From Goodreads: Born into the cruel world of Victorian London, Eleanor learns that the world is purely a choice between fear or control. And, when Eleanor meets the mysterious Kate, Eleanor is introduced to an entirely new appetite for both.

A dark & haunting Gothic story, set amongst the abattoirs & Gentleman’s clubs of Victorian London.

__________________________________________

This is a very interesting short horror story dealing with revenge, and any adult looking for a quick, chilling read should definitely pick this up. Set in London, Eleanor suffers at the hands of those who took her in off the streets after her mother abandons her in infancy. Forced to do the mundane jobs within the butcher shop, and knowing no other life beyond the dirty, blood soaked walls, Eleanor finds herself the object of her very drunk “benefactors” lust. Downtrodden and alone, Eleanor stumbles the streets until a mysterious woman, the proprietor of a gentleman’s club, invites her to her home, setting the stage for the true horror of the novel as Kate’s business is not really what it seems.

I was thankful that this short story is not graphic in nature, yet gives just enough information for the reader to fill in the gaps. I would have loved for this to be a full novel, diving deeper in the psychological recesses of which John scratches the surface—fleshing out the characters even further, and yet, this short story still left me will chills at the end… a true horror story. Three and a half stars.

I won a copy of this novel from the author through a Readathon contest.