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Tillinghast
"A vampire (don't say that word) novel like no other." —Paul Tremblay, New York Times bestselling author of Horror Movie and A Head Full of Ghosts
"Wonderfully mysterious and gorgeously written...a boldly original take on what it means to be a monster.” —Monika Kim, Sunday Times Bestselling Author of The Eyes Are the Best Part
A dark and utterly original literary horror debut, following a priest whose bloodthirsty life has extended far longer than any mere human's—and is upended when a stranger comes to town
Stutley Tillinghast lives a solitary life, ostensibly as the minister of a remote rural parish in Rhode Island. For many decades now, what little human contact he’s allowed himself has been brief, frenzied and bloody, and has always ended in a shallow grave in his cellar. There’s a name for what he is, but he prefers not to use it is simple enough that he has his needs, and that when they become unbearable, he fulfils them. In his long and lonely life, he has met only one other like him—the woman he still yearns for, the one who made him what he is.
Then a girl arrives, searching for him. She has his last name, and bears an uncanny resemblance to that woman, awakening memories Tillinghast had long suppressed; the connection he feels for her is immediate and overwhelming. She’s also sick, very sick, with symptoms Tillinghast recognizes all too well...and only he knows how to cure her.
Inspired by the real events of the New England vampire panic of the nineteenth century, TILLINGHAST is a novel to sink your teeth at once a gripping, atmospheric horror that turns the classic monster narrative on its head; a literary work of exceptional prose about giving into--or resisting--our impulses; and a remarkably moving father-daughter story that will leave you unexpectedly hopeful—and rooting, despite your every instinct, for the killers.
"Wonderfully mysterious and gorgeously written...a boldly original take on what it means to be a monster.” —Monika Kim, Sunday Times Bestselling Author of The Eyes Are the Best Part
A dark and utterly original literary horror debut, following a priest whose bloodthirsty life has extended far longer than any mere human's—and is upended when a stranger comes to town
Stutley Tillinghast lives a solitary life, ostensibly as the minister of a remote rural parish in Rhode Island. For many decades now, what little human contact he’s allowed himself has been brief, frenzied and bloody, and has always ended in a shallow grave in his cellar. There’s a name for what he is, but he prefers not to use it is simple enough that he has his needs, and that when they become unbearable, he fulfils them. In his long and lonely life, he has met only one other like him—the woman he still yearns for, the one who made him what he is.
Then a girl arrives, searching for him. She has his last name, and bears an uncanny resemblance to that woman, awakening memories Tillinghast had long suppressed; the connection he feels for her is immediate and overwhelming. She’s also sick, very sick, with symptoms Tillinghast recognizes all too well...and only he knows how to cure her.
Inspired by the real events of the New England vampire panic of the nineteenth century, TILLINGHAST is a novel to sink your teeth at once a gripping, atmospheric horror that turns the classic monster narrative on its head; a literary work of exceptional prose about giving into--or resisting--our impulses; and a remarkably moving father-daughter story that will leave you unexpectedly hopeful—and rooting, despite your every instinct, for the killers.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2026
About the author
Clare Cavenagh
2 books68 followersClare Cavenagh spent her childhood in Erica, Australia, and her adolescence in Fribourg, Switzerland. She read English and then renaissance literature at the University of Cambridge, and now lives in London where she works as a copywriter. Her short fiction and criticism have been published in Editions L'Hèbe, Cambridge Quarterly and Eucalyptus Lit. Her first novel, TILLINGHAST, will be published in June 2026. She is currently working on her second novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 353 reviews
April 20, 2026
A Man Called Ove if he was a vampire lolol
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Clare Cavenagh’s debut novel is a tantalising mix of macabre and austere, grounded in the New England gothic of Hawthorne and Poe. It’s a claustrophobic story featuring a highly unusual antihero, Stutley Tillinghast a clergyman who’s survived for more than a century feeding solely on human blood. Like a classic serial killer, he’s honed his hunting skills – which resemble Ted Bundy’s – aided by sporting a trust-inspiring, clerical collar. Although Tillinghast’s deliberately named after real-life people caught up in the notorious, nineteenth-century, New England vampire panic, the name crops up in Lovecraft too. And there are definite Lovecraftian echoes here. Not in the cosmic horror sense – or the disturbing views – but in Tillinghast’s situation. He’s overwhelmed by existential angst, profoundly isolated.
