Blood on Her Tongue
It is 1887, and Miss Lucy Goedhart rushes to the bedside of her desperately ill twin sister, Sarah. Sarah lives at her husband’s country estate in the Netherlands, where the discovery of a bog-woman, murdered centuries earlier, has upset Sarah’s already delicate mental state. The sisters are close friends and confidantes, but there are also secrets between them, as well as a history of mental illness running in the family. As Sarah’s health rapidly declines, Lucy fears interest in the bog-woman has overset her sister’s reason—but there may be supernatural forces at work.
So many components of gothic literature are successfully brought together in this feast of a novel. Sarah’s home is delightfully swampy and damp, ominously called Zwartwater, or Black Water. Then there’s Sarah’s austere husband, her abused maid, and the weak-chinned family doctor, with his tepid courtship of Lucy. Vampire vibes ripple through a story as fantastical, and it is gripping. If this book was a movie, I’d have been behind the sofa with my eyes shut at some graphic scenes, but since it’s a book I read every word and didn’t miss a ghastly moment. Happily, there is also much humor here with witty dialogue, a persuasive cast of characters, and superb pacing. For me, the ups and downs of sisterhood and the women’s relationship shone through all the madness, and, well, gore.
An entertaining author’s note at the beginning of this book sets the tone for this wonderful read. This is gothic horror at its most horrid, but presented with wonderful writing and style. I was rooting for the Goedhart twins throughout this crazy tale. Highly recommended.
