My Darling Dreadful Thing
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 3 months for £0.99/mo
My Darling Dreadful Thing
Buy Now for £12.99
-
Narrated by:
-
Jess Nesling
-
By:
-
Johanna van Veen
About this listen
If the dead can wake and walk among us, how can we know what is truly real?
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....
©2024 Geertje Johanna Hoogenboom (P)2024 W.F. Howes LtdListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"Horrifies as acutely as it delights… 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
"A sapphic seance of preternatural proportions, My Darling Dreadful Thing summons a stunning new literary voice to be reckoned with."—Clay McLeod Chapman, author of What Kind of Mother and Ghost Eaters
"This book got under my skin, all the way down to the marrow. It's as dark as a grave and throbbing with queer desire. I won't forget it."—Kirsty Logan, author of Now She is Witch
Johanna Van Veen is most definitely the queen of gothic horror 😍 I read blood on her tongue and absolutely fell in love with it. I knew I’d feel the same with this one & I wasn’t wrong. This was just so beautifully done👌🏻
Roos has lead a sad and abusive life, she only has her spirit companion Ruth by her side for love & comfort. Ruth has been with her for as long as she can remember, she shows her what real love is, she fiercely protects her & they simply cannot live without one another.
Roos mother is awful, only seeing her daughter as a way to gain money. She doesn’t feed her properly as she wants her to stay young so men will find her attractive & bring the gifts & payments to keep them afloat 😔 Her greed means she accepts payment to sell her to Agnes, a lonely widow that needs her own companionship.
Agnes & Roos soon find common ground in both having spirit companions & they fall into a happy contentment with each other. Roos has never felt as happy in her life but unfortunately not everyone feels the love, Agnes’s sister in law has nothing but hate & betrayal on her mind and her actions have severe consequences!
Oh I really did love this so much, it was so so beautifully done!! A beautiful gothic queer horror that reads like a comfort hug. I fell in love with it the minute I started 😍
I listened to this on audible & the narration is perfection 👌🏻 (same for blood on her tongue) I’ve already pre-ordered the witch of hagstone hill for its August release on Audible too as I know I’m going to fall in love with it as much as I have these two & can’t wait to read it 🤎
If you love gothic horror then this one is a must read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beautifully done 5⭐️🤎
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
this was utterly stunning
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It's probably a really good entry into horror too, it's more spooky than outright scary, and it keeps relationships at the forefront of the story most of the time. I have read both the physical and the audiobook versions and definitely think audiobook is such a perfect format for a story like this, it's narrated well and Jess gives the characters such a lovely delicate, almost cosy vibe which is so jarring from the context of the story.
If you're looking for spooky queer horror romances, which, yes, maybe a niche genre (but a personal favourite of mine) really give this one a shot.
Spooky, Sapphic and Slightly Saccharine
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
GREAT STORY.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Compelling
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.