Next of Kin
Elton Skelter
Even the worst of us need someone to come home to. And Jacob Mallory is the worst of all. Jake, a thrill-seeking psychopathic serial killer, has lived under the radar for years, operating within the city of New York, making kill after kill and emboldened by his lack of capture. But Jake has one big surprise coming his way. When he gets a call from the hospital to pick up a vulnerable patient, one who claims that Jake is his emergency contact, he feels like he's won the lottery. But is there more to Nathan McGuire than meets the eye? And will this supposedly vulnerable young man make or break the city's most notorious uncaught killer?
American Psycho meets Romeo and Juliet, and this satirical horrormance will have you rooting for the bad guy as he makes space in his heart for something more. Even if that something proves to be his undoing. Everybody needs someone to come home to, and what is life without family? The family you choose is the one you deserve.
Paperback
Cover design by Elton Skelter
Interior design by Inkspiral Design
"Next of Kin" is a heartbreaking romance for the depraved. Skelter's use of perspective paints a complex portrait of the two utterly broken characters at the center of this twisted tale. Its themes of longing, abuse, and loss of control make this a timeless piece of queer horror." - Cat Voleur, author of Revenge Arc
"Skelter's American Psycho on Zoloft: that boundary-crossing transgressiveness is there, but Skelter's novel is more buoyant with a beating bloody heart." - Nick Cutter, author of The Troop
"Gay as hell. Love, murder, sex, gore, humor, Next of Kin has it all." - N.J. Gallegos, author of The Broken Heart
"Skelter's work moves quickly, alive with sex, violence, and plot twists." - Kirkus Reviews
"Fans of Poppy Z. Brite's Exquisite Corpse will especially want to check this out." - Publishers Weekly