Johanna van Veen‘s Blood on Her Tongue stands as a chilling testament to gothic horror. A novel where the line between madness and mystery blurs, Blood on Her Tongue could be one of the best novels coming in 2025.
The Netherlands, 1887. Lucy’s twin sister Sarah is unwell. She refuses to eat, mumbles nonsensically, and is increasingly obsessed with a centuries-old corpse recently discovered on her husband’s grand estate. The doctor has diagnosed her with temporary insanity caused by a fever of the brain. To protect her twin from a terrible fate in a lunatic asylum, Lucy must unravel the mystery surrounding her sister’s condition, but it’s clear her twin is hiding something. Then again, Lucy is harboring secrets of her own, too.
Then, the worst happens. Sarah’s behavior takes a turn for the strange. She becomes angry… and hungry.
Lucy soon comes to suspect that something is trying to possess her beloved sister. Or is it madness? As Sarah changes before her very eyes, Lucy must reckon with the dark, monstrous truth, or risk losing her forever.
The true draw of Blood on Her Tongue lies in van Veen’s beautiful crafting of an eerie atmosphere and tension. From the very first page, Johanna immerses us in a world where it feels oddly both familiar and otherworldly. The setting itself becomes a character—a sprawling estate and bog shrouded in mystery—transporting us to The Netherlands, 1887.
Van Veen’s story evokes a creeping dread that grows with every page turn. While the narrative is a slow burn, the burn is like eating a decent hot wing that makes your mouth slowly feel pain, but the taste is so good that in the end the experience was well worth it.
The creepy vibe is ever present but the complex relationship between Lucy and Sarah—twins who share an unbreakable bond yet are starkly different in disposition—is central to this tale. Sarah has descended into a maddening obsession with an unearthed body, while Lucy finds herself caught in the grasp of familial duty and personal fear. What lengths will Lucy go to protect her sister from institutionalization? The novel deals with codependency and sacrifice, challenging us to reflect on their own boundaries when it comes to helping loved ones.
In Blood on Her Tongue, van Veen blurs lines between sanity and supernatural, leaving us constantly questioning whether Sarah’s affliction is rooted in psychological turmoil or something far darker. The author’s ability to maintain the unknown adds layers of depth to the already intricate plot line, something that has us hooked to the very last page.
Despite the eerie ambiance and gruesome imagery—including moments that might make your stomach churn—the heart of this novel is its exploration of human emotion amidst chaos. It’s really about love—the kind that binds families together even when faced with unimaginable horror—and how these connections can lead us down paths we never intended. Some darker than others.
As the disturbing climax of Blood on Her Tongue comes to a head it leaves behind a mark upon those brave enough venture that far into the book; haunting us long after we’ve closed the book.
Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen is not just another gothic horror but rather it stands tall amongst others in the genre with innovative storytelling coupled with richly detailed settings and outstanding character development. Blood on Her Tongue is an eerie, gruesome, heartfelt gothic horror that will stand with, or even above, the best horror novels in 2025.
Blood on Her Tongue lands at bookstores everywhere on March 25, 2025 from Poisoned Pen Press.
