I really struggled with this book - I couldn’t get into the characters or the storyline. There were parts that felt interesting; but the journal entries were so long and I continually lost interest.

Book Review
Their Monstrous Hearts
Yigit Turhan
reviewed by Lou Jacobs


readersremains.com | Goodreads


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.

Young and struggling Riccardo seems to be down on his luck. His utilities are being shut off, he can barely afford food, and his deadline for his book's manuscript is quickly approaching. When everything seems like it cannot get worse, Riccardo receives a visit from a mysterious man who lets him know his Grandmother has passed and he has inherited her butterfly collection. Thinking that he truly has hit rock bottom and has no other choice in hopes that he also inherited something that could be worth monetary value, Riccardo decides to leave his decrepit home in Paris & head to his Grandmother's estate in Milan.

Once there, things seem to be off. The home isn't as grand as he once remembered, and memories from his time in Milan come quickly flooding back. Upon his arrival, he finds a mysterious notebook that says 'For Riccardo' on the front, and it seems to be a detailed memoir of his Grandmother's life. Longing for inspiration for his own book, he dives into his Grandmother's manuscript in hopes it'll spark something within him but so far, he is met with unease.

This book has a slower pace, but if you enjoy a long build-up of suspense before a big twist, you will enjoy this novel! Although some of the writing's prose felt a little... clunky, the need to understand the mystery of the butterflies and the strange happenings was enough to keep me turning the pages.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel and congrats to the author!

Based on the description of this book, I thought I would love this book. However, for me, this book was very slow. I am a plot based reader, so I enjoy books with lots of things happening and the plot continuously moving forward. This book progressed way too slow for me personally.

I did like the writing and the vibe of the story, I liked the depth of the characters, and I liked that the setting of the story.

This is a review of the audiobook.

Ricardo, struggling writer, inherits a villa in Milan from his recently deceased grandma and her massive and apparently rare and sought after butterfly collection. If you’re getting creepy vibes now, that works because nothing good can come from inheriting a collection of animals impaled and killed for display, right? It’s a literally a collection of death, and while her notebook inspires him to write what he hopes will change his life, it may well be the end of his life. But if a slow burner but very dark and interesting.

This was the first novel that I would categorized as atmospheric in a dark way. I won’t lie, it took some getting use to and I almost put it down. I’m glad I didn’t. It has the haunting feel that only an old Italian villa could have. With rich, brooding prose and an almost tactile sense of place, it explores the thin line between artistic genius and madness. Riccardo’s inheritance of his grandmother’s decaying Milanese villa sets the stage for a slow unraveling, where memory, ambition, and haunting secrets intertwine. Every detail, from the sinister butterfly collection to the chilling greenhouse, is rendered with exquisite dread. Readers will find themselves spellbound by a story that asks: How far will we go to keep our dreams alive, and at what cost?

The beginning was definitely intriguing. But I think I would've rather this book had been from Perihan's perspective. I didn't really care about Riccardo. The middle was so slow. I almost DNF-ed but stuck it out. I'm not sure how I truly feel about this book.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review!

3.5 stars (rounded up to 4)

Their Monstrous Hearts is about struggling writer Riccardo, who suddenly learns that his grandmother, who he hasn't seen or heard from since childhood, passed away. He is asked to leave Paris to attend the funeral in Milan. Once he arrives at his grandmother's villa, he finds a manuscript that she wrote about her life, but each chapter is stranger than the last.

The vibes for this book were off the chart at the start. It was eerie and intriguing, the characters were mysterious, and I love the trope of a rich family member passing away and leaving the main character their estate.

Some of the chapters were insanely long, which made it extremely hard to get through. This story is a slow burn, but my interest really started waning in the middle of the book, due to the pacing, and I was struggling to continue. However, the end of this story was insane and had my jaw dropping. Overall, an enjoyable read but would only recommend to those who like slow burns.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

I’m still reeling from the ending of this book a day after I finished it. It’s definitely something that will stay with me for a long time. I’m not sure how to classify this book, it’s almost like “The Haunting of Bly Manor,” on Netflix, but with a lot more meat to the outside story instead of a strict retelling.

Riccardo is a broke writer with a bad case of writer’s block when he receives news that his estranged grandmother, Perihan has died, leaving him her house and butterfly collection. Once there he finds a manuscript she was working on, which seems to be a fantastical tail, but also seems to contain bits of truth about her mysterious life. Meanwhile, the friends that constantly seem to be lingering around her home are also looking for this manuscript for mysterious reasons. Riccardo doesn’t know why, but knows that he should not reveal that he has it.

This book is part, dark fantasy and part horror as we go through both the present-day situation with Riccardo and learn about Perihan’s mysterious past and how it connected to the Marietta butterflies that seem to follow her everywhere. And trust me it’s a wild ride. I never would’ve predicted the story that was about to unfold when Riccardo began reading her memoir/manuscript.

And then, as I said, we begin to realize that there is something going on in the present day where people are trying to get their hands on the book for some mysterious reason, which adds a creepy and foreboding atmosphere to the present day storyline.

But trust me, I never would have guessed how this all was going to come together. Talk about a twist that just had my jaw on the floor.

Kudos to the author for playing the long game and just dropping the mic in the final chapters! Even though some of the story felt a little slow in the middle. I am so glad I stuck with everything and read all the details because the payoff was worth it to get to those final chapters and see how it all paid off.

