First published 2024
Anna dreads the annual Pace family vacation, but she follows her survival rule: keep quiet and endure. Her twin brother Benny dissolves into whatever others want. Her controlling sister Nicole expects everyone to fall in line, including her passive husband and two daughters. Their parents question Anna's choices and crave peace. This year's destination is a beautiful villa near a remote Tuscan village, complete with Benny's difficult new boyfriend Christopher. Anna plans to escape the family drama through wine tastings and art galleries. Then disturbing events begin. Strange sounds echo through the night. Food spoils in hours. Dreams blur with memories. Local residents deliver an urgent warning: never open the tower door. Anna ignores them and opens it anyway. What emerges from the tower wants to consume her entire family. The question becomes whether this supernatural threat will destroy the Paces first, or if their toxic dynamics will tear them apart before it gets the chance.
Genres: horror, supernatural, adult, adult-fiction, thriller, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, claustrophobic, dark, ominous, suspenseful, tension-filled
Tropes: family-secrets, forbidden-door, internal-conflict-vs-external-threat, supernatural-curse
Setting: Tuscany, Italy, Tuscan village, villa, tower
Period: contemporary
336 pages · Paperback · Titan Books
Content warnings: death, emotional-abuse, toxic-relationship