Lethal Kiss
Jennifer’s Body meets Ninth House: Taylor Grothe’s adult debut novel is a sapphic horror/romance that’s as grotesque and blood-soaked as it is beautiful.
When Marcella is hired at Preston University, she has her game plan already mapped out―lay low for a few semesters, enjoy the extensive library, and maybe feast on a couple of her coworkers. That is, until a professor is found murdered and it’s not her doing. She may be the newest monster on campus, but she definitely isn’t the most dangerous.
Assistant professor Lacie is aware how ruthless the track to tenure is. But seeing the corpse of one of her colleagues is enough to make her suspect the other professors that came before her didn’t just quit academia. Unfortunately, there’s only one person she can trust enough to ask for help―the beautiful, aloof, and tantalizingly secretive Marcella.
Lacie and Marcella team up to make a chilling discovery: there’s something festering under the marble floors of Preston University, and it’s hungry. Marcella might be a monster, but the deeper into the mystery they dig, the more she’s attracted to Lacie’s immovable bravery and quiet intelligence. And the closer they grow, the more Lacie is drawn to Marcella’s vicious nature.
The weight of spilled blood and stolen opportunity is too heavy to carry alone, but they’re both determined to get what they deserve―even if they have to kill for it.
Additional information
| Genre | Horror, Romance |
|---|---|
| Age | Adult |
| Publisher | Macmillan |
| Imprint | Nightfire |
| Language(s) | English |
| Format(s) | Trade paperback |
| Author | Taylor Grothe |
| Release Date | 20 October 2026 |
| Release Month | October Releases |
| Author Identity | Chronic Illness, Disabled, LGBTQIA+, Neurodivergent |
| Content Rep | Disability, LGBTQIA+, Neurodivergence |
About the Author
Taylor Grothe (AKA T.G. Laine) is a writer of adult and young adult horror, horror romance, and dark fantasy. They hold a nonfiction MFA from Fairfield University, acted as the graduate Assistant Managing Editor of Brevity, and their short works can be found in esteemed publications such as These Dreaming Spires (Titan Books), Brevity’s craft blog, Haven Speculative, and Shortwave Magazine. They are a scholar of medieval literature and Nordic Saga. They live with their family in New England, and on the rare occasion they’re not writing, they can be found playing: with the cats, on the cello, or in costume!
Taylor is the author of the YA books Hollow and Monstrous Beautiful Things (Peachtree Teen), as well as adult books Lethal Kiss (Tor Nightfire) and The Mage and the Liar Knight (Little, Brown).
