I was initially very intrigued by the cover, and then the shocking title, so decided to give this one a go.

Firstly, I did really enjoy the writing style. This author is new to me, but I found the world and character building throughout this book really well done and engaging. A large portion of this entire story takes place in just one room within the house, and this was really excellently done. The characters were also incredibly interesting, and while many of them were intentionally horrible people, I still felt that I wanted to know how their individual stories would end.

The only thing I wish I knew more about is the mystery creature. This new take on a sort of vampire horror creature was very well done, but we did only get very minimal information about the creature and its origins and I did wish we got more. However, I can also understand that the lack of background does add to the mystery of its origins and how the main character deals with this.

This novel is quite graphic in parts, which is not my normal cup of tea, but I did feel this was well done and very much in keeping with the tone of the story.

Overall, I found this to be a very interesting and engaging story, and such a novel take on a well known creature. If dark gothic stories are what you're looking for, then this is certainly a good place to start.

4.5 stars
"please don't let her be mad. not again."

Raw, gothic, eerie, and sinister, this was definitely one for the girls!

I received an advanced copy of Blood on Her Tongue and I am so glad I did!
My love for gothic writing is truly felt in this horror as it demonstrates the heart of classic gothic writing.

Reading the authors note was significant in setting the atmosphere for this work. She does well in placing the reader into the story itself. This sets the tone for the rest of the work as I often felt I was racing up the old stairwell with a mad sister to aid.

The personality that breaks through in Sarah's letters to her sister developed the character in such a unique way; I felt as though I could hear her voice and understand her yearning for information along with the unraveling of her mind.

What truly hooked me with Johanna's elegant writing was the body horror demonstrated throughout. I often felt ill at the raw descriptions, however, also mesmerized at the way in which she so beautifully writes gore to evoke feeling from the reader.

Nearing the end of this novel, I found myself delving further into delusion along with the sisters. The writing as well as Sarah and Lucy's characters, intertwined me further into madness, the sentiment of womanhood, and all its unrestrained beauty.

This book is nothing like I was expecting, and I couldn’t put it down... well except when I was eating - word of warning do not read this whilst you are eating! There is some brilliantly written body horror and gore that you couldn’t imagine in this story and it had me cringing, feeling sick and shocked but also entranced. Im not somebody who scares easily, I love horror and gore and anything along those lines so when I read this book I was shocked to discover that it was possible for me to have such visceral reactions to words on a screen! (E-Book)

This book is so unpredictable in the best way, set in The Netherlands in the 1800s Lucy receives worrying letters from her twin sister about finding a body in the bog, her unnatural fascination and later unraveling causes alarm and so she travels to see her on her sick bed, hoping to help her heal. Lucy suspects that what’s wrong with her sister is something much more sinister than the temporary insanity that the doctor has prescribed and things start to get more and more dark and twisted from there on out.

I don’t want to give too much away but this is a really great interpretation of the ‘vampire’ trope, I haven’t read anything like it and that made it all the more terrifying. You can tell that this book is brilliantly researched because the setting, clothing, social etiquette and world building really created a believable and enticing atmosphere. I learnt a lot from this too which I love like the victorian craze for ferns (Pteridomania) who knew? Little things like this just drew me into the story. I am a big fan of classic horror and this felt like a modern gothic horror but slightly more feminist and progressive.

Not only is Lucy dealing with her sister Sarahs illness, lingering secrets and resentments, but both her and her sister have to hide their intelligence and fierce personalities. Their anger and any other emotion men found unbecoming in women during those times could ruin them as men had such control over them and the household. The social commentary on how women and mental illness was treated in the past is important and played a vital role in the characters decisions and behaviour in the story, Lucy has to tread a careful line or else they could both end up in the asylum.

I absolutely adored the wonderfully gothic atmosphere this book created, I guarantee you can’t guess how this book will end and I seriously recommend it to anyone who loves horror, gothic settings, vampiric creatures and strong women. This story is like an eerie mist that you get lost in, unfurling slowly uncovering more and more sinister and horrific things and you can’t help but keep walking in.

