Peter Rumancek, a 17-year-old Romanian gypsy boy who just moved to Hemlock Grove with his mother, is suspected of the crimes by some of the townsfolk and is also rumored to be a werewolf.

Tensions continue to rise, especially after Peter begins a relationship with Roman's cousin Letha (Norman's daughter), who believes that she was recently impregnated by an angel.

This fails due to Chasseur, a woman operating for a secret group known as the "Order of the Dragon", shooting a dart into Peter in his wolf form, knocking him out for the rest of the night of the full moon.

The final part of the book is told mostly from Olivia's point of view, revealing that centuries ago she was impregnated by a gypsy she tried to run away with as a young girl.

The man abandoned her shortly after they escaped (taking her jewels with him), and she was found a few days later, bloody, from having cut off the tail she had (the origin of the scar on her lower back).

Now resentful of any gypsy, she gave up the child to grow up with a lowborn old swineherd named Rumancek, showing that the family is descended from Olivia.

Roman then slits his wrists to "not let his mother win" but this actually finishes his transformation; he grows fangs and it is insinuated that he drinks from Letha's - and his - baby.

McGreevy spent six years writing Hemlock Grove and the book was rejected by six publishers and eight agents before it was picked up by Farrar, Straus & Giroux in 2010.

[6] McGreevy also drew from his experiences in high school and considers the book's setting as a Through the Looking Glass version of his hometown of Pittsburgh.

It also highlights Olivia's boredom and frustration with the utilitarian world of JR Godfrey, as well as gives some detail on the reanimation of Shelley.

[11][12] In December 2011 it was reported that Netflix had ordered a thirteen episode series based upon Hemlock Grove, which was unreleased at that point in time.