Diavola

By Jennifer Marie Thorne

Book Overview

Jennifer Thorne skewers all-too-familiar family dynamics in this sly, wickedly funny vacation-Gothic. Beautifully unhinged and deeply satisfying, Diavola is a sharp twist on the classic haunted house story, exploring loneliness, belonging, and the seemingly inescapable bonds of family mythology.

USA Today Bestseller
Best Horror Books of 2025--Men's Health
Best Horror Books of 2024 (so far)--Esquire
Most Anticipated Books of 2024--Goodreads

Anna has two rules for the annual Pace family destination vacations: Tread lightly and survive.

It isn't easy when she's the only one in the family who doesn't quite fit in. Her twin brother, Benny, goes with the flow so much he's practically dissolved, and her older sister, Nicole, is so used to everyone--including her blandly docile husband and two kids--falling in line that Anna often ends up in trouble for simply asking a question. Mom seizes every opportunity to question her life choices, and Dad, when not reminding everyone who paid for this vacation, just wants some peace and quiet.

The gorgeous, remote villa in tiny Monteperso seems like a perfect place to endure so much family togetherness, until things start going off the rails--the strange noises at night, the unsettling warnings from the local villagers, and the dark, violent past of the villa itself.

(Warning: May invoke feelings of irritation, dread, and despair that come with large family gatherings.)

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1250826144
• ISBN13: 9781250826145
• Release Date: March 2025
• Publisher: Tor Nightfire
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.3" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Good beach read...

This is a fun vacation read. I read it in a couple of days and enjoyed the family dysfunctionally trying to have a wonderful holiday together. Very straightforward without a lot of depth. The family is horrible and so is Anna, the main character. The ghost is very bland. Doesn't really do much that's truly frightening. It takes forever to get any information on the history of the villa, then we get an information dump at the end that's just "meh". Not really gothic horror at all. But it would be fine for vacation reading.

Fun read!

This book was a perfect summer read. I liked the pacing throughout and the location made me feel like I was on vacation. The main character’s family was truly insufferable but so are a lot of people’s and we put up with their BS until we don’t.

3.5 stars

DIAVOLA by Jennifer Marie Thorne I love a good haunted house story and this one takes place in a Tuscan villa with a dark past and a locked tower room. If my relatives were anything like Anna Pace’s family, I wouldn’t even be in the same state with them let alone willingly participate in the annual family holiday no matter how luxurious the accommodations may be. I also don’t blame the ghosts at all for being upset. I appreciate the moments of dark humor, tension, and general creepiness of the “missing day”. The last 100 pages was really unhinged which I also loved. Unfortunately, the insufferable characters and family drama overshadowed the ghost story. Additionally, them leaving the villa/Italy slowed the momentum. If there’s one takeaway/lesson to gain from this book, it’s the fact that you *must* research any hotel/AirBNB or location before booking your trip. Oh, and don’t be such a doormat like Anna. Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️