Spoiled Milk

Spoiled Milk by Avery Curran Pre-Order March 10th 2026

Spoiled Milk by Avery Curran is a darkly enchanting historical mystery and supernatural tale set in 1928, perfect for fans of gothic suspense and eerie boarding school stories.

In her final year at the secluded Briarley School for Girls, Emily Locke’s life is upended when Violet, the school’s brightest star and Emily’s captivating obsession, falls to her death on her eighteenth birthday. Emily and her typically restrained rival, Evelyn, are united in one belief: Violet’s death was no accident. Suspicion falls on the alluring French schoolmistress close to Violet—but proving it won’t be simple.

In their desperation for answers, Emily and her classmates turn to spiritualism, summoning guidance from beyond the grave. To their shock, Violet’s spirit chooses Evelyn as her medium—and delivers a chilling warning: the danger has only just begun.

A haunting, suspenseful debut, Spoiled Milk blends gothic intrigue, friendship, obsession, and supernatural mystery into a spine-tingling tale of secrets and the forces that refuse to stay buried.

Something deadly is infecting Briarley. It starts with rotten food and curdled milk, but quickly grows more threatening. As the body count rises and the students race to save themselves, Emily must confront the fatal forces poisoning the school. Emily's fight for survival forces her to reevaluate everything she knows: about Violet, Evelyn, Briarley, and, ultimately, herself. Avery Curran channels the indelible ambience and intrigue of the classic boarding school novel while turning the beloved genre on its head in this visceral, exuberant debut.