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Bad Things Happen Here
Not yet published
Expected 30 Jun 26Hardcover with sprayed edges. A new chiller from multi award winning author of over 50 novels, winner of the New York Festival Radio Award for Best Drama Special and Festival Radio Awards.
In 2004 a group of six students, who have newly arrived at university and quickly become friends, are beset by supernatural forces, which seem to centre around a 5th floor room in an otherwise innocuous student hall of residence. So insidious and terrifying is their ordeal that one of the six commits suicide, an act which drives an irreparable wedge between the rest.
Twenty years later, the remaining five friends are all living very different lives. Hannah Prentice is a divorcee with two children, the youngest of whom is being badly bullied at school, and a mother who is showing the first signs of dementia; Jess Maple is a professional artist, who is just about to break into the big time; Steve Lazenby is a successful architect, whose eight-year-old daughter is suffering from delusions and nightmares; Max Bradshaw is a self-employed plumber, happily married with three children, whose fourteen-year-old son has fallen in with the wrong crowd; and Michael Vance, bohemian and charismatic at university, is now a drug-addicted vagrant, who harbours a terrible secret…
Although the five friends have not been in contact for almost two decades, they are gradually drawn back together when their lives begin to fall apart. What happened to them twenty years ago seems to be seeping back into the present, affecting not just them this time, but their children, their partners, their loved ones.
As the terrifying visions, the violence and the madness escalate, they must mobilise forces and once again confront the horror in Room 55.
In 2004 a group of six students, who have newly arrived at university and quickly become friends, are beset by supernatural forces, which seem to centre around a 5th floor room in an otherwise innocuous student hall of residence. So insidious and terrifying is their ordeal that one of the six commits suicide, an act which drives an irreparable wedge between the rest.
Twenty years later, the remaining five friends are all living very different lives. Hannah Prentice is a divorcee with two children, the youngest of whom is being badly bullied at school, and a mother who is showing the first signs of dementia; Jess Maple is a professional artist, who is just about to break into the big time; Steve Lazenby is a successful architect, whose eight-year-old daughter is suffering from delusions and nightmares; Max Bradshaw is a self-employed plumber, happily married with three children, whose fourteen-year-old son has fallen in with the wrong crowd; and Michael Vance, bohemian and charismatic at university, is now a drug-addicted vagrant, who harbours a terrible secret…
Although the five friends have not been in contact for almost two decades, they are gradually drawn back together when their lives begin to fall apart. What happened to them twenty years ago seems to be seeping back into the present, affecting not just them this time, but their children, their partners, their loved ones.
As the terrifying visions, the violence and the madness escalate, they must mobilise forces and once again confront the horror in Room 55.
- GenresHorror
320 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication June 30, 2026
About the author
Mark Morris
154 books40 followersLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
This book captured my attention from the very first pages, and I ended up reading it in a single sitting.
The story begins in the present day, where we are introduced to Hannah, Jess, Steve, Max, and Michael—university friends who have long since grown apart. Tragedy soon strikes when Michael suddenly reappears in Hannah’s life, setting off a chain of unsettling events.
The narrative then moves through a series of flashbacks, taking us back twenty years to when the friends first met at university. We become familiar with Michael and his dormitory roommate Ben, as well as the strange and deeply disturbing presence they believe lurks within the walls of their residence.
Now, as adults, each of their lives begins to unravel. The psychological strain experienced by each character intensifies throughout the story, creating a growing sense of tension and unease with every chapter.
Bad Things Happen Here isn’t a slow-burn supernatural haunting. Instead, it feels more like an old-school descent into madness, as the friends struggle to confront an evil that quietly infiltrates their lives and those of the people they love.
The story is well written, with believable and well-developed characters. There is also something nostalgic and subtle about the way the scenes and settings are portrayed, which adds an extra layer of atmosphere.
Overall, it’s a highly engaging story, and I will definitely be looking forward to reading more from this author.
This book captured my attention from the very first pages, and I ended up reading it in a single sitting.
The story begins in the present day, where we are introduced to Hannah, Jess, Steve, Max, and Michael—university friends who have long since grown apart. Tragedy soon strikes when Michael suddenly reappears in Hannah’s life, setting off a chain of unsettling events.
The narrative then moves through a series of flashbacks, taking us back twenty years to when the friends first met at university. We become familiar with Michael and his dormitory roommate Ben, as well as the strange and deeply disturbing presence they believe lurks within the walls of their residence.
Now, as adults, each of their lives begins to unravel. The psychological strain experienced by each character intensifies throughout the story, creating a growing sense of tension and unease with every chapter.
Bad Things Happen Here isn’t a slow-burn supernatural haunting. Instead, it feels more like an old-school descent into madness, as the friends struggle to confront an evil that quietly infiltrates their lives and those of the people they love.
The story is well written, with believable and well-developed characters. There is also something nostalgic and subtle about the way the scenes and settings are portrayed, which adds an extra layer of atmosphere.
