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Holy Boy

Lee Heejoo

Translated by Joheun Lee

Synopsis

'Terrific' – The Guardian
'A K-Pop version of Stephen King' – The Times

One idol.
Four fans.
Worship’s never been bloodier.


Yosep is a K-pop idol with millions of adoring fans. But for four of them, a poster on the wall just won't cut it. They have a plan – a perfect, foolproof plan – to get their idol all to themselves.

Kidnapping Yosep seemed like the ultimate act of love. But inside a secluded mansion, plagued by paranoia and with their grip on reality slowly loosening, the women use increasingly disturbing strategies to keep Yosep in their possession. As their angel's halo slips and their perfect plan unravels, the women must fight not only to keep him, but to keep their secret buried – at all costs.

More than a little unhinged, Holy Boy by Lee Heejoo is an exhilarating descent into the dark side of devotion.

Translated from the Korean by Joheun Lee.

Details

05 February 2026
320 pages
9781035076451
Imprint: Picador

Reviews

Simmering . . . eerie . . . Holy Boy is a biting investigation into what it means to be a lonely woman in the world, and a look into the lengths the human mind will take to invent beauty in dark places The Cold Magazine
A K-Pop version of Stephen KingThe Times, The Times
Terrific . . . Lee Heejoo does a wonderful job creating an unhinged, febrile tension and ramping up the sense of forebodingThe Guardian, The Guardian