Theme Music

A Novel

By: T. Marie Vandelly

Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen

Length: 14 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

An utterly propulsive and unpredictable psychological thriller from stunning new talent T. Marie Vandelly

She didn't run from her dark past. She moved in.

For the lucky among us, life is what you make of it; but for Dixie Wheeler, the theme music for her story was chosen by another long ago, on the day her father butchered her mother and brothers and then slashed a knife across his own throat. Only one-year-old, Dixie was spared, becoming infamously known as Baby Blue for the song left playing in the aftermath of the slaughter.

Twenty-five years later, Dixie is still desperate for a connection to the family she can’t remember. So when her childhood home goes up for sale, Dixie sets aside all reason and moves in. But as the ghosts of her family seemingly begin to take up residence in the house that was once theirs, Dixie starts to question her own sanity and wonders if the evil force menacing her is that of her father or a demon of her own making. In order to make sense of her present, Dixie becomes determined to unravel the truth of her past and seeks out the detective who originally investigated the murders. But the more she learns, the more she opens up the uncomfortable possibility that the sins of her father may belong to another.

As bodies begin to pile up around her, Dixie must find a way to expose the lunacy behind her family’s massacre to save her few loved ones who are still alive - and whatever scrap of sanity she has left.

©2019 T. Marie Vandelly (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"This is the scariest book since The Haunting of Hill House.... The most gripping and suspenseful debut novel of the year...Theme Music is more than compelling; it is mesmerizing." (New York Journal of Books)

"[Theme Music] promises to be one of the strangest and most enchanting works to come out this year." (CrimeReads)

"[A] chilling, enthralling debut... Driven by a believable plot and populated with realistic characters, this delicious mix of horror, ghost story, and mystery marks Vandelly as a writer to watch." (Publishers Weekly starred review)

Captivating

This book is LONG. It's also very captivating and keeps you on your toes the whole way through. I generally like my stories to be a little more twisted than this, but it's a great listen if you're interested in murders/haunted houses/psychotic breaks.
The narrator is clearly experienced and delivers a quality performance.

Unexpected find

This book was amazing it was recommended from a friend it did not disappoint. Highly recommend anyone to take a listen.

Page Turner

I was hooked on this story from the beginning. I laughed in many parts of the book. The narration did not skip a beat. Her voice was consistent with the characters throughout the whole story. However, I thought the conclusion was a little too long for me. Overall, it was exceptionally well written.

Tense As All Getout!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story was very tense and, at times, creepy AF. At times, I felt it was a bit disjointed and didn't know if it wanted to be a haunting story or a murder mystery. Turns out, no spoilers, it was both!

Good movie material!!

Great narrator! Reminds me of Loreli King in the Stephanie Plumb books!!! I loved it!

Couldn’t stop listening

Such a great book! No clue whodunit til the end! I listen to at least 2-3 books a week and this was by far in top 3!

Perfection

Amazing story with the right about of suspense, emotions, and ugh… everything. The narrator is incredible and I LOVED all the characters - especially Mr. Collins! Worth a read - I know I will read it again! First couple of chapters spooked me out a little bit but then I dragged it on purpose because I didn’t want it to end LOL! Kudos to the writer for this amazing story.

So Satisfying

Not only was it well written but the narrator executed to perfection. It’s not a book for the faint of heart.

Excellent Spooky Read

This book is perfect for spooky season. It has a little bit of everything for the suspense/haunting/thriller lover. I really didn’t want it to end. It’s the perfect book to listen to rather than watching a scary movie! Narrator was wonderful as well!

twisty but not great

lots of twists in this book, but it feels a bit disjointed with some loose ends