S.L. Grey's novels
Click here for some reviews of S.L. Grey's writing.
The Apartment was published in the United States in October 2016; in South Africa, Ireland and the Commonwealth in September 2016; and in the UK in March 2017.
"A haunting thriller about a troubled married couple whose vacation leads them into a nightmare.
Mark and Steph have a relatively happy family with their young daughter in sunny Cape Town until one day when armed men in balaclavas break in to their home. Left traumatized but physically unharmed, Mark and Steph are unable to return to normal and live in constant fear. When a friend suggests a restorative vacation abroad via a popular house swapping website, it sounds like the perfect plan. They find a genial, artistic couple with a charming apartment in Paris who would love to come to Cape Town. Mark and Steph can’t resist the idyllic, light-strewn pictures, and the promise of a romantic getaway. But once they arrive in Paris, they quickly realize that nothing is as advertised. When their perfect holiday takes a violent turn, the cracks in their marriage grow ever wider and dark secrets from Mark's past begin to emerge.
Deftly weaving together two complex and compelling narrators, S.L. Grey builds an intimate and chilling novel of a disintegrating marriage in the wake of a very real trauma."
The Apartment is also available or forthcoming in French, German, Dutch, Russian, Italian, Hungarian, Korean, Thai, Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Danish, Spanish, Hebrew and Polish editions.
THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE SAFE . . .
The Sanctum is a luxurious, self-sustaining survival condominium situated underground. It's a plush bolt-hole for the rich and paranoid - a place where they can wait out the apocalypse in style. When a devastating super-flu virus hits, several families race to reach The Sanctum. All have their own motivations for entering. All are hiding secrets.
But when the door locks and someone dies, they realize the greatest threat to their survival may not be above ground - it may already be inside . . .
Under Ground is also available or forthcoming in Dutch, Turkish, Korean, German, French, Spanish, Hebrew, Japanese and Italian editions. (Click on the covers to view or buy.)
The New Girl, the third and last book in the Downside trio, was released by Corvus in October 2013.
"A surprisingly funny, deeply weird horror novel ... genuinely fresh" – SFX
The Ward, the next dose of S.L. Grey, was released in paperback and ebook by Corvus on 1 October 2012.
“Equals – if not trumps – the disturbing, creepy horror of their first” The Independent, 2012 Books of the Year
“Startlingly well written” – Diane Awerbuck, The Times
“An original and unsettling novel from an exciting new talent” – Will Salmon, SFX
S.L. Grey’s first book, The Mall, was published in the UK and Commonwealth by Corvus in June 2011. It is now out in paperback.
“One of the cleverest, creepiest and most memorable horror novels for ages … a masterful debut.” – The Independent
“Deliciously evil” – The Guardian
“Satire of the most mournful kind” – New York Times Summer Reading 2014
The Mall is published in Dutch by De Arbeiderspers as De Plaza, in Turkish by Ithaki Yayinlari as AVM, in Italian by Newton Compton as Il manichino and in German by Festa Verlag as Labyrinth der Puppen. (Click on the covers to view or buy.)
S.L. Grey's short stories
S.L Grey has published various short stories. You can find them in these collections:
"The Dental Gig", our story about the work pressures of a modern tooth fairy, is included in The Outcast Hours, edited by Mahvesh Murad and Jared Shurin. It's a slick, dark, glittery anthology filled with the night-time imaginings of writers from six continents. It's coming in February 2019, and you can read more and get pre-order links here.
We promised we'd be back to short storying with our tongues in our cheeks; we didn't know it would take five years! Soz.
Superstardrifter liked the collection, and called "The Dental Gig" "a wonderfully unique story". Full review here.
The Dental Gig "reminded me of Terry Pratchett at his best": Blue Book Balloon.
Our horror road story, "Bingo", was included in the Solaris collection, End of the Road, which came out in December 2013 and won the 2014 British Fantasy Society award for best anthology. In a comprehensive review, Tor.com calls it "absolutely brutal". (We'll be back to the satirical laughs in future pieces, promise!)
A Fantastical Librarian called "Bingo" an "effective blend of horror and fascination ... packed with social commentary" Full review here.
Our story, "We'll Always be Here", is our twist on Pluto and Charon for the spectacular science-fiction collection, The Lowest Heaven, published by Jurassic London. Released in July 2013, it was longlisted for the 20 in Twenty short story selection, honouring the best South African short stories in twenty years of democracy, and our publishers said some nice things about it here: "As well as being an extremely creepy story of loneliness and evil machines and the (very, very) end of the world, 'We'll Always Be Here' is a biting satire about parenting and childhood, consumering and pop culture. S.L. Grey pitched the story as 'Mean Girls meets Event Horizon', but, as funny as that is, it is also selling it short. It is a sneakily powerful tale."
You can hear a free podcast of this story, beautifully read by Kim Lakin-Smith.
A Fantastical Librarian highlighted our story for special praise: "I loved S.L. Grey’s We’ll Always Be Here ... for the complicated love/hate relationship between Pluto and Sharon ... I found it tragic and quite a deft social commentary." Full review here.
Meanwhile, Staffer's Book Review says of "We'll Always Be Here", "I would be willing to buy the entire book for this one story alone." Full review here.
