John Durgin Books In Order

Publication Order of The Newport Curse Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Collections

Publication Order of DarkLit Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

John Durgin is an American horror fiction novelist best known for his Newport Curse series of novels. While he was still a kid in New Hampshire, he stumbled upon Stephen King and read the novel from cover to cover. By the time he was heading to high school, he was certain that he would become a horror fiction novelist. In 2020, he became the cofounder of Livid Comics and wrote Jol his debut comic which was a horror series for all ages. Once he had the comic series published, he developed an itch for writing that just had to be scratched. He would then publish Dead Ball once again through Livid. Durgin now has at least half a dozen works to his name across a series, a collection of short stories and novellas and short stories. He would also launch a podcast titled The Livid Comics Lair alongside Joel Vanpatten a cofounder at Livid. On the podcast, they usually talk to comic creators, and horror authors about eerie things such as paranormal investigators and UFOs.

While he is now better known for his novels, John Durgin believes that he would never have become successful were it not for his comics. When he first published Jol during the Pandemic, he intended for the manuscript to become a novel. But then his cofounder and artist friend with whom he cofounded Livid Comics called him to inform him that nothing was happening in the gallery world. He asked if he had any comic book story ideas to give to him since he intended to dabble in sequential art. Durgin felt that what he was working on would be perfect as a comic if he just tweaked it a bit. But while he loved writing the comic, he hated that he had to leave much of the story in the hands of the artist and hence he knew he wanted more. He wanted to be able to write about the scents of the characters, describe the scenery, and go deep into plots hence the shift into long-form novels.

John Durgin began submitting short stories in 2021, hoping to launch a career and get noticed in the horror community. Later in the year, he had one of his stories accepted which was then published in the anthology Books of Horror. He published his debut novel The Cursed Among Us in 2022. He asserted that knew he had found success as a novelist when his editor told him his debut novel was really good. Having a professional tell him that what he had written was worthwhile was all the validation he needed to kickstart his career. Durgin would then commit more of his free time to writing his novels. During this time, he used to write his novels at night when the kids had retired to bed and early in the morning before anyone was up. He would even give up all the free time he used to spend watching movies or reading just so he could write. The good thing he had that most other authors did not was that he had a day job and hence did not suffer from the starving artists’ pressure. Nonetheless, while he has had a lot of success, he still hopes to one day become a full-time author.

John Durgin’s The Cursed Among Us comes with some of the most popular tropes in the horror fiction genre, the slasher. It has been two decades since The Black Heart Killer spread terror through Newport. But things had gone back to normal when he was tracked down and sent to jail. Now all that the residents of Newport need to do is keep away from the forest where he used to dump his mutilated victims. However, Burke and his friends cannot resist the forest and head deep into the woods to shoot a film and find a mysterious grave. What they never realize is that they have unearthed the secrets of the curse of the Black Heart Killer and released a badass evil on the town. When things turn serious, the kids seek help by talking to their parents but not before they try to solve everything by themselves and don’t get anywhere.

Consumed by Evil by John Durgin is one of the most chilling horror fiction novels he has ever written. Once again, it is a novel set in Newport in the aftermath of a homecoming massacre on Halloween. The killer is Jessica Black who spreads terror and leaves the town reeling. But as they start to recover from the terror, there is a new type of horror looming that may just plunge them back into the chaos. Howie is a fifteen-year-old devastated by the loss of her friends and for weeks, she has been haunted by the memories of that dreadful day. Cory is haunted by violent urges and distrubing visions which threaten to consume him. As for Bethany, she finds herself in a fatal web of deceit arrayed against some very dark forces. The three are determined to dismantle the sinister influence of the coven and bring to light the secrets of Newport. But in doing so they need to deal with malevolent entities and their past that refuse to let them go. It is an intense story of friendship, survival, and the tireless fight against dark forces with unexpected twists and heart-pounding suspense.

John Durgin’s novel Inside The Devil’s Nest is an interesting horror fiction work though it is unlike his previous two. This one tells the story of real estate agent Anthony Graham who unintentionally witnessed a crime family he was involved with kill Hank his friend. Anthony had escaped but it was too late as the killers had already seen him. Heading out of state with his family, he moves to a remote cabin he owns. But the property and cabin he moved into were once the residence of a cult leader who led his followers into a suicide pact. Getting away from the mafia might now be the least of his problems as the ghosts at the new property might give him his worst nightmares. It is a haunting and action-packed story that will keep its readers glued to the page with lots of tension, suspense, and action coming at full throttle.