To Bewitch a Hunter

Earlier this month, the English translation of Luciano Lamberti’s novel, To Bewitch a Hunter, was released. This work of literary horror takes places across decades in Argentina, from the 1960s through the 2010s.

In 2015, Julia Ruiz is approached by an older woman, Griselda, claiming to be her real grandmother, and that Julia’s real parents were killed in 1977, early in Argentina’s military dictatorship. Griselda invites Julia to her country home… and from there, the book descends into different points in the past and future, from children abducted, never to be seen again, to a young couple caught up in terrorism. The only way to survive is to become a hunter.

What I Liked:

• Argentinian history as catalyst for horror. To Bewitch a Hunter is, at its core, about the far-reaching effects of Argentina’s Dirty War. What happens to a child forcibly removed from her parents to be raised by her abductors? How does that impact her in childhood and well into adulthood? What about the impacts of falling into terrorism, of losing your own life to a violent cause and leaving parents to forever grieve you? This novel is rooted in very real horrors from Argentina’s recent past, and it turns those entry points into something even more horrifying.
• Different styles of horror. This book features serial killers, deals with supernatural beings, body horror, and psychological horror. Some scenes are gruesome, others fully disturbing, but it certainly hits the marks in crafting a truly terrifying tale.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• It takes a long time for everything to connect. This isn’t inherently a bad thing, but in To Bewitch a Hunter, the different chapters felt disjointed enough as to feel like a series of short stories. It’s not until late in the book that the pieces fit together to make a cohesive whole.

Audiobook:

Bianca Bryan and André Santana both narrate To Bewitch a Hunter, dividing chapters according to the central character. We get several points of view, and both narrators take on distinctive voices, making each character feel vivid and unique. One chapter that particularly stood out was the one from the maid’s point of view. This audiobook is well done and helps make the novel easier to digest.

Final Thoughts

To Bewitch a Hunter is a surreal and complex work of horror for readers interested in Argentinian history, generational trauma, and the lengths people will go to live or die. It’s not an easy novel, but it is a memorable read.

Special thanks to HarperVia, HarperAudio Adult, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy To Bewitch a Hunter here – it’s available as a hardcover, ebook, and audiobook.

To Bewitch a Hunter by Luciano Lamberti
Translator (from Spanish)	Frank Wynne
Audiobook Narrators	Bianca Bryan and André Santana
Audience	Adult
Genre	Horror
Setting	Argentina
Number of Pages	320
Format I Read	Audiobook & Ebook (NetGalley ARCs)
Original Publication Date	October 20, 2026 (English translation)
Publisher	HarperVia

Official Summary

“To Bewitch a Hunter is a brilliant, unflinching nightmare. It’s a book that demonstrates why we need dark fiction to explore the worst of humanity in order to give voice to the voiceless, and then emerge, somehow, with something beautiful. Luciano Lamberti has announced himself with his own vital voice.” —Paul Tremblay, New York Times bestselling author of Horror Movie and A Head Full of Ghosts

“An astonishing writer. . . . Each of his books is, for me, an event.” —Mariana Enríquez, author of Our Share of Night

For fans of Pet Sematary and Tender is the Flesh, an award-winning novel from Argentina that begins when an adopted woman is approached by someone claiming to know what happened to her real parents—an encounter that triggers a hallucinatory odyssey into the dark years of dictatorship and a family history of disappearances and blood sacrifice.

“I know who you think you are, and I know who you truly are.”

One blustery winter’s day in Buenos Aires, Julia Ruiz discovers that she is being followed. Her stalker, an elegantly dressed older woman named Griselda, promises to explain herself and so, cautiously, Julia agrees to listen. Claiming to be her grandmother—her real grandmother—Griselda insists that Julia’s mother and father are not her true parents. For Julia, long estranged from her family, this earth-shattering revelation comes almost as a relief. But, unbeknownst to her, this newfound birthright has already laid claim to her with a frightening grip. . . .

What follows is a terrifying odyssey into the dark years of the dictatorship that ruled Argentina and the story of the Lara family: the golden child Luis, his physician father Braulio, and the unforgettable Griselda—whose love and desperation drive them to strike a deal with a terror beyond comprehension. Winner of the prestigious Premio Clarín, To Bewitch a Hunter announces the chilling English debut of “an astonishing writer” (Mariana Enríquez).

Translated from the Spanish by Frank Wynne.