Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC Copy!

We are introduced to our FMC where she is being interviewed by a doctor, switching between doctors notes, and meeting transcripts, to full chapters with Roos telling her story. This was such a unique and intriguing way to tell our characters story, and it had me hooked right from the start.

This story is full of trauma, heartbreak, psychological and body horror, told beautifully in a dark and gothic setting, completed with a creepy old house, and spirit companions, and a touch of Sapphic romance.

What a weird book! But good! There’s so much to unpack here and I’m honestly not sure where to start, so here is a non-exhaustive list of things this book has going on:

- first things first, this book is (pardon my French) fucked up. So many dark things happen, and the way the spirits are depicted is CREEPY. There is a trigger warning at the beginning, which I admittedly skimmed, and even so I was not prepared (probably because of the skimming). If you’re worried about things like that, definitely give it a closer read than I did (or, if you’re like me and prefer to be blindsided, don’t say I didn’t warn you!)

- a surprising amount of sexual tension, juxtaposed with some intensely religious themes. Very gothic!

- the structure between the MC recounting the story and the interviews with her later was really well done, and made the novel for me. It kept me wanting to know more the entire time

Like I said, this book is bizarre, but I really liked it. If you enjoy horror or the supernatural and want something a bit unusual, check it out!

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for this ARC. My Darling Dreadful Thing is out today!

“Spirits are drawn to salt, be it blood or tears.”

An absolutely gorgeous debut novel of sapphic, supernatural gothic horror by Johanna van Veen.

With an unreliable narrator, a profession of an often dubious nature, an eerie decaying estate, secrets galore, and a mysterious murder, van Veen takes readers on a deliciously dark and twisting journey.

I love how the novel intertwines first person and epistolary narratives. It’s done in a very effective manner and isn’t at all jarring, as is often the case, particularly when weaving together past and present narratives. The reader finds out early on that a terrible event has occurred, and subsequently we delve deeper and deeper into a darkly atmospheric mystery to unmask the truth amid a coterie of questionable characters.

With an interesting premise as the driving force, van Veen crafts a delectably dark and gothic ambience which pervades the story. Fleshed out characters who are well-written, even the ancillary ones, and gorgeous writing creates a well-crafted love letter of sorts to the gothic genre.

This is an absolutely stellar debut from Johanna van Veen and I look forward to reading more from them in the future.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press, however my review is completely unbiased and entirely my own personal opinion.

From the very first page, the narrative grips you with its unique blend of first-person storytelling and epistolary narration. Through the eyes of our protagonist, Roos, and the probing inquiries of Dr. Montague, we are drawn into a web of intrigue and uncertainty, never quite sure what to believe. Van Veen's mastery of this narrative technique keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, eagerly devouring each twist and turn.

The atmospheric setting, described with exquisite detail, immerses you in a world of crumbling estates, eerie séances, and lingering spirits. The author's reverence for the gothic genre is evident in every page, evoking a sense of unease and fascination that is impossible to resist.

I was particularly impressed by the author's handling of sensitive topics, such as abuse and mental illness, which are portrayed with sensitivity and nuance. Despite the dark subject matter, there is a sense of hope and resilience that shines through, underscoring the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

But what truly sets this book apart is its characters. From the resilient and complex Roos to the enigmatic Agnes, each character is fleshed out with depth and nuance, grappling with their own traumas and desires. The relationships that develop between them are both tender and fraught with tension, adding layers of emotional complexity to an already richly woven narrative.

My Darling Dreadful Thing is a Sapphic horror story set in 1954 in The Netherlands. It is built around an interview between Doctor Montague, a psychiatrist and his patient Roos Beckman, a young woman who is to appear to court for the death of Agnes Knoop.
Through those interviews, we get to learn about Roos' background, the tough life she had since she was very little. She was living with Mama, a mean lady Roos considered like her mother after she lost her birth parents. To make a living, Mama was organizing fakes seances that were pretty successful. Roos has an imaginary friend, or a ghost friend more like, who helps make the seances look more real by possessing Roos's body. One day, a gorgeous young lady attends one of those seances. Hef name was Agnes. Roos was in admiration of her. One thing led to another, and Agnes one day, offers Mama a big fat check and purchases Roos as her companion. Agnes takes Roos to the house she lives in with her sister-in-law ever since the death of her husband Thomas. Something feels off about this house. Agnes and Roos become lovers, and Roos does something so out there, to make Agnes happy. Little does she know...