Mahvesh Murad wrote for Pakistan's Dawn newspaper that "My personal favourite in this anthology is South African writing duo S.L. Grey’s 'We’ll Always Be Here'. A great contemporary, entirely readable combination of funny, frightening and clever science fiction."
In her Strange Horizons review in which she calls The Lowest Heaven a "work of art", Sarah Frost writes that "We’ll Always Be Here" is "one of my favourite stories in this collection ... a wonderful piece of SF nightmare fuel."
Click here for more information, and details on where to get it.
Our flash fiction, "Still", appeared in the beautiful photography-fiction collection and Saboteur-award runner-up, Still: Short Stories Inspired by Photographs of Vacated Places, put together by photographer Roelof Bakker at Negative Press.
Click here for more information, and details on where to get it.
"OMG GTFO" was our vision of the end of the world alongside those of many other current and hot and happening apocalyptic writers. It appeared in Pandemonium: Stories of the Apocalypse, published by Jurassic London. It was released in a limited edition in 2011 and is now a prized collector's item. You can still read about it here, though.
In 2015, "OMG GTFO" was republished in the Electronic Frontier Foundation's collection, Pwning Tomorrow.
Reaction to The Apartment
"Fast-paced, gripping and scary, this is a ghost story that keeps you locked in until the final page." SciFiNow
"Gripping, creepy as hell, and the dread will linger for days afterwards." -- Lauren Beukes
"Dark and deeply disturbing. I'm still shuddering." -- R.L. Stine
"This book had me turning on all the lights, checking under the bed and in the closet, and savoring every terrifying page." -- Jennifer McMahon
Top of The Booklist Reader's list of best recent haunted house novels.
Last word in the New York Times's list of haunted novels to read before watching The Haunting of Hill House.
Top of Unboundworlds's list of must-read contemporary horrors of modern life.
Reviews:
September 2021 – "Definitely a Blumhouse book! ... An effective slow burn horror." – Jessica's Reading Room //
April 2021 – "Handlingsmættet og fængslende bog... Jeg er vild med de små chok-points." – Bogrummet.dk //
September 2020 – "Una novela que comienza con un nivel de suspenso alto que logra mantenerse por un buen tiempo." – The Wynwood Times //
July 2020 – "Das Apartment ist ein spannender Thriller. Ich konnte das Buch nicht mehr aus der Hand legen." – Kai Klüting, Radio Essen //
May 2020 – "Książka wymyka się standardowym wzorcom konstruowania intrygi ... owieść we frapujący sposób wymyka się realności." – Bookendorfina //
March 2020 – "J'ai adoré le côté paranormal assez étrange qui se trouve dans cette histoire." – Books and Capuccino //
October 2019 – "En utrolig velskrevet bog, som kryber ind under huden og er svær at lægge fra sig." – Aalborg Nu //
August 2019 – "A mí me encanta, deja un desasosiego interesante en el lector." – Anika entre Libros //
June 2019 – "Os diré que la novela y la historia me han gustado, y a cualquier amante del terror, lo siniestro, el suspense y lo tenebroso le gustará." – Los Augurios de la Luna //
April 2019 – "Étrangement captivant." Visions est une de "8 suggestions de lectures à donner froid dans le dos" – Bible Urbaine //
April 2019 – "Una lectura es inquietante, atrayente, entretenida, misteriosa y adictiva." – Morgana Huxley //
March 2019 – "Un bon thriller... un page turner terriblement efficace." – Nice Premium //
January 2019 – "Les auteurs instillent un récit sur le fil du rasoir." – LeLitteraire.com //
January 2019 – "Cette nouvelle collaboration se révèle être d’une redoutable efficacité." – Paris-Normandie //
January 2019 – "A downward spiral of dread that stays with you long after you put the book down." – Demimonde //
January 2019 – "Très prenant sera impossible à lâcher avant la toute fin." – Les lectures d'Anne-Sophie //
December 2018 – "C'est un livre d'ambiance, un roman qui nous prend aux tripes." – Manika27 //
December 2018 – "Le style est sublime et sert magistralement l’histoire et son suspense." – A L'Ombre d'une Libre //
December 2018 – "Jamais plus vous n’admirerez des statues de cire avec le même œil." – L'Indépendant //
November 2018 – "Une histoire horrible, laide, hideuse, absolument inconcevable, mais j'ai aimé et j'en veux encore ! Bien joué !" – Mes rêves éveillés //
November 2018 – "J’ai proprement adoré ce roman! Je l’ai d’ailleurs littéralement dévoré!" – La petite chronique de Lilli //
November 2018 – "L’écriture est parfaite et l’action ne s’arrête jamais. 9,5/10" – Culture vs News //
November 2018 – "Un libro muy interesante que te atrapa con su historia y con sus personajes." – XXX Dreams //
November 2018 – "Recomendada para los amantes de las lecturas de terror." – Canal Libros //
August 2018 – "He disfrutado mucho la historia y me ha encantado leerla." – Estoy entre Paginas //
