Centuries ago, in the dark of the woods, a pact was made. A gift was given. And the costs have echoed down the bloodlines.
The sprawling Varger family are Skin Dancers, able to shift into the form of any animal they've eaten, and they rule the 1980s New England crime scene. A late summer wedding between two families is meant to usher in a new era of peace among the households, and stifle the brewing tensions that threaten to boil over into war.
But something monstrous lurks in the forest outside the Varger compound. Something ancient, angry...and starving.
Gretchen Felker-Martin is a Massachusetts-based bestselling horror author and film critic. Her debut novel, Manhunt, was named the #1 Best Book of 2022 by Vulture, and was named one of the Best Horror Novels of 2022 by Esquire, Library Journal, and Paste. Her sophomore novel, Cuckoo, debuted on the USA Today bestseller list. You can read her fiction and film criticism on Patreon and in TIME, The Outline, Nylon, and more.