by
Pages: 328
Pages: 283
n 1983, Griffin Andrew Meade moves to Bartholomew Bay, settling into Antioch, the ancestral mansion of the wealthy Bartholomew family. Unbeknownst to him, he soon discovers it is haunted by the restless spirit of Angelus Bartholomew III, who met a tragic death in 1919 after a fatal fall from the widow’s walk. Through flashback dreams, Griffin begins to unravel the secret romance between Angelus and Lazarus Benedictine, the lighthouse keeper's son—a forbidden love story that echoes Griffin’s own budding relationship with Christian Gutmann. But the past refuses to stay buried. Angelus's spirit unleashes a series of deadly acts that reveal his malevolent intent to reclaim his lost love: Lazarus, in the afterlife. Griffin is faced with an agonizing choice: assist Angelus in his sinister plot or risk the lives of his family and first love.
Editors:
Genres:
Pairings: M-M
Heat Level: 4
Romantic Content: 5
Ending: Click here to reveal
Character Identities: Gay
Protagonist 1 Age: 18-25
Protagonist 2 Age: 18-25
Protagonist 3 Age: 18-25
Tropes: Beach Romance, Coming Out / Closeted, Fated Mates / Soul Mates, Star-Crossed Lovers
Word Count: 89,000
Setting: Coastal Maine, United States
Languages Available: English
“Prologue
Antioch
June 22, 1919
"A lightning bolt illuminates the sky, followed by the rumbling of distant thunder. It casts a momentary brightness over the stone pavement that borders the back porch of a great Victorian mansion. The storm is passing. A furious rain pelts the uneven flagstones, forming rivulets that flow into shallow puddles. The rain dilutes a larger pool of red, washing it away in thin streams between the stones. The red liquid spills from torn pale white flesh. Pinkish matter oozes from the fissure, revealing gleaming cracked bone. The grotesque display of anatomy is the crushed forehead of a human being. The being’s longish blond hair is draped across the deep jagged laceration and the undamaged left half of the forehead and face. The bluish white eyes stare at nothing, bulging above prominent cheekbones. Blood trickles from the corners of pale, thin lips. The nose is long and thin, blood seeps out of the left nostril.
The face is beautiful, without any visible wrinkles. The long pale neck is at an unnatural angle with the rest of the body.
"The person is naked, lying on its right side with the left arm crossing its chest and lying on the stone pavement. The fingers are curled into the flagstone. The rain bounces off the flesh of the well-muscled, flat abdomen in small eruptions. The pale gray phallus lying flaccid against the pelvis and blond pubic hair indicates the deceased is male. His long muscular thighs and legs are folded together, his knees symmetrically bent. A long gash protrudes from his knee to the ankle, blood no longer pouring from the wound. His feet rest on the pavement and the toes of his left foot curl into the flagstones like the fingers. His body is becoming more rigid as rigor mortis sets in. Lightning flashes provide glimpses of the naked, broken, beautiful man who was strikingly handsome when he was alive. An angelic-looking creature that has fallen to the earth from the sky.
When will he be discovered?
Or has he been discovered, and the authorities are on their way to investigate what has happened?
Or has he been discovered and…?”
Excerpt From
The Malevolent
P.F. Roquelaure
This material may be protected by copyright.
COLLAPSE
E. William Podojil on Amazon wrote:"Roquelaure’s writing is exceptional. Readers will feel like they are present and participating in the story. “The Malevolent” stands out as a unique horror story that combines ghostly tragedy with heartfelt romance, making it a must-read for fans of ghost stories that have gothic elements. P.F. Roquelaure’s talent shines through in this haunting tale of love and sacrifice."
P.F. Roquelaure’s “The Malevolent” is a gripping and atmospheric horror novel that masterfully blends supernatural intrigue with coming-of-age themes. It is set against the backdrop of an eerie old mansion near the coast in Maine. The story begins in 1983, with eighteen-year-old Griffin Meade moving into Antioch, the once-grand estate of the Bartholomew family. His family moved there so that his mother could restore the estate to its former glory. Griffin is about to enter his senior year of high school. Roquelaure provides vivid descriptions of the mansion that evoke a sense of gothic ambiance. In contrast, the rest of the town seems brighter and more modern.
The novel’s central supernatural element revolves around the restless spirit of Angelus Bartholomew III, who tragically died in 1919 after falling from the widow’s walk. His ghost, unable to find peace, pulls Griffin into the tragic history of his life, revealing a love story with a young man named Lazarus, whom he never forgot. Lazarus is now an elderly man still living nearby. Roquelaure’s portrayal of Angelus’s memories adds emotional depth, but also a sense of unease as Angelus begins to show a darker, ominous side to Griffin. This interweaving of Angelus’s past into Griffin’s present adds layers and depth to the narrative.
Parallel to the ghostly mystery, Griffin is navigating the challenges of high school life and a blossoming relationship with Christian, a classmate with whom he is falling in love. Roquelaure sensitively explores Griffin and Christian’s developing relationship amidst societal taboos. He reflects on the more progressive attitudes of the 1980s versus the 1900s when Angelus was dealing with his father’s hatred and violence after he discovers Angelus’s secret relationship. The tension escalates when Angelus’s ghost reveals to Griffin a sinister plan involving Lazarus. This forces Griffin to make sacrifices to save everyone he loves. Angelus has now shown his truly malevolent side.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A spicy ghost story on a twisted rollercoaster ride
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2025P.F. Roquelaure’s The Malevolent, is a story that follows the history of two men at the end of the 19th century, and the tragic death of one of them at a stately manor named Antioch. Nearly a century later, a new family moves into the old house and begins to settle in. Strange things begin to happen at Antioch, and as these events become more sinister, the new residents suspect something evil is haunting the halls of the great house. Tragedy ensues as a malevolent force plots out a series events that kept me on the edge of my seat. The mystery was highlighted by the two timelines and how they intersect, taking the reader through twists until the end. The story weaves in folklore and symbolism from Greek and Native American traditions. The novel had me captivated throughout and I was surprised by the twists and unexpected conclusions. I normally have a mystery solved about halfway through the book, but this one kept me guessing until the last few pages. It’s a spicy page-turner as readers connect the dots and realize what is happening between the human and supernatural worlds.
