House of Monstrous Women - Daphne Fama

''One of the best horror books of the year.'' Darcy Coates

''A stunning gothic and an exceptional debut.'' Rachel Harrison

A young woman is drawn into a dangerous game after being invited to the mazelike home of her childhood friend, a rumoured witch, in this gothic horror set in 1986 Philippines.

Carigara, 1986. Josephine del Rosario is the town pariah, left destitute after her parents were assassinated, and destined to marry a man twice her age.

So when Hiraya Ranoco, an old friend, offers Josephine an escape, she can''t say no. All she needs to do is spend one night in the Ranoco’s home and play a children’s game of hide and seek. If she wins, she can have anything she wants. Even, perhaps, Hiraya’s heart.

But the manor is sprawling and nightmarish, crawling with insects and rotting from the inside out. The servants stand silently in corners and won''t meet her eye. Worst of all, the house itself seems to want to trap Josephine. She must stay hidden until morning, but can she make it through the night?

''This spectacular story will hold you captive until dawn.'' Kylie Lee Baker

''A pulse-pounding tale of family trauma, frayed friendship, and political oppression.'' Nick Medina