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Pen Name

Carly Black

Thrillers, mysteries, and horror that get under your skin and stay there. These are stories about the things people bury — and what happens when they surface.

1 Novel
3 Short Stories & Novellas
4 Anthologies
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Full-Length Fiction

Novels

Bloodlines by Carly Black — A Psychological Thriller
Novel · Psychological Thriller

Bloodlines

📅 February 6, 2026 Kindle Unlimited

⚠️ Warning: Aspects of this book are quite dark. See content warnings below.

Alyssa Carter just wanted to fill in the blanks on her family tree. A DNA test was supposed to offer roots, not rot.

When the results arrive, they shatter everything she thought she knew about herself. Her frantic research leads her down a dark path that starts with the FBI at her door, asking questions about a serial killer she's never heard of. But the DNA doesn't lie. The connection is real.

The deeper Alyssa digs, the more the past unearths itself. Gruesome crimes staged like theater. Bodies left as messages. A family she never knew existed.

But someone is watching. And they don't want her to find the truth.

As her research spirals into obsession, strange things begin happening. Objects moved in her home. Threatening tokens left on her doorstep. The line between family history and present danger blurs until Alyssa can no longer tell if she's investigating the past or being hunted by it.

Some family secrets are buried for a reason, and blood ties can kill.

For readers who crave the twisted family dynamics of Sharp Objects, the moral ambiguity of Gone Girl, and the slow-burn dread of The Good Girl.

Violence & Murder
  • Multiple murders
  • Graphic descriptions of corpses and crime scenes
  • Body horror: sewn mouths, removed eyes, carved words into flesh, removed teeth, genital mutilation
  • Blood and gore descriptions
  • Staged crime scenes
Child Abuse (discussed/referenced, not graphically depicted)
  • Child sexual abuse (past)
  • Attempted child molestation (present)
  • Physical abuse of children (past)
  • Toddler death (past)
  • System failure to protect children
Sexual Content
  • Infidelity/cheating
  • Past sexual abuse discussed (not graphic)
  • Attempted assault of minor
Stalking & Home Invasion
  • Escalating stalking throughout
  • Home invasion elements
  • Surveillance and being watched
  • Psychological terror
Mental Health
  • Obsessive behavior / research spirals
  • Insomnia and sleep deprivation
  • Paranoia
  • Emotional manipulation
  • Identity crisis and psychological breakdown
  • Moral corruption arc
Other
  • Gaslighting
  • Job loss and financial stress
  • Divorce and betrayal
  • Adoption trauma / abandonment issues
  • Alcoholic parent
  • Religious trauma
  • System/institutional failure

The actual moments of attempted child abuse are discussed but not shown on-page. Sexual content beyond the infidelity opening is not graphically depicted.

Short Fiction

Short Stories & Novellas

Standalone dark fiction — short stories and novellas that can be read in a single sitting.

Sealed in Silence
Short Story · Thriller/Horror Sealed in Silence

A Deadly Silence Story. Derby City Paranormal Investigations ventures into Hillcrest Sanatorium — where a ball moves on its own, a ghost appears only on camera, and the financial records don't add up.

The Hollow Space
Short Story · Horror · Out Now The Hollow Space

An In the Cards Story. Librarian Tess Davis discovers a hidden journal on her 35th birthday — and a generational curse that gives her one lunar month to burn it all down or lose everything.

Multi-Author Collections

Anthologies

Each anthology features an original Carly Black story alongside work from other authors. Content varies by anthology and contributor.

Hellview Horrors: Rainy Nights
Anthology · Horror/Thriller Hellview Horrors: Rainy Nights

Are you ready for dark, stormy nights? Buckle up. And try not to let the monsters… or the residents… sink their claws into you. Return to the Withered Woods. Stop by the pub, the church, the bookstore, or maybe try your luck out at sea. Just remember… all roads lead to devastation. When the thunder rolls and lightning tears across the sky, where will you be? It doesn't matter. Hellview doesn't care where you run. The horror never ends.

April Fool's Day: Pranks to Die For
Anthology · Dark Humor/Horror April Fool's Day: Pranks to Die For

When the jokes go too far. Believe nothing and trust no one. Ten twisted stories of humor and bad luck from a feral group of unruly authors.

Pretty Little Slashers
Anthology · Horror Pretty Little Slashers

Just in time for Halloween. 8 writers, 8 stories, countless gasps. This is where it all started — Carly's debut publication.

Horror for the Holidays
Anthology · Holiday Horror Horror for the Holidays

A twisted holiday advent written by 24 authors, each continuing the story from where the last left off. A mother, a toy store, and something sinister awakening on Black Friday.

Thousand Word Thrills: Short Story Collection
Anthology · Thriller Thousand Word Thrills

One thousand words. One week. Thirty-seven thrilling stories. Writers from across the globe accepted a seven-day challenge to craft gripping short thrillers. Fresh voices, shocking twists, utterly addictive. Part of the Author: Unlocked initiative.

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