Dinner with the Cannibal Sisters

by Douglas Clegg

From New York Times bestselling and award-winning novelist Douglas Clegg comes a dark novella (112 pages in print) of a young man on a search for the truth behind the legend of the famous Windrow sisters.


One October night long ago, authorities discovered two teenaged girls at Bog Farm surrounded by a scene of unimaginable carnage. A legend grew of their cannibalistic night of terror, but young Lucy and Sally were never put on trial and no one has ever before gotten close enough to interview them.


Twenty years later, an inexperienced reporter travels to their New Hampshire farm, determined to shed light upon the events of that dark night.


Lizzie Borden, Dr. Crippen, the Windrow Sisters — murderers whose mystique has lasted more than a century. But of them all, the tale of the Windrow girls is unrivaled in its legend of depravity and innocence corrupted.


But what is the truth of it? Who are these girls now? And why live on the same farm where the horrors took place so many years before?


No one knew the real story behind the legend of Bog Farm...until now.

Genres: Horror

111 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Karl]

This is one of 1000 copies signed by Douglas Clegg.

[Melissa Bennett]

For as short as it was, I liked it. It centers around a reporter having dinner with sisters who were known to eat people. He is trying to get a story but also hoping that he'll survive the whole situation. The drawn out setting of the time spent at the house was a slow creepy burn.

[Peter]

In October of 1890 the young Windrow sisters were discovered at the Bog Farm surround by many mangled corpses. Legend has it that the sisters had a cannibalistic night of terror. Lucy and Sally Windrow were never brought to trail. Twenty years later a young wet behind the ears reporter is on his way to Bog Farms in New Hampshire to interview the sisters. He will try to shed some light on the terror that happened that night. Every October for many years journalists tramp through the woods and try to get an interview with the sisters, only to return with a handful of rumors from the locals. The ending was not what I expected. I enjoy Cleggs books but this is missing something.

[Robert Krone]

This was an excellent novella. Shortly into the story I thought that it had been too long since I read something from Clegg. The writing in this story is crisp and smooth, making the story easy to follow and digest. The story isn't what I was expecting, but that doesn't matter because the story told here is excellent and satisfying. I found the end to this one to be perfectly suited for this story as it leaves certain things unanswered, allowing the reader to use their own imagination to imagine the answers for themselves.

[Canavan]

✭✭✭½

[David Veith]

Very, very quick read. The pace was good and written well. It was, however too vague for me. In the end you are left with most of the same questions you started with. If this were turned into a novel, I think it would be a fun read, depending on which way things would go.

[Kimberly]

3.5 stars. Review to come.

[Laura]

Always loved Douglas Clegg's books. Short read but very good. Not what you expect.

[William M.]

Author Douglas Clegg has always been a very good writer and the majority of his stories, for the most part, have been a success. Dinner With The Cannibal Sisters is no exception, but certainly not as great as some of the early reviews I have read. Although the premise worked well for me, I did find a few things that bothered me.

First, the book could have benefited more by having a darker atmosphere. Scenes moved along without any real sense of danger or dread. Sure, there was a little tension here and there, but it could have been much more effective, especially with the last third felt so rushed. I also had issues with the sisters being recluse, yet interacting with our protagonist so smoothly as if they were the town socialites and throw parties for people every weekend.

I kept waiting for something to happen, some sort of conflict. But it just never happened. Nothing occurred that I wasn't expecting. No surprises. Those few problems aside, I did enjoy reading it and wonder if expanding this story into a full length novel would have been a better way to go.

[Robin]

Remember when that Japanese artist illustrated that Sandman comic and we were all, "wow"? This book is every but as pretty in its own way.

Plus I just love Douglas Clegg's shorter writings. You can get that dream state going without losing whole days.

[Sheri]

eh. Short novelette, even at the end you didn't know what really happened out at the asylum.

[Teresa]

This story had a great lead up to......nothing. Good thing it was a short book. The characters were interesting, but where was the climax?

[Julie]

I liked this book for the same reason others may not - rather than gruesome descriptions of events that were to have taken place in this interesting novella, the author instead hints at the atrocities, all the while describing in lovely detail the evening he spent in company of the Cannibal Sisters and their other guest. This description was so vivid, with life of the wealthy in 1910 seemingly becoming reality.
But when you close the book, you will be left to sit and think.

[Jeff Terry]

A story about infamy and isolation. About perception and the light that illuminates. This story felt like the old romance horror novels of the past--a touch of Dracula. Though much shorter and more singular than that. I was hooked immediately and found it hard to not finish it in one gulp.

Beautiful and rewarding. Treat yourself.

[Eric]

It was alright.

[Becky]

In 1890 Bog House was the site of an unspeakably gruesome crime. Though children at the time, Sally and Lucy Windrow - and their possible involvement in the atrocities - were the center of much speculation. Even twenty years on, folks still talk about them and the Bog House of Horrors.

The girls themselves have always kept quiet on the subject, ignoring pleas by journalists and gossips alike. But now, on the twentieth anniversary of the event, a driven young journalist with a direct tie to the Windrows plans to break the story. Banking on their family connection, he travels to Bog Farm to finagle an invite to dinner...

I'd thought I would go into more detail on the story itself but I think I'll leave that for now. I fear I may ruin the read for others if I share my thoughts or more details! Fellow Douglas Clegg fans will likely understand, though, when I say I was surprised at how tame Dinner With the Cannibal Sisters turned out to be. It was certainly not what I've come to expect from him, and yet that element did surprisingly add to my enjoyment of this short little read.

(If you are looking for something darker this Halloween season, Clegg's Halloween Man has been on sale for .99 of late.)

This latest from Clegg, though, is a nice limited edition from Cemetery Dance featuring artwork by Caniglia, the same artist who paired with Clegg for The Necromancer. The art is eerie and in the vein of restored images from Bog Farm. Clegg writes about the images on his blog here. It's a quite handsome edition and a nice collectible for any hard core fan!

[Tim Potter]

When I read Douglas Clegg I go in with high expectations. When an author has written so many great books it's a problem that naturally develops. With DINNER WITH THE CANNIBAL SISTERS, Clegg delivers even in the face of those high standards. It's a terrific, compulsively readable novella that succeeds with extreme subtlety, deft pacing and smooth prose. The story follows a young reporter intent on learning the secrets of the notorious Windrow Sisters, who were thought to have participated in a massacre and cannibalization of their father and others twenty-years prior. Set in 1910, the tale conveys the feel for the time in sharp detail and sets a terrific setting in Bog Farm, the sisters' home in rural New Hampshire. The narrator relates the story in an understated and unique manner, never falling back on the exploitative possibilities of the title. I highly recommend this novella for genre fans, those interested in true crime stories like Lizzie Borden and anyone looking for a very sharp, unique work of historical fiction.

[Lana Hart]

I'm sorry... how, exactly, is this horror?

Nothing horrifying happens. The setup is all there. The prose is absolutely superb. And the concept is exceptionally intriguing. But nothing frightening happens. No scares. Nothing bad at all, actually. Essentially, this fledgling reporter spends a couple days with "the Cannibal Sisters," learns nothing, and decides to write a sensational story anyway.

I've heard so many good things about Douglas Clegg, and out of all his works, this one seemed the most interesting. I was extremely disappointed, however, and feel like this was a wasted opportunity. And I would never, ever classify this story as horror.

[Kayla]

Meh, OK but not great. The theme black edges (which caused me to be more worried of stained black fingertips) and creepy, blurry photos help set the mood, but the main method he uses to try instilling suspense is by starting to reveal what happened but then backtracking. Many times events would be referred to but never explored. Which was more annoying to me than creating suspension. There was nothing meaningful about this story, nothing happens (which would've been fine if there was an deeper level, but there isn't), and I'll probably forget it before I even return it to the library.

[Josh Love]

Short but great

Dinner with the cannibal sisters is about an up and coming journalist who decides to take a trip to the famed Bog House. Terrible things happened there twenty years ago but so much of it is still a mystery. Can he find out what all happened with the Windrow sisters?
This book was not as frightening as I was expecting it to be, but the story was so great that I do not mind. It is an extremely well written mystery of sorts. Douglas Clegg did it again.

[Bob]

Interesting story of a young reporter who spends weekend with a pair of sisters who purportedly were involved with the killing and ingesting of their father when they were in their early teens. Well written and formatted perfectly by Cemetery Dance. Creepy illustrations by Carniglia. Highly recommended.

[Edward Brock]

As always, Mr. Clegg gives us a story brimming with heart & laced with darkness. This is a quick, satisfying read--and is further proof that Clegg is (and has been) one of the best writers of dark fiction we have. Bravo.

[Sterling]

Good short novella I wish it had been longer and more in depth. It seemed to be almost rushed. Don't get me wrong I did enjoy it I just wish it had been more complete. I got a beautiful signed copy and I will treasure it.

[Terry]

Great storytelling. Doug Clegg never fails! I bought the limited edition hardcover and I loved the format of the printed pages with the random images. Nice touch.

[Ralph Carlson]

It has been quite some time since reading Clegg, and this great little book made me wonder why. It is time to read some of his books.

[Michael Myett]

3 1/2

[Michael]

Not bad. I enjoyed this book. It actually took me in a direction I wasn't expecting.

[Wayne's]

Diverting but a little flat.

[Shawn Manning]

A tight novella with vivid characters and setting. It might be one of the best things the author has written.

[Brook Gale]

meh, certainly not his best writing. I can't really think of anything to recommend about this book.