HERE IN AVALON

A novel of literary suspense about two sisters who fall under the spell of a cultish, potentially dangerous, cabaret troupe that creates seemingly magical experiences for New York City's lost and loneliest souls, and that makes the capitalist world of the city left in its wake feel like a sinister cult itself.

Rose is proud of the life she's built for herself in New York City. She's come a long way from her feral childhood, when she and her sister Cecilia lacked for parental supervision but not for the magical adventures that took them to all corners of the city. But now she's a contributing member of society. She's good at her job-she's a coder at a digital media startup that creates meditation tracks to optimize users' wellness-and she's engaged to Caleb, a tech CEO. The only part of Rose's life that isn't perfect is Cecilia. Cecilia is irresponsible and impetuous, prone to jetting off to a European monastery one month and a goat farm the next. She falls in love easily. She falls out of love easily...

So at first, when Cecilia returns to the city with news that she's both married and is getting divorced, Rose isn't shocked. Cecilia starts acting strange, disappearing for days on end, Rose isn't shocked. When Cecilia starts mentioning an immersive theater-troupe-meets-cabaret she's gotten into, Rose isn't shocked. When Cecilia disappears again, Rose isn't shocked.

But then Cecilia's soon-to-be-ex-husband Paul reaches out to Rose. He thinks the cabaret might be dangerous and that Cecilia's disappearance might not be temporary. Paul and Rose team up to try to figure out just what the cabaret is - and whether its members have lethal aims. And it soon becomes clear that the only way for Rose to find Cecilia - and to find out if she's alive - is to join the cabaret herself. She'll just need to find it first. And once she does, Rose will have to decide what type of world she wants to live in and what it truly means to have a meaningful life.

Tara Isabella Burton's debut novel, Social Creature, was named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, Vulture, and The Guardian. Her latest novel, The World Cannot Give, was a "Most anticipated book of 2022" from Harper's Bazaar, Nylon, Crimereads, and Bustle.