An imPerfect Samhain: A Standalone Novella from the imPerfect Cathar Universe

Written by C N Rowan

Narrated by C N Rowan

The walls between the worlds are thin. The nights draw in. And monsters walk abroad…

October 30th, 1958. France’s papers are haunted by the spectre of the Algerian War of Independence. But that still doesn’t explain why they’re silent about a child’s skeleton, washed up on a French beach. No stories, no breaking news. Nothing but a set of police photos, delivered anonymously to my hands. And bite marks on the skeleton, too big for any human to have made.

So my best friend, Aicha, and I head to the city of Nice to investigate. But what we find is more missing children, and an emerging pattern. One that raises some terrifying questions. Who would abduct and sacrifice children? Why isn’t the news getting out? What would demand such a sacrifice? And what terrors might it offer as payment in return?

We need to find out fast to save the children, if they can be saved. And maybe save the whole of France at the same time.

An imPerfect Samhain is a standalone novella in the best-selling “imPerfect Cathar” series. You can expect dark humour, strong language and explicit violence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Main Rock Publishing
• Release date: Oct 16, 2023
• ISBN: 9798868758065

Reviews for An imPerfect Samhain

[mardielowe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As advertised, this is a darker ImPerfect Cathar story for the spooky season - yes, darker is possible, when you use a story arc built around domestic violence and missing children. Grimmer, and yet there are lighter moments. CN Rowan gives us a smattering of the banter between our MC's that is the trademark of this series and always an absolute crowd pleaser. It is the dichotomy of themes and moods within this story that carries a hint of hope and self-forgiveness, because no matter how bleak the storyline is, there is always the bond and support between our MC's that allows them to continue on through centuries of life.

It is a very intense story, with little distraction from solving the cases of the missing, presumed dead children, for Paul or Aicha and the reader, beside a fascinatingly brief introduction to a character referred to in ImPerfect Gods. I enjoyed the intensity though - having nothing but Aicha and Paul is a joy, and a vocab-enhancing dictionary of expletives!