Johanna van Veen's Blood on Her Tongue stands as a chilling testament to gothic horror. A novel where the line between madness and mystery blurs, Blood on Her Tongue could be one of the best novels coming in 2025.

The Netherlands, 1887. Lucy's twin sister Sarah is unwell. She refuses to eat, mumbles nonsensically, and is increasingly obsessed with a centuries-old corpse recently discovered on her husband's grand estate. The doctor has diagnosed her with temporary insanity caused by a fever of the brain. To protect her twin from a terrible fate in a lunatic asylum, Lucy must unravel the mystery surrounding her sister's condition, but it's clear her twin is hiding something. Then again, Lucy is harboring secrets of her own, too.

Then, the worst happens. Sarah's behavior takes a turn for the strange. She becomes angry… and hungry.

Lucy soon comes to suspect that something is trying to possess her beloved sister. Or is it madness? As Sarah changes before her very eyes, Lucy must reckon with the dark, monstrous truth, or risk losing her forever.

The true draw of Blood on Her Tongue lies in van Veen's beautiful crafting of an eerie atmosphere and tension. From the very first page, Johanna immerses us in a world where it feels oddly both familiar and otherworldly. The setting itself becomes a character—a sprawling estate and bog shrouded in mystery—transporting us to The Netherlands, 1887.

Van Veen's story evokes a creeping dread that grows with every page turn. While the narrative is a slow burn, the burn is like eating a decent hot wing that makes your mouth slowly feel pain, but the taste is so good that in the end the experience was well worth it.

The creepy vibe is ever present but the complex relationship between Lucy and Sarah—twins who share an unbreakable bond yet are starkly different in disposition—is central to this tale. Sarah has descended into a maddening obsession with an unearthed body, while Lucy finds herself caught in the grasp of familial duty and personal fear. What lengths will Lucy go to protect her sister from institutionalization? The novel deals with codependency and sacrifice, challenging us to reflect on their own boundaries when it comes to helping loved ones.

In Blood on Her Tongue, van Veen blurs lines between sanity and supernatural, leaving us constantly questioning whether Sarah's affliction is rooted in psychological turmoil or something far darker. The author's ability to maintain the unknown adds layers of depth to the already intricate plot line, something that has us hooked to the very last page.

Despite the eerie ambiance and gruesome imagery—including moments that might make your stomach churn—the heart of this novel is its exploration of human emotion amidst chaos. It's really about love—the kind that binds families together even when faced with unimaginable horror—and how these connections can lead us down paths we never intended. Some darker than others.

As the disturbing climax of Blood on Her Tongue comes to a head it leaves behind a mark upon those brave enough venture that far into the book; haunting us long after we've closed the book.

Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen is not just another gothic horror but rather it stands tall amongst others in the genre with innovative storytelling coupled with richly detailed settings and outstanding character development. Blood on Her Tongue is an eerie, gruesome, heartfelt gothic horror that will stand with, or even above, the best horror novels in 2025.

This was very interesting, atmospheric and moody. A nice blend of modern and Victorian ideals. I love twin stories, so enjoyed that aspect of this story, too.

This was the spookiest read of the year for me, and an absolute winner. One of my favourite books of the year!
There is some gore, but just enough that I can deal with it. The sisterly bond was too convincing, the storyline eerie and good paced. I was in suspense the whole way through tbh, and I really really enjoyed it. I finished it in one day, something that few books can compell me to.

