The Memory Tree by Heather Davey

A sinister Gothic folk horror from the bestselling author of The Ghosts of Merry Hall, in which a family in modern day England find their new home beset by the terrifying ghosts of the past. Ideal for lovers of gothic chillers by Laura Purcell, Susan Hill and Rebecca Netley.

When her husband, Ben, takes on his first parish in the rural community of Hope-Upon-Barrow, Kate Greenway feels like it could be a fresh start for the family. But from the moment they arrive, something just feels… off. It could be the mysterious housekeeper, Mrs Butterworth, so demanding and controlling of the family. It could be the locals, with their strange rituals and rites. Or it could be the yew tree which stands in their garden, whose presence brings headaches, visions and disturbing, unfamiliar memories that do not belong to Kate. 

As she investigates the strange things happening to her, Kate begins to delve into the history and memories of Hope-upon-Barrow, and the more she uncovers, the more she risks losing herself to something deadly and ancient. 

Told on two timelines, the present day and the 1800s, this is a story of grief, guilt, strange customs, and how they came to be.

 In the 1800s, we have best friends Octavia, the vicar's daughter, and Alice, whose family owns the nearby farm. When these friends are witness to a strange occurrence at the ancient yew tree and share this information with Octavia's father, tragedy and deception ensues which still, to this day has a hold over the community of Hope Upon Barrow.

In the present day, we have Kate, her young son Noah, and her husband Ben, who has just been appointed his first parish. As they move into the old vicarage by that same yew tree, Noah and Kate are both disturbed by memories that could not possibly be their own. 

That is all I will say about the plot. 

I liked the small community setting with their unnerving superstitions, but I preferred the characters from the past over the present day goings on. I had a lot of empathy towards Octavia and Alice and the gradual reveal of what they endured all those years ago. The climax near the end wasn't the shocking twist it was probably meant to be, because it was too easily inferred long before it was exposed.

My thanks to Titan Books for the e-ARC

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Rooted by Leopoldo Gout

Aurora, a successful art lawyer, has returned to Mexico to celebrate a recent campaign for the repatriation of stolen artifacts. In particular, a mysterious statue of an Aztec god.

There’s nothing wrong with Aurora.

But Mexico City isn’t as she remembered, and as she cares for her ailing mother, home isn’t as she remembered either. Nothing is as she remembered. Elements of her past hint at darkness and power, and reality begins to crack and warp the streets.

There’s nothing wrong with Aurora.

But some sicknesses can’t be healed. As Aurora’s sanity unravels, she must pry apart her family’s secrets and accept the simplest of The Flayed One cannot stay buried.

A quick review of what felt like a very long book for me.

Aurora has been away from Mexico for quite some time, so maybe it's not that unusual that things are markedly changed from her memories. But how can she have memories from before she was born? What mysterious illness is her mother suffering? And is she having some sort of breakdown, or are these dreams and hallucinations real?

I loved the prologue, but it gave away most of the plot.

"Mothers always hide things from their children. It's what we do. We carry burdens so our children don't have to."

History, folklore, body horror, mystery, it's all here if you can wait it out. The pace is very slow. I don't mean slow burn horror; I mean slow as molasses, especially compared to the prologue, which pulled me in right away. I wanted to love this as much as the author's previous book, Pinata, but it was just an ok read for me.

My thanks to Tor Nightfire for the paperback.

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About the author

 

Temporarily Closed

 Dear Readers, thank you for your patience in this difficult time. I will be back when I am able to share my love of books with you.
I will reopen at some point in September. I have much to deal with right now.

Authors/Publishers and PR, please do not send books or requests at this time. If I have already accepted a book from you, I will get to it when I can. Thank you for your understanding.

An Immaculate Deception by Isabela Livino

A debut Gothic horror set in 1870s Brazil—a tale of creeping suspense in which a young pregnant woman finds herself unable to escape her lover’s isolated family home, and a family’s deal with the devil goes terribly wrong.

1877, Pernambuco, Brazil: Raised in a deeply religious household, Madalena knows Dante’s Inferno by heart and fears her mother’s reaction as much as she fears God. When she falls pregnant with a child conceived in sin, her mother issues a threat: marry or surrender the baby. Madalena is confident that the father, the dashing Leandro Neves, will do right by her and propose. But just as she is about to tell him about the baby, a violent storm sends their carriage careening off the road.

Madalena awakens in Leandro’s sprawling, secluded home, under the care of the mysterious and larger-than-life Doctor Lobo. Leandro is there . . . but he is no longer the charming poet she knew. He’s silent. Obsessed. Always watching.

Strange perfume haunts a locked room. Pages vanish from books. Jewels lie untouched in a forgotten wardrobe. And mirrors begin disappearing after Madalena sees something—or someone—ghastly in the reflection.

Leandro is unraveling. Doctor Lobo may be hiding something even darker. Trapped in a decaying house of secrets, Madalena must uncover the truth before the men around her destroy her, and before the hell she fears becomes the one she’s living in.

Madalena is young, pregnant, and madly in love with the man of her dreams. Unfortunately, the year is 1877, when being an unwed mother from a strict family is a worse fate than death. She was sure that the baby's father would ask her to marry him as soon as she told him about it, but alas, a tragic accident means she will never find out what he would have said.

When she awakens in his home after the accident, he is changed towards her. He is acting strangely and downright cold. Is it just shock from the accident or something more sinister? He doesn't seem to want her there, and yet he and the doctor who has been called will not let her leave.

I read this book because it was described as gothic horror, but I think I may have preferred it without the horror; I would have enjoyed it more as just a historical fiction. I was already so intrigued by the story, long before the horror aspect, that when it did come into play, I felt like it was just unnecessary and maybe even in the way. I was stunned by the clever and shocking reveal when we find out why the baby's father has changed towards her, but once that secret was let loose, I felt it should wrap up a little quicker. It stretched on too long for my tastes.

My thanks to Dutton for the e-ARC.

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