Tillinghast’s traversed America but for the last fifteen years he’s inhabited the dilapidated house where he grew up, nearby is the distinctly unorthodox church founded by his father. The church is empty but the house is rapidly filling up, bodies crowding its dank cellar. In the chill of winter, Tillinghast is trying to find a means to end his torment which seems more about loneliness and ennui than guilt. But it’s hard to die, he’s tried several times but always springs back to life. Then he’s contacted by Sarah a young English woman with his surname, she’s in town looking for her missing mother Lena. But, so far, all she’s found is a gravestone with Lena’s name. But this Lena died a long time ago – cue flashbacks to Sarah’s Lena and their troubled relationship. Sarah’s showing signs of an illness Tillinghast recognises, symptoms that suggest she’s like him. So, he begins an account of his life for her to find. As a plot device it’s slightly clumsy but it allows Cavenagh to branch out into a dual timeline, part present day, part Tillinghast’s and New England’s past.
Tillinghast’s confessional letter reads like a version of John Ames’s in Gilead – if Ames was a creature bordering on vampiric. It’s similarly quiet and measured, doubling as an indictment of a New England steeped in Puritanism and an obsession with rooting out sin. A place and a time equally shrouded in suspicion and lingering superstition. Tillinghast’s childhood was harsh and unwholesome. Still young when both parents died, his father’s papers revealed deep-seated hypocrisy and a prurient curiosity. Revelations which primed Tillinghast for rebellion. It’s not clear what Tillinghast is meant to be or how he came to be it. But Cavenagh frames his transformation as a kind of fall from grace – not that his parents' brand of faith seems particularly close to it. When Tillinghast accepted Lena’s offering of an apple, he yielded to temptation, unleashing suppressed sexual desires. Lena had been unwell. Not long after their encounter Tillinghast developed the same sickness. When he recovered, he was overcome with a desperate craving for blood.
But Cavenagh hints at other reasons for this metamorphosis. It seems both Lena and Stutley were born with teeth, reminding me of Shakespeare’s portrayal of Richard III, suggesting the beast was always lurking waiting to be set free. And beast seems a better description than vampire for Tillinghast. There’s a marked absence too of anything resembling conventional vampire lore here – sunlight’s definitely not an issue. Instead, there’s something frenzied and primal about Stutley’s initial attacks on his prey. At least before he turned violence into an art. Cavenagh’s depiction made me think of Tillinghast as somewhere between werewolf and wendigo – folkloric creatures who are a potent counter to the religion of the New England Puritans.
I did have some issues: the ending felt rushed and Sarah could do with fleshing out. But otherwise, I was gripped. I thought the story was inventive and intriguing, although I can see it won’t be popular across the board. It’s very much literary fiction. Dense, formal, extremely leisurely, it’s also very much centred on character. For long stretches it’s essentially an intense, noir-ish two-hander focused on the tentative bond between Tillinghast and Sarah; and where that might lead.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher The Borough Press for an ARC
Rating: 3.5
Tillinghast’s traversed America but for the last fifteen years he’s inhabited the dilapidated house where he grew up, nearby is the distinctly unorthodox church founded by his father. The church is empty but the house is rapidly filling up, bodies crowding its dank cellar. In the chill of winter, Tillinghast is trying to find a means to end his torment which seems more about loneliness and ennui than guilt. But it’s hard to die, he’s tried several times but always springs back to life. Then he’s contacted by Sarah a young English woman with his surname, she’s in town looking for her missing mother Lena. But, so far, all she’s found is a gravestone with Lena’s name. But this Lena died a long time ago – cue flashbacks to Sarah’s Lena and their troubled relationship. Sarah’s showing signs of an illness Tillinghast recognises, symptoms that suggest she’s like him. So, he begins an account of his life for her to find. As a plot device it’s slightly clumsy but it allows Cavenagh to branch out into a dual timeline, part present day, part Tillinghast’s and New England’s past.
