Timid, solitary librarian Gerard Freeman lives for just two things: his elusive pen pal Alice and a story he found hidden in his mother’s drawer years ago. Written by his great-grandmother Viola, it hints at his mother's role in a sinister crime. And as he discovers more of Viola’s chilling tales, he realizes that they might hold the key to finding Alice and unveiling his family's mystery—or will they bring him the untimely death they seem to foretell? Harwood’s astonishing, assured debut shows us just how dangerous family skeletons—and stories—can be.