August 2018 – "To przyjemnie czytające się połączenie horrory i thrilleru psychologicznego." – Book Paradise //
August 2018 – "Powiedzieć o "Apartamencie", że to bardzo dobra książka, to mało. Ona jest niczym magnes." – Pani_Ka Czyta //
July 2018 – "Scritto veramente bene ... Assolutamente consigliato." – Libri, viaggi e caffè //
July 2018 – "Absolut spannend und angsteinflößend ... lohnt sich auf jeden Fall!!!" – Wolkenfischerei //
July 2018 – "Najbardziej przerażającą ... zarazem jedną z większych pozytywnych niespodzianek tego roku." – Dzika Banda //
July 2018 – "Un libro que te sorprenderá de principio a fin." – Telva //
July 2018 – "W końcu przeczytałem książkę, nie będącą kopią innych książek." – Pisany inaczej //
July 2018 – "Me ha mantenido enganchada hasta el final." – Sueños entre letras //
June 2018 – "Bardzo dobre studium obłędu i depresji." – Tylko Skończę Rozdział //
June 2018 – "Jak przepięknie łączą walory thrillera psychologicznego z zaletami horroru." – Buffy 1977 //
June 2018 – "Un graffiante thriller psicologico ... che corre a cento all’ora." – Economia Italiana //
June 2018 – "Tak elektryzującej książki nie czytałam już dawno." – Kryminalna Kuchnia //
May 2018 – "Dit is echt een goede thriller ... 5 dikke sterren." – ik hou van horror, fantasy en spanning //
May 2018 – "Il lettore rimane col fiato sospeso, incollato alle pagine." – Nuove Pagine //
May 2018 – "Questo thriller è perfetto" – iCrew Play //
May 2018 – "Inquietante, paranoico, e con un ottimo stile narrativo. Da non perdere!" – Il Giallista //
April 2018 – "Un libro da leggere, un finale che lascia senza fiato." – Sister's Books //
April 2018 – "Una scrittura minuziosa e accattivante che trasporta il lettore, con una facilità disarmante." – ThrillerNord //
April 2018 – "La storia vi terrà letteralmente incollati alle pagine." – Leggere per Sognare //
April 2018 – "Ha il merito indubitabile di tenere il lettore attaccato alla pagina fino all’ultimo." – Milano Nera //
April 2018 – "Un thriller che riesce a incutere così tanto timore al lettore, è una grandissima opera!" – Libriamo //
April 2018 – "Entatrice e seducente come il diavolo ... un libro scritto in maniera impeccabile." – Libri Riflessi //
April 2018 – "Un romanzo terribilmente inquietante, che ti cattura e coinvolge fin dalle prime pagine." – Cheserie //
April 2018 – "E' stata una lettura che ho divorato ed apprezzato" – Voglio Essere Sommersa dai Libri //
April 2018 – "Un formidabile thriller psicologico giocato sul filo della paranoia." – La Creatività di Anna //
April 2018 – "Un thriller dai caratteri psicologici che vi terrà letteralmente incollati alle pagine." – iCrew Play //
April 2018 – "Inquietudine, misteri, orrori nascosti: questi gli elementi vincenti del romanzo!" – Different Magazine //
April 2018 – "Un Thriller avvincente, enigmatico. Che lascia un segno." – Living Among the Books //
March 2018 – "A creepy, cautionary tale ... a good read and we recommend it." – YoJanus.com //
March 2018 – "Een vindingrijke, moderne variant op de 'haunted house'-mythe." – Chicklit.nl //
February 2018 – "Een bloedstollend verhaal, vloeiend en meeslepend geschreven." – Ogma //
January 2018 – "Ein ausgefallener Thriller." – Zeit für neue Genres //
December 2017 – "An Alfred Hitchcock-esque story that concentrates on palpable paranoia and the seeping poisons of human mental fragility." – Frances Carden, Readers Lane //
December 2017 – "Spændende, skræmmende og rigtig godt skrevet." – Bogrummet.dk //
November 2017 – "Goed geschreven: ik kon het niet goed wegleggen." – Trotsemoeders.nl //
November 2017 – "Ein atmosphärischer Mystery-Thriller." – Niklas' Leseblog //
November 2017 – "Ein sehr atmosphärischer Mystery-Thriller ... Ich habe mich bestens unterhalten gefühlt." – In Buechern Leben //
November 2017 – "Das Buch hat mir gefallen und kann es weiter empehlen." – Books Dream //
November 2017 – "Das Buch mich sehr gut unterhalten hat." – Court of Night Readers //
November 2017 – "Eine absolute Leseempfehlung! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥" – Sabrinas Buchwelt //
October 2017 – "Einer der spannendsten Thriller dieser Art, die ich seit langem gelesen habe." – Oliver Steucks Krimitipp, WDR 2 //
October 2017 – "A very worthwhile horror story." – Walking in the Dark //
October 2017 – "Rigtigt snigende creepy." – Magazinet Liv //
October 2017 – "A stílusa – és persze a sztori maga – jó." – Ekultura.hu //
October 2017 – "és érzékeny rezdülésekkel dolgozó, elgondolkodtató kötetnek nevezhetem." – Smoking Barrels Blog //
September 2017 – "Ami az elolvasása után, még napokkal később is foglalkoztatja az olvasót." – Hirharsona //
September 2017 – "A regény első felének hangulata is abszolút telitalálat." – Cinegore.net //
August 2017 – "Nok den mest velskrevne, og skræmmende, thriller i år." – Cats, books and coffee //
August 2017 – "Az írópáros elképesztő végkifejlettel zárta a történetet." – Lendulet Magazin //
June 2017 – "Nervepirrende, spooky og totalt godt skrevet." – Livet i Dukkehuset //