I love gothic books for their heavy psychological atmosphere that suggest a lot without falling into the blood, gore and sex of full-blown horror. Here, this wasn't the case, and I don't quite have the stomach for the perverse.
The writing is very good, I loved that the book was set in 1800s Netherland, cold and harsh, it fitted amazingly with the feel and I kept picturing scenes of the movie Babette's Feast. Which was rather unsettling, but also surprisingly creepy. It's such a nice move away from tropes.
But, I kept thinking "yuck yuck yuck" as I read, feeling myself grimacing and wincing and looking away from the pages in disgust. And I can't say that's what I look for when I pick a book. Thought it is an impressive talent from the author! She got all Stephen King's Dance Macabre advice to writers pat down.
I would recommend if you are looking for a feminist horror, and don't mind body horror, feeling queasy as you read, and a cast of deeply flawed colder characters.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: March 25, 2025
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

I honestly did not think that anything could top My Darling Dreadful Thing yet here we are…WOW. I ate this one up. First things first BOG BODIES. Okay, now that we got that out of the way because I LOVE…let’s get to what I loved just as much. The writing was perfection and beautiful, the backdrop and setting couldn’t be better because The Netherlands is a beautiful backdrop always. The main question in this book that will have you thinking the entire way through — how far will you go to help your family. You will be sitting on the edge of your chair the entire time while you read this book unsure of where it’s going to go next and what is going to happen. I will 100% say that reading the trigger warnings before going into this book is a MUST so please do this. I cannot wait to see what Johanna van Veen comes out with next! An auto read author for me.

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Gothic, Horror, Sister Relationships, Character Driven, Secrets, Revenge, Vampirism, Gore

Large thank you to our Author, NetGalley as well as Poisoned Pen Press

So, I sat with this one for a good while before writing this review. What I am left with weeks after reading this is my overall love for this author. This book has such great sister bond, even to the point that had me questioning things...

Its the late 1800s and Lucy goes to visit her twin sister, Sarah, who has been unwell. Not only is the sibling bond there, its a twin bond, and these sisters are CLOSE. For Lucy, being separated is really hard, especially with Sarah's declining health, but upon arrival, she learns the level of unwell Sarah has befallen. Sarah had recently discovered an ancient body buried on her estate and has since been consumed by its presence. The doctor's diagnosis of fever of the brain inducing temporary insanity is really put under a microscope by Lucy when she begins to put the pieces together. There is something very wrong with the corpse, as well as Sarah's obsession.

Soon, Sarah's behavior is inexcusable and when Lucy begins to question her own sanity, that is when the book really starts propelling itself! What I expected to be a book about van Veen's depiction of vampirism turns out to be this amazing feminist thriller, where our female characters must advocate for themselves when the men in their lives are trying to keep them meek and controllable. I had so much fun reading this book!!

LOVED this! Bloody and gory and fucked up, with a powerful exploration of unhealthy family dynamics. I was particularly impressed by the way we inhabited Lucy's worldview and were naturally sympathetic to her while understanding she was deeply unreliable.

Thank you Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Oh man this book was a wild ride. This has to have been one of the most well written, grammatically correct and well edited book I've ever read. The author can put a single sentence together and make me see taste and smell the moment. Some of the gorey moments had me physically gagging and I am not mad about it because that shows you how in the moment to the writing and the scene I was.

The twins were so sociopathically obsessed with eachother. Their relationship was hella toxic but it made for such a good story. The betrayal of Lucy and Micheal was just amazing.

I really enjoyed the explanation that Sarah didn't turn into a "Vampire" but rather there was an entity that consumed her and took her over. That paired with the century with females not holding power and being sent to asylums for madness and the male dominance that the sisters had to navigate made for good plot.

My only negative feedback is just how little the characters had personality wise. Lucy was mostly obsessed with her sister. Sarah at least had hobbies and interests. But Michael was just a typical rich fuck boy who bangs his staff. The doctor was intriguinging and I was sad for his ending. Seemed like a cop out.

Either way I had a lot of fun thank you again Netgalley!

*Blood on Her Tongue* is an absolutely WILD ride. I usually like to structure these "reviews" as much as my mathematical mind will allow, but instead I'm going to leave you with my ramblings as I progressed through the book.

At the 49% mark:
• **LOTS of body horror.** Very Gothic. Some descriptions have been so disgusting that they've actually turned my stomach!
• I still have no idea where this story is headed but it's very good.
• This has been pretty slow overall but I'm not upset about that.
• Generally likeable characters though every single one of them is flawed. Hey, like real life!

