RG Granville has his whole life ahead of him—but only twenty-four hours left to live it.

Beyond the veil separating life and death, an ancient war rages. The Caretakers protect vulnerable souls and maintain the fragile balance between worlds, while the malevolent Jumpers slip between realms to prey upon the living.

When a vengeful Jumper marks RG for death, a decades-old grudge sets a deadly chain of events into motion. Suddenly facing a fate he doesn't understand and a clock that is rapidly running out, RG is thrust into a desperate race against time to protect his pregnant wife, Kacey, and their unborn child from an evil that threatens far more than his own life.

To survive, he must cross the boundary between the living and the dead, confront the relentless force hunting him, and uncover a shocking secret buried deep within his past. Along the way, he discovers that Kacey possesses powerful latent abilities that may be their only hope of stopping the darkness closing in around them.

Some truths carry a terrible cost—and some battles continue long after death.

The first installment in the Caretakers Trilogy, A Taker of Morrows is a supernatural thriller filled with suspense, mystery, and unforgettable twists. Perfect for readers who enjoy high-stakes paranormal fiction that explores the eternal struggle between good and evil.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING:

“A page-turner in every sense of the word. ” - The Falmouth Enterprise

“A rip-roaring supernatural thriller.” - The Haunted Reading Room

“With skillful pacing, vivid prose, and its fair share of plot twists, somehow Stephen Paul Sayers pulls this incredible tale off!” – High Fever Books

Stephen Paul Sayers' A Taker of Morrows positions itself as a heavyweight in the supernatural thriller genre, drawing favorable comparisons to masters of tension like Darcy Coates and Jeremy Bates. Sayers distinguishes his work through a meticulous "Logical Scaffolding" of paranormal mythology that feels more grounded and psychologically complex than the standard "haunted house" fare.

While his peers often rely on externalized jump scares, Sayers builds a "rip-roaring" narrative around the internal ticking clock of Robert Granville’s twenty-four-hour death sentence. This structural choice mirrors the high-stakes pacing seen in Bates’ Suicide Forest, yet Sayers elevates the emotional stakes by grounding the horror in the relatable anxiety of impending fatherhood and the desperate need for family protection.

The character of the "jumper," Victor Garrett, represents a standout contribution to the genre's roster of villains. Unlike the traditional demonic entities found in Lee Mountford’s work, Garrett is a tragic, vengeful soul whose "Burning Man" persona is born from a recognizable human grief that has fermented into madness. This provides a layer of "Executive Artifact" level world-building—the "Caretaker" versus "Jumper" matrix—that offers a more intellectually satisfying experience than typical supernatural encounters.

Sayers’ prose is described by critics as "vivid" and "skillfully paced," avoiding the repetitive tropes that can plague urban fantasy. By weaving together a gritty Boston setting with an expansive spiritual mythology, he creates a bespoke analysis of the afterlife that is as much a character study as it is a page-turning thriller. – The Publisher

by Stephen Paul Sayers
Page Count: 249
Trim Size: 6 x 9
Publish Date: June 13, 2026
Imprint: Hellbender Books
Genre: Horror

FICTION / Horror
FICTION / Occult & Supernatural
FICTION / Thrillers / Supernatural