“With his latest, Chapman dives into the 1980’s Satanic Panic fears and how those reverberations of past accusations can have horrifying consequences.”

For Richard, there is no past, only the present. A new marriage, his son, and living the quiet life as an art teacher in Danvers, Virginia. Then, at the Elementary school where Richard teaches art, the body of a mutilated rabbit is found on the school grounds. Under the rabbit, a birthday card for Richard.

Thing is, Richard doesn’t have a birthday, but Sean does.

Sean just moved with his mother to Greenfield, Virginia. And like most mothers of the 80’s, she’s worried about the normal things … bills, childcare, providing for her family … and a disturbing threat to the American way of life. A threat that can have anyone’s face: your neighbor, a politician, even a school teacher. When she gets a letter from Sean’s school explaining his favorite teacher is being investigated, a tiny lie ignites a fire that affects the entire country, with Sean and his mother holding the torch.

Thirty years later, someone is reminding Richard what Sean did. Sean may not exist anymore, but his lies come with a terrible price.

Why we’re excited about this book:

Clay McLeod Chapman is the author of The Remaking, and The Tribe, a middle grade series. In the world of comics, Chapman recently released a new mini-series Origins with Boom Studios, and is the current writer for Scream: Curse of Carnage. He has written for Iron Fist: Phantom Limb, Edge of Spider-Verse and Venomverse, as well as Absolute Carnage: Separation Anxiety, The Avengers, Amazing Spider-Man, Ultimate Spider-Man, American Vampire, and Scream: King In Black, among others. With his latest, Chapman dives into the 1980’s Satanic Panic fears and how those reverberations of past accusations can have horrifying consequences. Adam Cesare (Clown in a Cornfield and Video Night) says: “Chapman’s latest allows us to deal with horrors we don’t often get to see depicted like this. The horror of our past selves, the horror of guilt and consequence, the power of a mass delusion. Terrifying, sad, and even a tiny dash hopeful. I loved it.”, and Andy Davidson (The Boatman’s Daughter) says: “Scary, compelling, heartbreaking, Whisper Down the Lane dredges our generation’s collective past and turns up the worst monsters of all: us. A fantastic read.”

Releasing 6 April 2021 from Quirk Books, Whisper Down the Lane by Clay McLeod Chapman is available for pre-order now.

BOB PASTORELLA

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