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The Desecrated
Hauntings. Disappearing corpses. A terrifying curse.
None of those are in Jennifer Shelby’s job description when she joins the night shift at the NYC Morgue. She just wants a quiet place to regroup after dropping out of college.
She also hadn’t planned on babysitting a British super star.
Trevor Pryce has been sentenced to community service at the morgue. His charm and love for macabre, practical jokes irritate Jennifer equally. And put him at the top of her list of suspects when things turn deadly serious.
Jennifer doubts her own sanity when she starts to see the impossible. Corpses move. They sit up. They try to speak. The visions plaguing Jennifer begin to manifest outside the morgue as well. She feels like there’s nowhere to hide as the murders and mutilated bodies pile up. But she finds an unlikely ally.
As the hauntings become more shocking, Jennifer and Trevor join forces to uncover the truth. What they find is dark and malignant. And the trap they fall into threatens to close over them forever.
None of those are in Jennifer Shelby’s job description when she joins the night shift at the NYC Morgue. She just wants a quiet place to regroup after dropping out of college.
She also hadn’t planned on babysitting a British super star.
Trevor Pryce has been sentenced to community service at the morgue. His charm and love for macabre, practical jokes irritate Jennifer equally. And put him at the top of her list of suspects when things turn deadly serious.
Jennifer doubts her own sanity when she starts to see the impossible. Corpses move. They sit up. They try to speak. The visions plaguing Jennifer begin to manifest outside the morgue as well. She feels like there’s nowhere to hide as the murders and mutilated bodies pile up. But she finds an unlikely ally.
As the hauntings become more shocking, Jennifer and Trevor join forces to uncover the truth. What they find is dark and malignant. And the trap they fall into threatens to close over them forever.
- GenresHorror
330 pages, Paperback
Published July 12, 2022
2 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
John Gray
1 book2 followersBrooklyn born John Gray is an award winning writer-director-producer of films and television, and the creator of the long running TV series, Ghost Whisperer. He has written and directed many feature films and movies for television. The Desecrated is his debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 20, 2022
The Desecrated
by John Gray
Horror
NetGalley
Once again a blurb is making the book more interesting than it really is.
Hauntings, maybe. Disappearing corpses, yes. A terrifying curse, not so much.
But Jennifer does work the graveyard shift at the NYC Morgue, for over a year, and she gets the quiet place to regroup after dropping out of college, medical school, which is why she gets the job. Oh, and there's something special about her......
But things start to go crazy after Trevor Pryce, a movie star, is ordered to serve his community service for drunk driving at the morgue, during the graveyard shift.
Jennifer, a nice girl, trying to get by after the death of her father, enjoys her quiet job at the morgue until Trevor arrives, then she starts to SEE things, and then she starts to SEE them in other places.
I was in the need of something different, something creepy and scary to read. This wasn't it.
This story seemed to be the typical creepy morgue dead bodies, and it tries to be, but just doesn't pull it off. And the 'monster', it wasn't monstrous enough. But there is a lot of gory graphic stuff so don't let anyone under sixteen read this.
Don't get me wrong, this was an ok story. Some of the characters were good, though a lot of them were left to the imagination, as was some of the other characters' backstory, though a couple of backstories were suddenly slammed into your face.
The ending was kind of brushed over, but there was a 'goody-goody' vibe.
2 Stars
by John Gray
Horror
NetGalley
Once again a blurb is making the book more interesting than it really is.
Hauntings, maybe. Disappearing corpses, yes. A terrifying curse, not so much.
But Jennifer does work the graveyard shift at the NYC Morgue, for over a year, and she gets the quiet place to regroup after dropping out of college, medical school, which is why she gets the job. Oh, and there's something special about her......
But things start to go crazy after Trevor Pryce, a movie star, is ordered to serve his community service for drunk driving at the morgue, during the graveyard shift.
Jennifer, a nice girl, trying to get by after the death of her father, enjoys her quiet job at the morgue until Trevor arrives, then she starts to SEE things, and then she starts to SEE them in other places.
I was in the need of something different, something creepy and scary to read. This wasn't it.
This story seemed to be the typical creepy morgue dead bodies, and it tries to be, but just doesn't pull it off. And the 'monster', it wasn't monstrous enough. But there is a lot of gory graphic stuff so don't let anyone under sixteen read this.
Don't get me wrong, this was an ok story. Some of the characters were good, though a lot of them were left to the imagination, as was some of the other characters' backstory, though a couple of backstories were suddenly slammed into your face.
