If there is one sense perception that threads seductively through Catherine House, it is scent, which author Elizabeth Thomas uses to create an atmosphere both mysterious and nostalgic. The characters are "surreally diverse," living in a young and beautiful world. And yet, something sinister pulses beneath the veneer of Catherine House. Idyllic and dark, this Lambda Award 2021 finalist will satisfy lovers of literary fiction as well as soft mysteries.

 

Publisher description:

Catherine House is a school of higher learning like no other. Hidden deep in the woods of rural Pennsylvania, this crucible of reformist liberal arts study with its experimental curriculum, wildly selective admissions policy, and formidable endowment, has produced some of the world's best minds: prize-winning authors, artists, inventors, Supreme Court justices, presidents. For those lucky few selected, tuition, room, and board are free. But acceptance comes with a price. Students are required to give the House three years--summers included--completely removed from the outside world. Family, friends, television, music, even their clothing must be left behind. In return, the school promises a future of sublime power and prestige, and that its graduates can become anything or anyone they desire.