5 Dark, Brooding Novels to Start on a Rainy Day

A gorgeous, magical saga, THE INHERITANCE OF ORQUÍDEA DIVINA tells the story of the Montoya family, who has been summoned to the house—and deathbed—of their matriarch, Orquídea Divina, to receive their inheritance, and hopefully, some answers about their family legacy. But as soon as they arrive, Orquídea Divina dies. Seven years later, their inheritance finally appears in the form of magical powers and gifts. But the simultaneous arrival of a sinister figure sends the family back to their ancestral home in a search for answers. A story about grief, family, and the sorcery we hold within ourselves, THE INHERITANCE OF ORQUÍDEA DIVINA takes the tradition of magical realism in new, delightful, and surprising directions.  

Attica Locke is a master of contemporary noir, and THE CUTTING SEASON showcases the author at the height of her powers. The mystery at the core of this novel unfolds on the grounds of Belle Vie, a historic Louisiana plantation where Caren Gray, the plantation’s general manager, has discovered a dead body during her morning rounds. Present-day tensions around the murder and a centuries-old unsolved mystery collide when Caren becomes convinced the police are following the wrong leads. But with the culprits of both crimes desperate to stay hidden, Caren increasingly finds herself in the crosshairs. A harrowing, richly set, and lushly told mystery, THE CUTTING SEASON is one of Attica Locke’s best.

Brenda Lozano’s WITCHES is a wild, dark tale that tacks back and forth between the story of two women—Feliciana, an infamous, rural Oaxacan healer, and Zoe, a young journalist from Mexico City. Brought together by the murder of Paloma, Feliciana’s cousin, the two women represent divergent but equally vibrant aspects of traditional and contemporary Mexican society. Where Feliciana’s narrative is defined by her mystical and haunting beliefs, Zoe continually searches for the hard reality of what happened to Paloma. The truth, both will learn, is somewhere in between. WITCHES casts a spell that is difficult to shake long after the last page is read.    

If Mangan’s TANGERINE was her first foray into gothic historical fiction, then PALACE OF THE DROWNED cements her reputation as a writer whose skill at evoking a specific place and time is rivaled only by her ability to place her characters in increasingly sinister situations. PALACE OF THE DROWNED takes place in 1960s Venice, where writer Frankie Croy has come to lick her wounds following a damaging review and public breakdown. Squatting in a friend’s crumbling palazzo, she is befriended by the deceptively open and charming young Gilly. But as Frankie is finally able to unravel Gilly’s lies, the waters in Venice begin to rise. They will need to brace for the most catastrophic flood in Venice’s history. In the tradition of Patricia Highsmith, PALACE OF THE DROWNED shows us how easy—and dangerous—it is to form fast friendships with charismatic strangers.

Writerly ambition (and rejection) has long been a source of literary drama, but Julia Bartz ratchets up the pressure in THE WRITING RETREAT, publishing in February 2023. The story focuses on Alex, an aspiring writer who secures a last-minute spot at a competitive writing retreat hosted by horror-writer luminary Roza Vallo, and explores the lengths artists are willing to go to for their craft. Joining Alex at the remote Victorian house is a group of four fellow writers, all of whom are competing for the same book deal. The only catch: they must write the book within a month, while in residence. But the house doesn’t turn out to be the most welcoming creative environment, and soon Alex realizes that the history of the house, and its owner, hold the key to surviving this writing retreat. A gripping page-turner replete with haunted houses, cutthroat competitors, and all the literary suspense you could hope for. 

THE CLOISTERS IS OUT NOW!

When Ann Stilwell arrives in New York City, she expects to spend her summer working as a curatorial associate at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instead, she finds herself assigned to The Cloisters, a gothic museum and garden renowned for its medieval art collection and its group of enigmatic researchers studying the history of divination. Desperate to escape her painful past, Ann is happy to indulge the researchers’ more outlandish theories about the history of fortune telling. But what begins as academic curiosity quickly turns into obsession when Ann discovers a hidden 15th-century deck of tarot cards that might hold the key to predicting the future.