Theme Music

A Novel

By: T. Marie Vandelly

Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen

“If you've been looking for your newest horror obsession after The Haunting of Hill House, read this one next.”—BuzzFeed

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 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.

Critic reviews

Praise for Theme Music

“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)

“A story as frenzied and hard-hitting as the characters bound within it . . . Readers will be bombarded with uninhibited descriptions and dauntless curveballs.”—Fangoria

“This one works really well for fans of dark mysteries, psychological thrillers, and horror—you’ll be kept on the edge of your seat and on your toes the entire time.”—Book Riot

“Vandelly shows a deft touch at creating characters and spinning plots, leading to an almost unbearably terrifying and bloody climax in this gripping debut.”—Booklist

“[Theme Music’s] many twists, surprises, and reversals will keep readers hooked.”—Kirkus Reviews

“What a riveting and disturbing read this is! Charting the return of Dixie Wheeler to the childhood home where her parents and brothers were killed in front of her, Theme Music is a fierce and intense slice of psychological horror that will leave you vowing, ‘Never Go Back. Never.’ ”—Louise Candlish, bestselling author of Our House and Those People

“A hypnotic blend of mind-bending, quasi-supernatural suspense and dark family secrets—readers will find themselves completely immersed in the utterly convincing world [Vandelly] crafts. . . . Vivid and lush, intricate and downright addictive. Read it with ALL the lights on, but make sure you read it.”—Crime by the Book

Couldn’t finish

I tried, but I just couldn’t finish this book. After a while it just seems so long and so strange. It just got harder and harder to care so I quit. If the story had been a little shorter, edited a little bit more I might have been able to stick through to the end but it just so much.

Unhinged but too long

I really enjoyed how this story sucked you in first paragraph and I was completely immersed but after a while I was feeling completely disconnected and ended up speeding the book up to finish it. It was several several chapters too long but overall I really enjoyed the story!

Craziness

Long drawn out, tragic, crazy. Not a feel good book. Too depressing. No happy ending here. It was just finally over.

Most listen

Ok I’ve said a book is a must listen to before but, omg this book the will have you guessing who did it all the way until the end. The author did a really good job with keeping you on the edge of your seat and the mind blowing end. All I can say is omg

Unique Plot Twists

I like a story that keeps you guessing. This one really did. It definitely kept my attention.