This book was scary!! The ghosts were omnipresent and the evilness of some of them made me really uncomfortable. Author Johanna Van Veen created a super dark, gothic world I really enjoyed living in for 3 days. She also successfully managed to make us question Roos' supernatural skills: is she gifted or is she mentally ill?

Sick, twisted, and delightful!

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange of my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
My Darling Dreadful Thing is an impressive debut that offers a bit of everything- horror, romance and historical fiction, and it hit all the right spots. It is written in a unique format, one that keeps the reader guessing until the end and makes it unputdownable.

Things I loved:
The prose is gorgeous and visceral. It makes the narrative come alive. The author doesn't shy away from gore, though, and it's best to avoid this if you're squeamish. I loved how atmospheric this was. MDDT has peak gothic vibes. This is the first time I've read a book set in the Netherlands and I loved the setting. All the character dynamics are well written. The concept of this book was pretty unique and its execution did not disappoint! I loved the relationship between Roos and Agnes. Although pretty strong in terms of horror, it is a love story at its heart, as the author says. MDDT kept me at the edge of my seat right until the end.

The that I didn't like:
Although the narrative is compelling, it does feel like a slog , especially before Roos moves in with Agnes. The pacing could've been worked on some more, but this is a debut, after all and I'm overlooking this fact in favour of how good most of it was.

Overall, this was a fabulous debut and I recommend it if crumbling gothic mansions and spirit companions sound good to you. Johanna van Veen is definitely an author I'll be keeping an eye on!

This book was too weird for my tastes. The uneven timeline did not help. I like horror but this was just gross

My Darling Dreadful Thing was such a dark and wild ride and I loved every second of it. I really enjoyed the dynamics between the characters as they navigate through this murder mystery. The blend of genres between gothic Victorian horror and LGBT literature was very well done.

4.5 Stars

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

I knew from the minute I saw this cover that this was a book for me. When I started reading it and it was gothic, supernatural and basically a hostage situation I was 110% sold. This book grabbed me and don’t let go until the end. It’s just vibes! And I didn’t remember it from when I requested this book but it has LGBTQ+ aspects and I loved it. I found the pacing fine, I finished this book quickly. It held my attention the whole time. I enjoyed that there were tape recordings of the doctors visits and also that the book went from part time present times during different chapters.
Onto characters. Now Mama… hate her. What a villain and we never found out her truth. She was very unreliable. Roos… love her. I loved that she is even more of an unreliable character but you also love her. My feeling changed from feeling bad for her, to sharing her happiness, then feeling like what happened was unfair and then me just wanting her to get her happy ending. Agnes, I also enjoyed has a bit roller coaster of feelings with her just not as powerful as with Roos. Like I don’t want a book two but I also need a book two haha. I need to know more about Ruth please and thanks!! Also more on Peter. Like I need backstories here hahaha.
For a debut book, I say bravo. I would recommend this to everyone whether they what to read it or not haha. I will absolutely be picking up more by this author if given the chance.

This was beautifully haunting. At the heart of it, it’s a love story and it made me feel so much emotion for Roos and Agnes and everything their lives were. I would love to read more from this author.

This was an interesting read filled with lots on mental health and how one perceives things. I thought the seance concept was cool and then the secluded residence where the ghostly encounters were happening added that extra creepy level. It was definitely a dark read. I did find it a bit slow at parts and was hoping the pace would get a bit faster but it still expanded on everything as it went along. The side plot where it was the main character being interviewed by a doctor made it intriguing since you are reading along, trying to figure out how they got into the situation they are in. This would be a good book for those that like macabre, gothic books.

