When it’s too hot outside to even go to the beach, run yourself a cool bath or take a cold shower and keep the chill on with a gothic mystery. Nothing keeps you from overheating like reading about cold tombs and drafty cathedrals. The following are some of my favorite gothic chillers.
The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong
This 2023 release by first time author Jess Armstrong won the First Crime Novel Award from the Mystery Writers of America. It’s a delicious hybrid of a classic murder at an isolated countryside, historical fiction, a detective novel, feminist literature, pastoralism, and just the tiniest touch of magical realism. The novel features many Downton Abbey echoes as well, given the strong leading character (Ruby) as a World War I survivor and heiress. The lead male character, Ruen Kivell, makes a seductive combination of Watson with a folk healer. Sign me up for the sequel.
A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn
Another historical fiction / detective novel featuring a strong female lead, A Curious Beginning: a Veronica Speedwell Mystery begins a completely unpredictable and sometimes equally dark and funny series. The lead male character’s name of ‘Stoker’ must be a nod to Dracula‘s author, as the series takes place in a similar time frame and features definite gothic overtones. Veronica Speedwell’s character reminds me of Amelia Peabody: educated, intelligent, and strong-willed to a comedic extent. With nine books in the series as of 2024, and probably counting, you will not run out of books to read anytime soon.
The Deeds of the Disturber by Elizabeth Peters
As someone who will never get over the death of the author Elizabeth Peters (aka Barbara Michaels, Ph.D.), let me take this opportunity to remind you of the Amelia Peabody series. With twenty books featuring Amelia and her unforgettable husband Emerson (apologies if that spoiled the ending of the first book, but it’s pretty obvious what’s going to happen), the later books become more about the characters than the plots. The Deeds of the Disturber, however, at only book 5, still focused on the actual murder and mystery. With all the stone architecture in 19th century London, the settings of the quiet, chilly British Museum and several austere, ancient English manors will counteract the heatwave outside. An essentially simple, gothic plot at heart, The Deeds of the Disturber is an engaging and fun read … at least, if you like mummies, murders, and Victorian cults.
Rebecca, a quintessential haunted house novel, does not have an actual ghost. What it does have is far more effective and dangerous. At the core of virtually all gothic novels lies a critique of the roles of women and children in society. The narrator in Rebecca is a young newlywedded wife with no name. She marries a rich and handsome widower, moves into his beautiful gothic mansion (Manderley), and finds her new role challenged by the memory of his perfect society wife: Rebecca. Saying more would give it away. If you’re not sure you would like this novel, first watch Alfred Hitchcock’s movie adaptation of the same name, which won both the Best Picture and Best Cinematography Oscars at the 13th Academy Awards in 1941. You will never forget it.
Lovers of gothic literature know about the historic scary story competition in the summer of 1816 at a villa in Geneva that resulted in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and the novella The Vampyre by Polidori, the first modern vampire story. The Villa, set in both the 1970s and modern day at a villa in Italy, is loosely based on that historical summer. In 1974, Mari, her boyfriend, and her stepsister spend the summer with a rock star in his rented Italian villa to help him write new songs. Love triangles and professional envy culminate in the boyfriend’s murder.
In the modern day parallel timeline, struggling cozy mystery writer Emily is invited to summer in the same villa with her best friend and successful self-help writer and influencer “Chess”. Emily becomes intrigued with the 1974 murder and the subsequent bestselling horror novel that Mari writes after the death. She finds clues hidden by Mari throughout the villa, and also in the platinum album produced by Mari’s stepsister. Emily begins her own book about what happened in 1974, only to find herself in competition with Chess for both the book and her ex-husband.
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë, was one of the earliest gothic novels. At the heart of the novel lies a gothic mystery: a lonely governess travels to a lonely mansion (Thornfield Hall) on the moor to take care of a foreign little girl there under mysterious circumstances. Strange sounds and sightings haunt Jane in the mansion, as does the eccentric owner Mr. Rochester. With touches of magical realism and an odd brand of romance, Jane Eyre’s life at Thornfield Hall ultimately becomes one of her own making. Though over 200 years old, the story is a timeless and spooky classic. It has influenced centuries of novels, and continues to be retold in new movie and streaming series (and even a graphic novel) because of its pioneering character and themes.
Need more book recommendations? Join the Mystery! discussion group the last Thursday of most months. The next one meets on Thursday, July 25th at 3pm in Meeting Room 2 – that’s in the Old Church part of Russell Library, designed in the gothic style popularized by books like Jane Eyre in the mid-19th century. We will also be giving historical tours of the library again this October on Friday nights for our Secrets of Russell Library.
The Library Vault 
Leave a comment