June 2017 – "Den simpelthen bare var så spændende." – De Unges Ord //
June 2017 – "A fast-paced, page-turning chiller that gallops towards its ambiguous climax" – The Guardian //
May 2017 – "Indædt ondskab, vanvid og rædsel er på spil i denne vellykkede thriller." – Litteratursiden.dk //
May 2017 – "Jeg kunne virkelig godt lide plottet i denne thriller, og jeg synes det var super veludført!" – Cilles Laesesal //
May 2017 – "Lejligheden af S.L. Grey er lige til at tisse i bukserne over." – Femina (Dansk) //
May 2017 – "Mørk, dyb og fyldt med små indlagte grusomheder ... både original og skiller sig ud." – Bognørden //
May 2017 – "Det er simpelthen blændende godt skrevet. Jeg kan kun anbefale 'Lejligheden'." – Gyseren.dk //
May 2017 – "Uhyggelig, tempofyldt og fangende. Jeg havde svært ved at slippe den." – Bogblogger.dk //
April 2017 – "Grey blends Stephen King family drama with J-horror ghosts and grief to great effect." – SciFiNow //
March 2017 – "A creepy and haunting tale which will grip you and not let go." – The Bookbag //
November 2016 – "Seamless and terrifying." – The Sunday Times //
November 2016 – "A superbly creepy tale." – The Times //
October 2016 – "The Apartment defies expectations ... what a story." – Book Reporter //
October 2016 – "A good [book] ... an exploration of a marriage haunted by unspoken shame and guilt." – New York Times Book Review //
October 2016 – "An impressively compelling chiller." – Culture Crypt //
September 2016 – "The Apartment is fantastically haunting and shuddersome." – The Speculative Herald //
August 2016 – "The ante is viscerally upped every new day ... features the scariest haircut scene possibly ever." – Booklist //
July 2016 – "Picks up speed from a slow build to an avalanche of terror and suspense." – Thoughts from Irene //
July 2016 – "Chills and thrills enough to attract and please fans of supernatural horror. This one will keep you up all night." – Kirkus //
Reaction to Under Ground
"It’s JG Ballard meets Agatha Christie ... and ends with a stunning double finale." The Guardian (UK)
Reviews:
May 2019 – Partie d'une liste des "livres complexes que j'adore". – AngelCara //
October 2018 – "I absolutely loved this book, it keeps you turning to the very last page." – Rachel Read It //
August 2018 – "J’ai adoré ce roman !" – Jeanne M les Livres //
November 2017 – "Die Spannung wurde die ganze Zeit hochgehalten und ... das Setting richtig gut." – Mellis Buchleben //
October 2017 – "Eén van mijn favorieten boeken ooit, een regelrechte èn terechte pageturner. " – Poppy's Bookshelf //
September 2017 – "Een aanrader voor fans van spannende thrillers of zelfs horror." – Oog op de toekomst //
July 2017 – "Intricately woven ... fast-paced with meaty characters." – Highway Mail //
June 2017 – "Geschrieben war es in einer wahnsinnig angenehmen Art." – Beucherherz //
April 2017 – "Yeraltı yüksek tempolu, keskin dönemeçlerle dolu, etkileyici bir gerilim romanı." – Kitap Dunyasi //
April 2017 – "Das Buch war der totale Hammer ... Absolut großartig, sehr zu empfehlen!!" – Literaturezeitschrift //
April 2017 – "J’ai bien aimé ce roman." – Le notebook de Gwen //
March 2017 – "J'aime énormément l'ambiance ressentie lors d'un huis-clos." – Entre nous //
March 2017 – "Un roman qui se lit très bien, un vrai huis clos qui ne laisse pas indifférent." – Un bon livre à lire //
March 2017 – "Les révélations et surprises s'enchaînent ... sans jamais ... relâche la pression" – Les lectures de Riz-Deux-Zzz //
March 2017 – "Je l'ai trouvée plutôt étonnante, je ne m'attendais pas à celle-là." – Plume de Cajou //
March 2017 – "Si vous aimez les thrillers angoissants je vous le recommande fortement !" – Songe d'une nuit d'été //
March 2017 – "Je me suis régalée avec ce titre !" – Mes rêves éveillés //
March 2017 – "Un page turner impossible à lâcher." – Les Livres de Nancy //
March 2017 – "J’ai adoré ce roman !" – True Blood Addict //
March 2017 – "J'aime énormément l'ambiance ressentie lors d'un huis-clos." – Entre Nous //
March 2017 – "Underground est une bonne surprise. Je vous le recommande vivement." – La Petite Chronique de Lilli //
March 2017 – "Ce roman est addictif, efficace et instaure une ambiance angoissante." – Léa Touch Book //
March 2017 – "Mais quelle lecture captivante !" – Books & Rap //
March 2017 – "Un thriller angoissant à souhait qui vous tiendra en haleine jusqu'à la fin." – Law Moody Talks //
March 2017 – "Un véritable bijou qui m’a passionné et que je ne peux que vous recommandé vivement." – Mes Tribulations //
February 2017 – "A la fois roman à suspens, psychologique, l'ambiance fin du monde est bien pensée." – Le Blog de Carole Goubelle //
February 2017 – "Je conseille cet ouvrage pour son huis clos étouffant" – Inspirer et Partager //
February 2017 – "Un livre époustouflant, un coup de coeur pour moi !" – Bookliseuse //
February 2017 – "Underground m'a fait littéralement passer des heures étouffantes !" – Livresforfun //
