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Sisters DeRosa
They are everywhere.
They’re your neighbors. The police. Your priest.
Maybe even a member of your own family.
And they are out for blood!
After accidentally witnessing a horrific ritual, Luna DeRosa realizes that the commune she and her sister, Camilla, had hoped would be a safe place, may actually be home to a diabolical cabal of devil worshippers. But when Camilla refuses to believe her, Luna ends up alone on the sinister streets of Rome, fighting for her own survival.
Viv Crane has returned to Rome for the first time in 12 years, after receiving a letter from her estranged brother. She’s only planning to be in town for five days, no more. Just enough time to meet her new sister-in-law and congratulate them on the upcoming birth of their first child, then she’s on the quickest flight back to Manhattan. But there’s something in the city that calls to her. A dark memory from her past, long forgotten. One that will do whatever it can to keep her from leaving again.
When Viv crosses paths with Luna during a violent encounter, she is embroiled in a vicious affair, forcing the two strangers to embark on a dangerous investigation to find and rescue Camilla from the clutches of the evil cult. With no one to trust but each other, can they survive a face-off against a bloodthirsty enemy who may have the literal devil on their side?
Sisters DeRosa is a hellacious supernatural horror story from the cursed pen of L.J. Dougherty, author of Woodhaven and Daughters Of Cruelty.
They’re your neighbors. The police. Your priest.
Maybe even a member of your own family.
And they are out for blood!
After accidentally witnessing a horrific ritual, Luna DeRosa realizes that the commune she and her sister, Camilla, had hoped would be a safe place, may actually be home to a diabolical cabal of devil worshippers. But when Camilla refuses to believe her, Luna ends up alone on the sinister streets of Rome, fighting for her own survival.
Viv Crane has returned to Rome for the first time in 12 years, after receiving a letter from her estranged brother. She’s only planning to be in town for five days, no more. Just enough time to meet her new sister-in-law and congratulate them on the upcoming birth of their first child, then she’s on the quickest flight back to Manhattan. But there’s something in the city that calls to her. A dark memory from her past, long forgotten. One that will do whatever it can to keep her from leaving again.
When Viv crosses paths with Luna during a violent encounter, she is embroiled in a vicious affair, forcing the two strangers to embark on a dangerous investigation to find and rescue Camilla from the clutches of the evil cult. With no one to trust but each other, can they survive a face-off against a bloodthirsty enemy who may have the literal devil on their side?
Sisters DeRosa is a hellacious supernatural horror story from the cursed pen of L.J. Dougherty, author of Woodhaven and Daughters Of Cruelty.
- GenresHorror
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2025
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July 28, 2025*Huge thanks to L.J. for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*
Over the last number of years, Dougherty has worked hard to create himself a horror-niche that I could only describe as European Giallo-esque. With his espionage trilogy, as well as his novel, ‘Daughters of Cruelty,’ L.J. has cemented his styling as that with well detailed, Euro set pieces and engagement, while also utilizing fantastic amounts of 70’s flair. Harkening back to a time where every alley housed a criminal and every woman carried a set of Double D’s with a pistol strapped to their garter belt.
And you know what – it works. It really works.
And I say that as someone who never liked spy or espionage stuff growing up. I wasn’t drawn to the James Bond world or the action adventure thrillers where a heist takes place and the race is on to track down the bad guys.
But somehow, Dougherty has managed to wrap his fingers around me and make me not only read and enjoy these books, but to also love them. The outlier of his bibliography is, of course, ‘Woodhaven,’ which is a phenomenal piece of isolation/dystopian horror, and I highly recommend you give that one a go too.
But with ‘Sisters DeRosa,’ Dougherty took what he built in the finale of his trilogy, in ‘Blood Opus,’ and ramped it up, churning out a demonic-cult horror novel that was equal parts erotica and espionage. This novel really showcases Dougherty’s screenwriting sensibilities as we get a novel ripe for cinematic adaptation.