Tillinghast’s confessional letter reads like a version of John Ames’s in Gilead – if Ames was a creature bordering on vampiric. It’s similarly quiet and measured, doubling as an indictment of a New England steeped in Puritanism and an obsession with rooting out sin. A place and a time equally shrouded in suspicion and lingering superstition. Tillinghast’s childhood was harsh and unwholesome. Still young when both parents died, his father’s papers revealed deep-seated hypocrisy and a prurient curiosity. Revelations which primed Tillinghast for rebellion. It’s not clear what Tillinghast is meant to be or how he came to be it. But Cavenagh frames his transformation as a kind of fall from grace – not that his parents' brand of faith seems particularly close to it. When Tillinghast accepted Lena’s offering of an apple, he yielded to temptation, unleashing suppressed sexual desires. Lena had been unwell. Not long after their encounter Tillinghast developed the same sickness. When he recovered, he was overcome with a desperate craving for blood.
But Cavenagh hints at other reasons for this metamorphosis. It seems both Lena and Stutley were born with teeth, reminding me of Shakespeare’s portrayal of Richard III, suggesting the beast was always lurking waiting to be set free. And beast seems a better description than vampire for Tillinghast. There’s a marked absence too of anything resembling conventional vampire lore here – sunlight’s definitely not an issue. Instead, there’s something frenzied and primal about Stutley’s initial attacks on his prey. At least before he turned violence into an art. Cavenagh’s depiction made me think of Tillinghast as somewhere between werewolf and wendigo – folkloric creatures who are a potent counter to the religion of the New England Puritans.
I did have some issues: the ending felt rushed and Sarah could do with fleshing out. But otherwise, I was gripped. I thought the story was inventive and intriguing, although I can see it won’t be popular across the board. It’s very much literary fiction. Dense, formal, extremely leisurely, it’s also very much centred on character. For long stretches it’s essentially an intense, noir-ish two-hander focused on the tentative bond between Tillinghast and Sarah; and where that might lead.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher The Borough Press for an ARC
Rating: 3.5
May 17, 2026
If you do not like character-driven plots, this book is not for you. Now that I have that out of the way, this book is a great work of literary horror. It has some gore, but it is not excessive. There is a little bit of medical horror and a moderate amount of body horror. There is a whole lot of personal existential horror, and loads of character growth. The titular character is very contemplative and complex.
Tillinghast is a 150 year-old vampire and a Christian minister with a heavy heart and a guilty conscience. He is not of the Dracula/Nosferatu variety. He is almost indistinguishable from everyone else - except for the powerful thirst for blood and a few other things. He is contemplating ending his life when a sick young woman comes into his care.
The book explores loneliness, morality, altruism, and underlying motivators. It delves into Tillinghast’s inner world as he interacts with others around him.
Highly recommended for those who like deep literary psychology.
Side note: I love Tillinghast the character’s writing voice. It is reminiscent of Mary Shelley or Emily Brontë - perfect for a vampire from the 19th century.
This is my honest opinion regarding this title, received as an ARC. My thanks to Clare Cavanagh, Viking Press, and NetGalley for this opportunity.
Tillinghast is a 150 year-old vampire and a Christian minister with a heavy heart and a guilty conscience. He is not of the Dracula/Nosferatu variety. He is almost indistinguishable from everyone else - except for the powerful thirst for blood and a few other things. He is contemplating ending his life when a sick young woman comes into his care.
The book explores loneliness, morality, altruism, and underlying motivators. It delves into Tillinghast’s inner world as he interacts with others around him.
Highly recommended for those who like deep literary psychology.
Side note: I love Tillinghast the character’s writing voice. It is reminiscent of Mary Shelley or Emily Brontë - perfect for a vampire from the 19th century.
This is my honest opinion regarding this title, received as an ARC. My thanks to Clare Cavanagh, Viking Press, and NetGalley for this opportunity.
March 15, 2026
"Tillinghast inhaled through his nose, mostly fuel, but a little bit of soft, vegetal dampness. He could feel the potential of the movement in his hand. The band was wound, the energy was stored up, energy in his hand, in the match head, in the gasoline puddles on the floor and the volatile fumes in the air. No more actions were needed. He just had to let go. It was as easy as anything."
2.5.
I wanted to like this book soooo freaking bad. There's a review about Pride and Prejudice that says it's just about people going to each other's houses, and that's kind of how this novel felt to me. Nothing really happens. It's just the protagonist going from place to place.
Tillinghast kills a man within the first couple of pages, and through his letters his vampirism is explored, but not in the moment. So much more could've been expanded on, though it simply wasn't. I wish Tillinghast's relationship with Sarah would've been explored more.
