Their Monstrous Hearts - by Yigit Turhan

Book Synopsis

"A gothic, darkly alluring tale that will leave readers spellbound"--Dua Lipa, Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter

A compelling take on folk horror and macabre rituals, this debut novel uncovers dark secrets about how far people will go to keep their dreams alive. A Goodreads Most Anticipated Horror pick for Spring 2025!

A mysterious stranger shows up at Riccardo's apartment with some news: his grandmother Perihan has died, and Riccardo has inherited her villa in Milan along with her famed butterfly collection.

The struggling writer is out of options. He's hoping the change of scenery in Milan will inspire him, and maybe there will be some money to keep him afloat. But Perihan's house isn't as opulent as he remembers. The butterflies pinned in their glass cases seem more ominous than artful. Perihan's group of mysterious old friends is constantly lurking. And there's something wrong in the greenhouse.

As Riccardo explores the decrepit estate, he stumbles upon Perihan's diary, which might hold the key to her mysterious death. Or at least give him the inspiration he needs to finish his manuscript.

But he might not survive long enough to write it.

Review Quotes

"This might be the first thing you have read from Yigit Turhan, but it won't be the last. Yigit weaves a mesmerizing narrative in his debut gothic novel around the enchanting world of magical butterflies, creating a darkly alluring and evocative tale that will leave readers spellbound. He's a captivating new voice in literature which is exactly where he belongs." --Dua Lipa, Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter

"Their Monstrous Hearts is a beautiful, yet haunting, story of memories, generations, and sparkling mysteries. The beautiful prose poses important questions of connection throughout one's life, and the ghosts that hover over us. And like the beating of delicate butterfly wings, one will be transfixed by the mystery that unravels masterfully. There is magic in Turhan's words." --Cynthia Pelayo, Bram Stoker Award-winning author

"Distinct, unsettling, and thoughtful...an impressive debut from Yigit Turhan, a new terrifying voice in horror!"--Johnny Compton, author of THE SPITE HOUSE and DEVILS KILL DEVILS

"Yigit Turhan spreads his wings with this sizzling, intricate debut. His writing is kaleidoscopic, capturing - in vivid detail - the idiosyncrasies of characters and their experiences with family, creativity, and wealth (or the lack thereof). Yet, all-the-while, something dark and ominous simmers beneath the surface, with tension threatening to explode from its cocoon at any given moment. There were butterflies in my stomach as well as on the page."--Jack Edwards, BookTok Influencer

"Their Monstrous Hearts is a take-no-prisoners wild ride! Creepy, cool, and fearless in equal heaping measures! Highly recommended." --Jonathan Maberry, NY Times bestselling author of NECROTEK and CAVE 13

"A book of enchanted secrets, waiting for you to discover them."--Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Award winner, author of A LIGHT MOST HATEFUL

"A dazzling, dark book that rides the lines of fantasy into a blood-soaked horror spectacle. A beautiful story that captures how easily a blessing can turn into a curse. Nostalgic and harrowing, you will never see butterflies the same way again."--Donyae Coles, author of MIDNIGHT ROOMS

"Yigit Turhan is a young and necessary writer who brings beauty into gothic storytelling. His confident new novel unfurls as a dreamy realm, into a garden of secrets, magic, and angels as he invites readers to delve into the enigma of Perihan. While a dark presence lurks in these pages, the novel also resonates as a tribute to Turhan's mother and the women in his life, and the struggles behind surface glamour. It was a lovely privilege to read."--Douglas Coupland, author of GENERATION X and BINGE

"Turhan has created a fable that is thrilling, beautiful, mysterious and terrifying. Every expectation is turned on its head, in the most imaginative ways possible...sure to keep readers up all night. A fantastic read by a fantastic writer!" --Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of LESS and LESS IS LOST

"I love how the mystery and the magic unfold gradually and unexpectedly, doled out to the reader in exciting scraps. The themes of inheritance and generational trauma are exquisitely-handled and feel bone-real. I was floored by the cinematic explosion of monarch butterflies overtaking the home."--Lisa Taddeo, NY Times bestselling author of THREE WOMEN, ANIMAL, and GHOST LOVER

"With prose as delicate as butterfly wings and a sumptuously gothic heart beating at its core, Yigit Turhan's haunting phantasmagoria drifts into your dreams and nests there." --Clay McLeod Chapman, author of What Kind of Mother and Ghost Eaters