Mothersucker: A Novel

A chilling Korean novel of literary horror, following a grieving mother's transformation into a vampire that targets men who have harmed women—in the present, past, and future—and the female-led task force entrusted with solving the murders

On top of a mountain in Korea, buried underneath a mound of soil, 51-year-old Geum-hong wakes up transformed. Her senses are vivid, she has Herculean strength, and her appetite is deadly. The last thing she can recall of her old life is her grief. On the mountain, before losing consciousness, she had been scattering the ashes of her only daughter, who was brutally murdered by her ex-boyfriend at the age of 26. After a long trial, he received only a three year prison sentence. Geum-hong has no idea how long she’s been buried on the mountain, but she doesn’t mourn her former frailties. Her abilities may have changed, but her rage remains…

Days later, a man’s body is discovered in a nearby park. Detective Jin-seon Noh is called to the scene but soon discovers this case is unlike anything she’s seen before. The man, who was accused of stalking and harassing his ex-girlfriend only weeks before, was killed with startling force and drained of blood. As the weeks unfold and more men turn up murdered, Detective Jin-seon must race against the clock to uncover the killer before the country is upended by their dark justice.

A propulsive, lacerating exploration of power, privilege, and bigotry, Mothersucker reveals just how far a mother will go to protect the ones she loves.