Gothictown is a novel that starts off hopeful but quickly turns dark, chilling and sinister. A thriller that charms and captivates before alarming, unnerving and frightening readers. A well-constructed story hellbent on freaking you the hell out. Enthralling stuff by Emily Carpenter.
Billie Hope seizes what seems like the chance of a lifetime: the opportunity to trade her tiny New York City apartment for a sprawling Victorian home in a quaint Georgia town, all for just $100. The offer comes with a business grant to open her dream restaurant and the promise of a fresh start for her family in the picturesque community of Juliana. At first, everything appears idyllic as Billie throws herself into her new life. But beneath the charm and Southern hospitality, something feels unsettling. As unease creeps in, Billie begins to question the town’s true nature—and whether escaping Juliana will be as easy as arriving.
Gothictown explores the themes of finding purpose in your life, how judgment can be impaired if you’re in a seemingly desperate situation, navigating relationship difficulties, how far you’ll go for your family, the problems with consolidated power wielded by a few people, and that if a deal seems too good to be true than it probably is. And the exploration of these ideas is superbly done within the context of a thrilling psychological and horrifying tale that slowly builds in intensity, suspiciousness and body count. But despite the disturbing and creepy vibes that ooze off the pages and make you scream at Billie to get the hell out of there and run like her life depends on it, you keep racing ahead to find out what will happen next. Because while the plot is chilling, it’s also fascinating and entertaining as hell. A story that you can try to put down, but it will then beckon you like a ghostly whisper in your dreams.
One last thing. The next time you come across one of those news stories about small towns around the world offering insane deals on cheap homes or piles of cash to move there, I promise you’ll view them with a completely different mindset after reading Gothictown. And if you do decide to take them up on that offer, well, do so at your own peril.
Follow Steve on Twitter or contact him via the site.
Purchase Gothictown
(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)
Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
