Blood on her Tongue was my book club read for May. I dutifully borrowed it from the library on my kindle and read 1-2 chapters. Then I promptly put it down. I admit, if you want me to read something, I do much better with an actual physical copy or an audio book.
So, when I saw the audiobook on Net Galley, I hit "request". My Book buddy had the same idea, and we ended up both with Advanced listener copies. Many Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ALC.
I am very glad I had her to read with because we flew through this lush gothic historical vampire horror novel. Our reaction when we finished was "WHAT DID I JUST READ"
This is definitely a book for a specific audience. I'm not saying I'm not that audience, but... I'm also not saying that I definitively AM that audience. It left me feeling a little bit unsettled overall.
No spoiler synopsis- Sarah and Lucy are twins and very close. Sarah marries and Lucy remains single due to no dowry situation after their parents pass on. A bog body is found on the property where Sarah resides. It's buried in a curious way, and while it is being unearthed, curious Sarah is essentially bitten by this body and thus begins a terrifying and horrific illness. Lucy travels to her side, but Sarah indeed worsens. As Sarah's body sickens, secrets are revealed and Lucy must contend with these secrets and also with the two overbearing men involved in the novel, Sarah's husband, and the friend of the family - the doctor. As Lucy navigates a quite tricky situation- she becomes protector and investigator rolled into one- roles she's not feeling particularly prepared for nor skilled at.
The writing is fantastic. Tight and well put together. I did note a few very modern kind of terms popped in here and there. A phrase "it is what it is" was used and seemed quite out of place for the setting and time frame, but in general- the scene was set and I could feel the dreary- eerie quality of the Zwartwater Estate where much of the novel is set. In face, both my buddy and I decided that the book was making us feel quite distressed and unsettled - which is a little odd as it stuck with me even after I set it down.
Emily Tucker narrates the book and I appreciated the clear narration that did not detract from the story. She doesn't do any special voices in the story, but given the nature of this novel, I think the clean clear narration was plenty!
This would be a great book for summerween, spooky season, and for fans of Gothic Horror (with a capital G!) There is even a deluxe edition with sprayed edges. For me, it might actually be that one step too far into creepy and I'll stick with the audio version.
STATS
First Published : March 2025
Pages: 368
Available as an Audio Book : YES
Trigger Warnings: Death, chronic illness, violence, alcohol, medical content, body horror, eyeball horror, mental health, child death, accidental burial, cannibalism, domestic violence, classism (not a full list- read responsibly!!!!)
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