Gothic Fiction

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Three Quick Reviews: Short Stories of Suspense

STOCKHOLM by Catherine Steadman
Publication Date: August 31, 2022
Length: 42 pages
Rating: 4 Stars

“An extravagant anniversary trip turns into a desperate scramble for survival in an unsettling short story about desire, manipulation, and revenge by a New York Times bestselling author.”

Not gonna lie, this short story gave me anxiety. It’s a quick read but packed with a lot of dread, as an abused wife plans an escape from her ghastly husband during an anniversary trip to Sweden. I enjoyed this one, from the isolated snowy setting to the intense and unexpected ending. I’ve enjoyed previous books by Catherine Steadman, and this mini thriller did not disappoint.

BIG BAD by Chandler Baker
Publication Date: September 26, 2023
Length: 59 pages
Rating: 4.5 Stars

“For a family trying to make an isolated farmhouse into a home, fear and rage are getting harder to control in a primal short story by the New York Times bestselling author of Whisper Network and Cutting Teeth.”

BIG BAD is my first taste of Chandler Baker’s writing, and I’m hooked. This is a gruesome tale of a broken marriage with two kiddos caught in the middle, plus a menacing presence lurking around and within their farmhouse walls. Who’s the real baddie? The character development was impressive, especially considering the book was under 60 pages. I greatly enjoyed this creepy and emotional family drama/horror story.

THE MOSQUITO by B.A. Paris
Publication Date: July 25, 2023
Length: 32 pages
Rating: 4 Stars

“After his marriage fails, he hopes a vacation in France will relax and restore him. But fate has something more poisonous in store in this biting tale from bestselling author B. A. Paris.”

THE MOSQUITO is a fun story about a pesty bug and an even pestier house guest named Rupert. When I first encountered Rupert, he made me think of Colin Robinson, only without Colin’s charm, lol. (Any What We Do in the Shadows fans?) I enjoyed the symbolism in this short tale, and I especially loved the satisfying ending.

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THE HEIRESS by Rachel Hawkins

Publisher’s Synopsis:

THERE’S NOTHING AS GOOD AS THE RICH GONE BAD.

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

But in the aftermath of her death, her adopted son, Camden, wants little to do with the house or the money — and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past.

Ten years later, his uncle’s death pulls Cam and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but the legacy of Ruby is inescapable.

And as Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will — and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: January 9, 2024
Source: Review copy from NetGalley
Rating: 5 Stars

My Thoughts:

Rachel Hawkins has penned a brilliant Southern Gothic mystery. I just finished THE HEIRESS, and my mind is still spinning. It has some ominous REBECCA vibes that I absolutely love.

Dark secrets and scandals abound within the walls of Ashby House, the Appalachian estate of the McTavish family. Old money made the sole heir, Ruby McTavish, the wealthiest woman in North Carolina. Being kidnapped as a child and leaving behind four deceased husbands made her infamous as well. When she dies, all of her wealth goes to her adopted son, Camden, but he wants nothing to do with that toxic family’s money or drama. But Ashby House and the secrets within will not let go of him so easily.

THE HEIRESS was an expertly plotted book told from the POVs of Camden, his wife Jules, and Ruby, though Ruby’s voice is through her letters only, as she spills the juicy details of her life. There are some delicious, jaw-dropping moments in this book that made me pause! I greatly enjoyed this mesmerizing tale of murder, money, and greed. Highly recommended.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

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Three Quick Reviews: Sisters, Secrets, and Selkies

BLOOD SISTERS by Vanessa Lillie
Publication Date: October 31, 2023
Rating: 3 Stars

Syd Walker is an archeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Rhode Island. She left her home in Oklahoma over a decade ago after a night of violence changed her life forever. Now her sister has disappeared, and Syd has been called home to investigate human remains found near the location of the earlier tragedy.

This was a dark and gritty mystery that I was invested in right away, though around the halfway point I started losing interest. Syd was a difficult, guilt-ridden character throughout most of the book, and her questionable actions endangered herself and others. The pacing was sluggish until the end when we’re thrown some wild twists. BLOOD SISTERS was an ok read for me, but I struggled with the pacing and melodrama.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

DREAMING OF WATER by A.J. Banner
Publication Date: October 10, 2023
Rating: 3 Stars

A tragedy splintered Astrid Johansen’s family apart 17 years ago, when her little sister drowned in a pond near her Aunt Maude’s house in Heron Bay. Astrid is compelled to return when Maude reaches out to her claiming to have found a letter that will change everything they thought they knew about that time. Only when she gets there, Maude is unconscious, the victim of an attack. Someone wants to keep the past’s secrets buried, and Astrid must find out who.

