Virulent

Macabre maestro David Massengill delivers a bone-chilling, twisty, provocative tale with Virulent, where "the perfect getaway" on a resort island becomes a descent into terror. Set during the pandemic's most deadly and panic-filled days, Virulent is the story of one man's dangerous obsession for a dark, enigmatic stranger, whose lure may be beyond lethal. With this edgy, tantalizing thriller, Massengill shows us he's a horror-genre genius.

-Kevin O'Brien, New York Times bestselling author of The Enemy at Home and Unspeakable

APRIL 2020. COVID-19 grips the globe. Stuck in a Seattle apartment like thousands of others, Ben receives an invitation to escape lockdown life and flee with his wealthy sister and teenage niece to a waterfront resort on one of the idyllic San Juan Islands. The opportunity's tempting, yet Ben's hesitant. His OCD and the loss of his partner a few years ago have kept him more isolated and restrictive than most since the start of the pandemic. But Ben knows the family bubble's probably a healthier place to be than alone with his Purell and disinfectant wipes.

On the ferry ride to Madrones Island, Ben meets an arrestingly handsome stranger. The man has dark curls, penetrating eyes, and a large Roman nose protruding dangerously over the top of his surgical mask. The brief encounter will invade Ben's thoughts more than the virus replicating across the country. Will Ben be able to continue his cautious existence on the island, or will smoldering brushes with this magnetic stranger burn away the family bubble?

When desecrated corpses start showing up around the island, Ben suspects there's something outside his protective sphere that's even more insidious-even more VIRULENT-than covid.

Mesmerizing, dread-inducing, and shocking, David Massengill's queer covid horror novella splits open the myth of safety and unleashes the terror of transformation. (with a cover by Adrian Baldwin)