The Children on the Hill

In 1978 Vermont, Dr. Helen Hildreth runs a renowned treatment center for the mentally ill. At home with her grandchildren Vi and Eric, she is simply Gran—caring for them and their pets. One day, she brings home a child named Iris, who is silent, hollow-eyed, and withdrawn. Violet welcomes Iris as a playmate, and the three children form a Monster Club, where they imagine defeating monsters. As Iris gradually opens up, the children spend their time together riding bicycles, visiting the drive-in, and meeting in secret at their clubhouse. In 2019, Lizzy Shelley hosts a popular podcast called Monsters Among Us. She travels to Vermont to investigate a child abduction and reported monster sighting in the town. Lizzy pursues the case with particular urgency because she knows monsters are real—one of them is her own sister. Inspired by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, this novel explores the mysteries of childhood and the evil perpetrated by monsters among us.