Laura Purcell

A thrilling Victorian gothic horror tale about a young seamstress who claims her needle and thread have the power to kill "A romping read with a deliciously dark conceit at its center... Reminded me of Alias Grace."--Kiran Millwood Hargrave Dorothea Truelove is young, wealthy, and beautiful. Ruth Butterham is young, poor, and awaiting trial for murder. When Dorothea's charitable work brings her to Oakgate Prison, she is delighted by the chance to explore her fascination with phrenology and test her hypothesis that the shape of a person's skull can cast a light on their darkest crimes. But when she meets one of the prisoners, the teenaged seamstress Ruth, she is faced with another strange idea: that it is possible to kill with a needle and thread--because Ruth attributes her crimes to a supernatural power inherent in her stitches. The story Ruth has to tell of her deadly creations--of bitterness and betrayal, of death and dresses--will shake Dorothea's belief in rationality, and the power of redemption. Can Ruth be trusted? Is she mad, or a murderer? For fans of Shirley Jackson, The Poison Thread is a spine-tingling, sinister read about the evil that lurks behind the facade of innocence.

The Poison Thread

Heather Harrington

Dorothea Truelove is a wealthy young woman who spends her time doing charitable work by visiting women in Oakgate Prison. She uses this time to also explore her fascination with phrenology, and test her hypothesis that the shape of a persons skull can shed light on their darkest crimes. When she meets with the newest prisoner, Ruth Butterham, who is awaiting trial for murder, she is faced with an impossibly strange idea: that it’s possible to kill with a needle and thread. For Ruth is convinced that she has an ability to channel all her rage into her sewing and cause death to those who’ve wronged her through her stitches. As Dorothea listens to Ruth’s tale, she begins to question her belief in rationality and the power of redemption. 

This was creepy and had all those dark Gothic vibes you look for in a Victorian horror, and I loved it. Ruth was such a fascinating character and her belief in this ability she has was so intriguing. I did like the chapters in Ruth’s perspective slightly more than Dorothea’s for that reason, but Dorothea was also such a brilliant character who refuses to stop her investigation into her own past when events in Ruth’s trial trigger memories of her own mother’s mysterious death. I was so taken with this story. It was chilling and twisted, and had such an interesting premise. I definitely recommend if you’re a fan of historical fiction/horror.

The Poison Thread

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