Twin sisters in late 1800’s Netherlands encounter a parasitic, blood drinking, flesh eating entity that forces them to confront the secrets they have hidden from each other and tests the bonds of family loyalty.
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review this book which I am giving 3.5 stars. I thought this book was fast paced and a lot of fun. I thought it was gory, but not too gory for readers who are relatively new to the horror genre.
I know that comparisons will be made to vampires and Dracula, but this really felt more like a little shop of horrors to me. The biggest issue I had with this book was the fact that one of our characters was married to a man who was so unlikable that it was hard to believe she would be married to him or that Either of the sisters would actually care about him.
My video review for this book is already posted on TikTok and YouTube and the link is included below and I am definitely recommending this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Blood on Her Tongue. I was looking for a scary book and boy did this scratch the itch. Great writing, shocking moments and some just creepy shit man. My skin was crawling at one point. There was a night where I had to put it down and pick it back up in the morning. I would be interested in more from this Author! Overall I enjoyed my time with this book, 3.75

5/5 Stars

Thank you to Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing an early copy for review purposes.

This was my most anticipated read of 2025 and it DELIVERED. Blood on Her Tongue is a gothic horror in which Lucy travels to her twin sister Sarah's estate when Sarah falls ill. Lucy's love for her sister is tested as she discovers her secrets and the potential cure to her sister's wasting illness.

Johanna Van Veen set the bar high with My Darling Dreadful Thing and she followed it up beautifully. Every single character had such a fascinating story, weaving their webs of lies and deceptions. The horror elements were unnerving but fascinating at the same time, gruesome but not overly grotesque. Johanna Van Veen's writing is poignant and beautiful, without being overly flowery. I was gripped from the very start and could not put the book down until I found out everything the characters were hiding. This is a perfect book for people who love Dracula, but wanted Lucy and Mina to hook up. 5/5, perfect, no notes. I will be recommending this to every person I know all year.

A chilling gothic tale that sucks you in to it's very core. You become a participant of the story, at times not knowing what is real or true. A new author to add to the collection. Thanks for the read!

"though if god disagrees and you are damned and restlessly must roam, please, Saartje, please come and haunt me"

What a blessing to have been able to read an ARC of this fantastic book! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing the eARC.

The first half of this book, I savoured slowly. The second half, I devoured. I simply could not stop reading, it was as if I was possessed (well, perhaps I was).

This story takes us to the Netherlands in 1887, in the life of Lucy and her twin sister Sarah, who is terribly sick and on the brink of death. However, why is she sick? Is it a mental illness, is it physical, or is she possessed? Though the doctor is certain it's a form of madness, and it would seem like it given the weird letters Lucy received from Sarah, Lucy can't be convinced of it. She slowly begins to believe that her sister is actually possessed, but by whom? Or what? And why did it all start with the discovery of a brutalized bog body?

I have to say, the plot was interesting. It was compelling and intriguing. Furhtermore, I enjoyed the concept of the creature; it was, I felt, a different take on a popular subject. However, what I loved the most was the portrayal of Lucy and Sarah's relationship. It was very realistic, full of raw emotions, deep love, but also jealousy and hatred and confusion. It felt believable and for that reason it cut deep. Moreover, the writing was absolutely perfect for this story: it was atmospheric and elegant, though it did not shy away from horrific and gory depictions.

Overall, a fantastic gothic horror book. I would have probably enjoyed it more if we had also Sarah's point of view, but still, I would urge any horror fan to read this book asap. I don't think anyone will regret it.

Thank you to NetGalley for this Arc.
An absolutely haunting and atmospheric tale that will have readers hooked. Every page will have you on the edge of your seat wondering what’s going to happen next with these sisters. Perfect for gothic and horror readers!

Johanna van Veen once again weaves an entrancing tale of love, obsession, and madness, marked by her unique blend of horror and deep compassion. Definitely one of my favorite contemporary authors—and after just two books, at that.

