First published 2019
Helen and Nate leave suburban comfort behind for forty-four acres of Vermont wilderness. They plan to build their dream house from scratch on the beautiful rural property. Helen discovers the land holds dark secrets. A century ago, Hattie Breckenridge lived and died here under suspicious circumstances. Helen, a former history teacher, becomes obsessed with Hattie's story. She hunts for historical artifacts to build into their new home. She finds beams from old schoolrooms, bricks from mills, mantels from farmhouses. Each piece draws her deeper into the Breckenridge family history. Three generations of women died mysteriously on this same land. As construction continues, the house transforms into something menacing. The building materials carry their own memories and unresolved business. Helen and Nate's dream home becomes a magnet for supernatural forces. Their neighbors face mounting danger as the past refuses to stay buried.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, horror, supernatural, adult, adult-fiction
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, eerie, haunting, suspenseful, unsettling
Tropes: curse-across-generations, haunted-location, obsessive-protagonist, past-refuses-to-stay-buried
Setting: Vermont, Breckenridge family property
Period: 19th-century, 21st-century
399 pages · Paperback · Anchor Books
Content warnings: death, murder