THE AMALFI CURSE by Sarah Penner

Reviewed by Tracey Devlyn

New York Times bestselling author Sarah Penner delivers another atmospheric, spell-binding, dual-timeline novel with THE AMALFI CURSE.

In a small fishing village off the coast of Italy, Positano holds an ancient secret—a lineage of fiery-haired women who share a mystical bond with the sea.

Thanks to their influence, Positano escapes the usual hardships of coastal life—crumbling cliffs, eroding shores, overfishing, even pirate attacks. These powerful women, known as the streghe—sea witches—command the ocean’s favor.

At twenty-two, Mari DeLuca is the strongest of them all. But she harbors a secret. One she dares not share with her sisters for fear of their disappointment.

Mari hates the sea—and plans to leave it behind forever. First, she’ll perform one last protection spell for the village, then she’ll leave forever. But when a young streghe-in-training is abducted, Mari realizes their secret is no longer safe—and someone will stop at nothing to harness the ocean’s power.

Two hundred years later, nautical archaeologist Haven Ambrose arrives in Positano for a career-defining dive. But when her funding vanishes and a capsized yacht sends shockwaves through the village, Haven begins to suspect the legends are more than myth. Is the Amalfi Curse real?

With Penner’s evocative storytelling and richly drawn settings, THE AMALFI CURSE deftly weaves together two lives, two mysteries, and two hundred years of secrets in one sweeping tale of magic, myth, and the enduring pull of destiny.

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USA Today bestselling author Tracey Devlyn once dreamed of becoming the next Dian Fossey and exploring the wilds of Africa—until she met chemistry and calculus. With an enthusiasm for research that fuels the creative (and occasionally disturbing) plot twists her characters must navigate, it’s no surprise that her suspense-laden stories thrill readers and reveal the nefarious nature hiding behind her smile. Despite the emotional rollercoaster she delivers on the page, Tracey enjoys a laid-back, fleece-and-boots lifestyle with her husband and rescue dog in the mountains of North Carolina. Visit Tracey at TraceyDevlyn.com, @AuthorTraceyDevlyn on Facebook, @traceydevlyn on Bluesky, @traceydevlyn on Instagram, @traceydevlyn on Threads, and @traceydevlyn on X.