Grief leaves a stain. Sibilla Fenoglio wants nothing more than to live with her husband in this run-down, derelict watermill. Uninhabited since the Renaissance after a mysterious disaster befell the previous owners, the mill requires extensive repairs. But there is something frightening about the mill. Repairs are violently undone, half-seen figures begin stalking Sibilla through the grounds, and haunting echoes of the previous owners' lives infiltrate the present. As the disturbances grow more vicious and her husband more secretive, she realizes that she and her child are in danger.
For readers who enjoy The Rose Master by Valentina Cano, The Hacienda by Isabel Cańas, The Stroke of Winter by Wendy Webb, The House in the Orchard by Elizabeth Brooks, and The Winter Guest by W. C. Ryan.
Born in Uruguay to Italian and Latino parents and having lived in Miami, FL, for twenty-three years, Valentina Cano Repetto has now made her home in a secluded Victorian watermill in Italy, which was the direct inspiration for this novel. Her debut novel, The Rose Master (2014 REUTS Publications, LLC) was called "a strong, satisfying effort" by Publishers Weekly, and her latest novel, Aleister Blake (Journal Stone's Trepidatio Publishing), was published in September 2022. Valentina also runs a blog, Il Vecchio Mulino delle Rocche, where she shares her journey restoring the mill and home.
