Outbound

Every journey has its last stop.

Two strangers wake shackled to a steel table in a room as white and airless as a morgue. A single mirrored wall hides a voice that speaks only through an intercom. They have twenty-four hours to confess the one sin that binds them-or die.

Ethan, a thirty-three-year-old solicitor with a wife and daughter waiting at home.

Ryan, a twenty-six-year-old journalist whose world lives behind a glowing screen.

They have never met.

Or so they believe.

As the countdown ticks away, cryptic messages drag them back to a night of smoke, panic, and a decision that cost an innocent life. Somewhere beyond the glass, a grieving husband waits for the truth.

The final train is leaving, and there is no return service.

Outbound is a relentless psychological thriller where every chapter tightens the restraints and every revelation hurtles you closer to the end of the line.

Author Biography

A. R. Hurst is an independent author of horror, crime, and psychological thrillers, with a passion for exploring the darkest corners of the human mind. Whether it is a tale steeped in terror, a crime that refuses to stay buried, or a thriller where every page twists the knife, Hurst’s work always circles back to the psychology of fear, guilt, and obsession.

A firm believer that a good setting sets the pace for a story, Hurst crafts worlds where atmosphere and place are as alive as the characters themselves. Each setting becomes a silent witness or an accomplice to the secrets, betrayals, and revelations that drive the narrative forward.

Drawn to writing from an early age, Hurst found a home in dark fiction, the kind of stories that linger after the lights go out and challenge readers to question what they would do under impossible circumstances. Influenced by both classic horror and contemporary psychological thrillers, Hurst blends atmosphere, tension, and character-driven storytelling to create narratives that feel as unsettling as they are compelling.

When not writing, Hurst is usually reading widely across genres, dissecting films for their storytelling craft, playing tennis, or diving deep into the immersive worlds of RPG games. Always chasing stories in books, on screen, or in gameplay, Hurst draws inspiration from the spaces where imagination and reality collide. Living by the belief that the scariest monsters are often human, Hurst continues to craft stories that hold up a mirror to the choices we make and the consequences we cannot escape.

Readers can find out more at arhurst.co.uk and subscribe to the blog and newsletter for updates, behind-the-scenes insights, and new release information.