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Of Flesh and Blood

A Novel

Author N. L. Lavin, Hunter Burke
Paperback
$19.99 US
Crooked Lane Books
5.47"W x 8.27"H x 0.82"D   | 11 oz | 32 per carton
On sale Jun 10, 2025 | 336 Pages | 9798892422468
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A forensic psychiatrist’s investigation into an infamous Louisiana serial killer leads him down a dangerous path of obsession as he discovers they share the same cursed blood.

This chilling debut horror novel will captivate readers of Chasing the Boogeyman and What Moves the Dead and fans of True Detective.

In 2008, a serial killer known as the Cajun Cannibal brutally murders and consumes the flesh of eight people in a small Louisiana parish. With law enforcement closing in on him, he takes his own life before he can face the inside of a courtroom.

Ten years later, when forensic psychiatrist Dr. Vincent Blackburn discovers he and the Cajun Cannibal are more closely connected than he realized, he begins a case study into the sociopathy behind the killer’s grisly deeds, only to find a torrent of small town politics, interracial family dynamics, and whispers of the supernatural muddying once clear waters. 

When copycat killings start anew, Vincent is thrust into the center of it all, putting his life, his family, and his own sanity at risk. As monsters—both figurative and literal—begin to manifest, Vincent discovers that untangling the truth from the lies is only the beginning of his nightmare.

Told through the pages of Dr. Vincent Blackburn’s case study memoir, and certain to appeal to readers of A Flicker in the Dark, this macabre psychological horror will leave your heart racing.
Praise for Of Flesh and Blood:
 “A complex character study about serial killers . . . Intense, fast-paced horror.”
—Gumshoe Review

“A psychologically enthralling novel of murder, mystery, and madness.”
—Capes and Tights

“Of Flesh and Blood transported me to the humid swamps of Louisiana and made me double-check my doors and windows. Genuinely scary and stuffed with surprises, I only hope that the inevitable film is half as good as the novel.”
—Richard Chizmar, New York Times bestselling author of Memorial and Chasing the Boogeyman

 “A delightfully chilling debut steeped in southern gothic, with a villain you won't soon forget, Of Flesh and Blood is a page-turning success. Beautifully rendered atmosphere and a haunting structure pull you in fast and hold you tight.”
—Scott Carson, New York Times bestselling author of Lost Man's Lane and The Chill

“A meticulously detailed story of the Cajun Cannibal that will have true crime junkies salivating. A novel so true-crimey, I’m still wondering if it really happened!”
—J. H. Markert, author of Sleep Tight
Authors N.L. Lavin and Hunter Burke grew up together in Louisiana and remain close friends and creative partners today. N.L. is a full-time child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist; a part-time writer; and a husband and father in whatever time is left. Hunter is a professional actor, recognizable to viewers of Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias, the Amazon original series Bosch, and the Academy Award-winning film The Big Short. Of Flesh and Blood is their first novel.
N. L. Lavin View titles by N. L. Lavin
Hunter Burke View titles by Hunter Burke

About

A forensic psychiatrist’s investigation into an infamous Louisiana serial killer leads him down a dangerous path of obsession as he discovers they share the same cursed blood.

This chilling debut horror novel will captivate readers of Chasing the Boogeyman and What Moves the Dead and fans of True Detective.

In 2008, a serial killer known as the Cajun Cannibal brutally murders and consumes the flesh of eight people in a small Louisiana parish. With law enforcement closing in on him, he takes his own life before he can face the inside of a courtroom.

Ten years later, when forensic psychiatrist Dr. Vincent Blackburn discovers he and the Cajun Cannibal are more closely connected than he realized, he begins a case study into the sociopathy behind the killer’s grisly deeds, only to find a torrent of small town politics, interracial family dynamics, and whispers of the supernatural muddying once clear waters. 

When copycat killings start anew, Vincent is thrust into the center of it all, putting his life, his family, and his own sanity at risk. As monsters—both figurative and literal—begin to manifest, Vincent discovers that untangling the truth from the lies is only the beginning of his nightmare.

Told through the pages of Dr. Vincent Blackburn’s case study memoir, and certain to appeal to readers of A Flicker in the Dark, this macabre psychological horror will leave your heart racing.

Praise

Praise for Of Flesh and Blood:
 “A complex character study about serial killers . . . Intense, fast-paced horror.”
—Gumshoe Review

“A psychologically enthralling novel of murder, mystery, and madness.”
—Capes and Tights

“Of Flesh and Blood transported me to the humid swamps of Louisiana and made me double-check my doors and windows. Genuinely scary and stuffed with surprises, I only hope that the inevitable film is half as good as the novel.”
—Richard Chizmar, New York Times bestselling author of Memorial and Chasing the Boogeyman

 “A delightfully chilling debut steeped in southern gothic, with a villain you won't soon forget, Of Flesh and Blood is a page-turning success. Beautifully rendered atmosphere and a haunting structure pull you in fast and hold you tight.”
—Scott Carson, New York Times bestselling author of Lost Man's Lane and The Chill

“A meticulously detailed story of the Cajun Cannibal that will have true crime junkies salivating. A novel so true-crimey, I’m still wondering if it really happened!”
—J. H. Markert, author of Sleep Tight

Author

Authors N.L. Lavin and Hunter Burke grew up together in Louisiana and remain close friends and creative partners today. N.L. is a full-time child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist; a part-time writer; and a husband and father in whatever time is left. Hunter is a professional actor, recognizable to viewers of Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias, the Amazon original series Bosch, and the Academy Award-winning film The Big Short. Of Flesh and Blood is their first novel.
N. L. Lavin View titles by N. L. Lavin
Hunter Burke View titles by Hunter Burke

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