The Forbidden Room

They know. I'm sure of it. And I'm really scared. Who knows what they're capable of? I've got to get away. I've got to escape. It takes just one tragic moment for Jenny's life to change forever. Taken to live at Oak Hall Children's Centre, Jenny begins a very different life, confined to a wheelchair and dreaming of an earlier time filled with love, family and friends. Then Helen and John Holland offer her a foster home with their adorable 5-year-old son, Stephen. The model of a perfect family, Jenny dares to hope that she will at last find some happiness. But when she discovers an old diary beneath a floorboard in her new bedroom, she begins to unravel a horrifying secret. A secret that lies within the padlocked cellar under the house. A secret with mind-blowing consequences. And suddenly Jenny's perfect new life has turned into a deadly nightmare - in which right and wrong no longer exist . . . An intense, frightening and thought-provoking thriller from an exceptional new talent.

Young readers will cheer Tashi along as he uses his quick wit and keen bravery to drive the villainous monster Bluebeard from the castle and save the village once again.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • When this relentless rogue FBI agent comes knocking, her adversaries will have to answer—with their lives—in this thrilling Jane Hawk novel by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Corner. “Koontz continues the incredible saga of the robust character of Jane Hawk, and it’s as terrific as the others in the series.”—Associated Press “We’re rewriting the play, and the play is this country, the world, the future. We break Jane’s heart, we’ll also break her will.” She was one of the FBI’s top agents until she became the nation’s most-wanted fugitive. Now Jane Hawk may be all that stands between a free nation and its enslavement by a powerful secret society’s terrifying mind-control technology. She couldn’t save her husband, or the others whose lives have been destroyed, but equipped with superior tactical and survival skills—and the fury born of a broken heart and a hunger for justice—Jane has struck major blows against the insidious cabal. But Jane’s enemies are about to hit back hard. If their best operatives can’t outrun her, they mean to bring her running to them, using her five-year-old son as bait. Jane knows there’s no underestimating their capabilities, but she must battle her way back across the country to the remote shelter where her boy is safely hidden . . . for now. As she moves resolutely forward, new threats begin to emerge: a growing number of brain-altered victims driven hopelessly, violently insane. With the madness spreading like a virus, the war between Jane and her enemies will become a fight for all their lives—against the lethal terror unleashed from behind the forbidden door. Don’t miss any of Dean Koontz’s gripping Jane Hawk thrillers: THE SILENT CORNER • THE WHISPERING ROOM • THE CROOKED STAIRCASE • THE FORBIDDEN DOOR • THE NIGHT WINDOW Praise for The Forbidden Door “Compelling and enthralling.”—New York Journal of Books “Mind-blowing. . . [a] gripping series . . . a thrill ride. [Dean Koontz is] able to distract you for hours.”—Bookreporter “Koontz is on another roll with a new series that boasts a juicy premise and a compelling star. . . . Pure gold.”—Booklist

"Oh, Kevin, no... you don't need a boyfriend. What you need is a Daddy."Kevin knows his worth. He's a cute twink who, despite his lack of experience, has a lot to offer. So when life deals him lemons, all he needs is sugar to make lemonade.A Sugar Daddy that is. Kevin is ready to throw caution to the wind when he meets a mysterious man who offers him the opportunity of a lifetime. A million dollars in exchange for becoming the man's boy toy and staying with him for one year. Sandro is older, devastatingly handsome, and ready to show Kevin a world of sensual pleasures while lavishing him with luxury.But Kevin's new Daddy also has strict rules.Never leave the island.Never disobey.And never enter the forbidden room behind the white door.What starts as a mutually beneficial arrangement quickly turns into a whirlwind of passion. Secrets become too tempting to resist, and whatever hides behind the white door could be the undoing of all that Kevin loves about his Daddy.***"What's this room?"Sandro put his hand on Kevin's nape. "This is a part of the house you're not allowed in."Kevin stared at the white door with his lips parted. "Why, Bluebeard? Hiding all your dead ex-husbands?"Sandro chuckled. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."POSSIBLE SPOILERS: Themes: Daddy kink, secrets, age gap, Sugar Baby/Sugar Daddy, rent boy, spanking, discipline, lingerie kinkGenre: M/M romance with dark elementsLength: 35,000 words (Standalone novel) Scorching hot, emotional, explicit scenesWARNING: This story contains scenes of violence, and morally ambiguous characters.

In this highly original approach to the study of the construction of culture, this collection of previously unpublished essays explore the topography of the secret and the forbidden, focusing on specific moments in recent cultural and political history. By bringing together writers from different disciplines and different locations, this volume provides a rich and diverse mapping of how the secret and forbidden operate across different subjects and different geographies, extending far beyond physical locations. It is present in domains ranging from language, literature, and cinema to social and political life. This refreshing and thought-provoking collection of essays will prove invaluable for researchers and students.

The Forbidden Room