by Riley Sager
Rating: 5.00 (1 ratings)
First published 2026
Struggling actress Marin Keane can barely believe her luck when she lands a role in a major film about New Avalon, a remote Vermont island where five women vanished without a trace in 1926. The part comes with a weeklong research trip to the actual location on Lake Faraday. New Avalon once housed a commune of spiritual mediums until they all disappeared, leaving only five dresses hanging from an ancient oak tree. Local theories range from murder to a supernatural force summoned during a séance gone wrong, based on diary entries from one victim, Daisy Rue. Marin arrives with her castmates, including veteran actress Violet Wright and director Ronan Peters. Strange sounds echo through the nights. Mysterious symbols mark buildings throughout the abandoned commune. When a medical emergency strands the film crew on the island, cast members begin disappearing just like the mediums did a century before. Marin turns to Daisy's diary for answers about what really happened in 1926 and how to prevent history from repeating itself on New Avalon.
Genres: mystery, horror, supernatural, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: supernatural-elements, unreliable-narrator
Setting: New Avalon, Vermont, Lake Faraday
Period: 1926, 21st Century
589 pages · Paperback · Random House Large Print
Content warnings: violence