January 2017 – "„Under Ground“ hat mich bis zur letzten Seite gefesselt und sogar noch." – Rukhi.me //
January 2017 – "Interessant, spannend, mitreißend, mit Entwicklungen, die mich überrascht haben!" – Kleine Fluchten //
January 2017 – "Einige schöne Lesestunden beschert und mich atemlos zurückgelassen." – Jade and her Books //
January 2017 – "Eine absolute Empfehlung für alle Thriller-Einsteiger und Fans." – Nickis Bücherwelt //
January 2017 – "Ein wirklich guter Thriller, der viel Spannung und gute ausgearbeitete Charaktere aufweist." – Steffis Bücherwelt //
December 2016 – "Die Autoren haben eine tolle Geschichte geschaffen die bis zum Schluss spannend ist." – Meine Büchertraumzeit //
December 2016 – "Eine interessante charakterdominierte Überlebensgeschichte" – Gwees Bücherwelt //
December 2016 – "Eine gute Unterhaltung" – Weltenwanderer //
December 2016 – "Für Thrillerfans vielleicht einen Griff wert" – Lovelybooks.de //
November 2016 – "Überaus spannend, erschreckend und vor allem äußerst beklemmend" – Claudias Wortwelten //
November 2016 – "Ein atemraubender Thriller, der auch Ihnen schlaflose Nächte bescheren könnte!" – Buecher.de //
September 2016 – "An entertaining read ... picking up speed like a rollercoaster" – Concatenation //
July 2016 – "Een aanrader ... de sterke ontknoping aan het eind levert bonuspunten op." – Momlit.nl //
July 2016 – "De auteurs weten perfect hoe ze de spanning verder en steeds intenser moeten uitbouwen" – Demofarm.be //
May 2016 – "Een sterke, duistere thriller. Heel goed geschreven en ook nog spannend en verrassend." – Chicklit.nl //
March 2016 – "I loved it. It's just good fun, wonderfully tense and in places, perversely funny." – The Bookbag //
March 2016 – "I absolutely loved it! 10/10" – Sophie Melissa //
March 2016 – "If you liked Sarah's previous books, you'll like this baby. I did." – Rick O'Shea //
February 2016 – "Voor mij zitten ze op hetzelfde level als de grote Stephen King" – VrouwenThrillers.nl //
December 2015 – "Verzorgde personages en spannend verhaal." – Out of the World //
December 2015 – "Het is een ideaal boek voor fans van dystopische thrillers. Een echte pageturner!" – Geekster //
December 2015 – Under Ground is one of the best reads of 2015 at Worlds in Ink //
December 2015 – Under Ground is one of the best horror books of 2015 at The Book Plank //
December 2015 – "Dit boek is dan ook zeker een aanrader voor wat spannende uren." – De Lees Fabriek //
December 2015 – Under Ground is one of the best SFFH books of 2015 at GeekSyndicate //
December 2015 – "Ik kon het dan ook erg moeilijk neerleggen" – Zwartraafje //
December 2015 – Under Ground voted "one of the 8 best books published in 2015" by News24 //
December 2015 – "Cramped, claustrophobic and menacing, with a climax that kicks the stuffing out of you." – Independent on Sunday Books of the Year //
December 2015 – An "old-school concept is turned into a modern nightmare. And it’s AWESOME!" – KillerAphrodite //
December 2015 – "Knap gedaan van de auteurs." – Mel's Wonderland //
October 2015 – "Every bit as unpredictable as it is absorbing. A highly recommended read." – Cultnoise //
August 2015 – "A taut, claustrophobic yarn ... the extraordinary end to the book is breathtaking" – Business Day //
August 2015 – "Exactly the kind of psychological thriller I love to get wrapped up in." – Violin in a Void //
August 2015 – "Fantastically paced ... gripping and intense and a hell of a page-turner." – Something Wicked //
August 2015 – "A thrilling read that plays with readers’ expectations" – This is Horror //
August 2015 – "If you enjoy character-driven tales of terror, head Under Ground now! 9/10" – Sci-Fi Bulletin //
August 2015 – "Worth reading" – A Writer Goes on a Journey //
August 2015 – "A well-paced and nicely-written novel" – Gulf Digital News //
July 2015 – "It’s JG Ballard meets Agatha Christie ... and ends with a stunning double finale." – The Guardian //
July 2015 – "A magnificent taut read." – Terror-Tree //
July 2015 – "A gripping and unpredictable thriller with many twists and turns" – County Woman //
July 2015 – "A fast, tense and extremely claustrophobic horror thriller" – For Winter Nights //
July 2015 – "I liked this book, I liked it a lot." – The Crime Novel Reader //
July 2015 – "Another clever, poisonous thriller that sticks with you" – Sunday Times (SA) //
July 2015 – "A gorgeously tightly knitted locked room mystery ... Absolutely gripping" – Liz Loves Books //
July 2015 – "Under Ground shifts from slow-burn chills to its frantic finale with considerable expertise." – SFX //
July 2015 – "A great read if you're in the mood for a ‘whodunit’" – Escapades of a Bookworm //
July 2015 – "A superb psychological thriller" – Worlds in Ink //
July 2015 – "Absorbing reading. Underground is a book I would strongly recommend you seek out." – Grab This Book //
July 2015 – "I'd highly recommend this book. It is a very thought provoking read." – JeanzBookReadNReview //
