Pre-order
1
of
1
Dead Weight
Brief Description
Unnur was living a normal, if lonely, life until a black cat showed up at her door. When she tracks down the cat's wayward owner, she finds a young woman just as lost and in need of help. Like a gust of cold air in a...
Read More
Format: Hardback
$4500
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Pre-order
Releases
15th
September 2026
(Approx. Date)
Pre-order "Dead Weight" now to secure your copy from our first shipment
Found a better price? Request a price match
Dead Weight
$4500
Unit price
/
Unavailable
An Icelandic night may hide secrets and affairs – or even bodies – in this gruesomely cathartic horror thriller from the author of The Night Guest
An Icelandic night may hide secrets and affairs - or even bodies - in this gruesomely cathartic horror thriller from the author of The Night Guest
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
Unnur was living a normal, if lonely, life until a black cat showed up at her door.
When she tracks down the cat's wayward owner, she finds a young woman just as lost and in need of help. Like a gust of cold air in a Reykjavík night, Ásta and her pet slip into Unnur's life.
It's unexpected, but welcome. Unnur likes the company, and she begins to rely on Ásta in turn. But like a black cat, trouble has been tailing her new friend, and Unnur is the only one there for Ásta when things take a violent turn.
The two women quickly learn: nothing tests a friendship like blood on your hands.
Dead Weight by Hildur Knútsdóttir explores the depths of friendship and the lengths to which one might go to protect it.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781250329295
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 06 August 2026
Country: United States
Imprint: Tor Nightfire
Contributors:
- Translated by Mary Robinette Kowal
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 8.0mm
Height: 5.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 160
About the Author
Hildur Knútsdóttir was born in Reykjavík, Iceland, in 1984. She has lived in Spain, Germany, and Taiwan and studied literature and creative writing at The University of Iceland. She writes fiction both for adults and teenagers, as well as short fiction, plays, and screenplays. The Night Guest was her first book translated into English. She lives in Reykjavík with her husband, their two daughters, and a dog called Uggi. Mary Robinette Kowal, translator of Dead Weight, is also the author of The Spare Man, Ghost Talkers, The Glamourist Histories series, and the Lady Astronaut Universe. She is part of the award-winning podcast Writing Excuses and a four-time Hugo Award winner. Her short fiction appears in Uncanny, Tor.com, and Asimov's. She lived in Iceland while performing for LazyTown (CBS) as a professional puppeteer. The Night Guest was her first work of translation.
Also by Hildur Knútsdóttir
View all-
The Night Guest
Iðunn is in yet another doctor's office. She knows her constant fatigue is a sign that something's not right, but practitioners dismiss her symptoms and blood tests haven't revealed any cause. When she talks to friends and family about it, the refrain is the same - have you tried eating better? exercising more? establishing a nighttime routine? She tries to...Paperback$4300Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks
More from Horror & Supernatural
View all-
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Etsy Beaucarne follows the journey of an academic striving to achieve professional success by uncovering hidden family history. When a journal written in 1912 by her grandfather, Arthur Beaucarne, a Lutheran pastor, is discovered within a wall during renovations, Etsy sees it as her opportunity to publish and secure tenure. As she delves into the...Paperback$2299Elsewhere:$2899Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Shirl's PicksStrange Houses
A sinister hidden room. A dead space between two walls. A sealed cellar. A child's face glimpsed at a window. Every house hides secrets. But some secrets are far darker than others. More than a million readers have discovered the terrible truth behind these strange houses. Now it's your turn.Paperback$3000Elsewhere:$3699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseMolka
'Brutal and unflinching...You won't be able to look away as this book cuts you to pieces.' — Kylie Lee Baker, author of Bat Eater 'Combining feminist fury with creeping horror... Fans of Bunny will love this.' — Eve Kellman, author of How to Kill a Guy in Ten Ways The new novel by the Sunday Times bestselling author of The...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
There Is No Antimemetics Division
Mind-bending science fiction about antimemes: ideas that attack memory, identity, and the fabric of reality itself. An antimeme is an entity with self-censoring properties. Some are benign, but others, less so... These entities can feed on your most cherished memories, the things that make you you—and you'll never even know anything changed. And they aren't just feeding on us. They're...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The End of the World as We Know It
Since its initial publication in 1978, The Stand has been considered No. 1 bestselling author and master storyteller Stephen King's seminal masterpiece of apocalyptic fiction, with millions of copies sold and adapted twice for television. Although there are other extraordinary works exploring the unravelling of human society, none have been as influential as this iconic novel - with generations of...Paperback$2999Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Home Before Dark
Clever, twisty, and altogether spine-chilling... A deliciously terrifying story. You'll want to read this one after dark, ideally with the wind whistling in the eaves and a window banging somewhere just out of reach. But keep the light switch handy. You just might need it. - Ruth Ware, Book of the Month What was it like? Living in that house....Paperback$2200Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseTrad Wife
Your favourite influencer is about to be exposed . . . A deliciously sinister novel from three-time Bram Stoker award-winner Sarah Langan. Every day, millions watch Mia Wright, the "trad wife" queen, on her idyllic 300-acre farm. With her handsome husband, seven perfect children, and a life of from-scratch meals and pastoral bliss, she's an icon of modern femininity. But...Paperback$3000Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Horrorstor
It's a classic old-fashioned haunted house story - set in a big box Swedish furniture superstore. Designed like a retail catalog, Horrorstor offers a creepy read with mass appeal—perfect for Halloween tables! From the New York Times best-selling author of The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires comes a hilarious and terrifying haunted house story in a thoroughly contemporary...Paperback$2700Elsewhere:$2999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Frankenstein
One of the BBC's '100 Novels That Shaped Our World' HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. Frankenstein ‘The rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open…’ Victor Frankenstein’s monster is stitched...Paperback$1299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Thinner
Thinner, by Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman, is a chilling tale of one man's descent into a nightmarish curse. Billy Halleck is a successful attorney living in Connecticut with his loving wife and daughter. Overweight but content, Billy's life takes a horrifying turn after a chance encounter with an old Romani woman. Driving through town, Billy accidentally hits her...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Shining
The Shining by Stephen King is a spine-chilling masterpiece that delves into the horrifying and supernatural. The story revolves around the Torrance family: Jack, Wendy, and their five-year-old son, Danny, who possesses an extraordinary psychic ability, referred to by the hotel's cook, Mr Hallorann, as "shining". This gift allows Danny to see the horrific past and foreboding future of the...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
11% offThe Arachnid (The Poisoner #2)
Paperback$3400Elsewhere:$4500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
