Don't Eat the Pie

In DON'T EAT THE PIE, readers are transported to the hauntingly picturesque Camillia Island, where gothic horror meets family drama, unraveling the sinister secrets behind a mother and daughter's summer that promises to be as unsettling as it is compelling for fans of Shirley Jackson and Daphne du Maurier.

Newlywed Sam has always wanted to be a part of a normal happy family.

When her mother-in-law falls ill, Sam dutifully moves her family to Edenic Camillia Island to care for her. The island residents, namely the older women, welcome Sam and her daughter Emma with open arms, endless cocktails, and plenty of superstition.

It seems perfect until it’s not. The house next to her mother-in-law’s is creepy—not only that, it’s where Ben’s first wife died.

Sam’s teen daughter Emma isn’t interested in spending the summer in Camillia. It gets even worse when Emma starts to see things—knowing that there are ghosts trying to warn her of something, but what?

Despite Emma’s pleas, Sam doesn’t want to rock the boat with her new family. Emma won’t pretend nothing is happening, especially as the messages become more grim and frequent. What secrets are buried on Camillia Island? And why are all the residents keen on keeping them quiet?

Content Warnings: abuse/domestic violence, suicide, unauthorized medical procedures, pregnancy complications, car accident

Monique Asher is an American author who writes horror novels. She is a member of the HWA. Monique is a trauma survivor and a therapist. Her personal experience with trauma injects reality into the stories she writes. She lives in Southeastern Michigan with her family and a small zoo that often come along on trips to haunted hotels and dark twisty wilderness. Don’t Eat the Pie is her debut novel.

ISBN: 9781998076178
Format: Paperback
Pages: 368
Publisher: Rising Action
Published: September 24, 2024

“Don't Eat the Pie by Monique Asher is unnerving, panicked, claustrophobic and disorienting. Right when you think you've found your footing, the bottom opens and you're plunged into a pit of disquiet. Deliciously eerie.”"Don’t Eat the Pie is gothic horror at its most deliciously twisted. It’s weird and wild and so deeply unnerving that I couldn’t help but devour it and keep going back for more." “Asher’s Don’t Eat the Pie is the unholy offspring of Suspiria and Gilmore Girls, a wickedly entertaining supernatural tale with an unforgettable mother-daughter combo at its heart.”"Don’t Eat the Pie is a dark rollercoaster whose twists and turns will leave you breathless, not letting up until the very last page. Asher creates the perfect balance of family drama, occult intrigue, and unrelenting tension in this horror/thriller that is sure to haunt you long after you finish reading. I’m not easily surprised, but this novel had me gasping aloud, as well as squealing with joy, at the delicious twists multiple times. Beside the thrills, Asher’s depiction of the central relationship between mother and daughter pulled at my heartstrings. I know I’ll be gifting this book to all the readers in my life.""Don't Eat the Pie is an extremely assured debut about the destructive power of family ties, false community and the prison that familial duty can build around us, presented in a narrative riddled with sinister secrets, morbid visions, odd neighbours, shifty behaviour and, of course...pie. I loved it."