Blood on Her Tongue is the modern gothic book that I’ve been waiting for. Incredibly atmospheric, Johanna Van Veen managed to capture the romance of the genre while also keeping the horror. The beginning of the book and the mystery, which quickly spirals into a faster-paced story with plenty of action and some gore, makes this a perfect book to read in one sitting.

As a protagonist, Lucy initially appears meek, the shadow to her more brilliant twin sister, Sarah. However, her jealousy of Sarah is a more complex kind and it’s clear that she loves Sarah more than she resents her. The heart of the book is this relationship and how the horrors that happen test that bond, but I was very happy with the ending, and I even wish there had been an epilogue so I could have more of these characters.

Besides Sarah, there’s Michael, her husband, Arthur, a doctor helping them out, and Katje, who’s a sister of sorts to Michael. While none of them reach the same level of depth as Lucy and Sarah, they serve their purpose and there are striking lines and little moments that really humanize them or lend them a glimmer of complexity. I kind of wish the book had leaned even more into these tangled relationships and drama.

Overall, Blood on Her Tongue is a propulsive and eerily atmospheric read perfect for fall. I’ll be keeping a lookout for whatever Johanna van Veen writes next!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This review will be published on my blog (clearsummers.wordpress.com) and Goodreads on March 11, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
This was much better than I anticipated. I didn’t expect the author to tackle so many topics in one book, all while wrapping them in a gruesome embrace. The characters were so vividly crafted that getting to know them felt like a true journey. It’s an ideal read for those long, dark nights when you crave something haunting and immersive.

I’ve read My Darling Dreadful Thing arc last march and absolutely loved it. I still think about it often actually. Roos and Agnes especially. If you still haven’t read this queer gothic horror tale, I highly recommend it. Naturally, when I spotted this new release on here I was really excited to dive into it.

It reminded me of My Darling Dreadful Thing for many reasons; the way the story is told, the letters (in the vein of the interview bits I loved so much in MDDT), the panel of characters, the morbid aesthetic and of course, the prose. Those are the forces of this novel. It’s so unsettling and yet, the pace is so good you don’t found the will to stop yourself from going further. And then again, The Netherlands setting add so much soul to the whole atmosphere.

I loved the duality of the twin’s relationship and side characters such as Katje and Pasja. I however found the plots all a bit predictable, at least I knew who, what, when. But while nothing was a shock I still enjoyed it and I'll definitely be there for Johanna van Veen's next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and PoisonedPenPress for the opportunity!

A wonderful gothic, decadent, gory story of vampire and female rage. Really had a great time reading it during the winter season.

A really good gothic novel, gruesome and dark in the best ways. I love a vampire novel and this ticked a lot of boxes. I look forward to reading more from this author.

A truly ingenuitive take on vampires with a dash of female rage. Gothic, dreary, grotesque and macabre — everything I look for in a solid vampire novel was so wonderfully present. There are scenes in this novel that still live rent free in my head ( 👁️ + 🖋️ ) if you know… you know. This novel begs the question: what is a person without their thoughts, experiences, and history? Could you love someone still if they became monstrous? Morality is turned into murky waters, and what’s right and what’s wrong begin to look so similar you cannot tell the difference. I would definitely recommend to anyone who is in love the with the dark and macabre 🖤 thanks to NetGalley for ARC access!

This was gross and creepy - but like, that's what I was hoping it would be so it's a good thing. I didn't care for the ending but overall I liked this. I wish there was more about the house/area to give it more of a gothic atmosphere.

Twins are always connected, they have a sixth sense about people and places. Except for Lucy and Sarah. Sarah becomes ill, and obsesse with corpses. Diagnosed with temporary insanity, Lucy tries everything to keep her sister out of the asylum. As Lucy unfolds secrets after secrets, she is beginning to think Sarah may have a worse problem on her hands. This was a wild ride, I loved it!

This gothic horror tale is a spine-tingling adventure, shrouded in darkness and suspense. It tells the story of twin sisters ensnared by sinister secrets, with surprising twists that challenge the boundaries between reality and insanity. The author's descriptive writing conjures a haunting ambiance, making it a memorable and unsettling read.

I loved everything about this. The mood, the ambiance, the story. Amazing amazing amazing. Can’t wait to read more from this author

Absolute loved this. When Lucy travels to help her twin sister who is in the midst of a mental and physical battle with a corpse, we are brought in on the mystery of who was she and why was she. A addictive dark fairy tale that sinks its teeth in right away(literally)

This gothic horror tale was nothing short of a haunting journey, immersing the reader in a world steeped in shadow and foreboding. The author’s prose pulls you into a setting so vivid and chilling that you can almost feel the cold seep into your bones, leaving you simultaneously entranced and uneasy. Every page hums with an eerie tension, and the dark atmosphere twists around you, making you dread yet crave each wicked event lurking around the corner.

