Hello and welcome to my site. I’m Michael Ayoob, a writer who has released two books, In Search of Mercy and Shadow Menagerie. Another is on the way.
If you want to know more about my books, just scroll on down. If you want to know more about me, check out the About and FAQ pages.
Whenever I have news, I’ll be sure to post it here, too, on the News page.
Until then, thank you for visiting.
Dexter Bolzjak is an ex-hockey goalie who was abducted and tortured by perverted sports fans eight years ago. Now he’s muddling along in a Pittsburgh warehouse when he meets an old terminally ill drunk named Lou Kashon. Lou wants to see his lost love, the actress Mercy Carnahan, and offers Dexter a fortune to find her.
Dexter embarks on the search, retracing Mercy’s past online and on foot. Mercy begins to haunt Dexter, appearing in his dreams while his own trauma plagues his waking hours. Dexter persists and follows Mercy’s trail into a voyeuristic underworld, where he finds himself trapped in the ultimate nightmare.
The Gumshoe Review: “Michael Ayoob is quite the master of the macabre… A unique blend of psychological horror and private investigative work, In Search of Mercy is highly recommended for mature mystery fans.”
Killer Books: “Ayoob’s writing is smooth and assured and he’s got a good eye for character, place and atmosphere. He’s also got a great sense of story.”
MBTB’s Mystery Book Blog: “I think this book defines the direction of modern noir… Ayoob’s writing has punch and he gets an “A” for creativity.”
The Mystery Reader: “Mr. Ayoob expects his readers to think. He moves from the real world to the surreal to the dream world with fluidity that demands the reader’s attention. The author has something to say but he is not about to spoon feed his audience… While it is not an easy journey, the mental effort is worth the trip.”
Pittsburgh Quarterly: “Author Michael Ayoob’s homage to the graphic violence of classic hard-boiled detective fiction, as well as the ‘weird menace’ of mid-century pulp fiction, is polished and pitch-perfect.”
Publishers Weekly: “Ayoob’s outstanding debut introduces a flawed hero who transcends all the flawed hero clichés… Filled with vivid, violent images and characters who leap off the page into the reader’s imagination, this impressive novel builds to a startlingly ambiguous ending.”
How far would you go to keep the Boom Girls from driving you mad?
Regina Gundy never had to consider that question until she heard their song. She was a ten-year-old orphan content to live in the Rust Belt town of Burdock Downs with her dog and adoptive father. Then she heard a strange melody no one else could hear, luring her to an arsenal long abandoned by the living. The dead Boom Girls, however, still haunt the ruins of their worksite, and they beckon Regina to join them or suffer a lifetime of nightmarish hallucinations.
At the same time, a mysterious contractor named Lonnie Waters arrives in the Downs. He takes sadistic joy in humiliating the local leaders and wrecking their decaying town. Regina comes to believe that Waters can help her, but Waters is chasing ghosts of his own. Does Regina dare to bargain with him, and how deep into her hometown’s brutal past must she delve to escape her tortured present?
To break the curse, Regina will have to follow the Boom Girls into their netherworld of secrets Burdock Downs buried long ago.
And pray they let her leave.
Horror Palace: “Ayoob has a great style of writing and his imagination supports it, so get ready for a quality tale of horror. The majority of fans of this genre will be glad they read it.”
The Horror Review: “Ayoob sets up the broken town of Burdock Downs wonderfully.”
Readers’ Favorite: “Eerie and heartbreaking at the same time, Shadow Menagerie by Michael Ayoob creates an incredible story out of everyday events… This is a gripping story with a surprise ending that will leave you questioning reality for a while to come.”