What I liked: The novel follows Viv, a young woman struggling to find her way in New York. She was going to art college, but had to drop out due to cost and now works as a barista. She was born in Italy, but a moment as a youngster in a church sullied any desire she has of ever returning. But return she must, as her brother is now married and expecting his first child and has invited her over for a visit.
After checking into her hotel, she hears an argument in an alley outside and intervenes, inadvertently stepping into the deep end of something she could never have predicted. It’s here she meets Luna, who has run away from a convent, after discovering it’s not really a place for women to become nuns, but rather a front for a demon worshipping cult. She’s now set on returning and rescuing her younger sister.
Dougherty sets things up well and we see Luna and Viv connect, while also seeing a bunch of moving parts reveal themselves. The cult runs deep, infiltrating every avenue of the world around them and as they get closer to finding Luna’s sister, we begin to slowly learn the truth about what happened in that church all those years ago. A moment that’s forever stained Viv.
The final quarter of the novel is one big explosive finale. Frankly, it was awesome. We see truths revealed, loyalties tested and how Viv and Luna must make huge sacrifices in order to remain together and keep each other safe. I think it’s fair to say that while the first seventy-five percent of this was influenced by 70’s and 80’s religious horror, the final twenty-five percent was a Clive Barker comic book splattered across the written page. It was gloriously insane.
What I didn’t like: As odd as this sounds, I wasn’t overly fond of the epilogue. I’m not sure if it was the location where it takes place – and staying spoiler free means I can’t reveal that – but it felt like there was a marked attempt at ‘elevating’ the way some of the characters spoke and, for me at least, it just didn’t hit home like I think it was supposed to. Saying that, I liked where things went, I just wasn’t a fan of the dialogue adjustment.
Why you should buy this: Much like S.J. Shank has worked his magic on historical/fantasy/horror and Joseph Sale has revamped fantasy/imaginative/horror, Dougherty has really cemented himself as a leader in 70’s influenced Euro/Giallo horror. Between him and David Sodergren, we’re getting some phenomenal entries into a world that seemed to fade away from the written page, while going through a revival on film, but Dougherty has brought it back full force.
This book was dark, delicious, uncomfortable and brutal, all in equally pleasant doses.
I can’t recommend this one enough. It was phenomenally captivating.
Over the last number of years, Dougherty has worked hard to create himself a horror-niche that I could only describe as European Giallo-esque. With his espionage trilogy, as well as his novel, ‘Daughters of Cruelty,’ L.J. has cemented his styling as that with well detailed, Euro set pieces and engagement, while also utilizing fantastic amounts of 70’s flair. Harkening back to a time where every alley housed a criminal and every woman carried a set of Double D’s with a pistol strapped to their garter belt.
And you know what – it works. It really works.
And I say that as someone who never liked spy or espionage stuff growing up. I wasn’t drawn to the James Bond world or the action adventure thrillers where a heist takes place and the race is on to track down the bad guys.
But somehow, Dougherty has managed to wrap his fingers around me and make me not only read and enjoy these books, but to also love them. The outlier of his bibliography is, of course, ‘Woodhaven,’ which is a phenomenal piece of isolation/dystopian horror, and I highly recommend you give that one a go too.
But with ‘Sisters DeRosa,’ Dougherty took what he built in the finale of his trilogy, in ‘Blood Opus,’ and ramped it up, churning out a demonic-cult horror novel that was equal parts erotica and espionage. This novel really showcases Dougherty’s screenwriting sensibilities as we get a novel ripe for cinematic adaptation.
What I liked: The novel follows Viv, a young woman struggling to find her way in New York. She was going to art college, but had to drop out due to cost and now works as a barista. She was born in Italy, but a moment as a youngster in a church sullied any desire she has of ever returning. But return she must, as her brother is now married and expecting his first child and has invited her over for a visit.
After checking into her hotel, she hears an argument in an alley outside and intervenes, inadvertently stepping into the deep end of something she could never have predicted. It’s here she meets Luna, who has run away from a convent, after discovering it’s not really a place for women to become nuns, but rather a front for a demon worshipping cult. She’s now set on returning and rescuing her younger sister.