At the 94% mark:
• **This book is a FANTASTIC, beautiful, Gothic oil painting up to the ~60% mark, then for the next 10% the painter keeps working the painting trying to make improvements but instead just makes it muddier and muddier. Then for the next 25% the painter goes all in and switches to acrylic paint so they can just layer over the muddy parts in an attempt to make it awesome again. Is it working? Ehhhhhhhh**
• This book reminds me of the video game *If on a Winter's Night, Four Travelers* which is a FREE indie game that you should absolutely check out if you enjoy the vibes of this book.
• Did they really say *fuck* this much back then?
• **Maybe this would be hitting harder if I had a sibling.** I think I don't get this twin/sibling bond as an only child..

In the end I loved the writing and the atmosphere and the horror elements were masterfully done, but to the detriment of this book's rating I personally could not relate at all to the the twin sister bond which was a foundational element of the story. But if you
• enjoy creepy, scientifically fascinating natural phenomena, OR
• are interested in new takes on familiar elements of the horror genre, OR
• have a sibling AND can appreciate an extremely slow burn
you will probably love this book!

*Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for providing me an e-ARC of this book.*

"It was a curious thing to be watched so carefully by the dead."

If we ever build a canon for Gothic books, Johanna van Veen would be a part of it.
Not only did "Blood on Her Tongue" have ALL the crazy, spooky and messed-up elements we love, it was unique and refreshing in it's own way. The bond between the sisters is so strong, and Lucy is a character that made me sit down and think. She is so layerd and starts off as the weakest one of the two, but in my opinion she is strong and badass. The ending?!!! I cannot. Power, a twisted sense of justice and a great representation of what you would actually do for love.

I loved that the book was set in the Netherlands and used some dutch words here and there. It was fun to see how the two languages I speak were intertwined! As a Gothic loving dutchy, Johanna is an author I will continue to read!

This was a decent book for an old familiar trope. I read it and it kept me interested. I am however tired of this specific trope in horror fiction.

“Grief can make us do the most peculiar things.”

It’s the late 1800s and for Lucy Goedhart, she has two dire mysteries to try and solve:
Why is her twin sister Sarah so ill?
Who is the bog woman unearthed on the marshy property a few weeks prior?
Now, at the Zwartwater estate, she’ll learn that these two questions and their answers are more intertwined than she could have ever surmised.

“How many colors blood could take on, depending on the light.”

Psychological disturbance? Supernatural presence? Or natural phenomenon? Readers will be glued to the pages to find out the truth.

With aspects of complex grief, family dynamics, misogyny, and the roles women are tucked neatly into by society, body horror, and mental health (along with outdated treatments and practices), and so much more than I can even list. It goes beyond its parts and pieces to weave a spellbinding story.

“You can have my blood, if you need it. You can have my flesh and bones, too. You can have it all, as long as it keeps you here.”

The author’s characters, plot, and prose were all so well crafted, this was such a treat to read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Poisoned Pen Press for a copy!

Blood On Her Tongue is set in the Netherlands in 1887, and it follows young Sarah as she tries to save her sister Lucy from a mysterious illness.
Johanna van Veen has a beautiful writing style and doesn't shy away from exploring dark themes in Blood On Her Tongue, which I love. This book is a unique take on vampires (a very gory and cannibalistic one), and crafts an expertly eery, unsettling, gothic atmosphere that put me on the edge of my seat and also horrified me. I did think that the pacing in this book got a little wonky at times due to its odd structure, and it especially dragged a bit to the end. The ending was also a little open-ended for my tastes, though I did understand what Johanna van Veen was trying to accomplish with it. I also felt that some reveals happened too early in the story and thus undercut the suspense of the story and satisfaction of the reveals. Nonetheless, I do recommend this book for horror lovers, especially ones who enjoy gothic horror and vampires.