Overall, it’s a highly engaging story, and I will definitely be looking forward to reading more from this author.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this book courtesy of NetGalley for the purpose of a fair and honest review.
Overview: 20 years ago, six friends met at the university. While there, due to odd happenings in the dorms, one of them committed suicide, breaking the friendship apart. Now, one of the former group, Michael, comes to see Hannah, another member, in great duress. The whole group must be warned. He can no longer keep what pushed Ben to suicide in check. Everyone still living from that friend group is affected, but not only them. Their loved ones are being antagonized as well. Can they find a way to push out this entity? Or will it gather the rest of the group as well? Let's find out.
Dislikes: Both of the timelines are written in present tense. That makes it hard to keep up where you are as most flashbacks normally are written in past tense, even when the book is in present tense.
Also, most of the friend group: Hannah, Jess, Max and Steve, were not very likeable. They each held a lot of bitterness, if not outright antagonism for those who were around them, or loved them.
Likes: Michael sacrificed a lot for those who he cared about.
And the truly innocent victims seemed to bounce back. Though, Zoe went through a lot first.
Conclusion: This book was a miss for me, and it was mostly because of the slow-burn horror and the fact that I didn't like many of the protagonists. If you like slow burn horror set in England, then this book is for you. Enjoy the read.
Overview: 20 years ago, six friends met at the university. While there, due to odd happenings in the dorms, one of them committed suicide, breaking the friendship apart. Now, one of the former group, Michael, comes to see Hannah, another member, in great duress. The whole group must be warned. He can no longer keep what pushed Ben to suicide in check. Everyone still living from that friend group is affected, but not only them. Their loved ones are being antagonized as well. Can they find a way to push out this entity? Or will it gather the rest of the group as well? Let's find out.
Dislikes: Both of the timelines are written in present tense. That makes it hard to keep up where you are as most flashbacks normally are written in past tense, even when the book is in present tense.
Also, most of the friend group: Hannah, Jess, Max and Steve, were not very likeable. They each held a lot of bitterness, if not outright antagonism for those who were around them, or loved them.
Likes: Michael sacrificed a lot for those who he cared about.
And the truly innocent victims seemed to bounce back. Though, Zoe went through a lot first.
Conclusion: This book was a miss for me, and it was mostly because of the slow-burn horror and the fact that I didn't like many of the protagonists. If you like slow burn horror set in England, then this book is for you. Enjoy the read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.
Freshman year at university, six teens - Hannah, Michael, Jess, Ben, Steve and Max - become instant friends. But when the dorm room of two of their group proves to have something sinister about it, they end up splitting apart after the presence leads to a catastrophic death. Twenty years later, the remaining members have gone their separate ways and made lives for themselves. One night, Michael shows up at Hannah's house, clearly having led a broken life, and looking to be near the end of his. He tells her to warn the others, but he may be too late, as all the former friends and their families start encountering frightening visions that seem all too real. What the former friends thought they left behind has finally caught up to them.
Bad Things Happen Here is rather an old school slow burn kind of supernatural horror story. It takes awhile for what's going on to start making sense, but little by little what happened in the past to lead to what's occurring in the present is revealed, and the story gets stronger the longer it goes on. The only real weak point was the big resolution scene near the end was a bit anticlimactic. But overall this was a story that kept you engaged and guessing and evoked the novels of classic Ramsey Campbell.
Freshman year at university, six teens - Hannah, Michael, Jess, Ben, Steve and Max - become instant friends. But when the dorm room of two of their group proves to have something sinister about it, they end up splitting apart after the presence leads to a catastrophic death. Twenty years later, the remaining members have gone their separate ways and made lives for themselves. One night, Michael shows up at Hannah's house, clearly having led a broken life, and looking to be near the end of his. He tells her to warn the others, but he may be too late, as all the former friends and their families start encountering frightening visions that seem all too real. What the former friends thought they left behind has finally caught up to them.
Bad Things Happen Here is rather an old school slow burn kind of supernatural horror story. It takes awhile for what's going on to start making sense, but little by little what happened in the past to lead to what's occurring in the present is revealed, and the story gets stronger the longer it goes on. The only real weak point was the big resolution scene near the end was a bit anticlimactic. But overall this was a story that kept you engaged and guessing and evoked the novels of classic Ramsey Campbell.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a deliberate, slow burn horror that prioritizes character over immediate payoff. Mark Morris takes his time weaving together dual timelines, carefully building out who these characters were and who they’ve become, making it clear that the past isn’t just backstory, but something actively shaping their present. That approach is intentional, and in many ways effective. The novel leans heavily into the idea that trauma lingers, that it bleeds into every corner of a life long after the initial event. When the threads begin to connect, you can see how fully realized these characters are and how thoughtfully their arcs have been constructed.
That said, the pacing can feel a bit stretched. It takes a long time to build up to and fully unpack what happened in Room 55, and while the gradual reveal adds tension, there were moments where I wanted the story to move just a little faster. The groundwork is strong, but it just lingers on it longer than necessary.
