With its haunting cover and intriguing description, "Gothictown" pulled me in from the first page. The author expertly delivers heart-pounding suspense and spine-tingling fear without ever needing to dip into the supernatural.

Imagine this: Billie Hope, tired of the concrete jungle of NYC, is given a jaw-dropping offer—a Victorian home in the charming town of Juliana, Georgia, for a mere $100.00, along with a business grant to kickstart her dream restaurant. It sounds like a fairy tale, right? But in a world flipped upside down by a pandemic, who could resist the allure of a fresh start away from the chaos? Billie, her husband Peter, and their daughter eagerly embark on their new adventure, ready to embrace everything this quaint small town offers.

From the moment I entered the story, I was captivated! The history of Julianna unfolds with generations of secrets and eerie whispers. But as the sun sets, the town reveals its true colors—far from the picture-perfect paradise. The family begins to experience unsettling nightmares, and Peter starts to change in disturbing ways, leaving Billie questioning their leap into the unknown.

This was my second read from this talented author, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Thank you to the author and RB Media/Recorded Books for providing an early audiobook copy through NetGalley. The narrator brought the story to life, adding an atmospheric touch that sometimes left me holding my breath.

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Emily Carpenter's latest Southern Gothic thriller and soon a TV series, GOTHICTOWN, is a dark, creepy, and atmospheric wickedly delicious thriller. It beckons you into a seductive world, where all your desires can be fulfilled… if you're willing to pay the price.

The story unfolds in a seemingly idyllic town in Georgia, rich with history and a chilling atmosphere, making it a captivating read for fans of the genre. A restauranteur from NYC is lured to a Southern town in Georgia, post-pandemic, with all the enticing incentives that turn into a horror nightmare for her and her family.

About...

Billie Hope was a successful owner of a New York restaurant called Billie's that celebrities often frequented; however, during the pandemic, she was forced to close.

She is at odds since her mom decided to join a cult in Maine, and she misses the busy restaurant to keep her busy.

She learns of a Southern town, two hours north of Atlanta, in (fictional) Juliana, Georgia, offering incredible incentives to build up the city and business. A beautiful, spacious Victorian home (furnished), land to grow things for a restaurant, and a large grant to open a restaurant. Billie is delighted, thinking this is fate.

Gentle Juliana Beckons You…

"Start your life today in a community that cares, courtesy of the Juliana Initiative.

Founded in 1832, Juliana, Georgia, is an idyllic, historic, riverside mill town that offers every amenity you need to start your new business, continue your remote work, or set up your practice in a safe, secure, and vital environment away from city life. Juliana has always been its own town, and we are proud of it. The weather is warm here and so are the people. We welcome all to our jewel of the South."
— Gentle Juliana

Finally, Billie convinces her husband, Peter (therapist), and young daughter, Mere, to make the move, filled with hope and excitement at the prospect of the beautiful home and the opportunity to open her dream restaurant.

But then, things take a bizarre turn. Sleep becomes elusive, nightmares and strange events unfold, evil forces of Juliana surround their home, and the town's leaders exhibit peculiar behavior. Rumors about a well on their property add to the mystery. Beneath the town's warm hospitality, something sinister lurks. As the stress mounts, their marriage is tested, and Billie is left grappling with the inexplicable.

The story is filled with suspense and tension, keeping you on the edge of your seat, wondering if they will escape.

Check out the website for more: Gentle Juliana. So much fun and a playlist!

My thoughts...

I loved GOTHICTOWN! The author cleverly creates the Southern Gothic chilling atmospheric setting that is so enticing on the outside with a menacing sinister horror lurking with every page turn and those creepy EVIL characters!

From the evil forces of Juliana to its eccentric characters, sins of the town's past, and sinster ghostly events, all make for an engrossing unputdownable tale.

GOTHICTOWN is the author's finest work, and I eagerly anticipate a sequel. The TV series based on this gripping tale only adds to the excitement.

Audiobook...

The audiobook is superb, narrated by one of my favorites, Cassandra Campbell! Her performance was award-winning, elevating the story with vivid settings and the perfect impressive voice for all the characters, particularly Billie! I highly recommend the audiobook.

The area...

An Atlanta gal for many years, spending my entire career there, living in Vinings, Buckhead, and Midtown, and later Big Canoe, GA (which I loved) about an hour north of Atlanta, and dated a guy in Dalohenga (mentioned in book) until I moved to Florida. I love stories set in Georgia, and Atlanta will always be home for me (my grown sons wish I still lived there as Florida is not an easy drive from NC). I adore and support Atlanta authors.

