Sensational. Delicious. Devious. Beautiful. Articulate. I could go on forever.
I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to read this before it is released. I have read another book by this author and she just does not fail.
Gothic horror at it's finest. Now, it's a slow burn but it's worth it. You are fed a trickle of excitement at every chapter that keeps you hooked and aching for the next piece of the puzzle.
The descriptive atmosphere made me feel like I was in this story. The fog, rain, cold, bogs and victorian house made me feel immersed. Perfect read.

Wow.
I've seen this book on Goodreads and have been wanting to read it for awhile and it did not disappoint. That was a ride to say the least.
I actually felt scared while reading and couldn't put this book down. Just when I thought I could predict how Lucy and her sister Sarah would be in the plot, the story takes a turn and I loved it.
It was creepy, atmospheric, and perfect for spooky season.
I'm definitely recommending this book for others to enjoy as well. Just...wow.

I *really* enjoyed this. It's perfectly atmospheric--I could feel the dampness of the air and the tension crawling on my skin. I also appreciated the showcasing of familial/sibling love. The reason this wasn't five stars for me is because I feel that the emotional journey kind of ended at the halfway point. Despite interesting action happening in the second half, it felt slightly emotionally one-note. I would definitely recommend this, and will be thinking about certain imagery in the spooky months to come.

Incredibly unsettling and atmospheric in exactly the way I want from a gothic horror. It had me both on the edge of my seat and recoiling away for most of it. This book is gory and gross and I loved it. The bog woman in particular was so disgusting and creepy and absolutely fascinating. Completely understandable why Sarah became obsessed.

This is also one of the most unique takes on vampires I’ve read in a bit. It takes a more cannibalistic route for one, feeling reminiscent of the ghouls from Bones and All, while also having an interesting parasitic aspect.

Van Veen raises the question of what exactly makes us who we are, if we’re a cumulation of our memories or our actions, what we’re willing to accept of our loved ones and what we’re willing to do to protect them.

Johanna van Veen did it again! 
When i saw that a new book by her was coming out i just had to read it.

When Lucy's sister Sarah is starting to become unwell strange things are starting to happen.

This book had me sitting on the edge of my seat. It was so disturbing and i loved it!
It was so bloody and gory.
I kept getting more and more surprised the more i read

Johanna van Veen’s My Darling Dreadful Thing is one of my favourite horror debuts I’ve read in a while — delightfully gothic and romantic and gruesome — so to say that I was excited about snagging an advance reader’s copy of Blood on Her Tongue may be an understatement. Thanks very much to the author, Netgalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Where does one end and another begin? This is the question this novel asks repeatedly. Where does Lucy end and her twin sister Sarah begin? Where does Sarah end and the thing she has become begin? And where does love end, where does family end, where does duty and morality and desire and… where does the horror begin?

I went in expecting a Vampire story thanks to the Dracula epigraphs, the protagonist’s name, etc. and Blood on Her Tongue does certainly have vampiric elements. But it’s also much more, an intriguing blend of horror elements from the natural horror of death and decay to something decidedly supernatural. I loved the super evocative imagery, gruesome often to the point of grossness (the pen! the eyes!), and as someone who lives in rural Ireland I found it easy to call to mind the smell of the peat and the sucking thickness of the bogs, but I think even if you’re not familiar I think you would be able to imagine it based on van Veen’s writing.

Lucy is a fascinating protagonist. She’s not a nice person; she’s obsessive and greedy and haughty and her relationship with her sister is nothing short of toxic, and yet she’s so compelling. Sarah, too, is equally riveting. Even though so much of the action in the first half of the novel takes place around her, her presence is key and her perspective, as told through her letters and journal entries, rounds out the setting and the wonderfully creepy gothic atmosphere so well. And when she (or someone) starts to really take the stage, well. It takes talent to do a good exposition scene, and there’s one around halfway through this novel that’s particularly good, managing to build the tension while delivering a lot of information about the nature of the being that has gotten its grips into Sarah.

There are some great layers to the plot that also help to build the overall world of this 19th Century Dutch manor and its inhabitants. Early on, the men in the novel are quick to dismiss the sisters’ fears as mistakes or madness, and although the women’s violent actions in the latter half of the book certainly aren’t out of any sort of feminist intentions, Arthur’s and Michael’s paternalistic mindsets do bring an interesting element to the story, although as characters they are far less developed than Lucy, Sarah, or even some of the other minor characters such as Magda the serving woman.

Overall, I think I enjoyed this even more than My Darling Dreadful Thing (although I seriously loved that one as well). Toxic codependence will always be a favourite horror trope of mine, especially when it leads to devastating consequences, and it’s so well executed here along with an exquisitely-crafted story that grows the creeping, unsettling tension to a truly disturbing climax. Van Veen has quickly been added to my list of the authors whose work I will eagerly devour (ha) as soon as I see it.

