Poor Prince learns darkness to stop a killer in his small town. A little bit if magic with this horror book. Also about sacrifices we make for the people we love. Sometimes those sacrifices have consequences we can't escape.
I loved this book. It was creepy good. Poor Prince learns darkness to stop a killer in his small town. A little bit if magic with this horror book. Also about sacrifices we make for the people we love. Sometimes those sacrifices have consequences we can't escape.
January 13, 2022
Great cover, horrible book
January 27, 2024
I DNF’d this one. Magic children are not really something I need in my horror. The cover is much better than the pages inside it.
March 10, 2024
What seemingly started out as a frightening take on bipolar disorder letting out its demons through child violence…turned into a lightly Southern-gothic story combining the intense parental fears of missing children in the 80s with a bit of the supernatural that honestly had me divisive at first, but it was a fun and fast read!
November 13, 2015
The title misleads you
It starts strong and just craps out. It has plot holes lack of character depth so many unanswered questions that never get resolved. I would gladly get a refund if I could. Don't waste 3.99 on this! It's not worth the cash
It starts strong and just craps out. It has plot holes lack of character depth so many unanswered questions that never get resolved. I would gladly get a refund if I could. Don't waste 3.99 on this! It's not worth the cash
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews