About the Series
The Mortal Vengeance trilogy is a Caribbean Gothic saga set in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It follows a masked avenger known as the Grim Cojuelo—a figure rooted in Dominican folklore whose identity is transferable and whose origin is systemic rather than supernatural. The series uses the slasher genre as a vehicle for sustained social commentary on institutional corruption, trauma commodification, and the cyclical nature of violence.
Behind the mask isn't a demon. It's someone human, and close. The mask is patient. It waits for the next wearer.
Book 0: A Grim Tale (The Prequel)
ISBN: 979-8-9924666-4-3 • Pages: 180 • Published: April 2025
In the halls of Santo Domingo's elite Jesuit academy, institutional silence breeds monsters. A Grim Tale explores how guilt, power, and faith create the very vengeance they fear. When students begin disappearing and a masked figure stalks the corridors, the academy's carefully maintained facade begins to crack—revealing decades of buried secrets.
Themes: institutional rot, dark academia, Caribbean folklore, the cost of silence, faith as weapon and shield.
Learn more about Book 0
Book 1: Mortal Vengeance
ISBN: 979-8-9924666-0-5 • Pages: 306 • Published: October 2024
Four friends. A moment of weakness. A lifetime of guilt. A figure from Dominican folklore stalks those who've escaped justice—but behind the mask isn't a demon. It's someone close. Set against the vibrant yet dangerous backdrop of Santo Domingo, Mortal Vengeance blends sharp, Kevin Williamson-style dialogue with Caribbean Gothic atmosphere and found-footage mystery.
Themes: collective guilt, the transferable mask, broken pretty people, trauma as currency, vengeance vs. justice.
Learn more about Book 1
Characters
Meet the cast of the Mortal Vengeance series—from the tormented students of the Jesuit academy to the clergy who guard its secrets, and the masked figure who binds them all together.
- María García — The golden girl whose perfect surface conceals a devastating secret
- Marcos Pérez — The charming athlete whose loyalty is tested by impossible choices
- Mónika Torres — The sharp-tongued social media queen documenting everything
- Alex Herrera — The outsider whose quiet observation sees what others miss
- Fernando "Pepino" — The class clown whose humor masks deeper pain
- Padre Ángel — The Jesuit priest torn between faith and institutional loyalty
- The Grim Cojuelo — The masked figure from Dominican folklore. The mask is transferable. The rage is inherited.
Explore all characters
Themes & Literary Analysis
The series explores institutional rot, the commodification of trauma, collective guilt, Caribbean identity, and the cyclical nature of violence through the lens of folk horror and dark academia. The Grim Cojuelo functions as a transferable mask—not a single villain but a systemic response to ignored pain.
Explore themes • Read literary analysis
Reviews & Awards
Literary Titan Gold Award recipient. Rated 4.5/5 across 45+ reviews.
"An ambitious and impressive debut that transcends genre conventions." — Reader Views, 5 Stars
Read all reviews
Original Soundtrack
The series features original theme songs: "Release Me" (Book 0) and "On My Own" (Book 1), available on Spotify and all major platforms.
Listen to the soundtrack