This is definitely an amazing story that I’ll be thinking about for a long time, and I credit the author for their creativity and their talent in putting it all together.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for something different, especially in the dark fantasy realm.

Many thanks to the author, Yigit Turhan, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book. The publication date is set for April 08, 2025!

I haven't read many horror books, but I was excited to try this genre. The prologue and the overall premise really intrigued me, and the cover of the book is beautiful. The first few chapters captivated me, and I was instantly hooked. However, at some point, my interest began to wane, and I slowly lost my enthusiasm for the story. Once the book is released, I plan to listen to the audiobook to see if that enhances my experience. For now, I am giving it 3 stars.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC read, I really enjoyed this first the cover is so mysterious and gothic already gives off a few clues. A struggling writer who inherits his grandmothers decaying villa and her collection of odd insects. This gothic mysterious book will take you to a place of unknown & Yigit’s decriptions in this story will have you feeling as though you are in a movie. His expression to details is great in this one. I will say it kinda goes a little slow which some won’t enjoy but it is wonderful.

The overall concept for this book sounded amazing and the cover is fantastic! Unfortunately, I struggled to finish it though I am glad I did.

While this is marketed as a horror, I did not get those vibes. To me, this is mystery/suspense fantasy. Dark? Yes, but it didn't give me horror. The storyline was intriguing and the alternate timelines with the grandmother's diary gave the reader good insight.

I struggled with the pacing and the characters. The first 75% of the book was incredibly slow and hard to push through. Honestly, if I hadn't been able to do this in audiobook I am not sure I would have completed it. I felt the author attempting to slowly build the tension, but the result was too slow in my opinion. I will say, the last quarter of the book was much more enjoyable and the reason for the 3 stars.

From a character standpoint, I just really did not like ANYBODY. I was not rooting for anyone or emotionally connected at all. The main character was incredibly selfish and frustrating. I also felt the dialogue (internal and external) did not feel authentic or natural. This really prevented me from getting captured by the story and, coupled with the pacing, left me wanting.

Strong start and the perfect build up to a great story. But, as the story went on, I felt like I lost the plot with the inserts from the manuscript. I felt like it dragged the story along.

Another did not vibe for me. I think the premise is really interesting, but the pacing was off and the writing was incongruent with the story. The first half was so slow and a lot of the book seemed very much “tell” rather than “show”. Ultimately I just did not care about the mystery in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story was odd and the main character was bland. However, the concept was intriguing enough for me to finish it.

Thanks to HTP books, The Hive, and NetGalley for this eARC. 🐝

How gross can we make butterflies? Let’s find out!

I struggled to find much in this book beyond the basics of Gothic Horror, as the narrative here in neither particularly inventive nor especially compelling. I disagree with reviewers who thought the writing itself was of poor quality, but this book does founder around a lot in telling rather than showing, and that on top of an extremely slow moving plot made this a slog to get through.

I’m fine with slow builds as long as the information I’m getting leads to something good in the end or if the author is working to build a really immersive sense of place. You could see the gears grinding on both of these things, but the end product doesn’t successfully create either.

There’s a “twist” at the end that makes good narrative sense, though I question truly labeling it as such given that it isn’t especially hard to see coming.

I also think it’s worth noting that this doesn’t truly read like Horror, which wasn’t relevant to my critique of the book, but may be a difference maker for those seeking a particular genre when choosing what to read.

“Sometimes when you find yourself in a dark place, you think you’ve been buried, but actually you’ve been planted.”
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🌳 I don’t read much gothic horror. And I don’t usually enjoy slow paced books, but I was so intrigued by this one. It’s beautifully written and descriptive, and I loved the setting of a villa in Milan. I liked the authors use of metaphor, how the theme of transformation is represented by butterflies.
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✍️ Ricardo is a struggling author who just inherited his grandmothers estate and butterfly collection. When he arrives in Milan, he finds a manuscript she had been working on. The tale becomes eerie as the line between fiction and nonfiction starts to blend. I like how this was the perfect blend of eerie magical realism, classic gothic tropes, and modern day mystery-thriller tension.
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📖 The ending was phenomenal and 100% worth the journey for me. I’d recommend this one to readers who enjoy slow atmospheric novels. I’d also recommend reading this one with your eyes, or a tandem read with the audio. It switches between the present day and manuscript, making the change in perspective difficult to follow at times.

I have read about 25% of an ARC of Their Monstrous Hearts and I am going to have to DNF at this time. The book has a really great premise and I think that it would make for a great horror novel, but unfortunately the narration feels extremely clunky and repetitive. It feels as if I am reading Riccardo's inner dialogue and feels like it's really going to slow the experience down to a painful crawl, and since there are so many great novels coming out this year, I am going to move this to hopefully be revisited at another time!

I really wanted to like this one especially with Dua Lipa's praise and endorsement, but I just couldn't get into it. The story started off slowly and progressed even slower. I also didn't enjoy the audiobook very much and that also made it harder to get into the story.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ALC and ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The cover and description for this book made me immediately want to read it. I liked the idea of a Turkish grandmother leaving her creepy Italian villa to her grandson and all of these secrets coming out. I am always a fan of gothic books and I think this fell into it.

The reason it wasn't a higher rating was something the writing was a little awkward for me. There were times that it felt clunky. I do think I will try this author's future books and I am sure the writing problem I had will get better over time!