In their latest novel, Seattle-based author Kim Fu gets one thing right about the Pacific Northwest: the rain. Set during a particularly bleak winter, The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts tells the story of Eleanor Fan, an online therapist grappling with the recent loss of her mother, Lele. After Lele’s passing, Eleanor inherits money to put a down payment on a house, but the only decent one she can afford is a model home in an unfinished development miles from town.

After moving to the picturesque valley, Eleanor experiences a series of strange occurrences, which only intensify as she confronts ghosts from her past—both literal and figurative. This gripping story examines the nature of human connection, relationships, and the healing power of forgiveness.

“As a ghost story set in a crumbling house, I hope the novel thrills and unnerves, but more than anything, it’s a book about grief and loneliness, internet-age isolation,” Fu says. “The main character and her circumstances are a little extreme, but the forces that have made it so difficult for her to find community and build a functional adult life will be familiar to many. “