by Christina Li
First published 2025
Vivian Yin's daughters gather at their mother's Southern California estate expecting to inherit the sprawling property. The first Chinese actress to win an Oscar, Vivian vanished from Hollywood at her peak and lived as a recluse until her death. But her will contains a shock. The mansion goes to another family that disappeared decades ago and has now returned. Both families move into the house to fight for their claim. As Vivian's daughters search for answers about their mother's final weeks, they discover something vengeful lurks in the mansion. The families must face the truth about a terrible summer from their past or risk losing everything. Spanning three generations across dual timelines, the story reveals how silence and secrets destroy the people we love most.
Genres: supernatural, contemporary, adult-fiction, psychological-thriller, mystery-thriller, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional, haunting, introspective, suspenseful
Tropes: dual-timeline, family-secrets, haunted-setting, unreliable-past
Setting: Southern California, Hollywood
Period: 21st-century, contemporary
352 pages · Paperback · Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
Content warnings: death