Dougherty sets things up well and we see Luna and Viv connect, while also seeing a bunch of moving parts reveal themselves. The cult runs deep, infiltrating every avenue of the world around them and as they get closer to finding Luna’s sister, we begin to slowly learn the truth about what happened in that church all those years ago. A moment that’s forever stained Viv.
The final quarter of the novel is one big explosive finale. Frankly, it was awesome. We see truths revealed, loyalties tested and how Viv and Luna must make huge sacrifices in order to remain together and keep each other safe. I think it’s fair to say that while the first seventy-five percent of this was influenced by 70’s and 80’s religious horror, the final twenty-five percent was a Clive Barker comic book splattered across the written page. It was gloriously insane.
What I didn’t like: As odd as this sounds, I wasn’t overly fond of the epilogue. I’m not sure if it was the location where it takes place – and staying spoiler free means I can’t reveal that – but it felt like there was a marked attempt at ‘elevating’ the way some of the characters spoke and, for me at least, it just didn’t hit home like I think it was supposed to. Saying that, I liked where things went, I just wasn’t a fan of the dialogue adjustment.
Why you should buy this: Much like S.J. Shank has worked his magic on historical/fantasy/horror and Joseph Sale has revamped fantasy/imaginative/horror, Dougherty has really cemented himself as a leader in 70’s influenced Euro/Giallo horror. Between him and David Sodergren, we’re getting some phenomenal entries into a world that seemed to fade away from the written page, while going through a revival on film, but Dougherty has brought it back full force.
This book was dark, delicious, uncomfortable and brutal, all in equally pleasant doses.
I can’t recommend this one enough. It was phenomenally captivating.
August 5, 2025
This was an absolute BANGER!
Sisters DeRosa is another fabulous offering from LJ Dougherty who is crafting his own styalised horror that pushes boundaries and delivers on the horror. Sisters DeRosa combines stylish visuals, graphic violence and intricate mystery plots into a rollercoaster of a ride. You could mistake my descriptions for the fabulously crafted pulp Giallo movies, it’s like that, but it’s more, it’s something very special and unique; it’s LJ writing his heart out and showing us his undeniable skill as a raconteur. Intricately woven and perfectly paced mystery awaits, along with some jaw-dropping lovecraftian set pieces, religious horror, romance, action, drama - the book has it all, and in LJ Dougherty we have the reemergence of Giallo in the written word, which I’ve termed Giallo-herty
Ross Jeffery - Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of Metamorphosis & I Died Too, But They Haven’t Buried Me Yet
Sisters DeRosa is another fabulous offering from LJ Dougherty who is crafting his own styalised horror that pushes boundaries and delivers on the horror. Sisters DeRosa combines stylish visuals, graphic violence and intricate mystery plots into a rollercoaster of a ride. You could mistake my descriptions for the fabulously crafted pulp Giallo movies, it’s like that, but it’s more, it’s something very special and unique; it’s LJ writing his heart out and showing us his undeniable skill as a raconteur. Intricately woven and perfectly paced mystery awaits, along with some jaw-dropping lovecraftian set pieces, religious horror, romance, action, drama - the book has it all, and in LJ Dougherty we have the reemergence of Giallo in the written word, which I’ve termed Giallo-herty
Ross Jeffery - Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of Metamorphosis & I Died Too, But They Haven’t Buried Me Yet
August 27, 2025
Religious trauma, cults, and a lil sapphic romance (with a heavy helping of gore)? I'm SOLD.
The plot had me hooked right from the start: a woman is invited to Italy to visit her brother to celebrate the upcoming birth of his child and digs up a dark past instead (and gets laid on the way). I got a little lost in the middle when it veered into almost Italian crime territory (just not my jam, but Dario fans will love). But once the last half kicked in I was hooked. I wasn’t ready for the full-on, gore-soaked bloodbath that unfolded, and I absolutely loved the direction it ended up taking.
