Charleston, SC, Aug. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Palmetto Publishing has released The Actress, a new gothic horror novel by Carl Moore. The book follows one of America's most celebrated actresses as she moves into a historic Greenwich Village brownstone, only to discover that the house harbors a terrifying secret rooted in nineteenth-century atrocities.
Jennifer Taylor purchases a brownstone at 21 Grove Street in Greenwich Village, drawn to its old-world charm and the privacy it offers from public life. But beneath its restored floors lies a hidden basement laboratory where, more than a century earlier, a surgeon named Dr. Elias Crane conducted horrific experiments on children before being tried and hanged. Decades after Crane's execution, another physician stumbled upon the same lab and was consumed by the malevolence still lingering within its walls. Now Jennifer is the house's newest occupant, and something inside it is stirring.
When Jennifer lands the lead role in a film that mirrors her own life with unsettling precision, mysterious accidents begin disrupting the production. A catastrophic carriage crash in Central Park kills her costar and nearly takes her own life. As she recovers in a hospital bed, a figure appears at her bedside: a man in dark wool with pale gray eyes who identifies himself as Dr. Elias Crane. His visits blur the line between her waking hours and her dreams, and with each encounter, Jennifer's grip on reality weakens further.
Carl Moore stated, "I wanted to explore what happens when the past refuses to stay buried and a strong, intelligent woman finds herself confronting something that no amount of talent or fame can protect her from. The house at 21 Grove Street is as much a character as anyone who walks through its doors, and writing Jennifer's story let me dig into the darkest corners of obsession and identity."
Moore is a retired expert in international art and antiques whose decades-long career informs the richly detailed settings of his fiction. The Actress is his fourth novel, following My Deadly Daughter, 21 Grove Street, and The Stone House Murders. The book will appeal to readers of gothic horror and supernatural suspense in the tradition of Shirley Jackson and Carlos Ruiz Zafón. With its dual timelines, layered historical darkness, and a glamorous protagonist pulled into a centuries-old evil, The Actress arrives at a moment when audiences across publishing and social media are embracing atmospheric, character-driven horror.
The Actress is available for purchase online at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.
About the Author: Carl Moore is the author of four suspense novels, including My Deadly Daughter, 21 Grove Street, and The Stone House Murders. A retired expert in international art and antiques, Moore draws on decades of real-world experience to craft Modern Gothic thrillers filled with intricate plots, deeply developed characters, and shocking twists. His latest novel, The Actress, plunges readers into a dark world of mystery, danger, and suspense. Follow Carl Moore for updates on new releases.
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Leah Joseph Palmetto Publishing katarina@palmettopublishing.com