DREAMING OF WATER is part family drama and part mystery that kept me guessing, though the story overall didn’t grab me like I’d hoped. It’s a slow-burn for sure, and I felt like the characters could have been fleshed out more. I wanted to know details about this mysterious letter, but Maude’s coma for a big chunk of the book pushed that to the wayside. I enjoyed the reveal at the end, definitely a surprise, though the conclusion left me wanting more.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

THE HIDDEN by Melanie Golding
Publication Date: February 28, 2023
Rating: 4 Stars

This was a unique and intriguing blend of suspense, police procedural, and Celtic folklore. I greatly enjoyed her previous novel, LITTLE DARLINGS, which first featured main character DS Joanna Harper.

On a December afternoon, a toddler is discovered alone outside a shop, while at the same time across town a man is attacked and left for dead in his bathtub. Joanna has quite a complex puzzle to put together to figure out how these two are connected. The truth is more bizarre than she could ever imagine.

THE HIDDEN was a well-written book with compelling and realistic characters. I enjoyed the addition of the selkie legend too. It’s a slow burn, but dark and mesmerizing at the same time. Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book. Opinions are my own.

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THE WINTER SPIRITS: Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights by Bridget Collins and Others

Publisher’s Synopsis:

FROM THE CREATORS OF THE HAUNTING SEASON COMES A DAZZLING COLLECTION OF NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN GHOSTLY TALES.

The tradition of a haunted tale at Christmas has flourished across the centuries. These twelve stories — authored by some of today’s most loved and lauded writers of historical and gothic fiction — are all centered around Christmas or Advent, boldly and playfully re-imagining a beloved tradition for a modern audience.

Taking you from a haunted Tuscan villa to a remote Scottish island with a dark secret, these vibrant haunted stories are your ultimate companion for frosty nights. So curl up, light a candle, and fall under the spell of winters past…

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Publication Date: October 19, 2023
Source: Purchased eBook (Nook)
Rating: 3.5 Stars

My Thoughts:

This collection is the follow up to 2021’s THE HAUNTING SEASON, with more spooky Gothic tales for the holidays. Again, the stories were good overall, with some I enjoyed more than others:

• Host by Kiran Millwood Hargrave: 4 Stars (séance gone wrong — or right?)
• Inferno by Laura Shepherd-Robinson: 4 Stars (Dante-inspired tale)
• The Old Play by Andrew Michael Hurley: 2 Stars (son visits his father performing in an annual play)

• A Double Thread by Imogen Hermes Gowar: 3 Stars (mean girl needs a new gown for a Christmas ball)
• The Salt Miracles by Natasha Pulley: 4.5 Stars (missing pilgrims on an eerie remote island)
• Banished by Elizabeth Macneal: 4 Stars (woman called to banish a vengeful spirit)

• The Gargoyle by Bridget Collins: 3 Stars (writer’s block in a creepy town)
• The Master of the House by Stuart Turton: 4.25 Stars (father searches for his missing son)
• Ada Lark by Jess Kidd: 2 Stars (child forced to work for a phony medium)

• Jenkin by Catriona Ward: 4.25 Stars (mysterious lie-detecting cat)
• Widow’s Walk by Susan Stokes-Chapman: 4 Stars (widow makes sought-after fans for a Christmas ball)
• Carol of the Bells and Chains by Laura Purcell: 4 Stars (Krampus legend)

Twelve spooky stories for 12 nights of Christmas — averaged out to 3.58 stars, rounded up on Goodreads! Are you a fan of short story collections? I don’t usually gravitate towards them, but ghost stories are just too tempting.

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Vintage Gothic Romance: PILGRIM’S END by Lena Brooke McNamara

Back Cover Blurb:

Established in the guest cottage at Pilgrim’s End on the pretext of painting the portrait of its aged mistress, artist Diana Adams had a method to her seeming kindness: she had to find the original deed to the estate, for it would prove, beyond doubt, that Diana was its rightful owner.

But the legacy she unearthed was a testament of terror, created by a master of evil to whom violent death was no stranger.

With her own life now at stake, there was only one man to whom Diana could turn. But would he believe her? And if he did, could he reach her in time?

Publisher: Ace Books
Publication Date: 1967
Rating: 3 Stars

My Two-Cents:

My copy of PILGRIM’S END was from the first printing in 1967. The cover shows a dark haired woman, and the blurb on the back calls the heroine “Diana.” However, within the story the heroine is a blonde named Diane. (Diane’s love interest in the book goes from being named Mark to Jim a couple of times. Same guy!) Needless to say, quality control was lax.

After the death of her parents, artist Diane Adams travels to the Pilgrim’s End estate in Virginia to stake her claim to the property, but first she must find the deed hidden somewhere within its walls. Diane is only there a short while to paint the current mistress’s portrait, and unfortunately she’s not the only one who wants Pilgrim’s End for themselves, which puts her life in danger. The story had a so-so build up to an exciting ending.

The author of this book was also an artist/painter, so you can tell she knew her stuff.