July 2015 – "I really enjoyed my first S.L. Grey novel" – The Welsh Librarian //
July 2015 – "A taut, tight and claustrophobic novel ... brilliant" – The Ginger Nuts of Horror //
July 2015 – "An amazing piece ... That ending! Wow" – The Book Plank //
July 2015 – "A brilliant jumping-on point for horror fans who haven’t already gone Grey" – Tor.com //
July 2015 – "A grim, effective chiller that takes you to the edge and leaves you there" – SciFiNow //
July 2015 – "It certainly grips ... worth a punt" – Buzz Magazine //
June 2015 – "Has the potential to become a classic thriller ... A thoroughly enjoyable read" – Starburst Magazine //
May 2015 – "Superb, stripped-down and briskly paced ... Quite excellent." – Civilian Reader //
Interviews and Features:
August 2015 – Louis interviewed by Sue Grant-Marshall on Radio Today (podcast)//
August 2015 – Louis tells Violin in a Void about the characters S.L. chose to trap Under Ground//
July 2015 – "Partners in Crime: How Not to Kill Your Collaborator", a guest blog for Shots Mag //
July 2015 – Sarah shares the traumatic origins of her research for Under Ground with Crime Time //
July 2015 – Sarah and Louis tell Pan Macmillan about their favourite and formative books and characters //
July 2015 – "Somewhere in the world, there’s always an S.L. Grey novel being written." – Louis tells Pan Macmillan about S.L. Grey's collaborative writing process //
July 2015 – "Every duo has a straight man and a comedy foil, which of you fits which part?" – In-depth interview about Underground and the Downside with The Ginger Nuts of Horror //
Reaction to The New Girl
Reviews & Interviews:
May 2019 – "I can’t recommend this series highly enough." – Katie Jane Gallagher //
October 2018 – "Leaves behind a coating of something dark, something we can’t easily wash off." – Frances Carden, Readers Lane //
May 2015 – "Twists Lynch-like around a meaty subject" – Snakebite Reviews //
September 2014 – "Well done to these master storytellers." – Pretoria News //
June 2014 – "Effectively mixes horror and black comedy ... deeply unsettling" – Publishers' Weekly //
December 2013 – The New Girl is one of the highlights of 2013 at – SFX //
November 2013 – "The New Girl was absolutely PRIMO!" – Killer Aphrodite //
November 2013 – "Double the chills" – S.A. Partridge, Cape Times //
November 2013 – "Everything was there that made the last two books so gripping" – Graeme's SFF //
November 2013 – "Sarebbe banale dire che scrivono bene, ma è la verità. Questi due tipi sono in gamba." – Feature article at Plutonia Experiment //
October 2013 – "A must read." – David Barnett, Independent //
October 2013 – "The prose is purposeful and poetic and the plot knotty with suspense" – Diane Awerbuck, Sunday Times //
October 2013 – "Well paced, brutally barbed and surprisingly satisfying" – Niall Alexander, Tor.com //
October 2013 – "A surprisingly funny, deeply weird horror novel ... genuinely fresh" – Will Salmon, SFX //
September 2013 – "The overall feel is disturbing – in that good, horror read sort of way." – SciFiNow
Reaction to The Ward
One of the (UK) Independent on Sunday's 2012 Books of the Year
Reviews & Interviews:
January 2018 – "The scariest book I’ve ever read, hands down!" – Rachel's Reads //
January 2015 – "I really really enjoyed reading this book" – Hannah's Blog of Books //
July 2014 – "The action is nonstop ... fully realized and often funny, and ... fraught with masterful tension." The Mall and The Ward among the best genre books of 2014 so far by – Complex //
June 2014 – The Ward "practically reinvents the body horror genre". Starred review in – Publishers' Weekly //
December 2013 – The Ward is one of Nerine Dorman's best books of 2013 at – This is My World //
May 2013 – "Thought-provoking ... strung-out stuff." – Bruce Dennill, The Citizen //
January 2013 – "Il romanzo è ottimo. Migliore del già fantastico predecessore." – Alessandro Girola, Plutonia Experiment //
December 2012 – "Equals – if not trumps – the disturbing, creepy horror of their first" – David Barnett, (UK) Independent on Sunday 2012 Books of the Year //
November 2012 – "A fun, intelligent read with a good blend of character, setting, humour, satire, and social commentary" – Mack Lundy, Africa Screams //
November 2012 – "Startlingly well written" – Diane Awerbuck, The Times / BooksLive //
November 2012 – "An ingeniously perverse sequel" – Interview with Alan Kelly at Rue Morgue //
October 2012 – "S. L. Grey’s depiction of postmodern horror is practically peerless." – Niall Alexander, Tor.com //
October 2012 – "A thoroughly unnerving read that straddles the line between visceral horror and Kafka-esque paranoia beautifully" – Will Salmon, SFX //
October 2012 – The authors take "the natural fear [of hospitals] and do nasty things with it ... A dark and scary read." – Keith Brooke, the Guardian //
October 2012 – "A juicy human horror ... you'll find yourself hungry for more" – S.A. Partridge, Bookslive //