Author's Note...

I thoroughly enjoyed the author's note. It provided a fascinating insight into the inspiration behind the book and the history of Roswell, GA. Wow, I could not wait to find the inspiration—adding depth to the story, making me appreciate the author's work even more.

Ironically, years ago, I was the Director of Membership and Events for the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (overseeing the cities of Roswell, Sandy Springs, Alpharetta, and Mountain Park) and did not know about all this scandalous history! Later, I was an associate publisher for Atlanta's largest commercial real estate directory for many years, Atlanta B2B Magazine, Publisher of Atlanta New Homes Data Book and several online commercial real estate companies in Atlanta, covering these areas. It is always fun to learn something new. Fascinating. Thank you, Emily!

Note to Emily...

Please write a ghostly Gothic book set in Columbus, GA! This town also has many historic Victorian homes, and the city has ghosts, very mysterious, creepy, and strange townspeople, making this a perfect setting. I had a client located downtown, and I spent six months there and could not wait to leave! Lots of haunting stories here.

Recs...

GOTHICTOWN is for fans of the author and those who enjoy works by Ashley Winstead, Stacy Willingham, Laura McHugh, and Jennifer McMahon—for readers who enjoy well-written Southern Gothic tales with a touch of horror.

Thanks to Kensington, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for the gifted advanced review and listening copies in exchange for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: March 25, 2025
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Gothictown by Emily Carpenter was an interesting concept and a wonderfully eerie setting, but unfortunately the execution fell short of its potential.

The book's strongest aspect was the atmosphere—the tiny-town setting came alive, and the growing tension of foreboding kept me interested in the early going. The idea that a seemingly ideal town had an underlying dark secret was fascinating, and I awaited where the author would take things.

Unfortunately, the pacing was atrocious. The first 60% was plodding with too much setup and not enough payoff. When the plot did finally twist, it was frustrating rather than satisfying, as the main character's choices became increasingly illogical and unbelievable. Her motivations weren't always apparent, and I couldn't connect with her because of it.

There were also too many inconsistencies throughout the book—characters being too quick or too slow to respond to, and respond sensibly to, major events, illogical jumps that did not make sense, and plot threads that were introduced and never resolved. The supernatural elements had promise but were not developed enough, and the ending tied up too conveniently after such a slow build-up.

Claiming to mashup-market this as The Lottery cross-cut with Sharp Objects was dishonest—it neither achieved the psychological depth of Sharp Objects nor went completely whole hog with the eerie, creepy theme possibilities of The Lottery. Rather, it alternated between gothic horror and thriller without quite finishing off either genre.

While I loved the mood and atmosphere, the exasperating plot and character choices made this one a letdown. I wish I could have liked it better, but ultimately just didn't connect with it.

Arc review ✨

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early audio copy in exchange for an honest review! Some parts ahead are maybe spoiler ish so warnings there but if you are a horror buff, you will not be surprised by them at all, I know I wasn’t.

This one follows a popular horror plot of “Young family moves to a what anyone could see is a too go to be true idyllic small town filled with red flags for a better life” and I figured this would be predictable (it was) but I so badly needed a fun and fast paced pallet cleanser read in between all my literary fiction and over the top complicated fantasy trilogy binges though.. so I kept listening… and waiting.

Note here, the audio narrator did well! I didn’t mind them.

First off, poor Peter. Thats pretty much the extent of my emotional range in this book, I could care less about anyone else. I saw what was coming for him from the first chapter. Anywho, overall this book was not as exciting as I had hoped. I was expecting more action I think. The author could have just went ham with this, all the ingredients were there… it all felt so safe and that’s why it’s a lower rating. I was kind of bored. They did one of the “sacrifices” by just putting someone to sleep almost peacefully…

The ending felt off as well… I do love a happy ending as much as the next person but they got out relatively unscathed and everyone just goes to prison?…. Again, safe. That’s how I’ll sum this one up. It wasn’t bad, I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it. Kind of a bummer.

⭐️⭐️.5 rounded up cause goodreads makes me round.

🖤

*Gothictown* is an eerie, slow-burning gothic thriller that left me feeling unsettled—in the best way. While the story dragged at first, it gradually built an atmosphere of creeping dread that kept me hooked. The audiobook’s unsettling tone and suspenseful moments made for a disturbing yet compelling listen.

I especially loved that the protagonist is a mother, adding a unique perspective and emotional depth. Her strength in standing against a delusional cult and its narcissistic, power-hungry men was one of the highlights of the story.