At the heart of this tale lie twin sisters, bound by secrets that gradually entangle them in an inescapable darkness—one that doesn’t merely haunt them but reaches out to ensnare those around them as well. The plot twists are shocking, strange, and yet utterly fitting for a tale as unsettling as this one. After all, what is gothic horror without its peculiarities?

The author’s skill in immersing you within the sisters’ worlds is nothing short of masterful. As their lives unravel in a fog of secrets and lies, you find yourself questioning what is real and what is the product of creeping madness. The lines blur so convincingly that, like the twins themselves, you’re left teetering on the edge, unable to fully discern reality from delusion. It’s a dizzying descent that makes this tale all the more terrifying—and unforgettable.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second novel by van Veen I have read and there is a very distinct vibe that she brings to her work that I means I will probably give anything she writes a go, but so far I have not felt entirely satisfied by it. The ingredients are all there, it just hasn't hit for me yet, though there were elements of this novel that I found really interesting and well done.

In this novel, the story follows Lucy, rushing to the bedside of her twin, Sarah. She has been receiving strange and disconcerting letters from Sarah ever since a body was discovered in the bog near where she lived. When Lucy arrives, Sarah is deteriorating quickly, experiencing strange symptoms and dangerously close to death. Can she survive whatever is happening to her or will she be turned into something else entirely?

What I especially appreciated about this novel, was it's approach to the vampire-esque creature at the heart of it. The lore and mythology van Veen builds around the creature is really interesting and she attempts something a little different while utilising classic vampire literature tropes. The blood at the centre of the story is also not hesitated over either, which I really appreciated, especially one scene involving a woman menstruating. I felt like van Veen really leaned into the passionate gorging aspects of the creature, without trying to make it twee or simply edgy. These aspects of the novel were really strong.

However, the characters in the novel were fairly weak. A lot of them suffered from a chronic case of telling not showing, and some didn't even get that. Characters who are supposed to have known each other since childhood seem to behave the same as those who have not, and there is very little development of any relationship outside of Lucy and Sarah's which, while at times was compelling, also felt fairly like they were still in the initial conception phase. Katje, in particular, was never given a character. While one could argue that this was simply due to Lucy's POV narration, I think that is a weak argument. There is never any answers as to why characters like each other or are compelled by each other. While the narrative plays with deception and lying, because the characters are not well established, it is difficult to truly feel engaged by the conflict. The ending was also a bit like a deflated balloon which left me with a lot of boring questions rather than excitement or catharsis.

I look forward to what van Veen writes next but this, while in places really interesting, just missed the mark overall for me.

"Don't deny this. You have craved the meat and the madness of it as much as I have."

Sarah and Lucy are twins. Lucy spends her days as a companion for an elderly widow, while Sarah is happily married and spends her time indulging into her current obsessions, including a body found on her property. But then Sarah falls ill and Lucy rushes to her side to aide her. He doctor and husband Michael think she is ill from brain fever and just needs time. But Lucy knowing her twin better than anyone suspects something else is at play, specially when Sarah's behaviour changes as does her appetite. But Lucy also has her own dark secrets to keep hidden.

I LOVED THIS !! It hooked me in right from the beginning. It is a beautifully woven gothic horror tale that had me hanging on every word. Loved the bleak atmospheric setting in the Netherlands.

The bodies in the bog have always held such fascination and was interesting how the author weaved them as part of the story and the curious take on vampire mythology.

Deals with family dynamics, gender imbalances, misogyny, mental illness, self harm, death of a child (off page).

Loved the relationship between Lucy & Sarah. Even with secrets between them, Lucy had such unwavering loyalty to Sarah's health and well being, even if it meant going against her own character standing up to Sarah's husband and doctor. Has some great eerie moments as well as straight out horror.

Prefect for fans of Camilla, Dracula, gothic horror, vampire horror, vampire gothic horror.
This ended exactly how I wanted it to. Johanna van Veen has done it again !

This gave me a Dracula meets Crimson Peak vibe.

Thank you to Netgalley & Poison Pen Press for the ARC opportunity, all thought are my own.

The plot is super unique and interesting. Pulls you in and keeps you wanting to read. Some parts of the story drag on, but overall super good.

Loved every minute of it! I can understand that some people might find the story a bit stretched out, but I could not get enough of the internal conflicts the protagonist was battling out with herself. The concept of vampirism as an actual form of parasitism seems fresh and intriguing. And how the author portrayed the relationship between the sisters was cuttingly accurate in its sometimes loving, sometimes volatile but always toxic seemed believable even in its most fucked up moments. I can't wait for her next book!

Not as great as My Darling Dreadful Thing. It had a lot of potential. I didn't really like writing references to Dracula such as "sister mine" in the letters, it was too on the nose.
I liked how Sarah was able to take part in research and have a fulfilled life that way, I just wanted more from the Bog Woman and maybe more contrast from Lucy, for example is she truly on the Bog Woman's side or not- I would have enjoyed reading and questioning her motives a bit more.

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.