The prose was easy to read, though a bit bland. Everything flowed smoothly, and I had a nice experience reading it—I just wish quite literally anything interesting would've happened. My expectations were a bit high, and unfortunately they weren't met.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
2.5.
I wanted to like this book soooo freaking bad. There's a review about Pride and Prejudice that says it's just about people going to each other's houses, and that's kind of how this novel felt to me. Nothing really happens. It's just the protagonist going from place to place.
Tillinghast kills a man within the first couple of pages, and through his letters his vampirism is explored, but not in the moment. So much more could've been expanded on, though it simply wasn't. I wish Tillinghast's relationship with Sarah would've been explored more.
The prose was easy to read, though a bit bland. Everything flowed smoothly, and I had a nice experience reading it—I just wish quite literally anything interesting would've happened. My expectations were a bit high, and unfortunately they weren't met.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
May 12, 2026
I'm not someone who needs a lot of plot in my reading; I love a plotless character study way more than the next guy. But Tillinghast really put my patience to the test, unfortunately for no payoff. Stutley Tillinghast has been a vampire (though the novel refuses to use the word) for a long, long time, living by himself in his family home in New England and killing someone every 70 days or so to survive. Sarah, a young stranger, arrives in town with a note with Tillinghast's name on it, leaving both to put together the pieces of their connection and their affliction.
And... that's about it. There are countless pages of Tillinghast wondering around his house, sort of musing on things. At one point, Sarah goes missing, and there must be 20 pages of uneventful, pointless looking for her. There's no real life (pun intended) in any of these characters; I could frankly not have cared less about Tillinghast himself, making his book-long decision on whether or not to self-immolate simply boring, frankly. There are really no other characters than Tillinghast or Sarah, just a few townspeople and the characters in Tillinghast's origin story.
I don't think this book is doing anything new or different enough with the vampire story to recommend, unfortunately. Thanks to Viking and NetGalley for the advance ARC in exchange for my thoughts.
And... that's about it. There are countless pages of Tillinghast wondering around his house, sort of musing on things. At one point, Sarah goes missing, and there must be 20 pages of uneventful, pointless looking for her. There's no real life (pun intended) in any of these characters; I could frankly not have cared less about Tillinghast himself, making his book-long decision on whether or not to self-immolate simply boring, frankly. There are really no other characters than Tillinghast or Sarah, just a few townspeople and the characters in Tillinghast's origin story.
I don't think this book is doing anything new or different enough with the vampire story to recommend, unfortunately. Thanks to Viking and NetGalley for the advance ARC in exchange for my thoughts.
June 30, 2026
Sometimes I wonder if, when reading other people’s bad reviews of a book I loved, I am in the wrong. This time, I am standing my ground. This was EXCEPTIONAL. Literary horror at its finest. Not overly gory or confronting, but just enough of each to make the character study of tillinghast much more interesting. I loved the way he was written, and how he wrote his confession throughout the book, so I was able to figure out what was happening as he told it. Honestly incredible
March 3, 2026
I assumed the stilted writing was due to translation issues, but nope, apparently it was an intentional choice. Huh.
DNF
ARC from netgalley
DNF
ARC from netgalley
May 15, 2026
A refreshing take on the vampire genre, this was lovely to read. While this wasn’t full of blood and guts like certain novels, it was full of character. It was slow moving, with a lot of time spent exploring the past, but I really enjoyed that. The writing was all consuming, making it easy to fall into this story. A really great example of a character led story, with interesting elements of horror and real history blended throughout.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #Tillinghast #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #Tillinghast #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
July 11, 2026
“All things pass away, even as we watch.”
I enjoyed the real life historical information that was provided at the end of the book to explain the inspiration of this story.
Although this wasn’t my usual gory, or smut driven vampire novel, I enjoyed the overall journey of Tillinghast’s life and how he came to be. 🧛🏽♀️
There are parts of the story that have a gothic feel which I truly enjoyed. I loved the seance scenes and the opening of the casket descriptions⚰️.
I found Tillinghast to be a likable idiosyncratic character. There was still compassion in his heart and that made me feel sorry for him in a way. He didn’t choose what happened to him.
Readers who can appreciate a slow burn and character development stories will enjoy this one like me.
**Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. **
I enjoyed the real life historical information that was provided at the end of the book to explain the inspiration of this story.