The narration enhanced the haunting atmosphere, and the production was clean. Though the pacing wasn’t always perfect, the chilling twists made up for it. If you enjoy slow-burn gothic horror with cult themes and a strong female lead, *Gothictown* is worth a listen.

From the start, you knew the main character, Billy, and her husband, Peter, and daughter, Meredith, were in for some rough times. The suspense was amazing as they moved to Juliana, Georgia, and started meeting the locals, who had strange customs and somewhat diluted stories of the creepy history of the town. With time, Peter especially deteriorated under the strain of the strange dreams the whole family experienced, haunted by ghosts of the past. I found myself wondering when the shoe was going to drop for Billy and her family and eager to find out what horrors awaited them. The narration did a great job of portraying the tone of the novel. Fans of spooky, gothic thrillers will love this book.

READ IT IF YOU'RE INTEREST IN OR LIKED
- Creepy small town vibes
- Cozy horror blended with dark thriller
- Cults
- Southern gothic
- Folk horror
- Murder mystery
- Too good to be true fixer-upper
- The Grip of It by Jac Jemc
- The Invited by Jennifer McMahon
- Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

BRIEF REVIEW
Saving my favorite of the week for last. This book could have gone in so many different directions but where it ended up was not what I expected AT ALL. I think this may have had one of the most satisfying endings I've ever read. I don't usually like slow burns but in this Southern Gothic story it was just enough action to keep you unsettled the entire time.

Special thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for advanced audiobook for honest review

Welcome to Gentle Juliana! Where if you treat her right, good things will be passed on to you, BUT wake the sleeping bear and everything you love could be lost. Set in northern area of Georgia, Juliana is an idyllic small town that is postcard perfect. So much so, that it captures hearts of Billy and her family with a great incentive to move. The old families worship Juliana, and they will stop at nothing to keep the old ways alive.

Cassandra Campbell was amazing! Keeping the many characters in line. The different southern dialects and the main character being from New York.

5 Star read & audiobook, highly recommend.

I'm not a huge fan of horror but I love an eerie setting and a sense of dread and unease coursing through a story. Gothictown was that exactly. Not jump scares but a vague disquieting feeling.

When Billie is offered the chance to move her family from an expensive life in NYC to a home in a small, southern town for only $100, she jumps at the chance. All is not what it seems in the town however, as Billie, Peter, and Meredith soon learn.

I enjoyed the narration and I think it was perfectly paced. For a book like this, how the story is read makes such a difference. I highly recommend this version.

3.5 stars rounded up. Gothictown is a slow-burn Southern Gothic steeped in eerie atmosphere, though its mystery prioritizes creeping dread over thrills. Carpenter evocatively renders Juliana, Georgia—a town masking rot beneath Southern charm—while channeling Shirley Jackson’s unease and Gillian Flynn’s small-town decay. Protagonist Billie’s relocation, lured by pandemic incentives, intrigues, but her baffling choices (dismissing glaring red flags) undercut tension. Some subplots, such as the mother joining a cult, did not fully come to fruition to bolster the story. While the finale delivers poetic justice, its emotional flatness disappoints, leaving resolutions logical but hollow. A compelling, if uneven, dive into darkness where setting eclipses character depth.

Thank you to RBmedia for the audiobook ARC!

This book was interesting, but slightly disappointing. I loved the eerie cover, and yes I know judging a book by the cover is a no no, but I am the queen of cover judging and a lot of the times it works out well for me. The title- Perfection. The Local-fantastic. When you look at all of that you have to ask, why were you disappointed.

To begin with, I liked the story, I was fond of the main character, I mean she drove drunk and had a list of things I really disliked , and I would never be friends with a person like her. The local was totally my vibe, I can not pass up a creepy old house, however I should, they never seem to be the cozy quaint old houses the characters think they are. But like all good Gothic stories, you need an overly creepy house, this did give me that.

Now here is the kicker, the story as I said was good, but it wasn't really creepy or gothic, other than the house. I felt that I was reading a domestic family story with just a bit of creep thrown in. Yes it had some murder, but it just didn't have what I was expecting it to have.

BUT, please do not let my review stop you from reading. It is a decent story regardless, and there will be people out there, that want just that little hint of creepiness and not the huge amount I wanted.

Gothictown was an entertaining blend of B-rated horror and mystery that kept me engaged throughout. The plot and pacing were a bit all over the place, but this only added to the chaotic energy of the story. I particularly enjoyed the experience of loving to dislike the female main character—her actions made her both frustrating and fascinating to follow. Despite the unpredictability of the plot, there were enough tense moments to keep me hooked. It was an enjoyable ride overall.