Okay its official, Johanna van Veen is an auto read for me. We follow our protagonist, Lucy, as she goes to visit her twin sister Sarah who is very ill. When Lucy shows up, she's shocked to see her sister in such a dire state but also thinks something more sinister is a foot. Is her sister crazy or is she just oh so very hungry? With secrets of her own, Lucy must confront both the present and the past in order to save her sister.

This is a perfect fall read but can be enjoyed during any time of year. The atmosphere was beautifully done and really sets the tone for the story - think of a dark day with a victorian home and a bog. I loved the sibling dynamic between Lucy and Sarah. Its beautiful but also very complex. There is one scene that made my mouth drop and it was terrifying, gross, and also a little funny. I don't know if this will be everyones cup of tea but if you're a fan of gothic horror I don't think you will be disappointed.

I do recommend looking up trigger warnings as certain subjects are sensitive and are written as they were viewed back in the late 1800s.

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this arc

Lucy's twin sister Sarah is unwell.

This is a severe understatement.

Blood on Her Tongue is exactly what is advertised: gothic, eerie, and built on sisterhood. It also has some pluses that weren't advertised: namely, a bog.

This is very much a horror story, with some very bloody imagery and a lot of building, atmospheric dread in its writing. I love stories with a familial bond as the driving force, and this certainly features that, all wrapped up in codependency and lots and lots of blood.

Johanna van Veen has very quickly established herself as one of my favourite horror authors, and I cannot wait to see what kind of gothic, supernatural, supportive of women's wrongs, and bog-adjacent horror she comes up with next.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, and to NetGalley for the ARC.

First of all, I do love Johanna van Veen. My Darling, Dreadful Thing was a book for me; I adored it. This is a great novel, and the writing is absolutely beautiful, but I just didn't connect with this as well as her first book, hence the 4 stars.

I absolutely adore the way van Veen writes her women. Their unique personalities, their relationships, and their power are so grounded and fleshed out. I found her characters more likable in My Darling Dreadful thing; I fell in love with multiple people, and felt so invested in them. But I always care for her leads, more so than most stories I read. They are human, and their experiences are written so well that you understand and relate to their emotions without needing to be told.

In recent horror, I have had a hard time feeling connected to the characters, and as a result those books and the horrors within do not resonate. Johanna van Veen had me open mouthed; it is genuinely difficult to read some of the events her leads undergo. I found myself absolutely grossed out a few times, which is an experience I appreciate in the genre. Another thing I particularly enjoyed was her subversion of tropes and expectations. This book hands you its 'answer' on the first page of Part 1, and yet it is much less literal and obvious than you might think. I was sure I knew what was wrong with Sarah, but the answer was much more complex and no less interesting.

The author proves her deft hand similarly in her usage of adages such as crying over spilt milk. Lucy asks, "God, was she cursed to always run after the facts, never ahead of them, condemned to clean up messes but never able to prevent them? No matter. Crying over spilled milk didn't put it back in the bottle. All one could do was throw a rag in the puddle to soak it up, then give the surface a good wipe to prevent it from becoming sticky and smelling sour." This book takes tropes and clichés and makes something that explores humanity in new and thought-provoking ways.

Lucy, Sarah, and a third character (who I will not spoil) are incredible women, ahead of their time: independent, educated, supportive of one another, patient, conspiratorial. Our narrator Lucy's intelligence and strength are so obvious in her small moments. Nearly every page of this novel was vital to her character and to the story's development, so it was a fast, easy, and entertaining read. I thoroughly enjoyed Blood on Her Tongue, and impatiently await more from van Veen.

Massive thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital review copy / eARC. I received access to this novel with the request for an honest and unbiased review, which I did my best to provide.