October 2012 – "The Ward isn't your typical horror novel" 9/10 – Graeme's Fantasy Book Review //
September 2012 – "A stunningly visceral horror novel ... a terrific piece of nightmarish engineering" – Pornokitsch //
September 2012 – A "stunning second novel" – Waterstones
Reaction to The Mall
"One of the cleverest, creepiest and most memorable horror novels for ages ... a masterful debut." The Independent (UK)
"Satire of the most mournful kind" New York Times Summer Reading 2014 selection
"Deliciously evil" The Guardian (UK)
"Dark, disturbing, and wonderfully subversive." Lauren Beukes
Reviews:
October 2019 – One of five books you HAVE to read this Halloween at Kendall Reviews //
October 2018 – "Il Manichino vanta uno stile potente" – Melange //
June 2018 – "The imagery in this debut novel is fantastic ... Worth a listen for sure" – Wolfbane Blooms //
May 2018 – "Il cui senso di oppressione è ben ricreato dalla coppia" – Vita (A)Sociale //
February 2018 – "Leggibile (e godibile) ... una diversione interessante." – Il Sociopatico //
January 2018 – Smart and entertaining video Bizarre Book review from – BLURB //
March 2017 – "I found myself glued to the book ... beautifully done." – So many eBooks ... //
October 2015 – "Dieses Buch hat mich wirklich überrascht. Es bleibt bis zum Schluss unvorhersehbar" – Mouthful of Books //
August 2015 – "The Mall is brilliant fun ... fantastically creepy!" – No More Grumpy Bookseller //
July 2015 – "Non guarderete mai più una vetrina nello stesso modo!" – Insubria Critica //
July 2015 – "I can’t recommend it enough; seek it out, it’s well worth it!" – Stacy Alesi's Bookbitch.com //
July 2015 – "A truly South African tale of horror like nothing you have ever read" – King Kat //
June 2015 – "Some of the best horror I have read in a long time" – Ebookwyrm //
June 2015 – "Een uitermate vreemd boek, maar daardoor wel erg leuk om te lezen." – Drukinkt //
April 2015 – "The Mall is a horror story that’s going to stick with me for a long, long time." – RealBooks4Ever //
November 2014 – "Vi consiglio caldamente di leggere Il Manichino. Non ve ne pentirete." – Book and Negative //
October 2014 – "Un romanzo di qualità eccellente." – ThrillerMagazine.it //
October 2014 – "The most original of the books I've read this season ... All in all, The Mall isn't ... terrible." – You're Killing Us //
September 2014 – "Ein waschechter Horrorroman ... wie die besten alten Kurzgeschichten von Stephen King – auf Speed." – Buches Eibon //
July 2014 – "The action is nonstop ... fully realized and often funny, and ... fraught with masterful tension." The Mall and The Ward among the best genre books of 2014 so far by – Complex //
June 2014 – "A horrifying if gratifying fantasy ... surreal and disorienting" – Publishers' Weekly //
May 2014 – "Satire of the most mournful kind" – New York Times Summer Reading 2014 selection //
April 2014 – "Unusual, insidious, very creepy ... and altogether entertaining" – My Bookish Ways //
March 2014 – "Verdammt guter Thriller!" – Kultplatz.net //
March 2014 – "Eine zärtliche Coming-of-Age-Geschichte, die sich nur hart gewandet." – SF Magazin //
March 2014 – "Einer unglaublich abenteuerlichen, wenn auch gleich absolut verrückten Story" 5/5 – Elements of Crime //
January 2014 – "Gripping ... intriguing ... a haunting read." – Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone //
December 2013 – AVM, the Turkish edition of The Mall is the best book of 2013 at – Aradia's Chants //
August 2013 – "Horror junkies, this is a definite must-read" – Tentacle Books //
May 2013 – "Ik heb er een leuke mee tijd mee gehad." – Leesdame //
April 2013 – "Questo romanzo mi è piaciuto molto." – Sognando Leggendo //
February 2013 – "Terrifyingly surreal and utterly gross, this book grabs you and won't let go until the bitter end." – The Book Garden //
January 2013 – "Een van de meest originele boeken die ik de laatste tijd heb gelezen" – Hati Bell //
January 2013 – "I loved it." – Just Reading for Fun //
January 2013 – "A strong debut" – Shaun C. Green for Vector //
January 2013 – "Macabro, claustrofobico al limite massimo, delirante, visionario" – I Libri di Lo //
December 2012 – "AVM bence nefis bir fantastik macera." – Kitap Muhabbeti //
December 2012 – "Uno dei migliori horror letti quest’anno." – Alessandro Girola, Plutonia Experiment //
October 2012 – "Una lettura intellettualmente stimolante e, nello stesso tempo, oltremodo divertente" – Laume's Journey //
October 2012 – "Un romanzo horror d’esordio ricco di tensione con atmosfere così inquietanti" – Liberi di Scrivere blog //
September 2012 – "It's a great story" 4.5/5 – Leeswammes' Blog //
September 2012 – "This book's greatest strength is its interplay of ideas." – The Momus Report //
August 2012 – "I would recommend this heartily." 4.5/5 – Paper Plane Reviews //
April 2012 – "A rare 9/10 for awesomeness." – FesterEsther, LifeAfterUndeath.Com //
