Almost every writer draws from their own life for inspiration, and Yigit Turhan is no different. His captivating new novel, *Their Monstrous Hearts*, weaves together family secrets, hidden manuscripts, mysterious butterflies, the quest for eternal life, and a mercurial grandmother—though I won’t say more to avoid spoilers. The book will be published on April 8 by Mira, an imprint of HarperCollins.

During a recent conversation, Turhan recalled a defining childhood moment. At around five years old, while staying at his grandparents’ home in eastern Turkey, his grandmother asked if he wanted to stay up and watch an episode of *Freddy’s Nightmares*, a TV spin-off of *A Nightmare on Elm Street*. Like any child intrigued by the forbidden, he said yes—and soon found himself curled up beside his glamorous grandmother, Sevgi (whose name means “love” in Turkish), snacking as they watched a gruesome scene where Freddy turned someone’s fingers into hot dogs. It was a far cry from *Bluey*.

“To this day, I remember that scene vividly,” Turhan says, laughing. “The cozy atmosphere, my grandmother in her pink nightgown, eating popcorn and treating horror like a rom-com. It’s a cherished memory because I wasn’t scared—she made it fun, showing me there was nothing to fear.”

*Their Monstrous Hearts* isn’t a gory horror novel, though. Instead, it builds a slow, unsettling tension, exploring how well we truly know the people we love. The mood echoes the creeping dread of *Rosemary’s Baby*, one of Turhan’s favorites. (He’s a horror enthusiast, from the giallo films of Mario Bava and Dario Argento to Stephen King’s *Misery*.)

Set in Milan, the story follows Riccardo, a struggling writer who returns home for his grandmother Perihan’s funeral. The narrative blends mystical surrealism with dry humor—early scenes of Riccardo procrastinating in Paris will resonate with anyone who’s ever stared blankly at a laptop. Turhan also peppers the story with stylish references, from 1930s Schiaparelli gloves to the perfume *Fracas* and the erotic photography of architect Carlo Mollino.

But at its core, the novel is about love and loss. Perihan, a magnetic yet enigmatic figure, reflects Turhan’s own grandmother, who passed away years ago. Writing the book became a way to process grief. “She was the closest person to me,” he says. “Near the end, she had dementia, but in our last conversation, she remembered my name and promised to visit me in Paris. That moment proved we were still connected. After she died, I wished for more time with her—so this story became my way of keeping her close.” He pauses, then adds with a smile, “Though my mother keeps telling me, ‘Stop saying it’s your grandmother—she wasn’t a monster!’”Here’s the rewritten text in clear and natural English:

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Yet she was undeniably a huge, larger-than-life character.

Turhan’s beloved grandmother, Sevgi Paker (center, in silver), was a major influence on his novel—and his life.
*Photo: Courtesy of Yigit Turhan*

Yigit Turhan’s first novel, *Kudak*, was published in his native Turkey in 2015. Though he continued writing during the pandemic while working his day job as a marketing executive, the forced isolation led him to pick up a new hobby—one that found its way into *Their Monstrous Hearts*.

“Back then, everyone was baking banana bread or doing online Pilates classes,” he says. “I’d always been fascinated by butterfly displays, so I bought some dead butterflies from Etsy and taught myself taxidermy through online tutorials.”

This inspired him to write a COVID-era short story—a precursor to his new novel—about an early version of Riccardo and his affair with Alessandra, a mysterious woman who works at Paris’s L’Hotel d’Amour. In one eerie scene, Alessandra uncovers butterflies hidden in the walls of Shakespeare & Company bookstore, only to kill them with a cigarette lighter.

While that story planted the seed for *Their Monstrous Hearts*, writing itself became a source of comfort for Turhan. “Especially now, with everything happening in the world,” he says. “Coming home after work and immersing yourself in a world you can control—to some extent—is soothing. I love horror, but I’m not a horror writer. I’d love to be like Stephen King, terrifying readers, but my stories always drift into magic. Usually, nobody dies.”

*Their Monstrous Hearts*
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Beware—or don’t—the beautiful butterfly! Turhan’s new novel, *Their Monstrous Hearts* (Mira), releases April 8.

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Let me know if you’d like any further refinements!