Wretch - Hardcover

by Jeremy Wagner (Author)

"If you only read one more horror novel this year, make sure this is it." --Edward Lee

Wretch is a relentless descent into crime, horror, and vengeance. A brutal unflinching thriller for fans of organized crime sagas, dark detective fiction, and monsters born in the shadows of science.

Chicago is choking under the hottest summer on record, but the true heat comes from the blood spilled on its streets.

Detective Donnie Lynch trails a killer who shouldn't exist. Mob boss Tico "The Meatgrinder" Tortellio has stepped out from the shadows of his empire with a personal vendetta to avenge his daughter--and nothing short of blood will settle the score. Both men are hunting the same man-- if "man" is still the right word...

The elusive killer, Derek Hoffman, is a steroid-abusing-sociopath twisted beyond recognition whose body and mind have been grotesquely transformed after his participation in a clinical trial for an experimental ED-arousal-drug called, LIBIDONAL. Hoffman has become something monstrous, a predator driven by lust, rage, and a thirst for blood.

With the city becoming a killing ground for a new apex predator, Lynch and Tortellio race toward the same target. But who will reach Hoffman first? And when they do, can bullets or brutality be enough to stop him?

Wretch is a brutal descent into crime, horror, and vengeance. A nightmare version of a city where justice wears many faces, and none of them are merciful.

Author Biography

Jeremy Wagner writes gritty and chilling novels, non-fiction, short fiction and scripts. He is the co-author of world-renowned, Michelin-starred Chef Curtis Duffy's bestselling memoir, Fireproof, which received critical acclaim and was a USA Today Bestseller and a #1 Amazon Bestseller in multiple categories. His upcoming horror crime novel, Wretch, releases on January 27, 2026. Outside of writing, Jeremy is the CEO of TV/film company, Aphotic Media, and the independent publishing company, Dead Sky Publishing. He also writes music and lyrics for Broken Hope, Earthburner, and Lurch. He lives between Chicago and Miami Beach with his wife Kym and their two dogs.