
The Burn Line
The gripping new London Underground horror thriller from the creator of podcast sensation The Magnus Archives, perfect for fans of Stephen King and Jordan Peele
Jonathan Sims(Author)
Gollancz (Publisher)
Will be published approx. on 9. July 2026
Book
Hardback
368 pages
978-1-3996-2070-3 (ISBN)
Description
There's something lurking in the stifling darkness and labyrinthine tunnels that run below London... something old, something vicious, and something very, very hungry.
It's the hottest summer on record and London is dying. Prices are high, pay is low, and stressed commuters are packed onto London Underground trains again like the pandemic never happened. To add to the misery, the temperatures underground just keep climbing and climbing, the heat trapped in the clay with nowhere to go.
Then one fateful morning five travellers on an unlucky tube carriage find themselves bound together as witnesses to a single horrific event - an event they can't quite seem to remember.
They make an unlikely team - a weary tube driver, a disillusioned civil servant, an ambitious city trader, an overwhelmed hotel worker, and an unhoused young man just trying to get by - but now they must come together to confront what they have seen and stop it in its tracks before it kills them all.
From the dark and twisted mind behind Thirteen Storeys, Family Business, and podcast sensation The Magnus Archives, The Burn Line is a sinister and socially conscious horror masterclass perfect for fans of Stephen King, Jordan Peele, and Black Mirror.
It's the hottest summer on record and London is dying. Prices are high, pay is low, and stressed commuters are packed onto London Underground trains again like the pandemic never happened. To add to the misery, the temperatures underground just keep climbing and climbing, the heat trapped in the clay with nowhere to go.
Then one fateful morning five travellers on an unlucky tube carriage find themselves bound together as witnesses to a single horrific event - an event they can't quite seem to remember.
They make an unlikely team - a weary tube driver, a disillusioned civil servant, an ambitious city trader, an overwhelmed hotel worker, and an unhoused young man just trying to get by - but now they must come together to confront what they have seen and stop it in its tracks before it kills them all.
From the dark and twisted mind behind Thirteen Storeys, Family Business, and podcast sensation The Magnus Archives, The Burn Line is a sinister and socially conscious horror masterclass perfect for fans of Stephen King, Jordan Peele, and Black Mirror.
Reviews / Votes
Jonathan Sims' The Burn Line combines the best of British class satire with real grindhouse fun. You will laugh, you will cry, you will gnash your teeth with righteous indignation, but most of all you will root for this ragtag gang of underdogs on their literal descent into a modern hell of the London Underground to face off with the demons you wouldn't expect. Kind Hearts and Coronets meets The Midnight Meat Train! -- Bitter Karella, author of MOONFLOW Rich, character-driven and very scary, The Burn Line is a master-class in sweaty urban horror. Read it on your next shadowy subway ride through the underground and try not to feel like something is watching you from the tunnels -- Trevor Henderson, author of SCAREWAVES Jonathan Sims breathes life into a found family worth rooting for and a mysterious menace worth losing sleep over. The Burn Line is an immersive fever dream that drags you into the depths of a subterranean hell and leaves you gasping for fresh air -- Brian McAuley, USA TODAY bestselling author of BREATHE IN, BLEED OUTMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Orion Publishing Co
Product notice
Trade binding
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-3996-2070-3 (9781399620703)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Jonathan Sims
The Burn Line
The gripping new London Underground horror thriller from the creator of podcast sensation The Magnus Archives, perfect for fans of Stephen King and Jordan Peele
E-Book
approx. 07/2026
Gollancz
€16.99
Not yet available
Persons
Jonathan Sims is a writer, performer and games designer whose work primarily focuses on the macabre, the grotesque, and the gentle touch of creeping dread. He is the mind and the voice behind acclaimed horror podcast The Magnus Archives, high octane space-cabaret The Mechanisms and some of your favourite nightmares. He lives in Walthamstow with the two best cats and an overwhelming backlog of books that he really should get round to.