The Serial Killer's Son Takes a Wife

by Michael Libling

SURVIVAL TIPS FOR SONS OF SERIAL KILLERS 1. Change your last name. Be forgettable. 2. Take comfort. Serial killing is not hereditary. Not usually, anyhow. 3. Never contact your parents, whether on Death Row or elsewhere. You are messed up enough. 4. Choose a dull career. Run an ice cream parlor, for instance. 5. Do not fall in love. Sooner or later, she will ask to meet your mom and dad. 6. Trust no one. Not even her. 7. Do not get married. It cannot end well. 8. Keep what you know to yourself. You were just a kid, after all. 9. Do not return to your boyhood home. No one has forgotten anything. SURVIVAL TIPS FOR Watch your back. Lock your doors. Be courteous to everyone. Yes, everyone. This is your only warning. Praise for The Serial Killer's Son Takes a Wife
" The Serial Killer’s Son Takes a Wife is sharp, funny, thrilling, and endlessly original. Michael Libling gives Riley Sager a run for his money!"—Nicholas Kaufmann, bestselling author of The Hungry Earth and The Stone Serpent “By turns hilarious and terrifying… all rendered in Libling’s razor-sharp prose and piercing observations of small-town life that build relentlessly to a Grand Guignol finale. It’s the Coen Brothers meet Thomas Harris … and I can’t recommend it enough. ” —Lawrence C. Connolly, Nightmare Cinema and Prime Stage Mystery Theatre "Only a writer as flat-out funny as Michael Libling could remind us that 99% of 'slaughter' is 'laughter.' And only a storyteller with the genius of Michael Libling could somehow, amidst gasps and giggles and plot twists galore, make us care."—Paul Witcover, author of Lincolnstein and many others “Full of feeling and freakish delights, this is a wild, unpredictable story that will amaze and startle readers by turns. What if Patrick Bateman from American Psycho had been a family man? What would his son be like? Libling answers that question in this terrifying and darkly humorous tale of hereditary horror.”—Ian Rogers, author of Every House Is Haunted "Michael Libling writes like that affable stranger on the next barstool buying you drinks as he charms you with his stories. Next thing you know, you've woken up in a bathtub full of ice with your kidney missing.”—William Shunn, author of The Accidental Terrorist “Michael Libling is a brilliant writer. Anyone who’s read his first novel, Hollywood North , knows this already. His second, The Serial Killer’s Son Takes A Wife , is just as brilliant, giving us, as it does, the same breathtaking mix of riveting ideas and heartfelt humanity that makes all of Libling’s work so memorable.”—Bruce McAllister, author of Dream Baby and The Village Sang to the Sea “ The Serial Killer’s Son Takes A Wife raises and answers central questions of anxiety and existence. Libling, a major writer, takes chance after chance and surmounts them all.”—Barry N. Malzberg, author of The Lone Wolf crime series, Bend at the End of the Road , and many others “ The Serial Killer's Son Takes a Wife is a raucous, deceptively dark road trip that tantalizes and twists until it's too late to go back.”—Tanya Gough, author of Root Bound , founder of StoryBilder.com “What do you call a book that digs into the mind of a serial killer’s son with belly-aching laughs and rapier wit? Wonderful!”—James Ladd Thomas, author of Lester Lies Down and Ardor “ The Serial Killer's Son Takes a Wife by Michael Libling is an experiential and heart-stopping mystery soaked in the supernatural.”— Timothy S. Johnston, author of The Shadow of War "Michael Libling has a genius for inserting a blade ... the healing surgeon, or the nurse of death?”—Clark Blaise, author of This Time, That Place

354 pages, Paperback

Published September 4, 2023

About the author

Michael Libling is a writer, a former talk-radio host (CJAD Montreal), and a 2015 nominee for the World Fantasy Award.

Michael's latest novel—THE SERIAL KILLER'S SON TAKES A WIFE—is a quirky horror-thriller. Available as of September 5, 2023, it will be published by Kevin J. Anderson's innovative WordFire Press. His debut novel, HOLLYWOOD NORTH: A NOVEL IN SIX REELS (originally from ChiZine, currently from Open Road Media), is available from all the usual suspects. A coming-of-age, genre-defying novel, the story is rooted in Trenton, Ontario, Canada’s little-known silent moviemaking past and features a wealth of vintage pop culture trivia—movies, TV, books, comic books, and more.

Character-driven, with recurrent strains of dark humor, Michael's fiction tends to defy categorization, appealing to readers of mainstream, fantasy, horror, science fiction, mystery, and thriller.

His short fiction has appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Asimov's Science Fiction, Realms of Fantasy, SciFiction, Amazing Stories, OnSpec and anthologies such as Gordon Van Gelder's politically charged "Welcome to Dystopia", Peter Crowther's "Destination Unknown", Ellen Datlow's "The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror," and Rich Horton's "The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2020." Michael also has a number of non-fiction credits.

He is the father of three daughters and lives in Montreal with his wife, Pat, and a dog named Piper. He claims to be one of only seven North American authors who does not own a cat.

