Welcome to Litsy!

In this beguiling midcentury historical fiction novel set in 1960s Italy, an ambitious American actress and single mother snags the starring role in a mysterious horror movie shooting on location in a crumbling medieval castle outside Rome� Readers who enjoy the moody gothic allure of Kate Morton and Silvia Moreno-Garcia or the immersive settings of Lucinda Riley and Fiona Davis will be enthralled by Kelsey James� spellbinding web of intriguing mystery, family secrets, forbidden love, and midcentury Italian flair. Rome, 1965: Aspiring actress Silvia Whitford arrives at Rome�s famed Cinecitt� Studios from Los Angeles, ready for her big break and a taste of la dolce vita. Instead, she learns that the movie in which she was cast has been canceled. Desperate for money, Silvia has only one choice: seek out the Italian aunt she has never met. Gabriella Conti lives in a crumbling castello on the edge of a volcanic lake. Silvia�s mother refuses to explain the rift that drove the sisters apart, but Silvia is fascinated by Gabriella, a once-famous actress who still radiates charisma. And the eerie castle inspires Silvia�s second chance when it becomes the location for a new horror movie, aptly named The Revenge of the Lake Witch�and she lands a starring role. Silvia immerses herself in the part of an ingenue tormented by the ghost of her beautiful, seductive ancestor. But when Gabriella abruptly vanishes, the movie�s make-believe terrors seep into reality. No one else on set seems to share Silvia�s suspicions. Yet as she delves into Gabriella�s disappearance, she triggers a chain of events that illuminate dark secrets in the past�and a growing menace in the present . . . �You'll get lost in the pages of this lush, entertaining story.� �Ellen Marie Wiseman, New York Times bestselling author