Category: gothic
The Beholders by Hester Musson
SOME HOUSES ARE HAUNTED BY THE LIVING June, 1878. The body of a boy is pulled from the depths of the River Thames, suspected to be the beloved missing child of the widely admired Liberal MP Ralph Gethin. Four months earlier. Harriet is a young maid newly employed at Finton Hall. Fleeing the drudgery of an unwanted engagement in the small village where she … Read More The Beholders by Hester Musson
+ audio book, childhood, family, fiction, folklore, ghosts, gothic, gothic horror, mythology, review, superstition, witches
The Ghost Woods by CJ Cooke
In the midst of the woods stands a house called Lichen Hall. This place is shrouded in folklore—old stories of ghosts, of witches, of a child who was not quite a child. Now the woods are creeping closer, and something has been unleashed. Pearl Gorham arrives in 1965, one of a string of young women sent to Lichen Hall to give birth. And she … Read More The Ghost Woods by CJ Cooke
The House of Dust and Shadows by Tabitha Potts
We are but dust and shadows is the motto on the sundial in the garden at Blackthorn Manor. The past haunts the family living there. When Robert Landimor, a famous painter, dies suddenly, he leaves his estate, including Blackthorn Manor, to his housekeeper, Mary, disinheriting his three daughters, Lucia, Izzy, and Sara in the process. No one understands why. Sara attempts to find answers, … Read More The House of Dust and Shadows by Tabitha Potts
The Bone Mother by Suzy Aspley
When reporter Martha Strangeways is summoned to investigate the discovery of body parts on a remote railway track, she’s drawn into a strange case, as her own past comes back to haunt her… The atmospheric, chilling series continues…RitualsSecretsA killer who will protect them at any cost… Martha Strangeways has settled into a quiet life in Strathbran, after the horrific events that traumatised the village … Read More The Bone Mother by Suzy Aspley
A Bad Deal in Mormon Land by T.I.M. Wirkus
Sometimes things are not as they appear, especially when religion, magic, and shady dealings mix. It’s 1908, and itinerant spirit medium Madame Ilsa von Hoffmann is at the end of her professional rope, facing down two unappealing options: join an ill-conceived commune founded by some fellow trans ex-vaudevillians, or take on a high-paying but mysterious job offered by a religious extremist in Salt Lake … Read More A Bad Deal in Mormon Land by T.I.M. Wirkus
+ fiction, gothic, Gothic mystery, Historical fiction, history, Italy, murder, revenge, review, Venice
Dangerous by Essie Fox out now in paperback
Fiction can be fatal… Living in exile in Venice, the disgraced Lord Byron revels in the freedoms of the city. But when he is associated with the deaths of local women, found with wounds to their throats, and then a novel called The Vampyre is published under his name, rumours begin to spread that Byron may be the murderer… Genre: Gothic Historical Crime Thriller … Read More Dangerous by Essie Fox out now in paperback
The Blind Woman of Sorrento by Francesco Mastriani extract translated from the Italian by Idara Crespi
A Gothic mystery set in the labyrinthine alleys of 1840s Naples — the first modern English translation of Mastriani’s masterwork. Naples, 1840. In the anatomy hall of the Hospital for the Incurables, a young medical student stands over his dead sister’s body and makes a vow. What follows is one of the most gripping novels of the Italian Romantic era: a story of hidden … Read More The Blind Woman of Sorrento by Francesco Mastriani extract translated from the Italian by Idara Crespi
+ crime fiction, gothic, gothic horror, Gothic mystery, Historical fiction, List, murder mystery, mystery, supernatural, superstition, thriller
My Top 10 Books of 2026 – Part One
So here we go again into another year of reading. And here are ten of my favourite books of 2026 Part One, excluding audiobooks, of which there are loads so far. As usual a disparate selection, with a fair bit of superstition thrown in, but only one Gothic this time. It was a difficult decision as I had to leave out about three more … Read More My Top 10 Books of 2026 – Part One
Catherine by Essie Fox
With a nature as wild as the moors she loves to roam, Catherine Earnshaw grows up alongside Heathcliff, a foundling her father rescued from the streets of Liverpool. Their fierce, untamed bond deepens as they grow – until Mr Earnshaw’s death leaves Hindley, Catherine’s brutal brother, in control and Heathcliff reduced to servitude. Desperate to protect him, Catherine turns to Edgar Linton, the handsome … Read More Catherine by Essie Fox
Estella’s Fury by Barbara Havelocke
Great Expectations meets Killing Eve To Victorian high society, Estella is the perfect lady. But her fair face hides dark secrets – what has she done with her husband? And will her past crimes come back to haunt her? Her freedom hanging by a thread, Estella must find a means of independence. Exploring an opportunity to invest in factory, she is horrified to discover … Read More Estella’s Fury by Barbara Havelocke
+ crime fiction, gothic, gothic horror, Gothic mystery, Historical fiction, List, murder mystery, mystery, supernatural, superstition, thriller, Victorian Britain
My Top 10 Books of 2025 – Part Four
Here are my favourite ten books of 2025 Part Four, including audiobooks, of which there are quite a few. As usual a disparate selection, though somewhat heavy on the Gothic. One Tiny Cry by Christina Delay This was crazy bonkers at times and I loved every minute. Anything to do with religious cults is up there with my favourite genres, and One Tiny Cry is one … Read More My Top 10 Books of 2025 – Part Four
+ cosy mystery, crime fiction, dark humour, female friendship, fiction, gothic, murder, murder mystery, retreat, review, Scotland, Scottish Highlands, secrets, writers
The Author’s Guide To Murder by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White
Three beloved New York Times bestselling novelists, one marvelously entertaining locked-room whodunit! When a famous writer is found dead in the book-lined study of a remote Scottish castle, three very different American novelists become prime suspects! Agatha Christie meets Murder, She Wrote in this witty locked room mystery and literary satire by New York Times bestselling team of novelists: Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and … Read More The Author’s Guide To Murder by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White
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