Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen is an absolute gothic masterpiece that had me clutching my imaginary pearls. 

Set in the eerie, misty Netherlands of 1887, this book follows Lucy racing to her twin sister Sarah’s side as something dark and deliciously twisted takes hold of her. It’s all bog bodies, bloodlust, and sisterly devotion wrapped in haunting, lyrical prose I was eager to devour. 

I’ll admit, I picked this up because I’m a sucker for anything gothic and/or sapphic and ESPECIALLY sapphic gothic horror (although the sapphic romance is between Sarah and her husbands cousin, so it’s kinda secondary), but I stayed for the way van Veen made me feel like I was creeping through Zwartwater’s shadowy halls myself. There’s this one scene where Lucy realizes she’s got a bit of Sarah’s flesh under her nail and, in a move that’s both kinda unhinged and tender, slips it under her tongue for safekeeping. It’s so grotesque yet weirdly sweet, like a twisted love note between sisters. The tension between Lucy and Sarah is so raw and real, it’s like watching your best friend fight with her sibling at a sleepover, except, you know, with weird parasites that are reminiscent of vampires and feminist fury thrown in.

If you love a bloody good tale that’s creepy and captivating, this is your next read.