Dark Conflict by the late British author John Glasby (
ISFDB,
Wikipedia,
obituary at The Telegraph) is his apparently standalone paranormal horror thriller, involving a mysterious artifact that may or may not induce a lycanthropic state, and a race against time to save a friend from a cult intent on human sacrifice, free for a limited time courtesy of publisher Endeavour Press' Venture imprint.
This is one of Venture's original publications, posthumously selected from his extensive literary estate.
Currently free @
Amazon (available to Canadians & in the UK and pretty much everywhere else Amazon sells worldwide, since this is being done via their KDP Select exclusive-or-else program)
Description
Simon Merrivale owns a mysterious mask and headdress, just some items that he picked up in an old London curio shop.
The legend is that whoever comes into contact with them will find their body taken over by a long-dead Shaman at full moon.
One night, Merrivale is dragged from his home, and he and the relics are taken to an isolated mansion.
There, Ernest Caltro and his followers prepare to conduct a Black Mass with Merrivale as its human sacrifice.
And when the full moon has risen and Caltro has undertaken his monstrous transformation, Merrivale's time will be up.
Can Simon's friends Richard Blake and Stephen Nayland mount a rescue mission in time?