Motherless Child

From "an amazing writer," vampire fiction that's "grandly sweeping . . . open to all aspects of human experience. . . . [Hirshberg] at the peak of his form" (Peter Straub, World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award winner). It's the thrill of a lifetime when Sophie and Natalie, single mothers living in a trailer park in North Carolina, meet their idol, the mysterious musician known only as "the Whistler." Morning finds them covered with dried blood, their clothing shredded and their memories hazy. Things soon become horrifyingly clear: the Whistler is a vampire and Natalie and Sophie are his latest victims. The young women leave their babies with Natalie's mother and hit the road, determined not to give in to their unnatural desires. Hunger and desire make a powerful couple. So do the Whistler and his Mother, who are searching for Sophie and Natalie with the help of Twitter and the musician's many fans. The violent, emotionally moving showdown between two who should be victims and two who should be monsters will leave readers gasping in fear and delight. "One of the best books of the year." —The Los Angeles Review of Books "A compelling, heartbreaking thriller full of character, grit, and sorrow." —Christopher Golden, New York Times–bestselling author "Hirshberg's adept characterization . . . evokes Faulknerian depth. The clash of human and vampire worlds in the tumultuous final showdown presents a satisfying, startling conclusion and infuses this work with both literary and genre merit." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)