February 2012 – "De Plaza is een verfrissende psychologische urbanhorror die we je zeker aanraden" – Laura Walhout, De Nachtvlinders.nl //
January 2012 – The Mall is one of Janet van Eeden's best reads of 2011 on LitNet //
October 2011 – The Mall is one of Alison Flood's three picks for All Hallows' Read in The Guardian //
September 2011 – "The Mall by S.L. Grey is horror on steroids with a PhD in psychology." – Harry Markov, World SF blog //
September 2011 – "The Mall is funny, clever, imaginative and most importantly stays with you long after the last page." – Caro Gold, These are my Days //
August 2011 – "The Mall is a gritty, raw and provocative story that turns society inside out" – LarissaBookGirl //
August 2011 – The Mall features in "Scenes in Books You May Prefer Not to Read on the Train" at Crime City After Dark //
August 2011 – "The Mall is brilliant ... [it] transcends being an ordinary dystopian tale: it isn't about the horror of the setting, it is about its temptation" – Pornokitsch //
July 2011 – "as stunning and original on the inside as it is on the out" – Darren J. Guest, Dark Central Station //
July 2011 – "a fast-paced read, claustrophobic, disturbing and satirical" – Cat Hellisen, Inarticulations //
July 2011 – "marks an impressive step forward for South African genre fiction" – The Word Fiend //
July 2011 – "a gruesome kind of fun to read ... sticks in the brain" – Tori Truslow, Strange Horizons //
June 2011 – "Then you realise that the twisted mirror on real life was nothing more than plain glass all along. That’s the beauty of this work." – Sally Fink, PopMatters //
June 2011 – "I was told that this book was brilliant and I wasn’t disappointed." – Bookbanter //
June 2011 – "The Mall is the best horror novel I've read in 2011. Thanks to pitch-perfect pacing, The Mall is a lunatic thrill ride." – Niall Alexander, The Speculative Scotsman //
June 2011 – "Books as good as The Mall don’t come along very often. ... one of the most inventive and refreshing novels of recent years." – Oracle Book Blog //
June 2011 – "It's an intelligent use of horror, lingering in the mind long after its short, sharp shocks have worn off." – Eddie Robson, SFX //
May 2011 – "In a word, The Mall is totallyfuckingawesome." – Joe Vaz, Something Wicked //
May 2011 – "Tense and unnerving reading that any horror fan will get a lot out of." – Graeme Flory, Graeme's Fantasy Book Review //
May 2011 – "An awesome horror novel. It’s genuinely creepy at times and utterly horrific" – Lauren Smith, Violin in a Void //
May 2011 – "Absolutely awesome – an original and genuinely scary horror thrill " – The Tainted Archive //
May 2011 – "One of the cleverest, creepiest and most memorable horror novels for ages ... a masterful debut." – David Barnett, The Independent (UK) //
April 2011 – "This is a clever look at the modern obsession with consumerism, advertising, body image ... Chilling, spooky and original." – Bitesize Books //
April 2011 – "I can see this book becoming a cult classic" – Geek Syndicate //
March 2011 – "A fast paced novel full of unexpected twists and turns." – Michelle Herbert, FantasyBookReview.co.uk //
March 2011 – "A fast-paced, compelling ... roller coaster ride into your worst nightmare" – Janet van Eeden, Litnet inter-review //
February 2011 – "An incredible horror novel and definitely the start of something awesome in the publishing world" – Dave-Brendon de Burgh, DaveBrendon's Fantasy & SciFi Weblog //
February 2011 – "As excellent a piece of world-building as I have encountered in my reading life-time" – Mack Lundy, Africa Screams //
February 2011 – "You have to read this book [but not] before bedtime" – Syllable in the City
Interviews and Features:
February 2012 – The Mall is an "exhilarating and deliciously twisted collaboration" – Interview with This is Horror //
August 2011 – "Koningin van gril en gruwels" – Feature on Sarah Lotz in Rapport //
July 2011 – "We’re both very visual writers, ... And the book is very filmic. Producers." – Interview with Dark Central Station //
July 2011 – Feature Interview at – Something Wicked //
June 2011 – "Grim tale unmasks glitzy mall culture" – Interview with Nerine Dorman, The Star Tonight //
June 2011 – "One of my most interesting reads so far this year " – Interview with Bitesize Books //
June 2011 – "Shopping Shock: Authors invent new reasons to shop online" – Interview with Bruce Dennill, The Citizen CitiVibe //
May 2011 – "Putting South African science fiction on the map" – David Barnett, The Guardian Books Blog //
March 2011 – "New South African Writers are Giving the Middle Finger to the Old Literary Circles" – Sally Fink, PopMatters.com //
March 2011 – "A fast-paced, compelling ... roller coaster ride into your worst nightmare" – Janet van Eeden, Litnet inter-review //
January 2011 – "'Stand Back Stephen King, SL Grey Has Arrived' – Advance Reviews of The Mall at Amazon UK" – BOOK Southern Africa report
The Mall book trailer