My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen is a slow burn gothic sapphic horror story. The slowest of burns but the payout is spectacular. Roos Beckman has a spirit companion, Ruth, who enters her body in order to CONvince séance patrons that their loved ones on the other side are communicating with them. Her mama uses Roos/Ruth for money from this spirit business and is abusive, sometimes starving the girl. Agnes Knoop attends a séance where Ruth thinks she sees her and soon pays Mama for Roos companionship. At this time Roos is twenty one years old but looks much younger. Agnes actually can see Ruth and in fact, she has her own spirit companion named Peter. The novel is divided into two storylines with one part, A Doctor’s Case Study: Inhabited By Another. Doctor Montague questions Roos in order to see if she’s fit for trial for murder. This is one of those books that I would pick up for the beautiful cover alone. At 80% in, I couldn’t stop reading and continued until the last page was read. ARC was provided by Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. I received an advance review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A disturbing tale involving seances, spirits and dysfunctional relationships. Definitely in the gothic tradition, with very little happening until something suddenly happens. And it's a circuitous route to get to the truth and even then you can't be entirely sure what really happened. Not sure if I'd call this one enjoyable, but it was interesting.

Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Press, for providing me with a free copy of "My Darling Dreadful Thing" by Hanna Van Veen in exchange for an honest review.
Roos, accompanied by her spirit companion Ruth, catches the eye of the wealthy widow Agnes Knoop during a séance. Invited to Agnes's eerie estate, Roos finds herself drawn into a web of mysteries, including strange occurrences and a murder. As suspicion falls on her, Roos must unravel the truth to clear her name and protect her newfound connection with Agnes. I was very interested in this gothic sapphic romance and was excited for the opportunity to read it. The beginning of the book moved fast for me, but I felt bogged down toward the end. The book has a good plot, but the build-up was lacking. I found myself losing interest in the middle and realized the book would be receiving a 3-star rating for its lackluster suspense and predictable conclusion. I would recommend it for someone interested in a slower-paced gothic read.

Slow moving but in the best way, this novel is gothic and beautiful. I loved this story and really look forward to reading more work by this author.

Haunting descriptions, wild story, full of twists and turns and supreme gothic-ness. Very interesting premise that had me second-guessing everything.

A book with so many different elements: gothic, horror, romance, LGBTQ+. I really liked it. Very different to what I tend to pick up and read. There can be a lot of psychoanalysis done to the characters. They are quite complexed and raises the question were they sane or did the ghost actually exist. This book felt like a combination of Rebecca and Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. The ending didn’t blow me away and I predicted it, hence the four stars. I much prefer books that have that shock factor at the end. Especially with this type of usual genre, I did expect something a little more juicy, so to speak. I will be sharing my review on Instagram on the day of publishing. Thank you for letting me read something so different!

I'm very conflicted about this book. On the one hand, the gothic elements are excellent. There's a lot of dread, a lot of ick. Definitely read the author's note (at the beginning) for more on this.

On the other hand, Roos was just so painfully boring. I was bored reading it, and with all the darkness, I shouldn't have been. Perhaps it was me, perhaps this isn't what I need to read at this point in time. But it was a completely forgettable story.

Holy sh#t! It was amazing! Weird but amazing! Crazy but amazing! This story totally blew me away!

Thank you Johanna and NetGalley for the opportunity.

3.75 stars

My Darling Dreadful Thing is a feral, sapphic gothic fiction, complete with toxic relationships, ghosts, murder and mystery. It really leaves you questioning what happened and if any of it was in fact real. van Veen is an amazing writer. This novel is lush and atmospheric and it really engrosses you and feels as if you're right there with the characters.

I love that this was set in the Netherlands too, as I don't read many books with Dutch characters. I was pleasantly surprised this touched on aspects of colonialism especially in Indonesia, I do wish it had explored that a tad more but understand it wasn't the focus.

The vibes of this were just perfect. I actually felt so creeped out and disturbed while reading certain parts and I loved it. This book truly is a work of art in such that art is to disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. I truly feel for the characters and what they went through and wished the book had been different purely so they had some piece in life.

If you love Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House this is for you.