“Miller delivers a thrilling mystery with sharp twists and taut pacing, but it also powerfully touches on deeper themes, such as trauma, resilience, and the meaning of friendship. Threaded throughout the narrative is the fairy tale Maid Maleen, the subject of Emily’s novel about a young princess and her maid; they’re locked in a tower and forgotten, and they must courageously act to save themselves. This aspect is one of the novel’s greatest strengths, as this story reflects the growing bond between Emily and Lexi, who must rely on each other to escape their own metaphorical prison[s]…. A suspenseful story of buried trauma, female friendship, and the cost of secrets.”— Kirkus Reviews
A feminist fairytale retelling becomes a real-life nightmare.
From USA Today bestselling author Melissa F. Miller comes a haunting psychological thriller about two women trapped by a storm, tormented by the past, and desperate to survive the present.
A stay in a remote cabin is supposed to help Emily Rose finish her book—a feminist retelling of a fairytale about a princess and her lady-in-waiting imprisoned in a tower. Instead, it becomes the setting for a reckoning seven years in the making.
Emily has spent years hiding her trauma from the night she found her roommate murdered. When her husband, Tristan, arranges a writing retreat for her, she meets Alex, the owner of the isolated property and a woman with secrets of her own—including one that could destroy Emily’s marriage.
Trapped by a fierce storm and haunted by the brutal attacks that marked their pasts, a series of unnerving events—a watcher in the woods, a smashed cell phone, slashed tires—forces the women together to rescue themselves from a very real, present danger.
Interspersed with passages of The Tower, Emily’s work-in-progress, Cut Off from Sky and Earth is a chilling exploration of the weight of memory, the burden of trauma, and the courage it takes to break free.
For readers of psychological suspense, feminist thrillers, and literary mysteries with a dark fairytale edge.
