Blood on Her Tongue: A Novel by Johanna van Veen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
**4.5-stars**
Blood on Her Tongue is set in the late-1800s in the Netherlands. We follow Lucy after she receives word that her twin sister, Sarah, is unwell.
Lucy travels to where Sarah resides, at her husband’s large estate. A doctor, a friend of the family, has diagnosed Sarah with a temporary insanity caused by a fever of the brain. Lucy is desperate to see Sarah’s condition for herself.
Once she is on the estate, Lucy feels that something more is going on than the simple explanations the doctor, and Sarah’s husband, are putting forth. Therefore, she’s determined to solve the mystery, and figure out the cause of her sister’s rapid decline.
As Sarah’s condition worsens, she becomes violent, and hungry. Lucy considers possession, or maybe it is insanity. Either way, Lucy is willing to risk anything to keep her sister out of some miserable lunatic asylum.
I loved the set-up of this story. You could feel the Dracula inspiration in such a clever and substantial way.
There’s a piece of the story that involves the finding of a body in the bog on the estate, who they dub the bog woman. I thought that was super intriguing and provided a nice eerie backdrop right from the start.
It was also so fun when the author incorporated little pieces of mixed media into the story, as it made it feel more real, or believable. I have to think van Veen had Dracula in mind with that sort of inclusion as well.
The author did an incredible job of creating a lush gothic vibe as well. It felt like a classic story, yet more accessible to all in regards to language and pacing.
Overall, I felt this was really well done. I loved the atmosphere, paired with some phenomenal death scenes. Johanna van Veen didn’t shy away from getting dirty.
Everything that went on, it got crazy, thinking about being in Lucy’s shoes, the things she witnessed, the changes she saw in her sister, are terrifying to think about.
The Body Horror, in general, was fantastic; toe-curling and uncomfortable. My jaw was on the floor and I was squealing in delight through multiple scenes.
Please keep in mind this is coming from an experienced Horror Reader, so tread cautiously if you aren’t a fan of gory content, or are maybe trying out the genre for the first time.
I do love sister stories, and this is a memorable one. I’m really looking forward to picking up more from this author. I suspect we’re going to have a long and beautiful friendship.
Thank you to the publisher, Tantor Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. The audio production brought this story to life; very well done!