My Darling Dreadful Thing: A Novel
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"Dark and decadent, with the haunting allure of a true gothic tale, My Darling Dreadful Thing is a sensation that horrifies as acutely as it delights. Johanna Van Veen is a force to be reckoned with and will stain your thoughts a brilliant shade of crimson."
-- Rachel Gillig, New York Times bestselling author of One Dark Window
Spirits are drawn to salt, be it blood or tears.
Roos Beckman has a spirit companion only she can see. Ruth--strange, corpse-like, and dead for centuries--is the light of Roos' life. That is, until the wealthy young widow Agnes Knoop visits one of Roos' backroom seances, and the two strike up a connection.
Soon, Roos is whisked away to the crumbling estate Agnes inherited upon the death of her husband, where an ill woman haunts the halls, strange smells drift through the air at night, and mysterious stone statues reside in the family chapel. Something dreadful festers in the manor, but still, the attraction between Roos and Agnes is undeniable.
Then, someone is murdered.
Poor, alone, and with a history of 'hysterics', Roos is the obvious culprit. With her sanity and innocence in question, she'll have to prove who--or what--is at fault or lose everything she holds dear.
"A Sapphic séance of preternatural proportions, My Darling Dreadful Thing summons a stunning new literary voice to be reckoned with. Johanna van Veen reaches beyond the veil to conjure up a gothic shocker like no other." -- Clay McLeod Chapman, author of What Kind of Mother and Ghost Eaters
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Community Reviews
Years pass and after a séance attended by Agnes Knoop, a young widow, Roos is invited to live with Agnes at the manor left to her after her husband's death. Although the building is decaying and crumbling, and also home to Mr. Knoop's ailing sister, Roos finds she does not regret her decision. She's no longer starving and exhausted, Ruth remains by her side, and Agnes is now part of her life.
But out there, alone in that manor, something goes wrong. Someone dies and Roos is caught and put on trial for murder. Presumed by most to be mentally unstable or lying, she is forced to meet with Dr. Montague, a psychologist, to recount the events of the past months. The novel is interspersed with these interview transcripts, giving an interesting feel to the story by showing Dr. Montague's thoughts and by hinting at events that have not yet been shared.
A wonderfully unsettling novel, My Darling Dreadful Thing is a tale of just how far people will go for those they love.
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