Death haunts the Scott family home. Twenty years ago, Dakota Scott’s baby brother died falling down the back stairs. Twenty-four hours ago, her older brother, Lennox, wasted away into nothing in the same house. Two deaths, just floors apart, yet no one suspects a connection. Settling Lennox’s affairs lures Dakota back to the family’s old Victorian home overlooking Astoria. It has changed over the years—what was once a happy home is now filled with sadness, strange memories, and lights that won’t stay lit. In the ever-growing darkness, a sinister force has awakened from a long slumber, and it is far from finished with Dakota. Her life and sanity hang in the balance—alongside everything she holds dear. Fans of Shirley Jackson, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Elizabeth Engstrom will love the quiet horror in this modern gothic tale.
Author
Caryn Larrinaga is an internationally best-selling mystery and horror author. She has won multiple awards for her work, including the League of Utah Writers Gold Typewriter and the Cat Writers Association Muse Medallion. In 2021, she was named Writer of the Year by the League of Utah Writers. In addition to her novels and short story collections, Caryn has written for tabletop RPGs, podcasts, literary journals, newspapers, and zines. Her work has been adapted for audio, short films, and a forthcoming animation. Her spooky supernatural whodunit, DONN'S HILL, topped the Amazon best seller lists for psychic mysteries and cozy animal mysteries. Watching scary movies through split fingers terrified Caryn as a child, and those nightmares inspire her to write now. Her 90-year-old house has a colorful history, and the creaking walls and narrow hallways send her running (never walking) up the stairs. Exploring her fears through writing makes Caryn feel a little less foolish for wanting a buddy to accompany her into the tool shed. Caryn lives near Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and their clowder of cats. She is an active member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the Horror Writers Association, the Cat Writers Association, and the League of Utah Writers. Visit www.carynlarrinaga.com for free short fiction and true tales of haunted places.
