Morsel, Carter Keane
Morsel, Carter Keane
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

Morsel

Author: Carter Keane

Narrator: Lindsey Dorcus

Unabridged: 4 hr 56 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/14/2026


Synopsis

Carter Keane's Morsel is a delicious folk horror debut about learning to bite back when the world is determined to eat you alive.

Lou did what the children of parents with backbreaking, poorly paying jobs are supposed to do: pulled up her bootstraps, went to college, and got an office gig with coworkers who won’t stop talking about their multilevel marketing scheme disguised as self-betterment.

When Lou accepts a property appraisal assignment in the rural hills of Ohio, she knows it's her last chance to save her job and keep making rent. But she quickly finds herself stranded in the middle of nowhere with a sabotaged truck, her dog, and someone--or something--stalking her through the ancient Appalachian woods.

If she can’t escape the woods in time, she’ll see firsthand that her job isn’t the only thing that wants to eat her alive.

Morsel is The Blair Witch Project meets The Ritual, with a generous helping of The Menu, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, Cassandra Khaw, and Paul Tremblay.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Nightfire

About Carter Keane

CARTER KEANE resides in and is inspired by the frequently odd and often horrifying state of Ohio. Keane writes books where the monster and the monstrous, in the end, are not the same. Morsel is their debut novella.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Nicole on November 05, 2025

The first half of Morsel started off strong. The writing was witty, and the plot was moving at a suspenseful pace; I genuinely had no idea what was going to happen next, and I loved that. Unfortunately, the plot twist towards the end felt a bit out of place, and the supernatural element didn’t feel......more

Goodreads review by SJARR ✨ on November 03, 2025

I always want to know what’s waiting in the woods, and I love when a book makes me regret that. I think this novel wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. Given that this is taking place in the Appalachian forest- I thought I was in for some major Appalachian monster folklore. I mean come on- it’s......more

Goodreads review by Becky on February 16, 2026

Reading for review in a future issue of Booklist 3.5 rounding up to 4 Three Words That Describe This Book: Monster in the Woods, horror of generational poverty, immersive dread Other words: debut, folk horror, cicadas, use of texts and podcast transcripts to enhance the dread, Appalachian Noir, human a......more

Goodreads review by michelle ࣪ ִֶָ☾ on November 12, 2025

While I found it to be a bit of a slow start, and it took me about five or six chapters to get truly invested, once things start kicking off, they don't stop. Lou was a fine main character, but Ripley stole the show, unsurprisingly. What a girl. The horror elements here are super well done, with som......more

Goodreads review by kiki’s delivery witch ౨ৎ on November 30, 2025

I requested from netgalley primarily because the cover screams "cozy cabin in the woods... with teeth," and as someone who's spent way too many late nights scrolling Appalachian folklore on TikTok, I was like, yes please, feed me that folk horror stew. Carter Keane's debut is this zippy little novel......more


Quotes

Morsel goes all-in with teeth bared. Absolutely delicious.” —Sarah Gailey, USA Today bestselling author of Spread Me

An absolute delight. Had me holding my breath the whole time. And that twist! Add this to your TBR right now.” —S.A. Barnes, USA Today bestselling author of Cold Eternity

Morsel is more than just folk horror—it’s a malignant and timely reflection on corporate America, devouring its own. One hell of a grim and visceral Appalachian nightmare.” —Shane Hawk, co-editor of Never Whistle at Night

“Keane’s confident debut heralds the arrival of a gifted horror authorKeane’s talent for sunlight horror impresses as the plot builds to a genuinely surprising but fairly clued denouement. Richard Chizmar fans will be thrilled.” —Publishers Weekly

Carter Keane writes folk horror for the class war, horror that turns every expectation on its head, horror that is going to stay on my mind. Morsel is just about as working class, punk rock, and entertaining as a story can get.” —Margaret Killjoy, author of The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion

Morsel is a divinely dark tale about the dwindling space for humanity under capitalism. Rife with horrors both real and supernatural, Keane has crafted a gut-punch of a debut.” —Erin E. Adams, author of Jackal and One of You

“Equal parts folk horror and pyramid scheme...a propulsive read with complex, believable characters—and one very good dog. Keane has proven that the Ohio woods are supremely scary.” —Wendy N. Wagner, author of Girl in the Creek

“A fantastically vicious anticapitalist fable about the things that consume us all when we’re not looking—and sometimes when we are. By turns bloody, terrifying, and nightmarishly heart-wrenching, Keane’s delightful debut takes no prisoners and gives no shits. Make no mistake about it: this book has teeth to spare.” —Matthew Lyons, author of A Mask of Flies

A gripping and biting work of cult, social horror. Morsel feels like Intensity and Pumpkinhead had a deadly standoff on a mountain road.” —Johnny Compton, author of Devils Kill Devils