Looking around a bookshop today one can’t help but notice that gothic books are having a moment, and have been for a few years now. Romance, lit fic, horror, cozy fantasy, category mysteries (like my own)—there’s not a genre you can point to where you can’t find examples of gothic influences incorporated. Though for those of us who grew up huddled under a blanket, way past our bedtimes, flashlight in hand reading these books—it should be no surprise that they’re having such a grand resurgence. Gothic is the ultimate genre-blending genre. At the core of each traditional gothic novel is an intricate mystery—this is the underlying reason for the haunting, the creepiness, the curses. This is the “whydunit” in crime novels—and for me, this is also where I truly lean into the gothic in my novels. Often in gothic novels, these mysteries are tied to historical wrongs that must be righted before our hero or heroine can prevail. The supernatural and speculative elements in many of these lend themselves easily to horror—and there are tons of examples of gothic horror out there. And honestly who doesn’t love a brooding, maybe-a-murderer-maybe-just-grouchy, love interest? While there are plenty of examples of very fun tropes within the gothic that lean towards other genres, the power of the books and the hold they have on all of us—readers and writers alike —goes far deeper than just atmosphere and tropes. Gothic is timeless, and because of that, it’s strangely comforting in our present age.
As a teenager, I gravitated to the gothic tales and found myself relating far more to Bronte’s Jane Eyre than to Austen’s Elizabeth Bennett. It wasn’t a conscious decision, but there was something in the untidiness of the gothic world that was terribly appealing. It was dark and broken in need of saving. Even at an early age, I found myself drawn to these often flawed characters who made mistakes and needed redemption—and even now when reading, I will always grab a book that has a “redemption of the rake” or a good “grumpy/sunshine” romance relationship, and frequently variations of both of these are found in gothic novels.
But what makes a gothic novel actually gothic? You can’t just grab a morally gray love interest, atmospheric setting (bonus points if it somehow makes you feel like you’re losing your grip on sanity), a twisty plot with secrets and a few ghosts and state that it’s a gothic novel. It certainly could be, but there’s more to it than that. For the longest time, I really hesitated to call The Ruby Vaughn Mysteries gothic. I used to tell people that when I was writing The Curse of Penryth Hall, I dropped a lady sleuth detective into a gothic plot, which I did. But what I didn’t consciously realize at the time, was that my heroine Ruby Vaughn was playing right into the gothic herself—and beyond that, mysteries can truly be gothic too. Because what sets a gothic novel apart, and what makes it a comfort read for so many of us is the intensely hopeful nature of the endings. And that same hopefulness is why you see so many gothic mysteries and gothic romances. Both genres require an optimistic and satisfying ending, that HEA or HFN (happy ever after or happy for now) in romance and the whodunnit and why in mysteries. In all three genres, the reader must go on an emotional journey in order to get to the satisfying ending.
You’re probably looking at this like, wait, Jess, what are you talking about? Gothic novels absolutely do plumb some of the darkest aspects of human nature. But so do thrillers. So do mysteries. And at the end of the day, despite insurmountable—sometimes paranormal—odds, the main character prevails. This often occurs by shining a light upon the truth, exposing the systemic and historical rot (or literal rot if we have murderous houses in play), and by doing this it allows everyone to begin to heal. Gothic novels don’t always tie up with happy endings—neither does life—but the genre gives us satisfying ones. Ones where evil loses, and the victors are able to begin to live again, free from what has been threatening them.
These books subvert expectations, with a main character who already has the deck stacked against them at the outset—outsiders who are going up against cultural norms, or existing entirely on the outside of them. An impoverished governess trapped and isolated on the moors. Angry vengeful ghosts powerless and silenced in life yet seeking vengeance in death. A stranded hero or heroine imprisoned in a desolate sentient castle that really doesn’t like them. The odds are always insurmountable, with that quintessential slow and suffocating dread that builds to fever pitch and yet the fog always lifts. There may be some defenestration going on, but the end of these books is always satisfying and well earned. Hester Prynne lives her life without shame. Jane Eyre and Rochester are together to heal their mutual traumas. Love and life prevail.
Honestly, it’s little wonder in the turbulent times we are living in, that folks are gravitating back and grabbing onto gothic books drawing that same comfort time and time again. I know I sure am. As a genre, it’s not some static, impenetrable monolith. It’s constantly evolving and changing with the same people who write them, and for someone who might not have dipped into gothic books, getting started might seem daunting. Truthfully, I think there’s a gothic for everyone, and was explaining that to a friend the other day when discussing why I love gothic books so much. The very first place I’d suggest someone start is the She Wore Black Podcast by Agatha Andrews. Agatha has such a fabulous pulse on the genre and her book recs have never failed. I have learned so much just listening to her author chats, and she has introduced me to many of my favorite writers. Most of my own book recs here will skew historical and fall under romance and mystery because that’s what I’ve focused on here, but gothics don’t have to be historical.
For the romance readers out there (like me) who appreciate a bit of gothic dread (or ghosts) with their romances might check out Dianna Biller’s The Widow of Rose House, Hester Fox’s The Last Heir to Blackwood Library or Paulette Kennedy’s The Devil and Mrs. Davenport. All three were some of my favorite reads of the last year. Mystery readers who want a satisfying gothic historical mystery should definitely check out Jaima Fixsen’s The Specimen, set in early 19th Edinburgh and loosely based on the murders of Burke and Hare. Or if a traditional lady sleuth detective novel with a healthy dose of vampires is more up your alley, you might check out Asha Greyling’s The Vampire of Kings Street. Both of these came out recently and are worth a read! Though while I’m on the subject of vampires—if you haven’t already read Deanna Raybourn’s The Dead Travel Fast, it’s one of my all-time favorites and I’m constantly recommending it to folks who haven’t seen it.
Apologies to your TBR, I probably ought to get back to mine!
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