Worth noting that I love a little steamy romance woven through the chaos of horror books. It gave the story an extra spark and made me root for the characters even more.
Really fun!! Definitely recommend!!
The plot had me hooked right from the start: a woman is invited to Italy to visit her brother to celebrate the upcoming birth of his child and digs up a dark past instead (and gets laid on the way). I got a little lost in the middle when it veered into almost Italian crime territory (just not my jam, but Dario fans will love). But once the last half kicked in I was hooked. I wasn’t ready for the full-on, gore-soaked bloodbath that unfolded, and I absolutely loved the direction it ended up taking.
Worth noting that I love a little steamy romance woven through the chaos of horror books. It gave the story an extra spark and made me root for the characters even more.
Really fun!! Definitely recommend!!
July 11, 2025
Here we go again….L.J. has created another must-read..! This time, according to himself, in the form of a romance story(?).
I was fortunate enough to get an ARC of this book, but I didn’t see the romance part (at first) when I read it. But in hindsight, which is when I am the utmost smartest, then I totally see what he’s talking about.
As per usual, I loved this story from L.J.! And am always curious of what he comes up with next.
This time around he takes you to the 1970s Italy - and creates a crazy story with nuns, priests, supernatural twists and turns. It has all the ingredients of a classic - and gave me strong flashbacks to Polanski and films like “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Ninth Gate”. Both amazingly dark films - and this book follow that same vein. So strap into this one and enjoy the ride!
I was fortunate enough to get an ARC of this book, but I didn’t see the romance part (at first) when I read it. But in hindsight, which is when I am the utmost smartest, then I totally see what he’s talking about.
As per usual, I loved this story from L.J.! And am always curious of what he comes up with next.
This time around he takes you to the 1970s Italy - and creates a crazy story with nuns, priests, supernatural twists and turns. It has all the ingredients of a classic - and gave me strong flashbacks to Polanski and films like “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Ninth Gate”. Both amazingly dark films - and this book follow that same vein. So strap into this one and enjoy the ride!
July 28, 2025
I won’t bother with the blurb for L.J Dougherty’s newest book, Sisters DeRosa, as that is all widely available and if you are reading this then it has already piqued your interest but I will start this brief review by saying that Dougherty has built on his wonderful giallo, Daughters of Cruelty, and delved deeper into the salacious and violent excesses of seventies eurohorror.
It is clear that not only does the author understand the trends and cinema of the time, but he is able to take that feeling and capture it on the page but without losing that cinematic feel. The writing is fantastic, marking Dougherty out not only as a master of his craft but of the genre as a whole, and his style makes it easy for the reader to picture the scene without being pulled out of the story.
Talking of the story, we get a whirlwind romance that is put to the test by angry pimps, corrupt cops and a crazy messianic leader, but you can’t stop love. Not even with the supernatural.
Sisters DeRosa builds up, getting crazier and crazier until the author throws everything but the kitchen sink at you, and will have you hooked in no time. On several occasions after (reluctantly) putting the book down I found myself thinking about it and guessing where it would go next and it didn’t disappoint.
For me, there are very few better examples (if any!) of a contemporary book tackling this period and genre style, and I could imagine Michele Soavi filming this (or if the production team didn’t get their budget right, maybe Andrea Bianchi) with a cast of Paul Nascy, Rosalba Neri and Nieves Navarro all bringing this story to life, and that is one of its strengths. Sisters DeRosa is that lost classic that never was.
It perfectly channels the mystery, sleazy and occult, riding the wave of its time (well had it been written when set), delivering the thrills and tropes you would expect but with a healthy dose of surprise.
Thank you to the author, L.J Dougherty for an advanced digital ARC of this book. As you can all tell, it delivered everything it promised and more.
It is clear that not only does the author understand the trends and cinema of the time, but he is able to take that feeling and capture it on the page but without losing that cinematic feel. The writing is fantastic, marking Dougherty out not only as a master of his craft but of the genre as a whole, and his style makes it easy for the reader to picture the scene without being pulled out of the story.