Surprisingly grotesque, and in a world of books that promise gore and barely deliver a trickle of blood, I appreciated that. But while the horror elements are well done, others weren’t as satisfying. The relationships between the main character, Lucy, and her sister, her brother-in-law, and her childhood friend were all interesting as a premise, but lacked any sort of subtlety or nuance. Everything was explicitly stated, and I wished the author had trusted the audience enough to come to the correct conclusions without the blinking neon signs. I also found the pacing to be off, with many scenes being either redundant or unnecessary. Great stylistically, but not enough meat on the bones for me to leave satisfied.

Johanna van Veen, you are a creepy weird genius and I love you! After reading My Darling Dreadful thing I knew I had to read this one. I wasn't sure how it was going to live up to her first novel, but wow, so fantastic!! Taking place in the 1870's making it even more gothic and creepy and dreadful. I loved it so much. Thank you for the opportunity to find another new favorite author!

This review is based on an arc, not the final copy of the book.

I requested for the beautiful cover and high reviews and stayed for the gothic horror. My first gothic horror novel and I quite liked it.
Just like Sarah, was obsessed with the bog body..I was obsessed with finishing this story...and I did so in one sitting.

Quite a bit of gore, descriptive grotesque elements and dread. I felt cold and uncomfortable in the best way possible featuring cannibalism and rotting corpses.

The story begins with Sarah, Lucy's twin sister, who is slowly falling into a mental and physical decline after a centuries-old corpse is discovered on her husband's estate. The doctor's diagnosis of "temporary insanity" due to a fever of the brain seems to offer a rational explanation. Lucy believes that there is something far more sinister at play. Lucy's love for her sister pushes her to take desperate measures to protect Sarah from being confined to a lunatic asylum. The author's depiction of Sarah's transformation is particularly chilling. The ambiguity of Sarah's sanity blurs the lines between the supernatural and psychological. As Lucy grapples with the possibility that her sister may become something monstrous, she must also confront the secrets she has been keeping, asking who the monster is.

The historical context of the 19th century, with its limited understanding of mental illness and the harsh realities of treatment, adds a layer of tension. Women were labeled hysterical and removed from society, which in many cases was not due to illness but to families or husbands silencing women. The story forces readers to confront unsettling questions about the nature of sanity, the existence of evil, and one's ability to face overwhelming fear.

The pacing was inconsistent and drug at several places. It was also repetitive. Overall, the plot was unique, and the writing was atmospheric and eerie. Its chilling depiction of a descent into madness was thrilling.

I received an ARC ebook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Poison Pen Press.

Really a remarkable historical fiction haunted story, very deep in detail and possessing. Enjoyed it!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I enjoyed this! I thought it was a fun twist on a usual tale, especially since I just finished reading Dracula. The relationship between the sisters was my favorite portion, of course the men mucked it up! All in all, a well paced story

Content Warnings: Gore (Eye Gouging, Cutting with blades), Cannibalism, Vampirism, Obsessive & Unhealthy Relationships, Misogyny, Child Abuse (off screen), Death of Child, Corpses, Medical Institutionalization (Mental Illness), Sexual Abuse (off screen), Existentialism/Body Horror (Parasite)
Note: The ARC (and I assume final book) has a dedicated section with great details on content warnings. The above content warnings are my personal ones, not the ones from the book.

van Veen delivers another gripping, Gothic tale, this time starring twin sisters in a tale that blends shades of Dracula, Victorian era natural sciences, and questioning of self. The book largely follows Lucy in a third person limited view, with occasional inclusions of journal entries and letters from her sister, Sarah. Lucy and Sarah are both great characters, fully fleshed out with strengths, weaknesses, and secrets. I also dug the vibe of Sarah's household with all its interpersonal tensions.

For me, this book was slightly less successful than My Darling Dreadful Thing for two reasons. First, I found the elements related to the parasite overly explained and presented too early. There was little time to wonder if Sarah was gone or not or space to imagine anything about the parasite infecting her. Both fit the specific tone and focus of this book, but just didn't hit the sweet, spooky spot of horror I prefer. Second, I found the structure a little weird. The first third of the book, great; second third, kicking off with the parasite reveal, okay; last third leading to the conclusion a little rushed, with an ending I didn't really find satisfying.

Despite the above, I would still recommend this work to anyone looking for a solid horror story, and I'll be on the lookout for the next van Veen book. The strengths definitely outweighed any weaknesses I found in the book.

Talk about supporting women's rights, and more importantly, their wrongs! This novel was a delightfully creepy mixture of What Moves the Dead, Carmilla, and something very uniquely Johanna van Veen that I just can't seem to get enough of.

When main character Lucy receives a distressing letter regarding the severe mental decline of her twin sister, Sarah, she immediately goes to her aide. Once Lucy sees how bad her sister's condition has gotten, and how differently Sarah is acting, Lucy scrambles to unravel what actually ails her. Is it temporary insanity like Sarah's husband, Michael, and childhood friend and current Doctor, Arthur, say? Or is it something more sinister?

