Closure May Never Come: A Marriage is for Life, Not Just for Romance

by PD Doling

For fans of Bag of Bones, Mike Gayle, and the kind of Lovecraftian horror that settles in the bones, not the bloodstream.

A romantic holiday ends in tragedy. Vikki survives, but something in her is… altered. As Rob tries to help her find her way back, small things begin to shift — unsettling things he can’t explain — and slowly he begins to fear that whatever came home with him isn’t the woman he loves.

A gothic tale of love, loss, and the quiet horrors that take root where grief and the uncanny meet.

622 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 28, 2025

About the author

Performer • Biker • Constant Reader
Educator • Hippy • Unhuman

English Author of Dark Fiction & Fantasy

PD Doling writes stories grounded in humour and humanity, the kind that feel safe until a hairline crack appears: a shift in the light, a silence held a moment too long. His fiction walks the narrow line between the supernatural and the psychological, where neither readers nor characters can be certain whether they’re facing horror or the mind’s slow, private collapse.

He lives in rural Sussex under the rule of a cat who seems entirely at ease with both possibilities.

Reviews

[K D Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rob and Vikki find themselves trapped in a sea cave. Prepped for a night wild camping, Vikki has an accident and subsequently starts to behave oddly.
The accident awakens a malevolent entity in Vikki’s mind.
This past timeline reads like a great British sitcom. I’m thinking two pints of lager… or spaced. The present timeline reads as a frightening descent into the unknown. I really enjoyed the multi POV and there’s a surprising one in this that I just loved! The true horror is in the quiet here. How do you process loss when what you’ve lost is still right in front of you? This book really took me by surprise. For a book of over 600 pages, the pacing is great and it was a great read!

[Pip Landers-Letts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the honour of beta-reading this incredible debut novel! It isn’t my usual genre, but that being said — I would’ve missed out on a gem if I’d not read this. Whilst a little less taken with the horror side of the story, I absolutely loved the real-life side. The back story, the interwoven chronology and the characters — especially Vikki and her depths (loved her backstory).

Here are the bits I really liked
— The exchange when Rob and Vikki meet Opa - brilliant!
— I love Opa and Froma, wonderful characters
— the tender scene on top of the mountain
— Inigo’s bits, of course
— all the brilliantly funny lines, too many to note, but I laughed out loud many times.
— the characters — PD has a fine eye and ear that creates very 3D people who you get attached to

Read this book!!

[Preston Kersey · Rating 5 out of 5]

its a book, with a story, its quite good. probably. read it anyway.

[martin sole · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very addictive read, I genuinely found it very hard to put this down. It had very real feeling characters and I really enjoyed the back story for each of them. The story also flowed very nicely.

[Shannon Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

For fans of Stephen Graham Jones, Nick Cutter, and Grady Hendrix, this descent into madness and the macabre will have you wondering just how far you will go for the one you love. It’s creepy and disturbing, with a blend of horror and heart that stays with you. A fantastic debut!

[loopyloulaura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rob and Vikki are exploring a cave while on holiday when an incident occurs leaving Vikki unconscious. Rob is scared but nowhere near as terrified as Vikki trapped with another entity in her mind...
Closure May Never Come has dark fantasy horror elements mixed with an exceptionally detailed love story.
Rob reflects back on his relationship with Vikki as well as his friendships that bolster their lives. I absolutely loved this aspect of the book. At first I expected the fantasy/horror to be dominant and that the relationship was backstory but it soon became apparent that the dark elements are more subtle and the developing love story is central.
Meanwhile Vikki is hiding in her brain, trying desperately to escape the monster chasing her. The growing fear as she struggles to remain in control of herself is understated but effective, especially as we get to know her better through her history with Rob.
This book is 600 pages so quite meaty. I enjoyed the cultural references to Red Dwarf and Blackadder which added to the authenticity of the characters. The dynamics with friends are also evoked in exquisite detail and the characters just burst into life with their foibles and vulnerabilities.
Closure May Never Come is an excellent blend of realism and fantasy, love and fear, hope and horror.

[Fi Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like your horror served with a large helping of love and friendship, this could be the novel for you. Alongside the growing and torturous danger that Vikki finds herself in, we’re guided through the history of her relationship with Rob. We’re also introduced to Rob’s closest friends and how their lives work out as Rob and Vikki grow closer. It’s a precarious balancing act between normal, everyday life and doom-filled horror.

[Nadine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This doesn't read like a first novel at all. What starts feeling like two genres in one blends together really strongly. PD pulls on emotions and draws you in, I didn't want to put the book down. I've never read anything like this. A ridiculously strong debut that's a must read.