Jack Quinlan, an American writer, travels to a small village in the remote western part of Ireland to research a book on the Irish Famine. The quiet, picturesque village seems just the place to spend a few months writing, but beneath its placid exterior lurk dark secrets. Why do the locals behave so strangely? What is Father Henning, the enigmatic parish priest, hiding? And what is the meaning of the strange ritual Jack observes in the cemetery? The search for answers will lead him to the terrifying discovery that the ghosts of the past linger on in the present, and they cry out for blood ...

An atmospheric, haunting ghost story, Cast a Cold Eye (1984) is a slow burn horror novel that will keep readers in suspense until its chilling conclusion. ​

“Alan Ryan is one of the brightest lights among the new generation of horror writers.” – Peter Straub, author of Ghost Story

“The writing is beautiful, haunting, hypnotic ... The ghosts of Cast a Cold Eye have not left me.” – William Peter Blatty, author of The Exorcist

“[Ryan] is in the front ranks of today's horror writers.” – Karl Edward Wagner, in Twilight Zone