I’ve loved Gothic fiction ever since I was young. I grew up around avid murder-mystery fans, but being introduced to Edgar Allan Poe’s work is what started me on a path that led me to become a writer. With a background in psychology, my stories tend to involve dark fantasy settings with an emphasis on Gothic elements, mainly because it often leans into psychology for support. The dark sides of the soul and the way the mind plays tricks are often what bring out the horror that Gothic fiction is known for. This exploration of the human psyche is what both fascinates and inspires me as a writer.
This is my all-time favorite book. From the brooding and mysterious Maxim de Winter to the beautiful landscape of Manderley, this story shows how dangerous our perceptions of others can be. The unnamed narrator who marries Maxim is haunted by his first wife, Rebecca, simply by how all the other characters speak of her. The fact that no ghost ever makes an appearance almost makes the book more suspenseful because you can practically feel her there without actually getting the satisfaction of seeing her. Also, the twisted ending makes this book a must-read!
* 'The greatest psychological thriller of all time' ERIN KELLY * 'One of the most influential novels of the twentieth century' SARAH WATERS * 'It's the book every writer wishes they'd written' CLARE MACKINTOSH
'Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again . . .'
Working as a lady's companion, our heroine's outlook is bleak until, on a trip to the south of France, she meets a handsome widower whose proposal takes her by surprise. She accepts but, whisked from glamorous Monte Carlo to brooding Manderley, the new Mrs de Winter finds Max a changed man. And the memory…
A clever account of vanity-gone wrong, I thought this novel was a great metaphor for how becoming obsessed with appearances (or just yourself in general) can have consequences. Dorian is so vain that he sells his soul in order to stay young and beautiful, all while his beautiful portrait ages and takes the brunt of his amoral lifestyle. What’s amazing about this story is not only does Dorian’s portrait suffer consequences – showing his true ugliness with each immoral act – but the characters around Dorian suffer as well, some of them terribly. It’s a very good reminder that not everything beautiful is good.
'A triumph of execution ... one of the best narratives of the "double life" of a Victorian gentleman' Peter Ackroyd
Oscar Wilde's alluring novel of decadence and sin was a succes de scandale on publication. It follows Dorian Gray who, enthralled by his own exquisite portrait, exchanges his soul for eternal youth and beauty. Influenced by his friend Lord Henry Wotton, he is drawn into a corrupt double life, indulging his desires in secret while remaining a gentleman in the eyes of polite society. Only his portrait bears the traces of his depravity. This definitive edition includes a selection of…
I grew up on Agatha Christie, from watching the movies and TV shows to browsing my grandmother’s complete collection of stories. While I have a few favorites, this one’s by far the best. As one of Christie’s more sinister plots, this story is about ten strangers who are invited to an island by their host, and over the course of their stay, end up being murdered one by one in the same style as the nursery rhythm “Ten Little Indians.” While the ending has to do with justice, the big takeaway was how the characters were written. I wanted so badly for them to make it to the end, until I realized that each character wasn’t who they seemed to be, making the ending that much more twisted.
Agatha Christie's world-famous mystery thriller, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers.
Ten strangers, apparently with little in common, are lured to an island mansion off the coast of Devon by the mysterious U.N.Owen. Over dinner, a record begins to play, and the voice of an unseen host accuses each person of hiding a guilty secret. That evening, former reckless driver Tony Marston is found murdered by a deadly dose of cyanide.
The tension escalates as the survivors realise the killer is not only among them but…
The ultimate revenge story! At its core, this novel is an adventure story, but it also has a huge Gothic undertone, from the gloomy atmosphere of the prison to the dark psychology of seeking personal justice. While I loved the movies, I loved even more how the novel was darker, with Edmond Dantes setting up his nemeses like dominoes just to watch them fall. He not only inflicted justice, but he did it in such a psychological (and financial) way that it became even more damaging to those who wronged him, to the point that most succumbed to their own demises. Now that’s something I can get behind.
The epic tale of wrongful imprisonment, adventure and revenge, in its definitive translation
Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantes is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to use the treasure to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. Dumas' epic tale of suffering and retribution, inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment, was a huge popular success when it was first serialized…
Although I saved him for last, I’m a die-hard Poe fan. I was first introduced to his work by my grandfather, who gifted me a leather-bound edition of Poe’s complete collection when I was in middle school. I ate through that book, falling in love with his style, descriptions, and downright passion in his macabre outlook. Each poem has its own rhythm; each story its own moral. While “The Raven” is his most widely known work, my personal favorites are the poem “Annabel Lee” and the short story “The Oval Portrait.” Poe led me in the direction of Gothic literature, and to this day that’s the genre I both love to read and write in.
This single volume brings together all of Poe's stories and poems, and illuminates the diverse and multifaceted genius of one of the greatest and most influential figures in American literary history.
Skylar Mandolyn, last heir and first queen of Correnth, is still haunted by what happened during her imprisonment. Trying to stay focused on the impending war with Bellumortis, Skylar can’t help but see the shadow of the one who had caused her kingdom’s downfall, only recognizing him by his black-and-cream façade and his chin that drips with blood. Then, Bellumortis attacks, and suddenly the reality and fantasy she’s tried to keep separate become the same battleground. Ghosts become real, enemies become haunting, and Skylar begins to realize that this may actually be the end of everything… including herself.
Not So Little Things by Kyle Ann Robertson unravels the meticulously crafted life of Tina, an artist engrossed in the intricate world of historically accurate miniatures. As she dutifully honors her deceased father's desire for her to follow in his artistic and historical footsteps, Tina's controlled existence is shaken by the emergence of long-buried secrets when she takes a commission to build a replica of Jake Martin’s family mansion.
Robertson navigates the delicate balance between Tina's devotion to her father's wishes and the disruptions caused by revelations from the past. The novel beautifully explores the complexity of familial expectations and…
Tina Edwards loved her childhood and creating fairy houses, a passion shared with her father, a world-renowned architect. But at nine years old, she found him dead at his desk and is haunted by this memory. Tina's mother abruptly moved away leaving Tina with feelings of abandonment and suspicion. Raised by her loving, wheelchair-bound Aunt Liddy, her father's sister, 33 year old Tina has become a miniature room artist and cherishes the control she has over her life in Northeast Georgia as she works hard to please her beloved dead father's wishes of following in his footsteps in art and…
