The Muse
Sep 2027 · Pan Macmillan
Ebook
400
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
infoThis book will become available on September 2, 2027. You will not be charged until it is released.
About this ebook
'Ari Aster's Midsommar and Bong Joon-ho's Parasite, mixed with Stephen King'
- Malin Nauwerck, Aftonbladet
The Muse is an electrifying and timely gothic folk horror about the cost of creativity and the monopoly of the cultural elite from Sweden’s cult horror king, Mats Strandberg
Divorced crime writer Hedda Strömberg can no longer write. Financial ruin is closing in on her and her eight-year-old son Hugo. She must find inspiration again. Now. It feels like a lifeline when her successful colleague, David Ridings, invites her to his family’s summer house. Far from the routines of daily life, perhaps her imagination can finally flow freely again.
The “summer house” turns out to be the grand Villa Thamyris, a sprawling mansion that, in the late 19th century, served as an important hub for the cultural elite of its time. During her stay, Hedda struggles against the paralyzing envy that David Ridings always stirs in her. The magnificent house and its inhabitants remind her of everything she lacks. The family possesses both wealth and cultural capital, rooted in generations of privilege.
At Villa Thamyris, Hedda finds her inspiration. Writing feels magical again. But she also discovers that the imposing brick walls hide dark secrets. Creativity has a steep price, and everything comes to a head when Hedda’s son arrives just in time for the Midsummer
celebration.
'A dark, literary triumph that is genuinely hard to put down'
- Göteborgs Posten
- Malin Nauwerck, Aftonbladet
The Muse is an electrifying and timely gothic folk horror about the cost of creativity and the monopoly of the cultural elite from Sweden’s cult horror king, Mats Strandberg
Divorced crime writer Hedda Strömberg can no longer write. Financial ruin is closing in on her and her eight-year-old son Hugo. She must find inspiration again. Now. It feels like a lifeline when her successful colleague, David Ridings, invites her to his family’s summer house. Far from the routines of daily life, perhaps her imagination can finally flow freely again.
The “summer house” turns out to be the grand Villa Thamyris, a sprawling mansion that, in the late 19th century, served as an important hub for the cultural elite of its time. During her stay, Hedda struggles against the paralyzing envy that David Ridings always stirs in her. The magnificent house and its inhabitants remind her of everything she lacks. The family possesses both wealth and cultural capital, rooted in generations of privilege.
At Villa Thamyris, Hedda finds her inspiration. Writing feels magical again. But she also discovers that the imposing brick walls hide dark secrets. Creativity has a steep price, and everything comes to a head when Hedda’s son arrives just in time for the Midsummer
celebration.
'A dark, literary triumph that is genuinely hard to put down'
- Göteborgs Posten
'Ari Aster's Midsommar and Bong Joon-ho's Parasite, mixed with Stephen King'
- Malin Nauwerck, Aftonbladet
The Muse is an electrifying and timely gothic folk horror about the cost of creativity and the monopoly of the cultural elite from Sweden’s cult horror king, Mats Strandberg
Divorced crime...
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About the author
Mats Strandberg is one of Sweden's most acclaimed suspense and horror authors, writing for both adults and children. He had his breakthrough in 2011 with the global publishing hit The Circle (co-written with Sara Bergmark Elfgren, published in the UK/US by Random House), which sold to 30 markets, was made into a feature film and nominated for the prestigious August Prize. His horror novels Blood Cruise (2015, published by Jo Flether Books) and The Home (2017, published by Jo Fletcher Books), as well as the YA novel The End (2018), have been praised by critics and readers alike.
Mats Strandberg is one of Sweden's most acclaimed suspense and horror authors, writing for both adults and children. He had his breakthrough in 2011 with the global publishing hit The Circle (co-written with Sara Bergmark Elfgren, published in the UK/US by Random House), which sold to 30 markets,...
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