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A psychological thriller inspired by the summer that gave birth to Frankenstein! An idyllic Italian villa becomes the stage for dramatic events that swing from the beauty of music and the carefree days of youth to ugly betrayals and sinister murders. Rachel Hawkins weaves together past and present, a book within a book, and several different points of view to create a complex labyrinth of mysteries, while exploring in depth the timeless questions about the power of stories and each person's struggle to find and maintain their own voice.

There are places you can never leave. As children, Emily and Ches are inseparable, but today, now in their thirties, they find it increasingly hard to find their way to each other. When Ches suggests a girls' trip to Italy, Emily sees a chance to finally rekindle their past bond. But is the past of the legendary villa, where they stay, the right backdrop? In 1974, the charming building, then called Villa Rosato, welcomed a rock star at the height of fame, a budding musician, and two unknown girls – Mari and Lara. Trapped inside the villa, the four of them set off events that ultimately lead to Mari writing the greatest horror novel in literary history, Lara composing a platinum album, and one of the men being brutally murdered.

As she digs into the secrets of the Italian villa, Emily becomes increasingly entangled in the darker sides of her own life. And again events spiral out of control. Past and present converge. It seems the villa is ready to take its next victim.

Inspired by the story of Fleetwood Mac and the summer that produced Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Rachel Rhys writes a dark psychological thriller with unexpected twists delivered with brilliant finesse, with characters so real they keep talking to the reader long after the last page.