A little getaway in Astoria, Oregon.
A writer attempting to get some space from her partners.
A local violent family.
On the rain-slicked coast of the Pacific Northwest, desperate hook-ups and infidelity builds to to a roaring crescendo over the course of this blood-soaked weekend of revenge.
Why we’re excited about this book:
2026 is yet another stellar year for new horror fiction writers, and Madeline Blondeau’s first novel is a fine example. With work featured in The AV Club and TheGamer, Blondeau’s writing has also appeared in such publications as Lock On and A Handheld History, as well as translated into Japanese for Sakura Serenade. With her stunning debut, Blondeau channels 70s grindhouse and extreme French horror with this bloody tale of ultra-violent revenge. Sabs Cooper (Dead Beats, Tales from Nottingham) says: “This book will break you down completely and remold you from scratch like an acid trip baptism.”, and Lindsay King-Miller (This Is My Body, The Z Word) says: “Gory, ferocious, and awash in bodily fluids, Penitents is a debut of both shocking violence and startling emotional clarity. This is a book that touches the heart with the filthiest fingers imaginable.
Why Madeline’s excited about this book:
“Penitents is a wet, messy, queer kiss to New French Extremity and female revenge cinema. I use graphic, grotesque imagery in conjunction with upsetting subject matter to skewer norms and raise questions about gender. Ultimately, it’s a fable about the violent ways people are divided—and how they might come together to choke out the deep, fetid rot of prejudice.”
Releasing from Ghoulish Books 13 October 2026, Penitents by Madeline Blondeau (with cover art by Evangeline Gallagher) is available for pre-order now.
BOB PASTORELLA