Although this wasn’t my usual gory, or smut driven vampire novel, I enjoyed the overall journey of Tillinghast’s life and how he came to be. 🧛🏽♀️
There are parts of the story that have a gothic feel which I truly enjoyed. I loved the seance scenes and the opening of the casket descriptions⚰️.
I found Tillinghast to be a likable idiosyncratic character. There was still compassion in his heart and that made me feel sorry for him in a way. He didn’t choose what happened to him.
Readers who can appreciate a slow burn and character development stories will enjoy this one like me.
**Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. **
July 31, 2026
Okay, so... this was not what I was expecting at all. And honestly, I don't think it was really for me.
I can appreciate what Clare was going for here.
It's a very different take on the vampire genre-dark, atmospheric, literary, and definitely more character focused
The premise had SO much potential for me. A centuries-old priest, a girl who suddenly shows up with his last name, a connection to the woman who made him what he is, and a whole lot of secrets, blood, and buried bodies? HELLO?? Sign me up- but at the same time it was just words. If that makes any sense
Stutley Tillinghast is a centuries old vampire hiding as a small town priest. When a mysterious girl arrives searching for him, carrying his last name and resembling the woman who turned him, everything begins to unravel. And she's sick very sick and Tillinghast may be the only one who can save her.
Inspired by the real-life New England vampire panic of the 19th century, this is a dark, atmospheric, and unconventional take on the vampire myth.
If you love slow, literary horror with gorgeous prose and a more introspective take on vampires, this might hit.
I can appreciate what Clare was going for here.
It's a very different take on the vampire genre-dark, atmospheric, literary, and definitely more character focused
The premise had SO much potential for me. A centuries-old priest, a girl who suddenly shows up with his last name, a connection to the woman who made him what he is, and a whole lot of secrets, blood, and buried bodies? HELLO?? Sign me up- but at the same time it was just words. If that makes any sense
Stutley Tillinghast is a centuries old vampire hiding as a small town priest. When a mysterious girl arrives searching for him, carrying his last name and resembling the woman who turned him, everything begins to unravel. And she's sick very sick and Tillinghast may be the only one who can save her.
Inspired by the real-life New England vampire panic of the 19th century, this is a dark, atmospheric, and unconventional take on the vampire myth.
If you love slow, literary horror with gorgeous prose and a more introspective take on vampires, this might hit.
July 4, 2026
Not at all what I expected from the blurb. I heard vampire and vicar and was ready to be ride or die. Unfortunately, we were not meant to be.
I found it to be very dry and rather clinical, I never felt particularly drawn into the story or what was happening. I felt like someone just looking in on something happening far away and never feeling engaged.
There's an awful lot of ambiguity about vampirism as a whole, if the word vampire wasn't right there in the summary on the GR page you'd be doing a lot of guessing as to what exactly Tillinghast happens to be most of the time. He has the immortality down but that's the end of the list for clean cut similarities.
He is fine in sunlight, doesn't have fangs to bite people to drink their blood, seems to have no issue with silver or consecrated ground and doesn't sleep during the day (or in a coffin if we're going very old school). There is a weird thing about having a fierce pain in the spine and symptoms of an illness of both him and Sarah almost as if it's something they were born with(?) and then ambiguity upon ambiguity when it comes to a possible interaction with a vampire that 'turns' him as close to as the typical way we understand it in vampire mythology.
I'm a bit baffled by the book overall but I'm sure it'll really appeal to other people, it just wasn't for me!
I found it to be very dry and rather clinical, I never felt particularly drawn into the story or what was happening. I felt like someone just looking in on something happening far away and never feeling engaged.
There's an awful lot of ambiguity about vampirism as a whole, if the word vampire wasn't right there in the summary on the GR page you'd be doing a lot of guessing as to what exactly Tillinghast happens to be most of the time. He has the immortality down but that's the end of the list for clean cut similarities.
He is fine in sunlight, doesn't have fangs to bite people to drink their blood, seems to have no issue with silver or consecrated ground and doesn't sleep during the day (or in a coffin if we're going very old school). There is a weird thing about having a fierce pain in the spine and symptoms of an illness of both him and Sarah almost as if it's something they were born with(?) and then ambiguity upon ambiguity when it comes to a possible interaction with a vampire that 'turns' him as close to as the typical way we understand it in vampire mythology.
