The Medici Curse

A family curse. A missing heirloom. A house full of secrets. 

A descendant of a powerful Italian dynasty reckons with her family’s troubled legacy and her own fractured memories in this Gothic thriller from the author of The Forgotten Girl. 

When aspiring artist Anna de’ Medici Rossi inherits her family’s opulent villa in Tuscany, she returns to a place steeped in tragedy and mystery. Living there as a child, Anna suffered from debilitating night terrors, frequently waking to find that she had wandered far from bed. During one such episode when Anna was twelve, her mother took a fatal tumble down the stairs. Vittoria’s death was officially ruled an accident, but an heirloom ruby-and-diamond necklace was missing from her bruised neck. Whispered suspicions suggest that Anna pushed her mother and stole the precious jewels. Anna, remembering little from that night, is afraid they’re right. But if that’s true, then what became of the necklace, which has long been associated with legends of a family curse?

Now back in Tuscany after sixteen years, Anna is shunned by the local townspeople as a killer who escaped justice, while only a few distant relatives and an old childhood friend offer solace. As she explores the sprawling villa, Anna uncovers hidden rooms and memories shrouded in fog, reigniting the violent night terrors of her youth. Plagued by unsettling visions and eerie occurrences, she questions her sanity and embarks on a harrowing journey to unravel the truth of her past. As her search deepens, she confronts shocking revelations that expose her to dangers she never anticipated.

Blending Gothic and supernatural elements with a gripping exploration of identity and legacy, The Medici Curse is a beautifully crafted tale of family scandal, murder, art, and intrigue.

In a crowded field, Daco Auffenorde stands out with a novel that is original, heartfelt, and thrilling. Family lore, art, and an extraordinary setting, make THE MEDICI CURSE a breakout in waiting.”
—Alex Finlay, USA Today bestseller

THE MEDICI CURSE is a fascinating, wholly original story that beautifully, terrifyingly juxtaposes the dark and light; love and revenge with a creepy, haunting mansion set against the gorgeous, magical backdrop of Tuscany. Like the house with secret doors and hidden caves where much of the story takes place, this nail-biting thriller leads the reader down a treacherous path with shocks and twists at every corner. Childhood trauma, a struggle for power, and a family curse coil together in a plot suffused with dread and heart-thumping suspense. This is an unforgettable read.”
—Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and #1 bestselling author of Woman on the Edge and Watch Out for Her

Engaging characters, a captivating setting, and a complex, sophisticated plot wrapped in deceptions and intrigue. Exactly what a thriller should be.”
—DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Jake Longly and Cain/Harper thriller series

Daco S. Auffenorde’s THE MEDICI CURSE is a suspenseful, wisely crafted tale of a young woman and a cursed family heirloom that weaves together the complexity of family dynamics, friendships, and deception. This mystery unveils a twist that leaves you questioning how well you really know the people around you. A fresh and imaginative new voice in the mystery world.”
—Allen Eskens, bestselling author of The Life We Bury

Set in a lavish villa amid the lush vineyards of Tuscany, Daco Auffenorde’s THE MEDICI CURSE simmers and boils with shocking twists and disturbing psychological trauma. A tenebrous mystery with an oh so satisfying conclusion.”
—James W. Ziskin, Anthony, Barry, and Macavity Award-winning author of the Ellie Stone Mysteries

Auffenorde deftly weaves gothic elements into a thriller to create a propulsive story that kept me turning pages all the way to the end—which I didn’t see coming! Highly recommended for anyone who loves unique, atmospheric mysteries with multiple twists and surprises.”
—Isabella Maldonado, Edgar nominated and Wall Street Journal bestselling author

Daco Auffenorde knows how to keep the pace moving. Much like the house in this atmospheric thriller, she draws us deeper and deeper in search of answers to the Medici mystery.”
—Tonya Todd, actress, author, and activist

Atmospheric . . . Auffenorde’s crisp prose maintains the tension as she unfolds the story in short chapters. A lush, elegant thriller that successfully follows a familiar formula.”
—Kirkus

Auffenorde deftly builds the tension, offering plenty of eerie atmosphere with a hint of the supernatural. Add in family members harboring potentially nefarious secrets and a creepy housekeeper and gothic readers are sure to be pleased.”
—Booklist

The story begins with a genuine bang—a truly horrifying childhood memory—and continues with all the ingredients for a true creep show: an unreliable, possibly delusional narrator who recalls the governess in The Turn of the Screw, a family secret, a mansion fraught with haunting shades of the past, plot feints galore, dubious characters, and a coveted, gorgeously bejeweled necklace.”
—Library Journal

A gothic, psychological thriller, with twists and turns . . . you don’t see coming. A perfect summer and 4th of July read.”
—Red Carpet Crash

A splendid gothic thriller with the perfect blend of the supernatural . . . Auffenorde excels at crafting artful false villains and unreliable allies, pulling readers into an edge-of-your-seat quest to discover what happens next.”
—Well Read Magazine (July 2025)

The Medici Curse is packed with creepy elements, including a murder of crows, ghastly flying insects only Anna sees, catacombs, and secret passageways. . . . The tortured twists of the plot and numerous suspects will keep readers engaged until the final pages.”
—Southern Literary Review (7/1/25)

If some elements of The Medici Curse sound classically gothic, that’s intentional, and it totally works. This novel knows you’ve seen haunted mansions and cursed jewels before, and it winks at that legacy while revamping it for 2025. It’s the literary equivalent of a retro band tee under a leather jacket: a little old-school, a little modern punk. Auffenorde’s writing has a conversational snap that keeps the story accessible even as it delves into heavy themes of legacy and guilt.”
―The Honey Pop

Auffenorde plays with the conventions of her literary genre with style and occasional wit. … The result is a story full of entertaining depictions, savory duplicity, titillating thrills, and abundant surprises.”
―Alabama Writers Forum

The Medici Curse is a quick read perfect for the thriller reader longing to go to Tuscany but might not be able to afford the ticket. Author Daco S. Auffenorde describes Italy and Rome with the attention to detail of a respectful tour guide, while making sure that Anna’s story stays center stage. The book plays with the reader, letting them wonder what is real and what may be supernatural forces.
―FanGirl Nation Magazine

Daco S. Auffenorde is an award-winning author of Cover Your Tracks, which was selected as a Suspense Magazine “Best of 2020” Thriller/Suspense and won Action Thriller of the Year with Best Thrillers Book Awards. Lee Child says, “Sensational—new, fresh, suspenseful . . . I loved this book.” Her psychological thriller The Forgotten Girl won the Book of the Year with Best Thriller Book Awards. Daco’s works also appear in several anthologies, including her short story “The Virgo Affair” in Killer Nashville Noir: Cold-Blooded. Her debut The Libra Affair, a Jordan Jakes novel, was a #1 Amazon Bestseller. She is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Authors Guild, Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and Alabama State Bar.