Book description
"Suffused with dread and heart-thumping suspense." ― Samantha Bailey, USA TODAY and #1 national bestselling author
A family curse. A missing heirloom. A house full of secrets.
A descendant of a powerful Italian dynasty reckons with her family's troubled legacy and her own fractured memories in this Gothic suspense thriller from the author of The Forgotten Girl. When aspiring artist Anna de' Medici Rossi inherits her family's opulent villa in Tuscany, she returns to a place steeped in tragedy and mystery. Living there as a child, Anna suffered from debilitating night terrors, frequently waking to find that she had wandered far from bed. During one such episode when Anna was twelve, her mother took a fatal tumble down the stairs. Vittoria's death was officially ruled an accident, but an heirloom ruby-and-diamond necklace was missing from her bruised neck. Whispered suspicions suggest that Anna pushed her mother and stole the precious jewels. Anna, remembering little from that night, is afraid they're right. But if that's true, then what became of the necklace, which has long been associated with legends of a family curse? Now back in Tuscany after sixteen years, Anna is shunned by the local townspeople as a killer who escaped justice, while only a few distant relatives and an old childhood friend offer solace. As she explores the sprawling villa, Anna uncovers hidden rooms and memories shrouded in fog, reigniting the violent night terrors of her youth. Plagued by unsettling visions and eerie occurrences, she questions her sanity and embarks on a harrowing journey to unravel the truth of her past. As her search deepens, she confronts shocking revelations that expose her to dangers she never anticipated. Blending Gothic and supernatural elements with a gripping exploration of identity and legacy, The Medici Curse is a beautifully crafted tale of family scandal, murder, art, and intrigue.
"In a crowded field, Daco Auffenorde stands out with a novel that is original, heartfelt, and thrilling. Family lore, art, and an extraordinary setting, make The Medici Curse a breakout in waiting." ― Alex Finlay, USA Today bestseller
"Atmospheric . . . Auffenorde's crisp prose maintains the tension as she unfolds the story in short chapters. A lush, elegant thriller that successfully follows a familiar formula." ― Kirkus
"Auffenorde deftly builds the tension, offering plenty of eerie atmosphere with a hint of the supernatural. Add in family members harboring potentially nefarious secrets and a creepy housekeeper and gothic readers are sure to be pleased." ― Booklist
"The Medici Curse is packed with creepy elements, including a murder of crows, ghastly flying insects only Anna sees, catacombs, and secret passageways. . . . The tortured twists of the plot and numerous suspects will keep readers engaged until the final pages." ― Southern Literary Review
"If some elements of The Medici Curse sound classically gothic, that's intentional, and it totally works. This novel knows you've seen haunted mansions and cursed jewels before, and it winks at that legacy while revamping it for 2025. It's the literary equivalent of a retro band tee under a leather jacket: a little old-school, a little modern punk. Auffenorde's writing has a conversational snap that keeps the story accessible even as it delves into heavy themes of legacy and guilt." ― The Honey Pop
"Auffenorde plays with the conventions of her literary genre with style and occasional wit. ... The result is a story full of entertaining depictions, savory duplicity, titillating thrills, and abundant surprises." ― Alabama Writers Forum
"The story begins with a genuine bang—a truly horrifying childhood memory—and continues with all the ingredients for a true creep show: an unreliable, possibly delusional narrator who recalls the governess in The Turn of the Screw, a family secret, a mansion fraught with haunting shades of the past, plot feints galore, dubious characters, and a coveted, gorgeously bejeweled necklace." ― Library Journal