First published 1972
Eli finds an ancient manuscript called The Book of Skulls that promises eternal life. The text reveals a terrible condition: four candidates must attempt the trial, but only two can survive to gain immortality. One must die willingly, and one must be murdered by the others. Eli convinces his three roommates Ned, Oliver, and Timothy to join him on this deadly quest. The four college students travel to the Arizona desert and locate the Skullhouse, a hidden compound where the Keepers of the Skulls live. The sect's guardians reveal an additional rule not written in the original manuscript: once the four commit to the trial, anyone who tries to leave will doom the remaining participants. As the ritual unfolds, the friends face an impossible choice that will test their bonds and force them to confront what they truly value most.
Genres: adventure, fantasy, horror, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, impossible-choice
Setting: Arizona, Skullhouse
Period: 20th-century
222 pages · Hardcover · Charles Scribner's Sons New York
Content warnings: death, murder, violence