Desperate Measures

There's Something in the Woods.

As a virtual prisoner in her suburban DC home, Rhonda faces a chilling reality: she's failed to protect her gay son, Joey, from the brutality of his own father, Max. As Max's violent hatred escalates, Rhonda's maternal instincts scream for her to act before it's too late.

During an emotional phone call, Rhonda's sister, Elizabeth, offers to shelter Rhonda and Joey when they come to her home in West Virginia for Thanksgiving. But they never arrive. On the drive, a blizzard strands the family in a desolate hollow, and Rhonda and Joey are helpless in the face of Max's murderous intent.

But a glimmering light in the forest sparks hope as they realize they are not alone. Salvation! Setting off into the forest, Rhonda prays they're trudging toward rescue because if not, she knows they face certain death at Max's hand.

Praise for Desperate Measures

"Themes of justice and revenge entwine in a folk horror story with its own unique horror element. Desperate Measures is a good read for a cold, dark night." —Alma Katsu, author of The Fervor

"Michael Reed's debut novel, Desperate Measures, is a complex potion, made up of myth, trauma, folklore, queerness, magic, good and evil, things that go bump in the night, and an unassailable belief in the healing power of love. It's a story that's as beautiful and unforgiving as the Appalachian mountains themselves. I just loved it." —Eric Peterson, author of Loyalty, Love & Vermouth (winner, 2021 Gay Scribe Award)