NIGHTJARS by Michael Wehunt (to be released 9/29/26 by St. Martin’s Press / 352 pages)
Luke Oshel is a divorced man and a recovering addict, finally back out on a blind date, when his life takes a dark turn: his date excuses herself never to return, and she has left behind the first in a series of disturbing photographs which feature Luke as a child with his father Ed … and a dead woman.
As the photos get more graphic, Luke struggles harder trying to recall his past, going so far as to try hypnosis. But as fresh corpses start showing up all these years later, signs point to Luke as the culprit, and it seems his ex-wife and daughter are the next targets for his killing spree … or is the killer someone (or something) else?
NIGHTJARS is a creepy-as-it-gets take on serial killers, vampires, and generational trauma. Vampires are a hard sell for me, but here they’re handled as Appalachian folklore, allowing the author to craft something fresh despite keeping some familiar tropes in the background. Wehunt’s writing is seriously engaging, particularly during the second half, which while violent and action packed, loses none of the novel’s earlier chill factor.
NIGHTJARS is a recommended good time, and for me, the best take on vampires since Tim Lebbon’s 2006 novel BERSERK.
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