Diavola

April 1, 2024
Family drama, unspoken resentments, and something far more sinister simmer—but never reach a boiling point—in this lackluster ghost story from Thorne (Lute). Black sheep Anna Pace travels to Italy for a family vacation with her parents and adult siblings prepared to deflect and endure their judgments. As an unmarried, unambitious artist in her 30s, there’s no shortage of criticisms for the other Paces to throw her way. Anna weathers her sister’s need for control and her mother’s nagging comments, but as signs of a haunting appear around the villa they’re renting, the vacation devolves into one disaster after another. To make matters worse, when the Pace family looks into the history of the villa, they open some doors better left closed. Thorne paints in broad gothic strokes, incorporating all the major elements of the genre, from the spooky architecture to the blood and romance, but leaving things disappointingly underdeveloped. Anna’s snarky voice initially balances the darker elements but becomes grating as the story goes on. Eventually, her characterization descends into cliché: she’s smart enough to make everyone around her jealous, and though she’s supposedly unattractive, many of the male (and female) side characters lust after her. Seasoned genre fans will be disappointed. Agent: Katelyn Detweiler, Jane Grinberg Literary.

September 13, 2024

An all-expenses-paid family trip to a historic villa in the Italian countryside should be cause for excitement, but it's not for Anna, the scapegoat of the Pace family. Her goal is to survive vacation with no drama. This proves difficult when facing her twin brother's pretentious new boyfriend, her sister's critiques, her mother's questioning, and her father's silence. Despite the interpersonal turmoil, there is something undeniably wrong with the villa--odd noises in the night, disturbing nightmares, and warnings from locals. Anna's family is determined to do what they do best: sweep problems under the rug. Thorne (Lute) constructs an oppressive atmosphere of dysfunction and claustrophobia juxtaposed against the beautiful Italian architecture, history, and landscape. Andi Arndt's narration places listeners in Anna's shoes as she grapples with her toxic family and a very hostile spirit. Arndt captures Anna's inner turmoil as she tries to protect her family, even if it costs her everything. VERDICT This immersive gothic haunted house tale will have listeners questioning whether the true horror is the ghosts or the family dynamics. Recommend to fans of Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison and How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix.--Meghan Bouffard

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