Scan barcode
A review by kaylacreviews
Behind the Veil by E.J. Dawson
5.0
A few words come to mind when I think back on Behind the Veil by E.J. Dawson. "Tantalizing" is one of them. "Harrowing," another. "Spooky"? Absolutely. I finished reading this back in December 2021 and I still get goosebumps when I think about certain scenes. Dawson really knew how to make my skin crawl and my heart pound. I enjoyed Dawson's descriptions. No detail was overlooked, but at the same time, not all the details provided seemed important. That made the narrative drag at times. Dawson's writing style came off as curious and sometimes a bit stilted, but there's no denying its elegance. The supernatural elements were absolutely chilling. However, Behind the Veil wasn't just an excellent gothic horror, it was also a great mystery. I kept trying to guess who the perpetrator was only to be proven wrong each time. The suspense almost made me rush ahead so I could find out what happened next.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of Behind the Veil was how Dawson contrasted Letitia with the fake spiritualists. Not only did that lend Letitia an air of professionalism, but it also highlighted her morality, which made her more sympathetic. Her heartbreaking backstory, skillfully revealed a bit at a time, also aided in my understanding of her decisions and fears. I loved how Dawson explained Letitia's powers—the consequences and dangers of her profession were as fascinating as they were frightening. Her interactions with the hot-headed love interest provided a tad of humor to an otherwise bleak, disturbing story. Their development—how they grew together as well as individually—was convincing and even bittersweet. I highly recommend Behind the Veil by E.J. Dawson to those looking for an immersive gothic noir with just the right amount of romance, horror, and mystery.
(Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this work from Blackthorn Book Tours for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own and are honest and unbiased.)
Trigger Warning: Dark adult themes, death, murder, miscarriage, suicide, rape and pedophilia (those last two are mentioned only, there is no explicit content in the book).
Perhaps my favorite aspect of Behind the Veil was how Dawson contrasted Letitia with the fake spiritualists. Not only did that lend Letitia an air of professionalism, but it also highlighted her morality, which made her more sympathetic. Her heartbreaking backstory, skillfully revealed a bit at a time, also aided in my understanding of her decisions and fears. I loved how Dawson explained Letitia's powers—the consequences and dangers of her profession were as fascinating as they were frightening. Her interactions with the hot-headed love interest provided a tad of humor to an otherwise bleak, disturbing story. Their development—how they grew together as well as individually—was convincing and even bittersweet. I highly recommend Behind the Veil by E.J. Dawson to those looking for an immersive gothic noir with just the right amount of romance, horror, and mystery.
(Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this work from Blackthorn Book Tours for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own and are honest and unbiased.)
Trigger Warning: Dark adult themes, death, murder, miscarriage, suicide, rape and pedophilia (those last two are mentioned only, there is no explicit content in the book).