#irishauthor

Creepy cruise ship hauntings, rising personal tensions, and the slow unravelling of both secrets and sanity—Where the Shadows Hide keeps the PSI crew (and readers) firmly on edge.

PRE-READING THOUGHTS

The PSI series has been brilliant so far at blending supernatural chills with grounded, real-world struggles—identity, illness, trauma—all woven in naturally. With a luxury cruise as the backdrop this time, I was expecting claustrophobic tension, eerie encounters at sea, and a few gut punches of emotional honesty along the way.

POST-READING

As I thought… The atmosphere was deliciously tense. Clarkin knows how to build creeping dread without ever needing to rely on cheap scares. The cruise ship setting amplifies everything—no way to escape, nowhere to hide, and too many shadows to trust. The supernatural chills are matched with equally compelling interpersonal drama.

It surprised me by… How seamlessly the representation was handled. Gender identities, chronic illness, and trauma aren’t treated as “plot devices”—they’re part of who these characters are, enriching the story without ever feeling forced. The characters’ vulnerabilities made the haunting feel sharper, more personal. And honestly? I wasn’t expecting that much emotional punch while also checking the locks before bed.

🎵 MUSIC PAIRING

Featured Song: Bury a Friend — Billie Eilish (eerie, unsettling, whispering in the dark)

Vibe Album: Dead Man’s Party — Oingo Boingo (playful shadows masking real menace)

Artist Recommendation: Chelsea Wolfe (haunting, atmospheric, perfectly suited to this story’s eerie-but-intimate tone)

🎨 VIBE CHECK

Colour Palette: Deep navy, candle-flame gold, shadowy black

Soundtrack: The creak of a ship in the night, waves slapping at the hull, whispers in an empty corridor

Season: Autumn sliding into winter—dark, cold, uncertain

Mood: Claustrophobic dread mingled with fragile hope

Scent: Saltwater and extinguished candles

🃏 TAROT PULL

Nine of Swords (Nightfall Tarot): A lone figure lies restless in bed, haunted by nine hovering blades—a stark image of fear, anxiety, and sleepless nights. It’s a perfect reflection of the PSI crew’s journey in Where the Shadows Hide: the terror isn’t only in the haunted corridors, but also in the weight of grief, trauma, and doubt that threatens to consume them. The card is a reminder that shadows inside can be just as dangerous as shadows outside.

FOR FANS OF

Book: Middlegame by Seanan McGuire

TV: The Haunting of Bly Manor

DISCLAIMER

The housing marketing in Ireland right now is hell...

After an evening spent watching far too many relocation, relocation, relocation style shows, having gone down a rabbit hole thanks to a friend appearing on one, this story was born.

'House Hunters Interdimensional' is available to read for free on the awesome Burial Books Blog.

The sun is shining in Ireland which is apt as my latest short story, 'Put it back' is set on a beach.

Enjoy now for free here on Sci Fi Shorts and thanks again for supporting new Irish fiction.

First short story of the year published in 'Dark Descent: Whispers From Beyond Vol 9' from Darkholme Publishing.

Delighted to be appearing in these pages with my story 'Busy signal on the reincarnation hotline'.

New short story, free to read, up on Witcraft.

Do you believe in magic?

Find out here.

New free short, snappy fiction up now on Sci Fi Shorts.

Give it a read and watch out for your fingers. Gotta love that funky artwork too.

Read it here.