A gothic thriller that blends psychological suspense with elements of classic horror, perfect for fans of Marisha Pessl’s Night Film, Riley Sager’s Home Before Dark, and Alix Harrow’s Starling House.

CAN’T YOU HEAR ME KNOCKING
by Erin A. Craig
Pantheon Books, Summer 2027
(via Sterling Lord Literistic)

Everyone in the world has heard of Holly in Everhallow. They’ve read the books—or at least listened to the radio broadcasts. But very few people know the real little girl behind the stories—Holiday Harris. Holiday never asked to be a muse for Holly’s creator, Herbert Atkinson, and she certainly never dreamed of the fame that came along with any of it.

Fifteen years have passed and now, as an adult, Holiday is entirely unrecognizable as her beloved counterpart. After Herbert’s death in 1974, Holiday returns to California, renting a room at the Chateau Marmont, keen on building a life as far removed from Everhallow as she can get. There she meets Brett Barten, notoriously private but endlessly celebrated, who seems to have struck a perfect balance flickering in and out of the spotlight in a way that greatly appeals to Holiday. He’s witty and razor smart and, best of all, he’s never read Holly. Their courtship is dazzling and intense and when Brett dies tragically on the morning of their wedding, Holiday is consumed by grief. Nothing can pull her from the fog until she’s summoned to the office of the Barten family’s attorney. Days before the wedding, Brett altered his will, leaving nearly all his estate—including a Big Sur cabin purchased as a surprise honeymoon gift—to Holiday. Upon first impression, the cabin is an idyllic dream. But everything at the cabin is not what it seems, and a darker truth slowly reveals itself.

Erin A. Craig is the author of the bestselling Sisters of Salt young adult fantasy novels and The Thirteenth Child. She holds a BFA in Theatre Design and Production from the University of Michigan. When she is not stage-managing tragic operas with hunchbacks, séances, or murderous clowns, she writes books that are just as spooky. An avid reader, basketball fan, and collector of typewriters, Erin makes her home in Michigan with her husband and daughter.