I have a collection of book covers in my photo gallery that indie authors have submitted to me via the comments section on one of my Threads posts.

Sometimes my cover choice each week depends on my mood. As I flicked through my ‘book covers album’ last night, this one grabbed my attention. A Darker Shade by Laura K Curtis. Our evenings are getting darker and colder, and the shop windows are already adorned with Halloween decorations. Maybe subconsciously, my thoughts are leaning towards the spooky side of life… or afterlife.

I’m also a sucker for foggy scenes and big old haunted houses.

Looking at this cover I fully expect a ghost story. It’s dark, the house looks haunted, and the girl is alone coming from the woods. I imagine she’s lost and goes to the house for help. Or perhaps she owns the house, she’s out walking and returns to some sinister happenings?

The Blurb

What is haunting young Liza Prescott?

Molly Allworth has been in service since leaving college when her mother died. Still, her situation is getting desperate and when the agency offers her a position that sounds too good to be true, she cannot resist.

Soon, she finds herself in a remote house in Maine, caring for a little girl who swore she saw her mother’s ghost…before she stopped speaking entirely. Nathaniel Prescott, the child’s father, thinks any belief in the supernatural is absurdly credulous. Molly’s history and heritage, however, have given her a wider view.

There’s a significant bonus for Molly if she lasts the year. But as winter closes in and mysterious, often creepy events begin to occur, even her growing affection for Nathaniel and Liza may not be enough to make her stay.

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Okay, so my initial thought was a little clichéd.

The main character is working–not living–in the big house, caring for a young child.

I must say, I prefer spooky and mysterious horror stories rather than blood and guts, and people being chased by chainsaw-wielding maniacs. No thank you!

This is a Gothic Horror story that I think I would enjoy. The cover grabbed my attention first of all, and the blurb and reviews have me further intrigued.

Here’s some reviews from readers.

bumpyduey 5.0 out of 5 stars 

A modern day Gothic horror

A perfect book for Halloween.
A book set in modern day but in the Gothic horror genre, this book draws you in with its atmospheric and compelling descriptions and dialogue.

Molly takes a live-in position as a tutor/governess for an emotionally damaged girl. Once there Molly realises there is more at play than anyone realised.

I genuinely had goosebumps reading this book, pretty much continuously through the final third of it.
A nice change of pace from the run of the mill horror books that rely on gore and shock tactics, this book DID have some violence but nothing I would consider to be tasteless or over the top.
There was also no bad language or sex which is again unusual in this genre.

Highly recommended for a quick but satisfying read. (I read it in about 3 hours.)

***

George 4.0 out of 5 stars 

Recommended for lovers of a creepy tale.

In the about the author notes at the back of the book it states that Laura K. Curtis writes for several genres. On the evidence of A Darker Shade it is clear that she has mastered and is adept in the supernatural/ghost one. The story of a governess or in this case a tutor going to a spooky old house (see the cover) isolated in the countryside to look after a troubled child or children and encountering strange events is a mainstay of many a Gothic tale. At the apex is of course the Turn of the Screw but whereas Henry James tale was wrapped in ambiguity this story depicts the supernatural as reality.

Such tales normally benefit from a Victorian or Edwardian English setting but by updating and transferring this to a remote area of Maine as winter approaches you not only get the isolation (erratic mobile phone connection), bad wintry weather but also you are able to utilise the local rich Native American history.

The plot involves Molly Allworth (who has, helpful for this story Romany ancestry) taking a position at a remote country house to tutor a girl who has not spoken since claiming to see her dead mother’s ghost. I won’t give too much of the plot away only to say that in keeping with such tales malignant forces linked to past tragedies may or may not inhabit the building. This is a well plotted chilling tale that should be read on a dark wintry night where the wind is howling outside. Recommended for lovers of a creepy tale.

***

N. R. Borromeo 5.0 out of 5 stars 

Atmospheric Gothic Tale

I love scary stuff, especially atmospheric Gothic tales.

Throw in a haunted house with secrets aplenty, and I’m totally in love.

This wonderful story by Curtis hits all of my high points…excellent writing, suspenseful mystery, super creepy paranormal elements, a bit of romance, an intriguing family, and a heroine filled with grit and determination.

I love the isolated Maine setting, including a brutal winter that any New Englander knows all too well. A DARKER SHADE is a haunted house story in the best possible way for horror fans…filled with many secrets and an unfolding family history that is both tragic and horrifying. Eerie dreams, unexplained accidents, chilling visions, and unseen forces are driving the events at Rook’s Rest.

Molly Allworth–with a Romani heritage and plenty of common sense–is the perfect protagonist. She is determined to protect the Prescott family she cares for, regardless of real or imagined threats.

Curtis has created a remarkable Gothic with this book, and I hope she will follow it up with many more.

Seems like a worthy read for ghost story lovers!

A Darker Shade is available on Amazon and on Kobo

Thank you for your visit. What do you think of my book cover choice today? Would it entice you to dig deeper?

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