The ending was kind of brushed over, but there was a 'goody-goody' vibe.
2 Stars
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January 8, 2023Ebook/Horror: I want to thank Netgalley for a copy of this book in lieu of an honest review.
I really wanted to love this book, but it didn't work for me. I love Preston & Child books and this one is similar with science meets monster.
I knew I was in trouble when I opened this book up after two weeks of holidays and not only found I couldn't remember what was going on when I stopped on Christmas Eve with an hour left in the book, but I couldn't remember the plot, characters, or setting. After a few minutes, I remembered the morgue, movie star, and the metaphysical amulet. The last hour of reading was a struggle, so I'm giving it two stars since I could finish it.
I really wanted to love this book, but it didn't work for me. I love Preston & Child books and this one is similar with science meets monster.
I knew I was in trouble when I opened this book up after two weeks of holidays and not only found I couldn't remember what was going on when I stopped on Christmas Eve with an hour left in the book, but I couldn't remember the plot, characters, or setting. After a few minutes, I remembered the morgue, movie star, and the metaphysical amulet. The last hour of reading was a struggle, so I'm giving it two stars since I could finish it.
September 4, 2022
From the prologue, set in a turn-of-the-century New York graveyard, author John Gray’s cinematic prose is impossible to put down (“His face was a pincushion of whiskers and his breath fouled the air as he panted”). The pulse-pounding opening sequence ends with a cliffhanger before Gray catapults the narrative into the present day.
For Jennifer Shelby, hiding out among the dead felt like the safest way to escape dealing with the living. Her job working the night shift as a morgue attendant at the NYC Morgue seems like the perfect place for the pre-med dropout to be alone with her thoughts and hide from her past. That ends when she’s saddled with babysitting Trevor Pryce, a seemingly vapid, famous British actor who gets sent to the morgue to do community service after being charged with yet another DUI. His arrival is met with disdain by Jennifer, especially after he toys with the bodies as a macabre way to amuse her.
The night he arrives, something in the air—and at the morgue—is different. Bodies are suddenly not where they were left. The inhalation and exhalation of a ventilator whirring continually registers in Jennifer’s mind despite the obvious lack of one at a place dedicated to the dead.
Most importantly: an ancient Egyptian amulet is unearthed from a cemetery nearby and brought into the morgue, releasing a terrifying curse. It’s not long before things take a deadly turn, with re-animated corpses, hauntings and murders plaguing Jennifer and Trevor and turning them into unlikely allies in a race to keep the darkness from closing in on them. As the book progresses, Jennifer evolves into a sympathetic heroine that readers will love spending time with. Amid the creatures from beyond and bone-chilling twists, author John Gray – creator of TV’s Ghost Whisperer – gets plenty of mileage out of putting Jennifer and the occasionally “dirt-smeared movie star” in situations they never dreamed they’d be in.
Perfect for fans of James Rollins’-style supernatural archeology thrillers, The Desecrated is a taut, economy-sized novel that readers can easily finish on a long flight.
For Jennifer Shelby, hiding out among the dead felt like the safest way to escape dealing with the living. Her job working the night shift as a morgue attendant at the NYC Morgue seems like the perfect place for the pre-med dropout to be alone with her thoughts and hide from her past. That ends when she’s saddled with babysitting Trevor Pryce, a seemingly vapid, famous British actor who gets sent to the morgue to do community service after being charged with yet another DUI. His arrival is met with disdain by Jennifer, especially after he toys with the bodies as a macabre way to amuse her.
The night he arrives, something in the air—and at the morgue—is different. Bodies are suddenly not where they were left. The inhalation and exhalation of a ventilator whirring continually registers in Jennifer’s mind despite the obvious lack of one at a place dedicated to the dead.
Most importantly: an ancient Egyptian amulet is unearthed from a cemetery nearby and brought into the morgue, releasing a terrifying curse. It’s not long before things take a deadly turn, with re-animated corpses, hauntings and murders plaguing Jennifer and Trevor and turning them into unlikely allies in a race to keep the darkness from closing in on them. As the book progresses, Jennifer evolves into a sympathetic heroine that readers will love spending time with. Amid the creatures from beyond and bone-chilling twists, author John Gray – creator of TV’s Ghost Whisperer – gets plenty of mileage out of putting Jennifer and the occasionally “dirt-smeared movie star” in situations they never dreamed they’d be in.
