A review by mrtvavrana
Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

 I would like to thank NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an e-ARC of Blood on Her Tongue.

After reading My Darling Dreadful Thing earlier this year, I did not think I would be able to find and read a better book this year. Well, as it turns out, I might have been mistaken.

Blood on Her Tongue is set in the 19th century Netherlands and revolves around twin sisters—Lucy and Sarah. They have been incredibly close since they were children, and now that Sarah has taken ill, Lucy travels to see and help her sister. The situation is, unfortunately, quite dire, and nobody believes Sarah will survive her illness.

Sarah's mysterious illness appeared with the discovery of a bog body—a centuries-old corpse. Sarah confides in Lucy that she is being haunted and possessed by the spirit of the body. But will Lucy believe her sister? After all, she has previously struggled with mental illness (or fever of the brain, as it is called in the book), and so did their aunt.

The sisters are now both facing a challenge: Lucy is trying to save her sister from being sent to an asylum while Sarah is trying to get rid of the ghost inside of her.

Both Lucy and Sarah are interesting characters. Despite being twins, the differences between them become more and more apparent as the novel progresses. I really loved their dynamic, and I also really liked how strong their relationship was—they were both ready to sacrifice everything for the other. While they aren't particularly likeable, I found it incredibly easy to connect with them.

As for the other characters, they were also pretty well written. I do have to say I hoped we would see more of Michael´s and Katje´s past too. I also hoped we would get more of the relationship between Katje and Sarah.

While the plot was quite predictable, as this was a pretty classic gothic horror, I really loved how the story progressed. Similarly to My Darling Dreadful Thing, the writing was breathtaking, but one thing I definitely missed was a true haunted manor.

Blood on Her Tongue starts a bit slow, but the pace slowly increases in intensity as the story progresses, all the way to the grand finale.

I have to say, the way this novel finished surprised me a little. I definitely did not expect such a strong and powerful ending.

Blood on Her Tongue might be a horror, but it explores some deep topics such as misogyny and medical misogyny, mental illness, grief, and family relationships. It also touches a lot on the topic of the “traditional” roles women are supposed to have in society.

I can honestly say Johanna van Veen is becoming my favourite author. Both My Darling Dreadful Thing and Blood on Her Tongue are beautiful, atmospheric novels that talk about the horrors of love. I genuinely cannot wait to read her future novels.