Their Monstrous Hearts

In Yigit Turhan’s second novel—and his first to be published in English—he masterfully mixes his gothic tale with elements of the supernatural to create a slow-burn mystery that explodes with a twisted, horrific denouement.

The story is permeated by the ever-present image of butterflies, which spark the metaphorical connection between the caterpillar transforming into something more beautiful and lively. The theme of seeking immortality forms the foundation that transcends this twisted tale.

The prologue introduces the main character, Perihan, a woman in her seventies, who is walking back to her villa in Milan after a day of shopping. A crowd is gathered around the gates of her villa, which is inexplicably covered in butterflies.

Juxtaposed with this is the presence of a young aspiring writer in Paris. Although successful with short stories, he is stalled in creating his first novel. His advance has been spent, and his bills are mounting, with rent coming due. Although hounded by his editor, he has repeatedly failed to create an outline or a chapter for his promised book. A knock on the door reveals a gaunt-looking stranger named Maurizio. He wishes to bring Riccardo back to Milan to attend his grandmother Perihan’s funeral. Riccardo barely recalls his grandmother from early childhood. Although initially refusing, he leaves that night on the one-way ticket given to him by Maurizio.

Perhaps this will provide the necessary income to tide him over while struggling with writer’s block.

After arriving at the villa, he is told to freshen up for dinner and is escorted to a room. When left alone, he notices a wall of books. He comes upon a manuscript of Perihan’s life—kind of a memoir—addressed to him. Over the next several days, he secretly continues to read the haunting and somewhat magical entries in this memoir. The quality of her writing astounds Riccardo and even sparks a possible story idea that he could turn into a novel.

One of the most striking events she recounts is coming upon a magical creature that outwardly appears as a shy, beautiful waif. She quickly realizes that the creature changes based on how it is treated—growing more radiant and beautiful if treated with kindness, but metamorphosing into something disgusting and tearful if tortured or mistreated, surrounded by butterflies. Over time, she realized these creatures were instrumental in uncovering the secrets of immortality.

Riccardo soon realizes that Maurizio and the house staff are frantically searching for this manuscript. Without it, they cannot hope to complete the “ceremony.” Riccardo soon learns of his grandmother’s power and reputation from the staff and her neighbors. And then there is the mysterious “closed-up” greenhouse, with maids coming and going carrying “filled buckets.”

Has Riccardo inadvertently opened Pandora’s Box?

Yigit Turhan proves to be a masterful storyteller as he magically weaves together this horrific tale with lyrical prose, slowly ratcheting up the tension and intrigue until the unexpected, explosive, brutal, and creepy denouement. Toward the end, I found myself exclusively listening to the audio version, expertly narrated by Filiz an Falkenbury. They provided the multitude of characters with appropriate voices and context to bring the book alive in the theater of my mind.

Thanks to NetGalley, MIRA, and Harlequin Audio for providing an Uncorrected Proof and Advance Audio version in exchange for an unbiased review. I certainly look forward to further translations of Turhan’s work.