Perfect for fans of James Rollins’-style supernatural archeology thrillers, The Desecrated is a taut, economy-sized novel that readers can easily finish on a long flight.
October 7, 2022
Twenty year old Sabrina Shelby is still mourning her father.’s death. She works the night shift at theNew York City Mortuary Services. She works the night shift. When an English actor Trevor Purcell is arrested he is given community work to work with Sabrina. Sabrina likes working by herself so when Trevor starts working with her, she isn’t happy about it. Besides Trevor distracts her and unusual occurrences at the morgue and cemetery. Cadavers seem to move, ghosts appear, and eerie sounds recur. When more weir occurrences happened, Sabrina goes to her homeless friend Ulysses for support. Ulysses drops a mysterious amulet into a drain at the morgue. Is the amulet suppose to protect Sabrina or cause her harm?
The author has written a colorful cast of characters and the amulet’s effects are intriguing which I enjoyed reading. Trevor is a handsome movie star whose only interests are drinking and sex. It’s a compelling horror novel. It is a mix of horror and the supernatural. The story is fast-paced and full of action. The novel was unpredictable and unexpected. It is a well written novel with a surprise ending.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
The author has written a colorful cast of characters and the amulet’s effects are intriguing which I enjoyed reading. Trevor is a handsome movie star whose only interests are drinking and sex. It’s a compelling horror novel. It is a mix of horror and the supernatural. The story is fast-paced and full of action. The novel was unpredictable and unexpected. It is a well written novel with a surprise ending.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
February 3, 2026
The Desecrated is a chilling, atmospheric horror novel that steadily tightens its grip, blurring the line between psychological unraveling and supernatural terror. John Gray crafts a deeply unsettling narrative that transforms the NYC morgue into a place where the dead refuse to remain silent—and where sanity itself becomes suspect.
Jennifer Shelby is a compelling protagonist, grounded in vulnerability and emotional realism. Her attempt to retreat from the world through a night shift job becomes a descent into dread as corpses begin to move, speak, and haunt her waking life. Gray skillfully plays with perception, allowing readers to share Jennifer’s fear as the impossible begins to manifest beyond the morgue walls.
The dynamic between Jennifer and Trevor Pryce adds a sharp edge to the story. Trevor’s irreverent charm and macabre humor provide tension, suspicion, and unexpected depth, making him both a catalyst and a counterbalance to the escalating horror. As the body count rises and the curse reveals its malignant roots, the narrative accelerates into a dark, inescapable trap.
With vivid imagery, mounting suspense, and a relentless sense of unease, The Desecrated is a rewarding read for fans of psychological and supernatural horror. Gray delivers a story that doesn’t rely on cheap scares but instead builds a haunting experience that lingers long after the final page.
Jennifer Shelby is a compelling protagonist, grounded in vulnerability and emotional realism. Her attempt to retreat from the world through a night shift job becomes a descent into dread as corpses begin to move, speak, and haunt her waking life. Gray skillfully plays with perception, allowing readers to share Jennifer’s fear as the impossible begins to manifest beyond the morgue walls.
The dynamic between Jennifer and Trevor Pryce adds a sharp edge to the story. Trevor’s irreverent charm and macabre humor provide tension, suspicion, and unexpected depth, making him both a catalyst and a counterbalance to the escalating horror. As the body count rises and the curse reveals its malignant roots, the narrative accelerates into a dark, inescapable trap.
With vivid imagery, mounting suspense, and a relentless sense of unease, The Desecrated is a rewarding read for fans of psychological and supernatural horror. Gray delivers a story that doesn’t rely on cheap scares but instead builds a haunting experience that lingers long after the final page.
February 4, 2026
The Desecrated is a chilling blend of urban horror, psychological dread, and creeping supernatural menace.
Jennifer Shelby expects anonymity and silence when she takes a night-shift job at the NYC Morgue a place to regroup after life veers off course. What she gets instead is an unraveling reality: corpses that move, sit up, and try to speak. When the impossible refuses to stay contained within the morgue walls, Jennifer is forced to confront a terrifying question are these hallucinations, or warnings?
John Gray excels at cultivating unease. The morgue setting is cold, claustrophobic, and relentlessly oppressive, making it the perfect stage for horror that unfolds slowly and then refuses to stop. Trevor Pryce, the British celebrity sentenced to community service, initially injects tension and skepticism, but his evolving role adds emotional complexity and momentum as the story darkens.
