Books

You Better Watch Out

by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth

  • Publisher:‎ St. Martin's Press (October 15, 2024)
  • Publication date:‎ October 15, 2024
  • ASIN:‎ B0CQHLPMH5

Forty-eight hours before Christmas, Jessica Kane finds herself trapped in a deserted town with five strangers, all of whom have been attacked and stranded under mysterious circumstances. As the group is meticulously hunted down by a bloodthirsty killer, Jessica must figure out why they’ve been targeted before she becomes the next victim. Christmas may never come for any of them.

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Don't Move

by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth

  • Publisher:‎ Blackstone Publishing (February 16, 2023)
  • Publication date:‎ February 16, 2023
  • ASIN:‎ B0BW4RMMCL

In this spine-tingling horror novel from the actor best known as "Murr" on the hit TV shows Impractical Jokers and The Misery Index, James S. Murray, and co-writer Darren Wearmouth, a prehistoric arachnid terrifies a stranded group in a West Virginia canyon.

Megan Forrester has barely survived the unthinkable. Six months ago, she witnessed a horrific accident that killed her husband and son, and lives with the guilt of knowing she could have done more to save them. Now, Megan hopes to mend the pieces of her broken spirit by attending a local church group's annual camping trip. But the church group members—riddled with dark secrets of their own—make a catastrophic navigational mistake, leaving them stranded in an untouched canyon in the West Virginian national forest.

Isolated from any chance of help or rescue, Megan and the others quickly realize why this side of the canyon has never been surveyed by humankind: it's home to a terrifying prehistoric arachnid that patiently stalks its prey through even the slightest movement or vibration in the forest. And it's desperate for a meal.

Grief-stricken and haunted by her tragic loss, Megan now faces her ultimate test of endurance. Can she outwit a bloodthirsty creature hellbent on ensuring that no one gets out alive?

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The Stowaway

by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth

  • Publisher:‎ St. Martin's Press (September 21, 2021)
  • Publication date:‎ September 21, 2021
  • ASIN:‎ B08BYCZR2T

From James S. Murray, and co-writer Darren Wearmouth, comes The Stowaway, a suspenseful masterpiece that leaves a cruise ship stranded at sea with a serial killer hiding aboard.

Two years ago, Maria Fontana, the head of the Psychology Department at Columbia University, sat on a jury for one of the most depraved cases ever to pass through the hallowed halls of City Hall. Wyatt Butler, an antique watch restorer and alleged serial killer, was portrayed in the courtroom as a brutal monster. But Maria had to make the tough choice. In good conscience, she couldn't convict him based purely on circumstantial evidence, and her deciding vote set Wyatt Butler free. The media soon outed her as the lone juror and her successful and quaint life was turned upside down. The victims of Wyatt's ritualistic killings never forgave her either.

Now, she and her family have decided to take a vacation to get away from everything: a two-week-long transatlantic cruise. Nothing, and nobody should be able to bother her there. With her two twins and her fiancé Steve, she is set to put the past behind her as soon as the ship leaves port.

But when a passenger mysteriously disappears, Maria is left to wonder if maybe this was no coincidence. When another passenger is discovered brutally murdered in a similar way to Butler’s ritualistic MO, the ship goes on lockdown. Maria, one of only twelve people in the world with intimate knowledge of the case, faces a perilous ticking clock. Is it a copycat? Or is she trapped on board with the bloodthirsty maniac she chose to set free?

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Area 51 Interns: Alien Summer

by James S. Murray and Carsen Smith

  • Publisher:‎ Penguin Workshop (March 15, 2022)
  • Publication date‏:‎ March 15, 2022
  • Hardcover:‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10:‎ 0593226127
  • ISBN-13:‎ 978-0593226124
  • Reading age:‎ 9+ years, from customers
  • Grade level:‎ 3 - 7

From the mind of Murr from the Impractical Jokers and comedian Carsen Smith comes a new hilarious, action-packed series about a world of bizarre creatures, wacky gadgets, and four kid interns at the most interesting place on Earth: Area 51!

