THE ANCESTOR by Danielle Trussoni on Sale

From the New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of the Angelology series comes a bewitching gothic novel of suspense that plunges readers into a world of dark family secrets, the mysteries of human genetics, and the burden of family inheritance

THE ANCESTOR by Danielle Trussoni

*ON SALE: APRIL 7, 2020

ADVANCED PRAISE

“An opulently romantic horror tale, with a plucky…heroine who discovers she is part of a family whose dark secrets have been sheltered from the world at large. A gothic extravaganza.” —KIRKUS REVIEWS

“Trussoni (Angelology) concocts a deliciously creepy tale of a windfall turned nightmare. An intense, darkly gothic narrative with elements of mystery, the paranormal, and legendary tales. This odyssey of monsters and family will enrapture readers.” —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“The intermingling of science, legend, and genealogy make for a truly captivating tale of literary horror.”—BOOKLIST

“The Ancestor will sweep readers up in awe and wonder, asking us to examine our own complicated ancestry…Pair it with Jennifer Egan’s backlist gem, The Keep.”—LIBRARY JOURNAL

“Danielle Trussoni’s vivid and uncanny tale makes the most of her signature blend of science, myth, and

mystery. As the pages turn, family secrets come to light against a gothic backdrop that will keep readers following the startling twists and turns all the way to the end.”—DEBORAH HARKNESS, bestselling author of the Discovery of Witches series

“A lushly written, dream-like modern gothic with as many dark turns and twists as the Montebianco family tree has branches. Welcome to the family.”—PAUL TREMBLAY, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and The Cabin at the End of the World

“This smart, suspenseful thriller is at once an age-old tale and a fresh, scarily relevant trapdoor into our current genealogical obsession. Danielle Trussoni has written a biological and narrative labyrinth that you will happily get lost in, even as you question everything you think you know about yourself.” —BENJAMIN PERCY, author of Suicide Woods, Thrill Me, The Dark Net, and Red Moon.

“A surprise inheritance, remote castle in the Alps, and a cursed family bloodline? Yes, please! The Ancestor is a gloriously modern Gothic novel, blending mythic monsters with modern science in ways that gave me a thrill. Danielle Trussoni has written one hell of a tale.”
—VICTOR LAVALLE, author of The Changeling

“The Ancestor is a wonderful shape-shifter of a novel. One minute you’ll suppose you’re in a haunted house: think Shirley Jackson. The next, you’re transported into the sort of world Mary Shelley might have created for Frankenstein. Danielle Trussoni is an immensely gifted literary descendant of both storytellers—they are among her ancestors—which is one of the many reasons why I savor her work so very much.”—CHRIS BOHJALIAN, bestselling author of The Flight Attendant and The Red Lotus

William Morrow is thrilled to publish THE ANCESTOR by Danielle Trussoni (Hardcover; $27.99; on-sale: 4/7)—her triumphant return to fiction a decade after the critically acclaimed publication of her breakout novels Angelolgy and Angeloplis. As the horror columnist for the New York Times Book Review, Trussoni has a unique window into the world in which THE ANCESTOR is set. Her mastery and understanding of the genre has influenced this newest release with a captivating blend of taut suspense and gothic elements that will “enrapture readers” (Publishers Weekly) and “sweep readers up in awe and wonder” (Library Journal)!

It feels like a fairy tale when Alberta ”Bert” Monte receives a letter addressed to “Countess Alberta Montebianco” at her Hudson Valley, New York, home that claims she’s inherited a noble title, money, and a castle in Italy. While Bert is more than a little skeptical, the mystery of her aristocratic family’s past, and the chance to escape her stressful life for a luxury holiday in Italy, is too good to pass up.

At first, her inheritance seems like a dream come true: a champagne-drenched trip on a private jet to Turin, Italy; lawyers with lists of artwork and jewels bequeathed to Bert; a helicopter ride to an ancestral castle nestled in the Italian Alps below Mont Blanc; a portrait gallery of ancestors Bert never knew existed; and a cellar of expensive vintage wine for Bert to drink.

But her ancestry has a dark side, and Bert soon learns that her family history is particularly complicated. As Bert begins to unravel the Montebianco secrets, she begins to realize her true inheritance lies not in a legacy of ancestral treasures, but in her very genes.

Laden with lush and atmospheric prose, THE ANCESTOR is trademark Trussoni. And this inimitable story couldn’t come at a more zeitgeisty time! With rapper Lizzo taking home a Grammy for singing about DNA tests to companies like 23andMe and Ancestry.com making it easier than ever to discover your personal origin story, the questions THE ANCESTOR explores about genetic identity and the burden of inheritance— genetic or otherwise—fit directly into the cultural discourse. Coupled with a renaissance of horror and gothic fiction propelling authors like Joe Hill, Sarah Perry, and Deborah Harkness to the top the bestseller lists and readers “To Be Read” piles, Trussoni’s latest will easily ascend to their ranks. “An opulently romantic horror tale [and] gothic extravaganza” (Kirkus), THE ANCESTOR is not to be missed!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Danielle Trussoni is the New York Times, USA Today, and Sunday Times Top Ten bestselling author of the supernatural thrillers Angelology and Angelopolis. She currently writers the Horror column for the New York Times Book Review and has recently served as a jurist for the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. Trussoni holds an MFA in Fiction from the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she won the Michener-Copernicus Society of America award. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages. She lives in the Hudson River Valley with her family and her pug Fly. For more information please visit www.danielletrussoni.com

Want more from THE ANCESTOR world?!
Then don’t miss Crypto-Z – a brand new podcast from euphonieTM

In this sci-fi thriller audio drama podcast, the world has been struck by a climate extinction event that has eliminated 80% of life on earth. Twenty-seven years later, the research agency Crypto-Z has finally spotted a sign of life. Agent Jane Silver is dispatched to investigate the humanlike creature but a shadow element known as The Ark is looking to collect this iceman, for their own dark purposes.

This cutting-edge audio drama by creators Hadrien Royo and Danielle Trussoni is pushing the boundaries of audio storytelling by blending Trussoni’s multi-layered and mind- bending storylines with the highly cinematic directorial work of Royo, who designed a truly visual experience for your ears. Together, they aspire to open new doors for storytellers and audiences hungry for innovative and relevant content in our connected world. For early access visit: www.euphonie.media

THE ANCESTOR by Danielle Trussoni
ON SALE: APRIL 7, 2020
Hardcover ISBN: 9780062912756 | $27.99; eBook ISBN: 9780062912794 | $14.99 Digital audio ISBN: 9780062989864 | $26.99

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