As murders escalate and the supernatural threat sharpens into something malignant and deliberate, The Desecrated becomes more than a haunting it’s a survival story. Gray balances gore with psychological tension, allowing dread to seep in rather than relying solely on shock.
This is horror that lingers. Fans of urban supernatural fiction, eerie institutional settings, and stories where sanity itself is under siege will find The Desecrated deeply unsettling and difficult to put down.
Jennifer Shelby expects anonymity and silence when she takes a night-shift job at the NYC Morgue a place to regroup after life veers off course. What she gets instead is an unraveling reality: corpses that move, sit up, and try to speak. When the impossible refuses to stay contained within the morgue walls, Jennifer is forced to confront a terrifying question are these hallucinations, or warnings?
John Gray excels at cultivating unease. The morgue setting is cold, claustrophobic, and relentlessly oppressive, making it the perfect stage for horror that unfolds slowly and then refuses to stop. Trevor Pryce, the British celebrity sentenced to community service, initially injects tension and skepticism, but his evolving role adds emotional complexity and momentum as the story darkens.
As murders escalate and the supernatural threat sharpens into something malignant and deliberate, The Desecrated becomes more than a haunting it’s a survival story. Gray balances gore with psychological tension, allowing dread to seep in rather than relying solely on shock.
This is horror that lingers. Fans of urban supernatural fiction, eerie institutional settings, and stories where sanity itself is under siege will find The Desecrated deeply unsettling and difficult to put down.
September 4, 2022
A dark thriller with goosebump moments.
Jennifer was a great character. Honest, caring, grieving, and suspecting she’s losing her mind; the perfect character for a dark thriller such as this. Trevor, a superstar, was a perfect foil to Jennifer with his oozing charm and his ability to never take anything seriously. Detective Marty Bell was a good cop who always tried to do the right thing. The rest of the characters were written well and helped to move the story along in a creepy kind of way.
What started out to be a scary story evolved into so much more. I loved how the author kept the reader on the hook as he leaned towards the supernatural and then back to a normal explanation as to what was happening. This book is for anyone who likes their thrillers with a hint of the supernatural and full of evil darkness that any human is capable of.
My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are
my own.
Jennifer was a great character. Honest, caring, grieving, and suspecting she’s losing her mind; the perfect character for a dark thriller such as this. Trevor, a superstar, was a perfect foil to Jennifer with his oozing charm and his ability to never take anything seriously. Detective Marty Bell was a good cop who always tried to do the right thing. The rest of the characters were written well and helped to move the story along in a creepy kind of way.
What started out to be a scary story evolved into so much more. I loved how the author kept the reader on the hook as he leaned towards the supernatural and then back to a normal explanation as to what was happening. This book is for anyone who likes their thrillers with a hint of the supernatural and full of evil darkness that any human is capable of.
My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are
my own.
November 8, 2022
If you need something to kill a few hours on a plane or the beach and you like horror, then this is a good choice. It's not a great book -- "The Desecrated" brings about as much depth to the table as a dinner plate -- but if you have a soft spot for un-serious tacky '80s horror with lots of schlock and characters that don't even pretend to be "real-life", this should be right up your alley. I thought it sagged a bit around the half-way mark (yes, we get it, Jennifer is hung up about small spaces and her dad; Trevor's a moron; Ulysses it so, so wise; and the morgue people are basically imbeciles with about one working brain cell between them), but all in all it was fun. To me, it read like an early aughts Preston/Child foray into horror territory.
My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
November 2, 2024
A Page-Turning Thriller by the Master of Twists
John Gray’s The Desecrated is an absolute thrill ride! Couldn’t be a better time of the year to read this story. This book kept me hooked from start to finish. Gray’s knack for twists is unmatched, making every arc fresh, unpredictable, and deeply engaging. The story flows so vividly it feels quite cinematic—his writing is so visual and atmospheric that I could easily imagine this on the big screen (and wouldn’t it make an amazing film?).
I’m a slow reader but there’s ever an audiobook, I’d read it again!
John Gray’s The Desecrated is an absolute thrill ride! Couldn’t be a better time of the year to read this story. This book kept me hooked from start to finish. Gray’s knack for twists is unmatched, making every arc fresh, unpredictable, and deeply engaging. The story flows so vividly it feels quite cinematic—his writing is so visual and atmospheric that I could easily imagine this on the big screen (and wouldn’t it make an amazing film?).
I’m a slow reader but there’s ever an audiobook, I’d read it again!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews