Angelica by Arthur Phillips

Synopsis:
Fearful of her husband’s sexual advances, a young mother falls into a spectacular case of hysteria–that might not be all in her head.

Review:
Angelica is yet another neo-Gothic tale, set in a Victorian England conjured more from literature than from history. It has all of the elements you’d want: repressed sexuality, midnight visions, hysteria and a spiritualist, all rendered in gorgeous, sumptuous prose from four different points of view. Continue reading

A Fatal Inversion by Barbara Vine

Synopsis:
A long ago summer idyll at a manor-turned-commune ended in tragedy, and the recent discovery of the bones of a woman and a baby threaten the secrets carefully guarded by the young man who inherited the home.

Review:
It may be a lesser Barbara Vine, but A Fatal Inversion is still an above average read. Continue reading

The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons

Synopsis:
A new house in a suburban Atlanta neighborhood spells disaster for all its inhabitants.

Review:
It’s awfully hard to be frightened when you’re sitting on a rooftop deck in West Hollywood, letting the setting sun dry your bathing suit after discovering that you can float like a cork in the saltwater pool. Continue reading