Evil Eyes by Carlo Armenise

A wickedly macabre novella from the intense imagination of Carlo Armenise, Evil Eyes: A Story of Love, Hate and Witchcraft is a compelling story of seduction, manipulation, and the deadly power of desire.

After spending years as a world-famous photographer surrounded by beautiful muses, Andrew Wyler finally finds the woman he wants to marry, only to have her die under bewildering circumstances at their engagement party. That same night, he meets Isabella Rossini, an intoxicatingly beautiful model from Europe who quickly steals his heart and obsessively fills his mind. As the ageless vixen insidiously takes over his life piece by piece, the truth about Isabella’s evil past begins to surface, while more mysterious accidents and tragic deaths pile up. Seeing the deadly writing on the wall, Andrew must break free of his hypnotic infatuation before it lands him in an early grave.

Armenise’s rapid-fire writing is direct and unadorned with description, and the plot moves wildly fast, which makes it a quick read, but sometimes to a fault. The book could afford to slow down with further narrative detail and character study, especially for a story that is so psychologically driven. As a result, the characters can come off as one-dimensional and unredeeming, and further exposition on their motives and outlook would humanize them and inspire greater reader investment. There are also a fair number of gaps in the plot that require a steady suspension of disbelief, but once you do so, this can be a darkly fun ride.

While the novella could be expanded to further flesh out each character and setting, the plot is well-conceived, driving the reader to see how this grim obsession comes to an end.