Do I have a new favorite author now?! Both of her books have been absolute bangers. She manages to capture the smallest, most delicate human reactions while at the same time describing something incredibly horrific in a beautiful way. The plot lines and character relationships are so strong and propel the story forward. There were a couple of huge surprises in the book as well. This book really hit everything for me: mystery, horror, lgbt+, strong and complex female characters and action and intrigue. What more could you want? This is the best book I’ve read this year thus far! Highly recommend this book and anything written by one of my new favorite authors.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I think it's time I accept that vampire stories just aren't for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

I knew I’d love this and I totally did! From the very beginning I was hooked. It immediately fills you with a sense of… oh no. .. and then you get to watch it slowly unfold in the most gothic, eerie, darkest of ways.

I really like the way this was written. Easy to read, not overly done but I was GLUED to my seat. That’s hard to do for me but this is how you write a creepy horror thriller!

Being very vague so I don’t spoil anything, I love when *that.* happens in books and not all is as it seems. YOU might think you know but the character has to figure it out and watching Sarah figure out the clues of her sister was so fun. Highly recommend!

Johanna van Veen’s *Blood on Her Tongue* is an atmospheric and gripping gothic horror that lingers long after the final page. Set in the shadowy Netherlands of 1887, the novel follows Lucy as she struggles to uncover the truth behind her twin sister Sarah’s descent into madness—or perhaps something far more sinister. Sarah’s obsession with a centuries-old bog corpse and her violent, unexplainable hunger create a deeply unsettling and haunting mystery that kept me riveted.

Van Veen’s writing is richly evocative, making every detail of the gloomy estate and Sarah’s transformation disturbingly vivid. The sisterly bond between Lucy and Sarah is at the heart of the story—messy, loving, and heartbreakingly real. As Lucy fights to save Sarah from both a possession-like force and a patriarchal society quick to label her "mad," the book deftly explores themes of autonomy, family, and power.

The horror elements are masterfully done, blending unsettling body horror with chilling suspense. The story also offers sharp commentary on how women’s struggles are magnified in oppressive systems, adding depth to the terror. If I had one small critique, it’s that Lucy’s acceptance of the supernatural came a bit too easily, but it hardly detracted from the experience.

*Blood on Her Tongue* is a beautifully crafted, deeply unsettling novel perfect for fans of gothic horror. Johanna van Veen cements her place as a modern master of the genre. Highly recommended!

I can't begin to describe how much i loved this book. I have to be honest, i was really excited to start this book when i first heard what is was about, i do love a gothic horror story.

In this book we are presented with very serious topics, these are showed in a way where you start to ask yourself what is logical and what is not. I enjoyed so much the way a mental illness can be and how much it can affect your loved ones. I must say that in some moments i was infuriated with Lucy, her persona did make me kind of mad in some ways but overall i loved her very much.

As someone very close to her sisters i can relate a lot with Lucy's and Sarah's relationship being so strong and knowing that in the end it is them who you will always chose no matter what. In regards of the other characters in this story, i hated Michael, i tried to understand him as someone who was also grieving but each time i liked him less so i can't be sad with how he ended.

I found the way in which the author carried out the story of the parasite simply fascinating. It was incredible to see how they took a way of referring to something vampire-esque and portrayed it that way. I was very intrigued in knowing more about their species. Overall i can only say that i loved this book so much.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and everyone else involved that made it possible for me to acquire this ARC.

Macabre, dark, gothic and just beautiful, everything I have come to expect from this author and her writing style. She knows how to create this dark seductive atmosphere

A dark gothic novel with a mysterious bog body, strong sisterly bond, female rage and the ever-increasing stench of rot, I mean what’s not to love.
It was very atmospheric and although I didn’t find it overly gory (but check warnings) there were parts that made me a little squeamish (especially as I have a thing about eyeballs.). For me, the true horror was, once again, seeing how easy it was for men (especially at the time) to just get rid of a woman by locking her in an asylum.

I love that it left things mysterious enough to wonder if it was really something supernatural or a psychological issue after all.

This is my first time reading Johanna van Veen but after this I’ll definitely be adding My Dark Dreadful Thing and any future books of hers to my wishlist.

Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.