This story kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading. The gathering of clues about what was truly ailing Sarah interspersed with stomach churning body gore, truly eye widening surprises and enthralling letters/articles were done beautifully. Van Veen had me sucked in as soon as I read that there was a bog body, and on top of that, a bog body staked down with a brick in their mouth. As an Anthropology major who was obsessed with burial rites, especially when it came to different culture's methods of preventing their dead from coming back, this was an incredibly exciting detail to read. Also, following Sarah's attempt at discovering more about the bog body (amongst other things) by researching ticks and (my beloved) cordyceps fungus had me giggling with excitement. I cannot overstate how much I love fungal horror books, so this element alone was probably enough to sell me on the whole book. I was not expecting so much graphic description of gore, specifically body horror, but it was just enough to make me as uncomfortable as I like being while reading a horror novel.

Now, for Lucy and Sarah's relationship. What a weird one. Compelling until the very end, but so weird and complex. Despite all their secrets, betrayals, and personality changes, they were still fiercely (read: aggressively) loyal to each other. I found their softer moments together quite surprising and very much welcomed. Van Veen took what could have been a pretty cookie cutter story, and instead took a much-needed new path to explore what if they actually weren't good people and they didn't do good things? I appreciate the contemplation regarding what it means to be good vs evil, and if you can even label something as evil if what it's doing is only trying to survive. These women do not do good things, and I love that.

After reading My Darling Dreadful Thing, I will read anything van Veen puts out. I'm so glad this lived up to my expectations and I genuinely can't wait until van Veen's next work!

Read the content warnings, there's a LOT of body gore, references to SA and childhood abuse, and definitely a lot of abuse of power imbalance/manipulation. Also, slight spoiler, but the dog does not die, so thank you van Veen for that :)

Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Johanna van Veen for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Blood on Her Tongue is a fascinating and morbid period piece. The curious case of the bog body turns into a thrilling and unique dilemma, where the bonds between family are challenged. Loyalties are questioned and I was left captivated until the last page.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy for reviewing. All opinions are my own.

This story follows Lucy as she journeys to her sisters estate to tend to her while she’s ill. Lucy & Sarah have a weird twin dynamic, as Sarah is more daring and dominant, (propriety be damned), and Lucy submissively follows all of her whims. I liked reading the letters between them while it filled in the gaps of the story. Van Veen’s take on revenants/vampires was interesting and different from anything I’ve read in a while. I liked the story well enough, but I feel like it dragged on a bit too much for such a quickly wrapped up, open ending.

Quick synopsis: 1887 Netherlands, a twin girl becomes infatuated with a corpse found in the bog and something within the bog corpse overtakes her and it has an insatiable hunger for human blood. Her other twin is ready and willing to do whatever it takes to help her sister.
Review: A dark, gothic, supernatural, horror with some sapphic longing? There’s literally nothing else I desire from a book! This book was so original and deliciously done I could not put it down! A very fun and atmospheric read with just the right amount of gore and anticipation throughout. I also love how this wasn’t a book about romantic relationships, but rather a complex and codependent relationship between siblings and how far one is willing to go to protect their sibling.. would they go as far as murder? I love any sort of vampiric, demonic possession books and this one will be another all timer for me from the mastermind that is Johanna Van Veen! Another thing that I love about Johanna’s books is that you never really know if it is truly supernatural or pure madness of the characters. Highly recommend to all! (:
Thanks @netgalley and @poisonpenpress for allowing me the ARC in exchange for my hostage review!
Blood on her tongue available March 2025!

4.5☆

Taking half a star off for what happened to Arthur. I'm only joking; it's not a full five stars because it didn't hit the same way 'My Darling Dreadful Thing' hit.

The number of times I've said, 'No, she wouldn't,' to myself is insane. I absolutely love Johanna Van Veen's way of writing and the fact that she isn't afraid to write about the themes discussed in this book.

Her work makes my heart burn and my brain need time to process. I've never had an author become an auto-buy this fast!

This was a 5/5 for me! It took me a while to read, but that’s only because I read so much slower in the digital space. This book was just everything I long for in a gothic novel: excellent creepy setting, a little bit of blood and gore, the victorian setting. I enjoyed that Johanna used bog bodies again, but gave it a slightly different spin from her last novel. The vampire inspiration was very originally executed as well. I enjoyed this book a lot more than ‘my Darling Dreadful Thing’ because the relationships felt real to me. I adored the deep connection between twin and that romance wasn’t the main subject of the story. I really felt for Lucy and enjoyed seeing her slowly lose grip of.. everything really. In ‘my Darling Dreadful Thing’ one of the questions for readers was: is it madness or reality? And in this novel, ‘Blood on her Tongue’, you can ask yourself this question again. But, honestly, it was better executed than last time, it’s.. well in Dutch we say ‘het ligt er minder dik bovenop’ which translates to that it’s less obvious. Johanna please keep writing these lovely gothic novels!

This book was a wild ride. The writing was engaging and well-paced, but I just felt like I was waiting for a big reveal or twist. It was certainly dark and complicated with its dives into various relationships.
And there were moments I had to literally shudder from a scene…so it was definitely compelling! I just feel that the resolution was essentially “ok, this is the end now” and it didn’t stir any new feelings of wrapping it up for me.