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A small town in the southern Philippines, run for generations by a dynastic political family, is shaken by a series of gruesome and mysterious killings: first of dogs, and then of random townspeople—village elders, a barangay captain, the mayor’s driver. Social media spreads reports that a strange creature has been behind the murders and panic is spread around the town.
The young mayor’s wife, Marta, notices something no one in town has noticed: the creature’s victims are all men. As Marta delves deeper into the creature’s history, she discovers many dark secrets that will unravel the dark, twisted mystery of the town—and the strange creature terrorizing its citizens.
The young mayor’s wife, Marta, notices something no one in town has noticed: the creature’s victims are all men. As Marta delves deeper into the creature’s history, she discovers many dark secrets that will unravel the dark, twisted mystery of the town—and the strange creature terrorizing its citizens.
Paperback
Published January 1, 2025
About the author
Angelo R. Lacuesta
20 books19 followersAmado Angelo Rodriguez Lacuesta (a.k.a. Sarge Lacuesta) is a Filipino writer, and winner of several awards for his short stories, including the Philippine Graphic Award, the Palanca Memorial Award and the NVM Gonzalez Awards.
Lacuesta was born in 1970 in Cebu City. He was educated at the Ateneo de Manila University and the University of the Philippines, and graduated from the latter with a Bachelor of Science in Biology.
He attended the Writers' Workshops at the University of the Philippines and Siliman University as a fellow for English Poetry. For his short fiction, he has received honors from the Philippine Graphic Awards for Fiction and the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature.
After giving up his medical studies at the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital, he joined Basic Advertising in 1993 and moved to . Walter Thompson in 1995. In 1997, he formed Logika, Inc. of which he is president and creative director.
His first collection of short stories, Life Before X and Other Stories, published in 2000 by the [University of the Philippines Press], won the Madrigal-Gonzalez Best First Book Award and the Manila Critics' Circle National Book Award. His second collection, White Elephants: Stories, published in 2005 by Anvil Manila, also won the National Book Award. His third collection, Flames and Other Stories was published by Anvil in 2009.
As an editor, Lacuesta has edited the books Latitude: Writing from the Philippines and Scotland (Anvil Manila 2005) and Fourteen Love Stories (University of the Philippines Press 2006). He is also the current literary editor of The Philippines Free Press.
Lacuesta is also the recipient of several local and international grants and writing fellowships, among them the UP National Writer's Workshop in Quezon City, Philippines (1992), the Siliman National Writer's Workshop in Dumaguete, Philippines (1992), Hawthornden Castle International Retreat for Writers in Lasswade, Scotland (2003) and The International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA (2007).
Lacuesta was born in 1970 in Cebu City. He was educated at the Ateneo de Manila University and the University of the Philippines, and graduated from the latter with a Bachelor of Science in Biology.
He attended the Writers' Workshops at the University of the Philippines and Siliman University as a fellow for English Poetry. For his short fiction, he has received honors from the Philippine Graphic Awards for Fiction and the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature.
After giving up his medical studies at the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital, he joined Basic Advertising in 1993 and moved to . Walter Thompson in 1995. In 1997, he formed Logika, Inc. of which he is president and creative director.
His first collection of short stories, Life Before X and Other Stories, published in 2000 by the [University of the Philippines Press], won the Madrigal-Gonzalez Best First Book Award and the Manila Critics' Circle National Book Award. His second collection, White Elephants: Stories, published in 2005 by Anvil Manila, also won the National Book Award. His third collection, Flames and Other Stories was published by Anvil in 2009.
As an editor, Lacuesta has edited the books Latitude: Writing from the Philippines and Scotland (Anvil Manila 2005) and Fourteen Love Stories (University of the Philippines Press 2006). He is also the current literary editor of The Philippines Free Press.
Lacuesta is also the recipient of several local and international grants and writing fellowships, among them the UP National Writer's Workshop in Quezon City, Philippines (1992), the Siliman National Writer's Workshop in Dumaguete, Philippines (1992), Hawthornden Castle International Retreat for Writers in Lasswade, Scotland (2003) and The International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA (2007).
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 30, 2026
Actual Rating: 4.5/5
I enjoyed reading this book, not because it was a monster story. It was more than that. It was a book that encapsulates humanity at its darkest hours and moments. While there was a monster present, it was a book that I feel perfectly captured what it really means to be an imperfect human who is influenced to do bad things.
This book is highly recommended for those who are into stories about different generations of one family. It is a great read if you want something creepy but with depth.
I enjoyed reading this book, not because it was a monster story. It was more than that. It was a book that encapsulates humanity at its darkest hours and moments. While there was a monster present, it was a book that I feel perfectly captured what it really means to be an imperfect human who is influenced to do bad things.
This book is highly recommended for those who are into stories about different generations of one family. It is a great read if you want something creepy but with depth.
May 11, 2026
While the overall story and concept was good and interesting, I found the writing to be very distracting. There were several instances where gender pronouns seem to have been mistaken, or some very odd choices in phrasing certain actions (seemingly dated references). There too many instances of these that became a distraction and pulled my focus away from the story itself, which was a pity.
July 11, 2026
Great concept, though I felt the story’s execution was a bit restrained. I wish the author had really gone all in on the grotesque mirroring between rural and urban, supernatural and real life, and animal and man.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews