The novel about a woman whose family tragedy is brought back into the spotlight marks the author’s adult debut
Credit: Piper Moore; Atria/Emily Bestler Books
NEED TO KNOW
- PEOPLE can exclusively share the cover of Tara Goedjen’s upcoming thriller Please Enjoy Your Stay
- The novel about a woman whose family tragedy resurfaces is the author’s adult debut, and combines her love of true crime and gothic literature
- “Please Enjoy Your Stay is about how our lives are shaped by the stories we tell about the world, and about ourselves,” Goedjen explains to PEOPLE
Tara Goedjen is stepping into the world of adult thrillers.
PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the cover of the author’s new novel Please Enjoy Your Stay, out this fall from Atria and Emily Bestler Books.
The novel, per its synopsis, follows Mia, who is still haunted by a family tragedy that occurred years earlier. When she was a teenager, her cousin was killed during a vacation at a castle in the Austrian mountains and Mia, as the only witness, helped to put his murderer in prison. Her testimony caused a media stir, leading her aunt, a true crime author, to be accused of taking part in the crime.
A decade later, the case is brought back into the public eye when the murderer decides to appeal his conviction, and a hit true crime podcast covers the events.
Credit: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
In an attempt to protect her aunt, Mia makes the trip back to the Austrian alps, taking a job as a nanny at the property in order to investigate further. But when new evidence into her cousin's death emerges, and someone disappears from the location, Mia realizes she may have put the wrong person behind bars, and is at risk of becoming a victim herself.
Goedjen, author of young adult mysteries No Beauties or Monsters and The Breathless, knew that her latest book was perfect for an adult readership, she explains to PEOPLE. Writing the dual-perspective novel allowed her to return to her YA roots too.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“Please Enjoy Your Stay is a genre-bender born out of my lifelong fascination with both true crime and gothic novels,” Goedjen says. “The backdrop is a luxurious European castle-turned-hotel with a dark history — where not one, but many people have died — and the reader doesn’t know if there’s a supernatural element at work, or if the threat is solely human.”
Credit: Piper Moore
“I couldn’t let go of the idea of this outwardly beautiful setting being imprinted by centuries of tragedy — haunted by its own past, just like my characters are,” she continues.
The book stays true to Goedjen’s love of darker material, including the thriller novels that she can't help but reach for. But Please Enjoy Your Stay also promises a thought-provoking message the author hopes will reach readers too.
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
“At its heart, Please Enjoy Your Stay is about how our lives are shaped by the stories we tell about the world, and about ourselves,” the author says. “All our supposed faults, all the assumptions we’ve made, all the stories we tell about the experiences we’ve had can either constrict us or set us free … if we can summon the courage to finally rewrite them.”
Please Enjoy Your Stay will be published on Oct. 13 and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.
We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.
Read the full article here