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like horror that creeps up on you and tries to slide a blade between your 4th and 5th rib, you will love THE SERIAL KILLER’S SON TAKES A WIFE. The story of a mild-mannered ice cream entrepreneur named Bobby Blessing- who just happens to be the son of the infamous serial killer, The Brittle Butcher. His life pretty much sucks until he meets the girl of his dreams, Cori, and then marries her. No spoilers here. It’s in the title. And just when he thinks his world is looking up, thing go way way down. I got paper cuts over the last 200 pages, I was turning the pages so quickly. Definitely read this book, just make sure someone is watching your back.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it! Most books I can predict where it’s going and I’m usually right. Or if I can’t see where it’s going I’m annoyed. This one had me guessing the whole way. In so many of the thrillers I read the characters are such horrible people that it’s hard to care what happens to them by the end. These characters were all not great people but I still cared about them. I don’t know how the author did that. If you’re thinking about reading this book, just do it. You won’t be sorry.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Serial Killer's Son Takes a Wife has been my favorite read of the year so far. I found I couldn't put it down once I started. It was a great mix of suspense and humor, and the pacing made it irresistible. I would recommend it to anyone looking for an entertaining read that will raise your hackles. Great read!

[Ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funnier than I thought it would be. Easy quick read.

[Sarah Kroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book! Couldn't put it down! Was constantly surprised by the twists and turns! It was funny, sad and had me on the edge of my seat!! Can't wait for the next one!!

[Catherine Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

This must be my favourite fiction book of the year so far! I love a good horror story and this one brings the reader echoes of classic slasher movie gore with 21st century humour. I also think I fell in love with Robert “Bobby” Blessing, which I’m not sure reflects well on my personality! This story delves into the psychology of the serial killer while still imparting the terrible crimes they commit, but it gives us a generational update and a different perspective. I thought I knew where the story was heading and I was almost correct, but the ending still surprised me in a good way. I do wonder if there is the possibility of a sequel, and I would read it. It made me laugh, it made me squeamish, and it made me think about the nature of the human condition.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It's truly a treat, both the story, and how it's written. I rarely read books twice, but I'm re-reading this one just to savour Libling's use of language. So many times in the story, I would read a description, or sometimes even a single sentence, that left me awestruck, leaving me asking myself "HOW did he think of writing that event in that way?? HOW did he come up with THAT metaphor?? HOW did he dream up that combination of words??" His mastery and creativity is really a pleasure to experience. If a book were food, this one is utterly delicious. Enjoy!

[Sofia Monteiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its an almost 5 star for me. Funny and witty (is it the same???) and provocative. Every evil person was just lovely

[Barbara Cooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

You’re at the amusement park. You’ve bought your ticket, gotten buckled in and the ride takes off, and you think to yourself, “Aw, shoot, this ride is too tame.” But at the first sharp, sudden turn, you think, “Wow! I wasn’t expecting THAT.” The ride has gotten interesting, better, thrilling. Maybe even ominous.


Then suddenly, with a lurch of your stomach, your equilibrium trashed, you scream, “I want to get off this ride!” But you can’t. You don’t. You won’t. You can’t.


That’s THE SERIAL KILLER’S SON TAKES A WIFE. Written with fresh, original prose, deft turns of phrase, and unrelenting skill, Michael Libling takes us on a ride at once fun, thrilling, stomach-churning, stomach-turning, and gripping, and one we both don’t want to get off, and one we can’t get off. Libling has his hand around our throat, holding us in his sway, from start to finish in this book that’s impossible to put down. Right up until the last paragraph, he holds you in his spell.


I loved his HOLLYWOOD NORTH: A NOVEL IN SIX REELS but in THE SERIAL KILLER’S SON TAKES A WIFE, Libling cranks it up a notch or three and executes this thrill ride with the dexterity of a… well… a serial killer. Read at your own risk; this novel will change you. If you survive.

[Bob Woolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, how is a wholesome, loving, sweet family man who happens to enjoy the art of writing contend with reality—past, present, and future—in his writing? Well, humor, of course, comic relief, a bit, a fun and whacky ride with an unlikely romantic pairing, a really unique one, and a heartwarming ride with even more unlikely heroes amidst terror that grips, but is over-the-top enough, cartoonish enough, to lessen the blow, well, sort of. Okay, and the fun of suspense, trying to figure out who’s good and who’s bad, without even being aware at times wondering what’s really going on, what’s gonna happen next. Fun. Simple fun. Throw in a smidgen of spiritual good versus evil, and we wonder if the author reveals a bit of his agnosticism versus atheism in his inner core—unawares. I hope he does not read this review. Read his book and see for yourself if there is the possibility of being fully aware of the most tragic of circumstances, hideous, evil, and still have some (wholesome?) fun.

[Shelley Paris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Libling’s writing style draws you in from the first sentence. Between the enticing inviting (beware!) book cover, the mystique of the title, and his past work, especially Hollywood North:A novel in six reels, I knew I would be totally drawn in and I would love every minute. This book is a terrific ride. My attention was grabbed from the first paragraph- and never waned one iota. I am generally not a fan of scary/horror novels- but his unique, catchy, way of writing, with humour (sometimes twisted) imbedded throughout the story line- has me hooked. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of reading this book.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I DEVOURED this book! I have been waiting for it to come out ever since I read Libling’s previous release, Hollywood North. The Serial Killer’s Son Takes a Wife does not disappoint. Libling’s trademark wit, humor, and dash of gore is always the perfect combo. Cannot recommend this book enough.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Until I didn’t. It was quirky and well written. The last 20% was too violent and gory for my taste.

[Kristie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book- until I didn’t. The first half was quirky, witty, and fun. For me, the second half was silly and over the top. I would have given it 2.5 stars and I had that option.