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The White Room Runs Red: A Psychological Horror
The White Room Runs Red is a new psychological horror from Matt Shaw
There’s two beds, one on either side of the room. There’s a single toilet for residents to share. There’s a two-way mirror through which the residents can be viewed. And then there’s James and Emily, two strangers - stripped of clothes and dignity - who have no idea how they came to be trapped within the room or why they’re there. The questions come thick and fast (why, how, who) but no answers come back, only instructions; when the light turns red, they must go to opposite corners of the room and stand with their backs to the room. From there, the handleless door will open and a nurse will come in to monitor their blood pressure, their temperature and - on occasion - take their bloods. There’s a Do not push back and their lives within the white room will be made infinitely more comfortable with a series of rewards. There’s a second Fight back and face the severe consequences, leading to the “experiments” starting again from scratch.
Trapped within the room, all James and Emily can do is speculate how they came to be imprisoned and why. Will the answers ever come? Will they ever be freed from the White Room or - will the white room run red?
There’s two beds, one on either side of the room. There’s a single toilet for residents to share. There’s a two-way mirror through which the residents can be viewed. And then there’s James and Emily, two strangers - stripped of clothes and dignity - who have no idea how they came to be trapped within the room or why they’re there. The questions come thick and fast (why, how, who) but no answers come back, only instructions; when the light turns red, they must go to opposite corners of the room and stand with their backs to the room. From there, the handleless door will open and a nurse will come in to monitor their blood pressure, their temperature and - on occasion - take their bloods. There’s a Do not push back and their lives within the white room will be made infinitely more comfortable with a series of rewards. There’s a second Fight back and face the severe consequences, leading to the “experiments” starting again from scratch.
Trapped within the room, all James and Emily can do is speculate how they came to be imprisoned and why. Will the answers ever come? Will they ever be freed from the White Room or - will the white room run red?
180 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 30, 2026
27 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Matt Shaw
534 books2,217 followersBiography
MATT SHAW was born, quite by accident (his mother tripped, he shot out) September 30th 1980 in Winchester hospital where he was immediately placed on the baby ward and EBay. Some twelve years later (wandering the corridors of the hospital and playing with road kill when he was on day release), the listing closed and he remained unsold, he was booted out of the hospital to start his life as a writer and hobbit – beginning with writing screenplays and short stories for his own amusement before finally getting published when he was twenty-seven years and forty-five seconds old.
Once Published weekly in a lad's magazine with his photography work, Matt Shaw is also a published author and cartoonist. Has to be said, can be a bit of a flirt and definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, somewhat of a klutz.
Favourite books
"Roald Dahl's Collection of Short Stories"
Tim Burton's Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy
Anything, really, written by himself. Because he is that good.
MATT SHAW was born, quite by accident (his mother tripped, he shot out) September 30th 1980 in Winchester hospital where he was immediately placed on the baby ward and EBay. Some twelve years later (wandering the corridors of the hospital and playing with road kill when he was on day release), the listing closed and he remained unsold, he was booted out of the hospital to start his life as a writer and hobbit – beginning with writing screenplays and short stories for his own amusement before finally getting published when he was twenty-seven years and forty-five seconds old.
Once Published weekly in a lad's magazine with his photography work, Matt Shaw is also a published author and cartoonist. Has to be said, can be a bit of a flirt and definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, somewhat of a klutz.
Favourite books
"Roald Dahl's Collection of Short Stories"
Tim Burton's Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy
Anything, really, written by himself. Because he is that good.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 30, 2026
From the opening scene to the final chapter the tension seeps through the pages. The clinical surroundings, the perspective changes and non linear storyline evokes a disquieting and disorienting response while reading.
I will never hear the word ‘Mother?’ again without being transported back to the White Room.
I am both terrified and desperate for Book 2 in March!
I will never hear the word ‘Mother?’ again without being transported back to the White Room.
I am both terrified and desperate for Book 2 in March!
January 31, 2026
Absolutely fantastic execution of this premise. Matt Shaw continues to improve drastically since he has mostly moved away from extreme horror. go figure. Great characters, excellent perspective from everyone involved, even a pretty small amount of of type owes. Some social commentary here as well without being too preachy. I am incredibly excited for the follow up.
November 11, 2025
Such an honor to be a victim, such a great book!!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Quite a villain that Sam is. I'm excited for the room to run cold!
February 2, 2026
This was a taut, fast paced thiller with some good plot twists along the way. Well worth a read. This was my first book I read of Matt Shaw's and it won't be the last.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews