Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling: A Novel

by Michael Boccacino

Overview

Debut novelist Michael Boccacino invites readers into the world beyond the realm of the living in Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling, a Victorian gothic tale of the strange and supernatural. But all who enter this house must beware—for there is a price to pay for visitors who wish to save those they love. The story of a British governess and her young charges seduced by the otherworldly enticements of a mysterious mansion in the forest following the inexplicable death of the former nanny, this Tim Burton-like tale of dark fantasy is a bewitching treat for fans of horror and paranormal fiction, as well as readers who love creepy gothic tales and mysterious shadowy English manor houses. Not since Suzanna Clarke introduced Jonathan Strange to Mr. Norrell, and Neil Gaiman’s Coraline crawled through a secret door into a twisted and sinister mirror world, has there been a journey as wondrously fantastic and terrifying as Charlotte Markham’s adventures in the House of Darkling.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062122612
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	07/24/2012
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Michael Boccacino's poetry has been published in the St. Petersburg Times. He currently works and lives in New York City. This is his first novel.

What People are Saying About This

Jonathan Maberry

“Thanks to Michael Boccacino the Gothic is reborn! Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling is an elegant, intelligent, and compelling debut novel. Bravo!”

Katherine Webb

“A lyrical and visceral adventure into a realm beyond time and death.”

Christopher Ransom

“Michael Boccacino has delivered a studied, enchanting, and most welcome contribution to the Gothic literary landscape rolling back to Brontë and du Maurier. . . . This is not one to miss.”

Susie Moloney

“With Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling, Boccacino has created a new vision of the Afterlife, at one moment stunningly beautiful and full of wonder, the next, darkly sinister and without pity. A remarkable book. Michael Boccacino is a writer to watch.”

Editorial Reviews

Debut author Boccacino bowls the reader over with his note-perfect rendition of a spooky Victorian atmosphere. Widower Henry Darrow employs governess Charlotte Markham, a young widow, to tutor his sons, James and Paul. Following a sinister murder in the village and housekeeper Mrs. Norman's lurid forebodings, Paul dreams of his mother in parallel to Charlotte's own eerie dreams of the dead, including her dead mother. Paul's vision leads to a reunion and to an implied struggle between the two women for control of the children. Many of the characters also encounter other beings, some with malevolent designs that echo past terrors from Charlotte's life. The complex reverberations of mirror images, dramatic parallels among those who are "bound by our grief," and vicarly exhortations on the nature of the supernatural lead Charlotte to acknowledge her attraction to Darrow and realize her role as a bridge between two worlds—a role that necessitates a terrible final choice. Boccacino's deft handling of this delicately supernatural period piece makes it a sterling genre selection. Agent: Sandy Lu, L. Perkins Agency. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Debut author Boccacino bowls the reader over with his note-perfect rendition of a spooky Victorian atmosphere. . . . Boccacino’s deft handling of this delicately supernatural period piece makes it a sterling genre selection.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Fantasy and fact blur as Boccacino excels in twisting and turning the plot in increasingly unexpected directions. Perfect reading for a dark and stormy night.” — Booklist

“A lyrical and visceral adventure into a realm beyond time and death.” — Katherine Webb, author of The Unseen and The Legacy

“Thanks to Michael Boccacino the Gothic is reborn! Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling is an elegant, intelligent, and compelling debut novel. Bravo!” — Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Assassin's Code and Dust & Decay

“Michael Boccacino has delivered a studied, enchanting, and most welcome contribution to the Gothic literary landscape rolling back to Brontë and du Maurier. . . . This is not one to miss.” — Christopher Ransom, international bestselling author of The Birthing House and The Fading

“With Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling, Boccacino has created a new vision of the Afterlife, at one moment stunningly beautiful and full of wonder, the next, darkly sinister and without pity. A remarkable book. Michael Boccacino is a writer to watch.” — Susie Moloney, author of The Dwelling and The Thirteen

From the Publisher

Thanks to Michael Boccacino the Gothic is reborn! Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling is an elegant, intelligent, and compelling debut novel. Bravo!

Jonathan Maberry

Michael Boccacino has delivered a studied, enchanting, and most welcome contribution to the Gothic literary landscape rolling back to Brontë and du Maurier. . . . This is not one to miss.

Christopher Ransom

Fantasy and fact blur as Boccacino excels in twisting and turning the plot in increasingly unexpected directions. Perfect reading for a dark and stormy night.

Booklist

A lyrical and visceral adventure into a realm beyond time and death.

Katherine Webb

With Charlotte Markham and the House of Darkling, Boccacino has created a new vision of the Afterlife, at one moment stunningly beautiful and full of wonder, the next, darkly sinister and without pity. A remarkable book. Michael Boccacino is a writer to watch.

Susie Moloney

Fantasy and fact blur as Boccacino excels in twisting and turning the plot in increasingly unexpected directions. Perfect reading for a dark and stormy night.

Booklist