Duck, Hunting: The Diary of Mallory Rathbone

Name: Duck, Hunting: The Diary of Mallory Rathbone
Price: 15.99 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9798986615899

✍️ Carissa Hardcastle

Reader Score

4.5

(1 review)

$15.99

In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days

📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A diary of a young woman who hunts humans alongside her cannibal family.

Mallory Rathbone lives a quiet life running a bed and breakfast with her brothers. They have eaten people for years without consequence. Her world changes when a carnival arrives nearby. She sees an opportunity for a new hunt. Strange murders occur in the woods before she can act. The victims are linked to her own circle. Mallory must protect her family’s secret while investigating the killings. The tension rises as the threat closes in on her doorstep.

Key Themes

cannibalism family secrets summer 1965

Literary Context

Set in the summer of 1965, this novel draws on gothic horror traditions and the folklore of rural isolation. It examines the dynamics of a family that has practiced cannibalism for over a decade within a lakeside town community.

Difficulty

●● Medium

Recommended For Fans Of

Shirley Jackson · Thomas Harris · Caitlín R. Kiernan

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Horror Fiction

🏛 Hardcastle Publishing Housee 📅 2025 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9798986615899

📝 Description: Duck, Hunting: The Diary of Mallory Rathbone

Carissa Hardcastle presents a chilling narrative in Duck, Hunting: The Diary of Mallory Rathbone. The story centers on twenty-year-old Mallory, who manages a bed and breakfast in her childhood home alongside her older brothers. They refer to her as Duck. Her life is defined by routine and a secret affection for her best friend. This domestic stability masks a dark family tradition. For over a decade, the Rathbone clan has consumed people without raising suspicion. Mallory accepts this practice as normal. The plot shifts when a traveling carnival arrives at the edge of their lakeside town. Mallory views the newcomers as ideal prey. As she begins stalking potential victims, she discovers mutilated bodies in the surrounding forest. She is appalled by such senseless violence. The situation becomes personal when the remains are identified. The clues point toward someone close to her own family. This book suits readers who enjoy psychological horror and gothic fiction with a focus on family secrets and supernatural undertones. It may not appeal to those seeking fast-paced action or traditional slasher tropes. Hardcastle, writing under Hardcastle Publishing Housee, constructs a tense atmosphere through Mallory’s perspective. The narrative explores the intersection of domestic life and cannibalistic tradition in the summer of 1965. The story remains grounded in the specific geography of the lakeside town and the internal logic of its inhabitants.

💎 Our verdict on Duck, Hunting: The Diary of Mallory Rathbone

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Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Hardcastle constructs a tense atmosphere through Mallory’s perspective, effectively exploring the intersection of domestic life and cannibalistic tradition. The narrative succeeds in maintaining psychological horror by focusing on family secrets and the protagonist's internal logic regarding violence. While it may not appeal to those seeking fast-paced action or traditional slasher tropes, it offers a rich study of gothic fiction elements. The book is best suited for readers who enjoy slow-burn tension and nuanced character studies within the horror genre. By grounding the story in a specific time and place, Hardcastle enhances the chilling nature of the family’s secret practices.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

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Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate psychological horror and gothic fiction will find this book compelling due to its focus on family secrets and the normalization of extreme violence within a domestic setting. The story offers a chilling look at how routine can mask dark traditions, appealing to those who enjoy slow-burn tension over fast-paced action. It is ideal for fans of true crime aesthetics blended with supernatural undertones, as it examines the psychology of a protagonist who views cannibalism as normal while grappling with external threats. The atmospheric construction and exploration of the boundary between domestic life and monstrous behavior provide a unique reading experience for those seeking depth in horror rather than traditional slasher tropes.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

Hardcastle constructs a tense atmosphere through Mallory’s perspective, effectively exploring the intersection of domestic life and cannibalistic tradition. The narrative succeeds in maintaining psychological horror by focusing on family secrets and the protagonist's internal logic regarding violence. While it may not appeal to those seeking fast-paced action or traditional slasher tropes, it offers a rich study of gothic fiction elements. The book is best suited for readers who enjoy slow-burn tension and nuanced character studies within the horror genre. By grounding the story in a specific time and place, Hardcastle enhances the chilling nature of the family’s secret practices.