Danvers Asylum, 1914 · A mystery by mail
The Asylum Letters
They call her Grace.
She doesn’t know why.
A woman wakes inside Danvers Asylum with no memory of her past. One young doctor believes her. Someone else needs her to stay forgotten.
A year-long story told in 24 physical mailings: four-page letters and story artifacts delivered to your mailbox.
What if remembering is the most dangerous thing she can do?
$149.00 USD
24 mailings over 12 months · One-time payment · Postage included
I had high hopes for this, and it has exceeded every single one. The writing is wonderful. It's haunting and beautiful.
Real mail. One-time payment. Postage included.
The story begins
A locked door.
A forbidden love.
A missing life.
Grace has a name that strangers have given her and a history she cannot reach. The asylum’s routines offer no answers.
Dr. Thomas Keller’s kindness becomes a lifeline. Their growing connection is something neither of them can safely acknowledge.
Through letters and the records around them, enter a fictional mystery of identity, romance and institutional power, set within the real world of Danvers Asylum.
Read it for yourself
One voice.
One envelope.
A reason to keep reading.
Before there is a theory, there is a woman trying to understand why she has been told to write.
Excerpt from Letter 1.
Grace · May 12, 1914
I am writing to you because they tell me I must. It is a strange and formal thing, to write to a name one does not know, a relative who exists only on paper.
I must confess, with a shame that feels cold and heavy, that I do not remember you. I do not remember anyone. I do not even remember myself.
From Letter 1 · The Asylum Letters
Explore the complete 24-mailing series
Inside the story
Look closer.
The details matter.
Story artwork and digital samples of story inserts—not photographs of an unboxing.
What members are saying
I'll be honest, I let my first letter sit on the counter for like a week. When I finally opened it, I was stunned. I was in the story in five minutes. The first letter from Grace was so heartbreaking, I was immediately invested.
I am absolutely captivated by The Asylum Letters. The fun of receiving a physical envelope, of holding the letters and the story artifacts in my hands, is something I didn't know I was missing.
The mystery part of the story is great, but the real mystery for me is Grace's past. Who was she? Why was she really committed? Every time she has a flash of memory like a song, a face, or the smell of the ocean, I get chills.
$149.00 USD
24 mailings over 12 months · One-time payment · Postage included
How it works
The mystery comes to you.
One payment. A full year.
24 mailings over 12 months. Every mailing contains a four-page letter, with more than 75 story artifacts across the complete series. Postage is included.
Watch the mailbox.
New-member mailings go out on the 1st and 15th of the month. After the first letter, mailings arrive approximately every 15–16 days.
Follow the evidence.
Read the correspondence. Examine patient records, photographs, maps, illustrations and secret notes. Return to earlier clues as the story changes what you thought you knew.
Give them something to look forward to
Not another thing.
A year of anticipation.
For the reader who loves a locked-door mystery, a forbidden romance, and a character they cannot stop thinking about.
A new envelope becomes a reason to pause, make tea, and step into another world. Share the story together—or give someone a private escape that keeps arriving.
For a gift, use your recipient’s shipping address and your own billing details. Let them know to watch the mailbox so the letters don’t get mistaken for ordinary mail.
Give the story →The person behind the letters
Written to draw you in.
Designed to be held.
Created by Christopher Forrest, author and former trial attorney.
I've created mysteries and stories for 20th Century Fox and publisher Penguin Random House for movies and bestselling books. Now I'm creating them for you.
A few practical details
Before the first envelope.
What will I receive?
24 physical mailings over 12 months, each with a four-page letter. More than 75 story artifacts accompany the complete series, including patient records, photographs, maps, illustrations and secret notes.
Is this a recurring subscription?
No. One payment covers the complete series, with postage included.
When do the letters arrive?
New-member mailings go out on the 1st and 15th. After your first letter, arrivals are approximately 15–16 days apart. Postal transit times vary; this is a story that unfolds by mail, not an instant download.
What is the satisfaction guarantee?
If you are dissatisfied, request a refund at hello@deadletterstudio.com within 30 days of receiving your first mailing. We will refund your full purchase price, including sale-price purchases, with no cancellation or restocking deductions, and cancel all remaining mailings. No questions asked.
Is this real historical correspondence?
No. This is historical fiction told through physical letters and story artifacts. Its characters and mystery unfold within a historical setting.
Your next obsession, by letter
The Asylum Letters
A new envelope. A deeper mystery.
A whole year to lose yourself in the story.
$149.00 USD
One-time payment · 24 mailings over 12 months · Postage included
Your 30-day satisfaction guarantee
If you are dissatisfied, request a refund at hello@deadletterstudio.com within 30 days of receiving your first mailing. We will refund your full purchase price, including sale-price purchases, with no cancellation or restocking deductions, and cancel all remaining mailings. No questions asked.