Still, this is horror with purpose. Beneath the eerie atmosphere and unfolding supernatural mystery is a clear thematic core about how the past haunts us, sometimes literally. If you’re drawn to character driven horror that takes its time and has something to say, this is a thoughtful, if slightly overextended, read.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Flame Tree Press, and Mark Morris for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
That said, the pacing can feel a bit stretched. It takes a long time to build up to and fully unpack what happened in Room 55, and while the gradual reveal adds tension, there were moments where I wanted the story to move just a little faster. The groundwork is strong, but it just lingers on it longer than necessary.
Still, this is horror with purpose. Beneath the eerie atmosphere and unfolding supernatural mystery is a clear thematic core about how the past haunts us, sometimes literally. If you’re drawn to character driven horror that takes its time and has something to say, this is a thoughtful, if slightly overextended, read.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Flame Tree Press, and Mark Morris for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review of Bad Things Happen Here by Mark Morris
Bad Things Happen Here by Mark Morris is a slow-burning horror novel that focuses more on atmosphere and psychological tension than traditional scares. From the beginning, the story creates a dark and unsettling tone that lingers throughout the book.
One of the strongest aspects of this novel is its eerie setting. Morris does an excellent job building a sense of unease, making the environment feel almost like a character itself. There’s a constant feeling that something isn’t quite right, which keeps you engaged as the mystery slowly unfolds.
However, the pacing may not work for every reader. The story takes its time developing, and while this adds to the tension, it can feel slow at times. Readers looking for fast-paced or action-heavy horror might find it less gripping.
Overall, this is a solid read for fans of psychological horror and atmospheric storytelling. It’s more disturbing than outright scary, but it leaves a lasting impression. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy a darker, more thoughtful approach to horror.
Bad Things Happen Here by Mark Morris is a slow-burning horror novel that focuses more on atmosphere and psychological tension than traditional scares. From the beginning, the story creates a dark and unsettling tone that lingers throughout the book.
One of the strongest aspects of this novel is its eerie setting. Morris does an excellent job building a sense of unease, making the environment feel almost like a character itself. There’s a constant feeling that something isn’t quite right, which keeps you engaged as the mystery slowly unfolds.
However, the pacing may not work for every reader. The story takes its time developing, and while this adds to the tension, it can feel slow at times. Readers looking for fast-paced or action-heavy horror might find it less gripping.
Overall, this is a solid read for fans of psychological horror and atmospheric storytelling. It’s more disturbing than outright scary, but it leaves a lasting impression. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy a darker, more thoughtful approach to horror.
May 12, 2026
This felt like sitting around a campfire listening to the world’s creepiest ghost story.
I absolutely loved this book. From the very beginning, I was completely hooked. The storytelling style legitimately gave vibes of someone narrating a terrifying ghost story late at night…and creepy as hell it was.
This book had me on pins and needles the entire time. The atmosphere was incredibly unsettling, with this sense of constant dread. It delivered exactly the kind of eerie, supernatural tension I want from a ghost story.
What really made this stand out to me, though, was the way it explored the blurred boundary between mental illness and paranormal activity. It added an extra layer of thoughtfulness to the horror and made the story feel even more unsettling because you’re constantly questioning what this could look like in reality.
If you’re looking for the perfect summer ghost story with genuinely creepy vibes, this is absolutely a must-read. Cannot recommend this one enough!
Thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy 🫶🏻
I absolutely loved this book. From the very beginning, I was completely hooked. The storytelling style legitimately gave vibes of someone narrating a terrifying ghost story late at night…and creepy as hell it was.
This book had me on pins and needles the entire time. The atmosphere was incredibly unsettling, with this sense of constant dread. It delivered exactly the kind of eerie, supernatural tension I want from a ghost story.
What really made this stand out to me, though, was the way it explored the blurred boundary between mental illness and paranormal activity. It added an extra layer of thoughtfulness to the horror and made the story feel even more unsettling because you’re constantly questioning what this could look like in reality.
If you’re looking for the perfect summer ghost story with genuinely creepy vibes, this is absolutely a must-read. Cannot recommend this one enough!
Thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy 🫶🏻
April 6, 2026
This is an excellent ghost/entity story that steadily builds in pace as a group of former uni friends, and their families, face personal demons as a result of something that happened years before.
This is my first Mark Morris book and I was thoroughly impressed with his writing and attention to detail. I’ve had ‘Toady’ on my TBR for sometime now and have shifted it up
The list after this.
This is my first Mark Morris book and I was thoroughly impressed with his writing and attention to detail. I’ve had ‘Toady’ on my TBR for sometime now and have shifted it up
The list after this.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
An effective, fast moving and gripping horror novel - I read it in a day. It has a classic 80s horror vibe to it which I really enjoyed. What makes it though are the credible characters and the way it thoughtfully and sensitively discusses mental illness.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you for allowing me to be an ARC reader. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to more by you😊
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews