Nothing gets me more excited than learning that my favorite author is starting a brand new series. That’s right, Leanna Renee Hieber is back with more Gothic gaslamp fantasy! The first book that I ever reviewed on this blog over three years ago was Leanna’s Darker Still, a thrilling love story about a young woman named Natalie who saves the dashing Lord Denbury from demonic forces. Now, nineteen years after their happily ever after, it’s time for the next generation to join the fight against evil. The Spectral City is the first book in a new series starring Eve Whitby, Natalie and Lord Denbury’s daughter. The book comes out tomorrow, November 27. If you’re in the area, join me at the Spectral City Launch Party at WORD bookstore in Brooklyn on November 29! Continue reading Review of The Spectral City—A New Generation of Gothic Heroines
Tag: mystery
The Secrets of Chateau Swansea Review
Ghosts, psychics, a mysterious murder, and a missing child … it’s the perfect recipe for a Gothic novel. I’m always on the lookout for new authors who write neo-Gothic tales—stories that continue the legacy of the 18th– and 19th-century genre, yet aimed at modern audiences. The Secrets of Chateau Swansea by R. C. Matthews is the latest book to scratch that itch. Set in the Victorian era, this self-published novel blends mystery and romance in a classic Gothic setting. The book came out just last week and is available as an ebook only. Continue reading The Secrets of Chateau Swansea Review
The Invention of True Crime
Sometimes fact is more horrifying than fiction. This is the philosophy behind true crime, a genre that seeks to present nonfiction accounts of real-world crimes in a style accessible and entertaining to the average reader. The genre has been a hot topic lately, after a new suspect was arrested last week for the crimes of the Golden State Killer, just months after Michelle McNamara’s true crime book on the subject, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, hit the New York Times bestseller list. But can true crime books really help solve cold cases? The inventor of the genre seemed to think so. Continue reading The Invention of True Crime
Review of As Time Goes By–A Mary Higgins Clark Mystery
Time to delve back into a long-loved genre! I used to read a lot of adult mystery/suspense novels in middle school and early high school before I fell too deeply into my young adult sci-fi and fantasy reading hole. I remember especially loving the prolific Queen of Suspense, Mary Higgins Clark. So last week while browsing through audiobooks available from the library, I decided to start my foray back into the genre with one of my old favorites. I picked one of her more recent novels, As Time Goes By, which is part of her Alvirah and Willy mystery series. Continue reading Review of As Time Goes By–A Mary Higgins Clark Mystery
The Cuckoo’s Calling Review
I love when two of my favorite things get combined—in this case, murder mysteries and the author of my favorite children’s series! The Cuckoo’s Calling is the first book in the Cormoran Strike series that J. K. Rowling publishes under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. If you’re not familiar with Rowling’s adult works, I will warn you: these books are nothing like Harry Potter. Do not approach them expecting magic and child-appropriate language. You can, however, expect the same great quality of writing and complex character development. Continue reading The Cuckoo’s Calling Review
The Screaming Staircase Review—Teenage British Ghostbusters
Teenage British ghostbusters… need I say more? I’ve been a fan of Jonathon Stroud’s writing since I picked up the first book of the Bartimaeus Trilogy many years ago and started laughing out loud in the bookstore. I was thrilled to discover that Stroud was back at it with a new series, this time about one of my favorite topics—ghosts!
The Screaming Staircase is the first book in Stroud’s Lockwood & Co. series. It takes place in a modern British setting in which history has been altered by the emergence of The Problem—several decades ago, the appearance of ghosts increased drastically and their deadly touch became a serious threat to society. To combat this threat, a number of ghost-hunting agencies emerged, employing psychically sensitive children and teenagers to investigate hauntings. Lockwood & Co. is one such agency, though unlike the others it employs no adult supervisors or managers, allowing the teens to fend for themselves. Continue reading The Screaming Staircase Review—Teenage British Ghostbusters
Is Sherlock Goth???—Detective Fiction and the Gothic
Is Sherlock goth???
I talk a lot about how modern horror fiction and paranormal romance have descended from the classic Gothic novel. Well, detective stories are yet another example of a popular genre that rose up from this immensely fecund area of fiction. Many of the earliest detective stories were written by authors of Gothic fiction, or otherwise incorporated Gothic elements. In fact, detective fiction is a relatively young genre, and its origin is generally accredited to one of the greatest gothy patriarchs of all—Edgar Allan Poe. Continue reading Is Sherlock Goth???—Detective Fiction and the Gothic
Made for You Review–Suspense With a Side of Supernatural
Melissa Marr may be better known for her fairy-filled urban fantasies, but her most recent YA novel delves into the darker side of the human realm. With just a touch of the supernatural, Made For You is a suspenseful thriller that examines the minds of an obsessed stalker and his target. Eva Tilling is the unintentional It Girl of a privileged Southern high school. Despite her occasional frustration with the social status inherited from her parents, Eva seems to have it all: a great boyfriend, plenty of friends, invitations to all the best parties, and the envy of the rest of the school. Until one night she gets hit by a car…and realizes it wasn’t an accident. She wakes up to discover that she has gained a strange new ability—when others touch her, she can foresee their deaths.
Continue reading Made for You Review–Suspense With a Side of Supernatural
Eat Your Breakfast!–3 Days, 3 Quotes Day 3
Today is my final day of the 3 Days, 3 Quotes Challenge! Thanks again to Wandering Words for nominating me.
Day 3’s quote is from The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, generally considered to be the beginning of the modern mystery/detective genre:
We had our breakfasts—whatever happens in a house, robbery or murder, it doesn’t matter, you must have your breakfast.