Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling by Michael Boccacino
Halloween is right around the corner! It’s time to get your spooky reading list together. If you like your scares to be gothic and otherworldly join Mrs. Markham as she journeys into the House of Darkling.
Charlotte Markham has lost everyone she has ever loved: her mother, father and husband. She is now destitute, having lost everything in the fire that claimed her husband. Being well-educated she is able to find employment as a governess at a manor in the village of Blackfield to two young boys who recently lost their mother. Shortly after starting her employment strange things begin to happen. One day Charlotte takes the boys on an outing into the woods surrounding their home. A fog comes up and as the trio crosses it they find themselving in The Ending, and Lily Darrow, the boys’ dead mother, is there to great them.
This story very much reminded me of H.P. Lovecraft (there were lots of tentacles) as well as Clive Barker and Neil Gaiman (because of the strange atmostpheric details). It’s not particularly ghastly or gory, but wonderfully creepy.