It's the first day of summer vacation, and Viv Harlow just wants to relax with her friends at the beach before they all go to different high schools next year. She is definitely not interested in visiting her mom's office, even if Director Harlow works at the famous Area 51. But when an alarm sounds beneath the secret base and a whole race of aliens escape, she's about to get much more than she bargained for. Viv, Charlotte, Ray, and Elijah (who Viv is totally NOT crushing on) will have to work together, gear up with gadgets, and even protect a baby alien to save the day and defend Area 51.

The debut middle-grade series from Murr of the Impractical Jokers, Area 51 Interns is filled with enough high-tech hijinks, bizarre creatures, and laugh-out-loud humor (plus an extra color insert full of gadgets) to make even alien skeptics hooked for more!

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Area 51 Interns: Zoned Out

by James S. Murray and Carsen Smith

  • Publisher:‎ Penguin Workshop (October 18, 2022)
  • Publication date‏:‎ October 18, 2022
  • Hardcover:‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10:‎ 0593226143
  • ISBN-13:‎ 978-0593226148
  • Reading age:‎ 8 - 12 years
  • Grade level:‎ 3 - 7

In the second book of the Area 51 Interns series, after saving their parents from an alien attack, Viv Harlow and her friends get stuck on filing duty at Area 51. But when they discover a hidden Forbidden Zone, things quickly spiral out of control as the Yeti, Loch Ness Monster, and more terrifying creatures escape!

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Area 51 Interns: Time Chasers

by James S. Murray and Carsen Smith

  • Publisher:‎ Penguin Workshop (October 3, 2023)
  • Publication date‏:‎ October 3, 2023
  • Hardcover:‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10:‎ 059322616X
  • ISBN-13:‎ 978-0593226162
  • Reading age:‎ 10+ years, from customers
  • Grade level:‎ 3 - 7

In the third installment of the Area 51 Interns series, Viv Harlow and her friends use a finicky time machine to try and save her long-lost father. But when they get stuck in the past, almost destroyed by a meteor, and chased by time-preserving beings, they must find a way to set things right before it's too late!

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Awakened

by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth;

  • Publisher:‎ Harper Voyager (June 26, 2018)
  • Publication date:‎ June 26, 2018
  • ASIN:‎ B072BFJCZY

James Murray and horror writer Darren Wearmouth deliver a chilling and wickedly fun supernatural novel in the vein of The Strain, in which a beautiful new subway line in New York City unearths an ancient dark horror that threatens the city’s utter destruction and the balance of civilization itself.

After years of waiting, New York's newest subway line is finally ready, an express train that connects the city with the burgeoning communities across the Hudson River. The shining jewel of this state-of-the-art line is a breathtaking visitors’ pavilion beneath the river. Major dignitaries, including New York City’s Mayor and the President of the United States, are in attendance for the inaugural run, as the first train slowly pulls in. Under the station’s bright ceiling lights, the shiny silver cars gleam. But as the train comes closer into view, a far different scene becomes visible. All the train’s cars are empty. All the cars’ interiors are drenched in blood.

As chaos descends, all those in the pavilion scramble to get out. But the horror is only beginning. High levels of deadly methane fill the tunnels. The structure begins to flood. For those who don’t drown, choke or spark an explosion, another terrifying danger awaits—the thing that killed all those people on the train. It’s out there…and it’s coming.

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The Brink: An Awakened Novel

by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth

  • Publisher:‎ Harper Voyager (June 18, 2019)
  • Publication date:‎ June 18, 2019
  • ASIN:‎ B07DHMD6SZ

Evils both above and below ground arise once again, threatening the world and all its inhabitants with extinction in this electrifying science fiction thriller—the second novel set in the Awakened universe. Thanks to the heroics of former New York City Mayor Tom Cafferty and his team, the world is once again safe. But as they discover more subterranean threats, an all-out war against humanity begins, challenging their survival in a battle where only one apex species can emerge victorious.

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Obliteration: An Awakened Novel

by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth

  • Publisher:‎ Harper Voyager; Reprint edition (June 23, 2020)
  • Publication date:‎ June 23, 2020
  • ASIN:‎ B07Y8DFP1M

The final novel in the Awakened series finds the world at the brink of annihilation. With creatures emerging from their subterranean nests across the globe, former NYC Mayor Tom Cafferty must unite with his old enemy, Albert Van Ness, to battle the ultimate threat to humanity. As the all-out war for survival rages, Cafferty and his team face their darkest hour in a desperate attempt to save the human race from extinction.

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