IN TANTRUM (G.P. Putnam’s Sons), Rachel Eve Moulton serves a wickedly smart and unsettling look at motherhood, generational trauma, and the fear of raising a monster—literally. The novel follows Thea, a stay-at-home mom of three living on the outskirts of Albuquerque. She senses something is amiss with her infant daughter, Lucia, who’s unusually ravenous, devious, and strong—as a decapitated backyard chicken can attest. As Lucia’s appetites grow, so do Thea’s doubts about her own sanity, safety, and marriage (she met her husband at the Dirty Bourbon). Moulton, who lives in the East Mountains, threads desert solitude, body horror, and mother-daughter tensions into a slyly funny thriller that lingers like petrichor after a monsoon. 

➤ If you enjoyed this book, check out our review of Connie Willi's sci-fi comedy The Road to Roswell.