51 pages 1-hour read

Jennifer Thorne

Diavola

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2024

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Anna is a 34-year-old mock-up artist living in New York City. Having recently ended a long-term relationship following a terminated pregnancy, she joins her family at a rented Tuscan villa carrying significant emotional baggage. Her independence, creativity, and fluency in Italian set her apart from her relatives, who view her as the family's unreliable outcast.

Key Relationships

Twin Sister of Benny

Younger Sister of Nicole

Daughter of Anna's Parents

Sister of Partner to Christopher

Ex-girlfriend of Josh

Sister-in-law of Justin

Target of Caterina

Benny is Anna's twin brother, a schoolteacher living in Philadelphia. He often acts as a mediator within the family, attempting to keep the peace between his critical relatives and his independent twin sister. While he shares a special understanding with Anna, his desire to maintain familial harmony often overrides his loyalty to her.

Key Relationships

Twin Brother of Anna Pace

Boyfriend of Christopher

Brother of Nicole

Christopher works in finance and joins the Pace family vacation as Benny's boyfriend. He is highly preoccupied with status, money, and social position, displaying classic traits of an arrogant tourist. He views Anna as a threat to his relationship and actively seeks to assert his dominance over her.

Key Relationships

Boyfriend of Benny

Adversary of Anna Pace

Nicole is Anna and Benny's older sister, a married mother of two who meticulously plans the family's vacation itinerary. Her need for control masks underlying insecurities and dissatisfaction within her own marriage. She deeply resents Anna's freedom and actively polices her sister's choices.

Key Relationships

Wife of Justin

Older Sister of Anna Pace

Sister of Benny

Mother of Mia

Mother of Waverly

Daughter of Anna's Parents

Wealthy Midwesterners who fund the lavish Italian vacation for their adult children and grandchildren. The mother is preoccupied with surface appearances and maintaining the illusion of a happy family, while the father prioritizes authority and obedience. They represent the suffocating expectations placed upon the Pace siblings.

Key Relationships

Parents of Anna Pace

Parents of Benny

Parents of Nicole

Caterina is a 16th-century Florentine noblewoman whose spirit haunts the Villa Taccola. Local legends and historical records suggest she had a disastrous affair with the villa's original owner. Her malevolent presence grows active when the family ignores warnings about a locked tower room.

Key Relationships

Haunter of Anna Pace

Supporting Characters

Justin is Nicole's husband. He endures a strained marriage characterized by constant low-level arguments. Despite his integration into the rigid Pace family structure, he occasionally breaks rank to acknowledge the unfair standards placed upon his sister-in-law.

Key Relationships

Husband of Nicole

Father of Mia

Father of Waverly

Brother-in-law of Anna Pace

Mia is one of Nicole and Justin's two young daughters. She becomes inadvertently entangled in the supernatural occurrences at the villa when she begins mentioning mysterious local children. She inexplicably ends up trapped in the forbidden tower during the night.

Key Relationships

Daughter of Nicole

Daughter of Justin

Sister of Waverly

Niece of Anna Pace

Waverly is Nicole and Justin's other young daughter. She senses the unsettling atmosphere of the villa early on and feels drawn to the forbidden tower key. She also experiences terrifying nightmares about local folklore monsters.

Key Relationships

Daughter of Nicole

Daughter of Justin

Sister of Mia

Niece of Anna Pace

Josh is Anna's former boyfriend in New York City. Their relationship ended following Anna's decision to terminate a pregnancy without consulting him, a choice that left him resentful and angry.

Key Relationships

Ex-boyfriend of Anna Pace

Gianni is a handsome local waiter whose uncle serves as the caretaker for Villa Taccola. He flirts with Anna but becomes visibly disturbed upon learning where her family is staying.

Key Relationships

Romantic Interest of Anna Pace

Pietro is a local driver who transports Anna. He exhibits clear skepticism and discomfort regarding the family's choice of rental property, hinting at the local superstitions surrounding the estate.

Key Relationships

Driver for Anna Pace