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Under the Guise of Religion
Woman in the Abbey follows a young woman fleeing her abusive father, who finds an abandoned abbey in a haunted forest, where she finds Lucifer, who is searching for love and redemption. What intrigues you about the horror and paranormal genres that led you to write this book?
I have always been interested in the gothic genre. I have read and reread the classics: The Castle of Otranto, The Monk, Melmoth the Wanderer, Dracula, etc. What intrigues me is the mystery and the elements of the supernatural. What I find most interesting as a writer is that the genre allows me to explore the psychological and sociological aspects of the story and its characters. Unlike horror, whose sole purpose is to frighten, gothic allows for a more in-depth exploration of the psyche.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The themes that I was interested in involved issues of faith and doubt, fidelity and betrayal, and, in the case of Sister Lucretia, cruelty under the guise of religion. We have seen this misapplication of doctrine by religious zealots throughout history, going back to the Inquisition. Lucretia is the embodiment of this. One of the other themes I was interested in exploring was that of violence against women. In this case, the violence was by a woman towards other women. This issue is prevalent in our society. It needs to be exposed and dealt with because, while we may not see it in our daily lives, it is there and there are many women who are suffering.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
I am currently working on a novel that involves my Italian heritage, but which, I hope, will speak to people of all ethnicities. It involves three generations, starting with the immigrants and ending with the grandchildren of those immigrants. I am hoping to explore what it means to be an immigrant — the difficulties they face from language to cultural differences; what is means to be the children of immigrants — those in-betweeners who have to navigate both the old ways of their parents and the new ones they face on a daily basis; and what it means to be third generation where the old ways are there still, way in the background but are mostly ignored. Much of this is based on my own experience as well as on my observations of our new immigrants and their children. The book is in its early beginnings and won’t be done for perhaps 2 or 3 years. I hope, though, that it will appeal to all ethnicities, not just Italian-Americans.
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A young woman, fleeing the clutches of an abusive father, stumbles upon an abandoned abbey on the edge of a haunted forest. But what she finds there is far worse than anything she left behind.
Within the crumbling walls of the Abbey of San Pietro, ancient horrors stir. A mysterious old woman holds secrets of the past, and an unearthly being watches from the shadows—a being with the power to raise the dead and a thirst for vengeance.
Driven by damnation and bitterness, he weaves a sinister plan, using the living and the dead as his pawns. But is it love or something far more dangerous that motivates him?
In this gothic tale of love, betrayal, and unholy retribution, nothing is what it seems. Will she escape the abbey… or become part of its eternal curse?
Woman in the Abbey
Woman in the Abbey is a rich and relentless gothic tale, told in a voice that’s both seductive and sinister. The novel spins a dark fable about temptation, regret, faith, and the blurred line between good and evil. The story is narrated by a voice we eventually come to recognize as infernal—Lucifer himself—who recounts a centuries-old cycle of suffering, fear, and tragic desire, all centered around a decaying abbey haunted by the sins of its cloistered inhabitants. Two women—Perdita and later Graziella—are pulled into the abbey’s clutches, and their stories unfold with dread, horror, and strange tenderness. The narrative is drenched in fire and shadow, full of rich, lyrical descriptions and emotional torment, while Lucifer himself wrestles with an aching, impossible longing for love and redemption.
The writing is intense—florid, poetic, deliberately archaic at times—and it works, because the story needs to feel like a fever dream. Maggio clearly delights in language, and he lets the sentences unfurl like dark ribbons, twisting into corners you didn’t see coming. I found myself rereading lines out loud just to let the rhythm hit. That said, the style won’t be for everyone. It’s indulgent, dense, and sometimes over-the-top, but honestly, that’s part of the fun. The narrator is a fallen angel who wallows in tragedy, so of course, he’s going to be melodramatic. But the emotional core, his longing, his regret, his unholy desire to be seen, is real and even moving. There were moments when I pitied him, hated him, and rooted for him, all at once.
What really got me was how Maggio managed to make this ancient villain feel heartbreakingly human. I didn’t expect to feel so much for a character that’s supposed to be the embodiment of evil. And Graziella—sweet, terrified, resilient Graziella—she felt like a candle flickering in the dark. Her struggle to escape, her confusion, her faith, all hit harder because we see it through the eyes of someone who both adores and threatens her. The abbey itself feels alive, crumbling and grotesque, a character in its own right. Sometimes the horror is physical, other times it’s spiritual or emotional, but it’s always there, pressing in. The book doesn’t give easy answers or tidy arcs. It leaves you rattled, unsettled, but also weirdly satisfied.
I’d recommend Woman in the Abbey to anyone who loves gothic fiction, horror with a heart, or stories that sit in your gut long after you’ve closed the book. It’s for readers who like to get lost in dark places—not just spooky ones, but the kinds lit by flickering candles and lined with grief. If you want atmosphere, emotion, and a narrator who’ll charm and repulse you in equal measure, this book will stick to your bones.
Pages: 134 | ASIN : B0DMNG21RT
LITERARY TITAN 