It has been twenty years since the serial killer known as The Black Heart Killer terrorized the town of Newport in 1979. Life mostly returned to normal after the killer was captured. All the townspeople have to do is stay out of the woods where the bodies were abandoned—their chests ripped open, and their hearts torn out... Howie Burke and his friends decide rules are meant to be broken. That’s what fifteen-year-old kids do. On a beautiful fall day, they decide to go out in the woods to film a horror movie when they stumble across a mysterious grave. What they don’t know is that they are about to release an evil on the town unlike anything in their home-made movies. They will soon uncover the secrets of the Black Heart Killer, and what it truly means to be cursed. Praise for The Cursed Among Us "Hidden graves, black magic, town legends, and intrepid teenagers - this one has it all, in bloody spades. Durgin's debut manages the impossible: a punchy and gripping horror-thriller sprawled across two decades, crafted with dark obsession and drenched in nostalgia for the golden years of supernatural slasher films." - Felix Blackwell, author of Stolen Tongues “A remarkably malevolent debut that will leave you reaching for your talisman. Durgin takes all the right risks and proves nobody is safe in this impressive coming-of-age novel about a small town with a dark past.” - Joshua Marsella, author of Hunger For Death “The Cursed Among Us is a horror novel with its heart in the right place—ready to be ripped out! Containing surprising and sometimes stunning emotional depth, this homage to ‘90s B-movies and supernatural documentaries explores the agony of growing up and holding onto friendships when the world seems determined to rip everything you love apart.” - Joseph Sale, author of Dark Hilarity