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Johanna van Veen for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Engaging enough story that was propulsive to read but lost steam halfway through then snowballed into an ending that felt rushed to me. The characters never really felt fully fleshed out to me and some even felt one dimensional to me. The concept of a parasite demon was very exciting but i felt like the author didnt do anything more with it, she warped it into a cannibalistic, vampiric feature which felt odd to me, and frankly coming off a few books about vampires and obsessions, it felt lacklustre and unoriginal. aside from these harsh comments, will say the writing was good and the story moved along at a good pace. I don’t know, maybe after the debut i was expecting a little bit more.

Many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review.

A true gothic horror book, with modern twists to keep it interesting. I could see the echos of Edgar Allen Poe, early gothic romance, and the Brontës throughout. The drafty house in a creepy setting, the letters that help us learn more about the characters, the assumptions of female hysteria, and a few tried and true horror situations. This definitely has more graphic horror than some of those old books, plenty of dripping blood and gross body horror. And for sure has more sex. But the tone overall was the right balance of creepy and weird that I was hoping for. And the sister story linking the characters together was perfect.

There were some too-long sections and additional characters that didn't seem to fit in to the story well. I think it would have benefited from a bit more claustrophobia and a tight focus on a couple key people. But overall, it was what I was expecting and hoping for from this book.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an Advanced Copy that allowed me to read this in time for Halloween!

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC! I couldn't let this book wait until after Halloween: it was perfectly spooky season, and I cringed more reading this book than any of the other horror novels I've read in the last few weeks. In the best way: this book was so gnarly, and hit so many of the things I personally find absolutely horrifying, it was hard to put down once Sarah really started to get more and more unwell. This was also my second bog body novel of the month, and I love the way the author used the phenomenon to add to the unsettling nature of the setting and the lore of the monster. Monstrosity goes hand in hand with moving against patriarchy and misogyny in 1800s Netherlands, and honestly, good for Lucy and Sarah at the end. They deserve a break from the sheer bullshit they've had to deal with the whole book. An absolutely wild ride.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I love a good creepy Dutch horror. The Netherlands is a fairly spooky place, and I feel that it often gets overlooked in fiction in favour of countries that are a little better known (and perhaps have bigger castles). But with a country that feels like it’s 99% water, and bogs, with a long history and lost cities with merpeople buried with time (Saeftinghe), there is so much potential for good horror.

This book delivers on the ‘good horror’ brief. This is a really good vampire novel, and I emphasise- REALLY good. We go through the nasty transition into vampirism and insatiable lust for blood, and then slide into a certain blend of madness and social statement that I haven’t seen in a while.

Far from the sexy man vampire approach that so often gets commercialised, this is a gritty and hyper-female horror novel, which is delightful. The main characters, Lucy (nice reference) and Sarah are both very distinct, and there’s a white knight quality to the men in this book as well that is insidious.

The body horror was also delightfully extreme, with some wonderful descriptions of terrible things being done to people. It’s rare that you get something so gratuitous, but this book leaned into it, and it was so good. I’m looking forward to reading more where I can from this vein (pun intended).

_Blood on Her Tongue_ by Johanna van Veen is an atmospheric, disturbing, and character-driven gothic horror read that will enthrall the reader. Set in the Netherlands in 1887, it follows Lucy as she cares for her sick twin Sarah and struggles with the dark secrets kept by them both. The story is chilling, and will leave the reader questioning what depraved acts they would do for a loved one.

I have to commend Johanna van Veen on this absolutely thrilling crazy book. It was such a wild and gothic filled ride. I absolutely loved it and if I didn't already have My Darling Dreadful Thing on my TBR this would definitely make me want to add it. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book and discover a new author!

Give me a gothic novel and I will devour it. This definitely reminded me of “Mexican Gothic” and “The Autopsy of Jane Doe” combined. Lucy, separated from her twin sister, Sarah, by marriage, hurriedly heads to Sarah’s estate to be by her sickbed. Sounds simple and gothic enough, but throw in a mysterious bog body and things get creepy! This had all the things we love in gothic novels: big moody estate, moors, sexual tension, body horror, questionable relations and secrets.
I had a great time reading this and sure a lot of readers will find it as enjoyable as me.