Grim Root

In this acidic meta-horror novel from Stufflebeam (Glorious Fiends), the inherent horror of reality TV mixes with more otherworldly terrors as a dating competition show descends into madness. The final four contestants competing for the hand of folksy Iowa bachelor Tristan on the The Groom are surprised to learn that their next filming location will be a secluded haunted house. Stuck together, they grapple with classic genre tropes like dramatic reveals, constant surveillance from a ruthless producer, and a house whose walls may or may not be teeming with evil. When bodies begin to pile up and the house’s menace can no longer be ignored, dynamics between the contestants shift and twist. Each must come to terms with the darkness of their own pasts if they hope to stay alive. Stufflebeam’s dialogue shines, and the tone is pitch-perfect as the story bounces gothic horror and reality TV conventions off one another, exploring the ways in which women’s bodies and minds are manipulated by agendas not their own. Occasional pacing issues mean Stufflebeam’s narrative ambitions sometimes hit a wall that prevents them from being fully explored, but the grand finale will satisfy horror fans who don’t like neat endings. This is gory fun. Agent: Kristopher O’Higgins, Scribe Agency. (June)