Talking of the story, we get a whirlwind romance that is put to the test by angry pimps, corrupt cops and a crazy messianic leader, but you can’t stop love. Not even with the supernatural.
Sisters DeRosa builds up, getting crazier and crazier until the author throws everything but the kitchen sink at you, and will have you hooked in no time. On several occasions after (reluctantly) putting the book down I found myself thinking about it and guessing where it would go next and it didn’t disappoint.
For me, there are very few better examples (if any!) of a contemporary book tackling this period and genre style, and I could imagine Michele Soavi filming this (or if the production team didn’t get their budget right, maybe Andrea Bianchi) with a cast of Paul Nascy, Rosalba Neri and Nieves Navarro all bringing this story to life, and that is one of its strengths. Sisters DeRosa is that lost classic that never was.
It perfectly channels the mystery, sleazy and occult, riding the wave of its time (well had it been written when set), delivering the thrills and tropes you would expect but with a healthy dose of surprise.
Thank you to the author, L.J Dougherty for an advanced digital ARC of this book. As you can all tell, it delivered everything it promised and more.
October 20, 2025
3.5 rounding up to 4 - this is my fourth book by Dougherty, and my second favorite so far.
He writes a specific niche of horror that appeals to me, as I love the European giallo, horror, and mystery films of the 60s to 80s, and he does an evocative job at incorporating their cinematic qualities in the pages of his books. His locations, set pieces, and overall attention to detail are my favorite parts of his books, beyond the scenes of gore and terror, which are also quite good and better than you'll find in many mainstream horror books people seem to love.
Of course, I have my qualms with the book - with some tweaks to dialogue (namely, less cursing - a personal preference and what I think would be more accurate to the films and era his books harken back to) and editing. I'd actually want this book to be LONGER - for a book about a religious cult, we don't find out too much about them, the lore connected to the entity they worship, and while the main characters have some religious trauma, also with their respective siblings, none of it is given too much focus. Add in 20-30 pages to flesh these aspects out, and also give the book a more Roman vibe, since the book is set in 1977 Rome, I genuinely think this would be a fantastic novel.
That said, it's still enjoyable, a fun entertaining ride, and one scene towards the end honestly had me yelping and freaking out, I was so grossed out (in a good way). I felt like the author was trying to do some new stuff within his wheelhouse and I appreciate that too. Would definitely recommend.
He writes a specific niche of horror that appeals to me, as I love the European giallo, horror, and mystery films of the 60s to 80s, and he does an evocative job at incorporating their cinematic qualities in the pages of his books. His locations, set pieces, and overall attention to detail are my favorite parts of his books, beyond the scenes of gore and terror, which are also quite good and better than you'll find in many mainstream horror books people seem to love.
Of course, I have my qualms with the book - with some tweaks to dialogue (namely, less cursing - a personal preference and what I think would be more accurate to the films and era his books harken back to) and editing. I'd actually want this book to be LONGER - for a book about a religious cult, we don't find out too much about them, the lore connected to the entity they worship, and while the main characters have some religious trauma, also with their respective siblings, none of it is given too much focus. Add in 20-30 pages to flesh these aspects out, and also give the book a more Roman vibe, since the book is set in 1977 Rome, I genuinely think this would be a fantastic novel.
That said, it's still enjoyable, a fun entertaining ride, and one scene towards the end honestly had me yelping and freaking out, I was so grossed out (in a good way). I felt like the author was trying to do some new stuff within his wheelhouse and I appreciate that too. Would definitely recommend.
January 3, 2026
This is not my favourite work by the author but it's a 3,5 star read that I'm willing to round up based on the 5 star cover art alone. This is a fun and quite quick read with some parts that I enjoy better than others (I would have preferred a more classic giallo).
November 22, 2025
Took me a few chapters to get into this one but once I was in I was in! This story did not go where I thought it would go, which was refreshing. I love cult stuff. I love occult stuff. I love stuff set in Italy, and romance stories. This has it all! The moments where the supernatural manifests itself were super creepy and effective.
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