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for the chance to listen to this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Emily Carpenter masterfully crafts an eerie and atmospheric thriller in Gothictown, a suspenseful tale that lures readers into a seemingly idyllic town where nothing is quite as it seems. When a family moves into this picturesque community, the offer they receive is too good to refuse—but as they soon discover, everything comes at a price.

Carpenter excels at building tension, weaving a slow-burning mystery that keeps readers hooked as the layers of the town’s dark secrets gradually unravel. The suspense intensifies with each chapter, leading to a series of shocking twists that make for an unforgettable reading experience. The setting itself becomes a character, its gothic charm masking an unsettling truth beneath the surface.

With a gripping plot, well-developed characters, and an atmosphere thick with intrigue, Gothictown is a must-read for fans of dark suspense and psychological thrillers. Carpenter delivers a compelling narrative that lingers long after the final page.

After losing her restaurant due to the pandemic and her mother running off to join a cult, Billie Hope is lost and waiting for a sign. Then, an email appears with an offer she can't refuse. The town of Juliana, Georgia started an initiative to revitalize their town and offered Billie an old beautiful Victorian home for the measly price of $100 and a business grant to start a new restaurant. Her husband, Peter, Billie, and their daughter Meredith decide to take the chance and prepare for a fresh start. Shortly after arriving, this town seems too good to be true and is completely picture perfect with some of the most warm and inviting citizens. Billie thinks she's hit the jackpot, but Peter isn't too sure. It seems that this sunshine-y Georgia town is hiding something much darker than they could have ever expected.

I'm not sure how I completely feel about Gothictown. The premise was super interesting and unique with great potential. I definitely expected to have much more present horror elements, but it turned out to be much more of a cozy mystery than a typical Gothic or Southern horror. However, with the expectation of such, it made this book drag a bit for me. Not to mention, Billie was so unlikeable in so many ways. Unfaithful to her husband, completely self absorbed, and would forget to even mention the existence of her 6 year old daughter for long stretches of time.

The audiobook was also just okay, but I did have a hard time getting fully immersed into the story. Not sure if that was an audio problem or a plot problem in general. This one wasn't for me, but I do think a lot of people would like if this if they went in with the expectation of a mystery book over a horror book!

Thank you to Netgalley, Emily Carpenter, and RB Media for this advanced listener copy!

Thank you to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity on the ARC audio. This was a first for me on a book of this style. The story did start out great and had me hooked. However, 50% through it lost me. I had hopes for a scary and creepy book. It was neither of these for me.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of Gothictown.

The start of the book had a promising start. It seemed to draw on though. Nothing really exciting happened till about the 64% mark.
The prologue pretty much gave away what was going to happen in the book. That’s why I don’t read the prologue, but since it was an audiobook i did.
The characters weren’t that great to me. The FMC was a whiny baby most of the story about how her mom moved away to live her own life.
Then the ending was a total disconnect from the whole book.

This novel stressed me out in a good way. It concludes semi-happily but Billie Hope, the main character, and her family are really put through the ring. Billie sees an email in her inbox one day from the Juliana, GA Initiative. In exchange for moving down south and opening a business, she and her family can purchase a huge Victorian mansion for$100 and receive another $30,000 toward her new business. Billy and her husband and young daughter jump at the chance. The offer seems too good to be true and in actuality, it really is.
From the first day, the family experiences insomnia and worry. Their family cat becomes feral and Billie's husband knows there's something rotten in Juliana. But Billie is thriving and even though she knows there are issues, she's content to work through any problems. However, when her husband up and leaves after another argument, Billie finally tries to piece together what is actually happening in Juliana.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books for this digital audio e-arc.*

Gothictown by Emily Carpenter is a Southern slightly horror novel set against the backdrop of a pandemic. The concept of the story is intriguing, and the atmosphere is effectively eerie, with a strong cult-like vibe permeating the town. I found the ending to be a bit too neatly wrapped up, the story kept me hooked from start to finish. The narrator was excellent.

Disjointed, needed another few rounds of edits, if it was supposed to be a modern gothic horror it fell horribly short. I honestly DNFd it 50% through. I kept waiting for something to happen and it never did.

This is a southern gothic novel with elements of mystery, horror, and thriller. The timeline skips between Billie’s new life and dark events throughout the town’s history, giving the reader insight that Billie is missing. This does add to the growing sense of dread and unease, but also means some major plot points are revealed well before Billie herself figures them out. I found that the plot veers between folk horror and cosy mystery, never quite landing on either side for long.

I thought the audiobook was very well done - the narrator balanced the accents well, and it worked well for Billie’s inner monologue.