I'm a bit baffled by the book overall but I'm sure it'll really appeal to other people, it just wasn't for me!
July 24, 2026
this was a whole lotta nothing
August 25, 2026
5 stars. I absolutely loved this.
I loved the author’s writing, but more than anything I loved Stutley. I had so much sympathy for him and his weariness, and being in his head as he wrote—and occasionally self-edited—his confession gave him so much heart. I also couldn’t help but compare him to Mr. Darcy - so awkward and repressed but in an unintentionally charming way. I especially loved whenever he had to interact with “regular people.” Those moments always got a chuckle or at least a smile out of me.
And Lena! She was fascinating - the mystery and ‘other-ness’ surrounding her character really worked - and I’m sure I understand the need for it from a narrative perspective, but gah- I’m bummed because I would have loved to learn more about her.
I’m always a sucker for vampire stories, especially ones that stray away from the more expected tropes. We don’t get a huge amount of lore here, and every little crumb the author gave us just made me crave more. I also loved how wonderfully mundane so much of the story felt despite the supernatural horror elements. There was something about that banality that helped to lock me in.
This is definitely a character-driven story, and I can see some readers finding the pacing a bit slow. Personally, I was so invested in Stutley and Sarah that when I did clock it, I wasn’t bothered.
Overall, I had such a good time with this. I loved the writing, I loved the characters, and was deeply invested. Borrowed it from the library but immediately ordered a copy to reread this in the future.
I loved the author’s writing, but more than anything I loved Stutley. I had so much sympathy for him and his weariness, and being in his head as he wrote—and occasionally self-edited—his confession gave him so much heart. I also couldn’t help but compare him to Mr. Darcy - so awkward and repressed but in an unintentionally charming way. I especially loved whenever he had to interact with “regular people.” Those moments always got a chuckle or at least a smile out of me.
And Lena! She was fascinating - the mystery and ‘other-ness’ surrounding her character really worked - and I’m sure I understand the need for it from a narrative perspective, but gah- I’m bummed because I would have loved to learn more about her.
I’m always a sucker for vampire stories, especially ones that stray away from the more expected tropes. We don’t get a huge amount of lore here, and every little crumb the author gave us just made me crave more. I also loved how wonderfully mundane so much of the story felt despite the supernatural horror elements. There was something about that banality that helped to lock me in.
This is definitely a character-driven story, and I can see some readers finding the pacing a bit slow. Personally, I was so invested in Stutley and Sarah that when I did clock it, I wasn’t bothered.
Overall, I had such a good time with this. I loved the writing, I loved the characters, and was deeply invested. Borrowed it from the library but immediately ordered a copy to reread this in the future.
September 20, 2026
My Selling Pitch:
Vampire gooner finds his manic pixie dream girl.
On my do not read list.
Pre-reading:
Do I usually like historicals? Fuck no! But I saw that cover and said it’s a need not a want. I mean just look at it!
⚠️(potential spoilers from here on)⚠️
Thick of it:
Vampire John Wayne Gacy
How does the phone work without electricity? (Apparently this is a thing! Who knew!)
Why is this lowkey vampire A Man Called Ove? (I wish!)
An apple? Girl, Twilight or Adam and Eve. (The latter.)
So I feel like he and girlypop had an illegal affair because he’s a man of god and maybe she had a monster baby? (No, that’s another book, but I can’t name it because that would be a spoiler, but iykyk.)
New England gothic supremacy.
How much trauma has been passed onto others by religious cults repressing sexualities? Like it’s natural behavior. You can’t teach people it’s deviant. And like it’s harmful to the individual directly and then creates so much indirect harm from everyone they then go on to traumatize because of their hangups. It’s so frustrating to me.
Fucking gooners, man.
Tillinghast and the Burnt Sparrow kid are the same kinda ugh.
I can’t with men’s humiliation kinks.
This is dull.
Just reading this like men aren’t lonely enough. Sorry, your dad was mean. Get it together.
I love Mystic!
A me!
Oh, you’re a tool alright lol
Him: it was life changing, inventive, ecstatic!
Lena, with a cigarette: it was two pumps
The narrator’s girl voice sounds like Stewie.
Detritus sin
Oh boohoo, immortality! He’s such a cuck, I can’t with him.
Thinking of her doesn’t make her yours, bud.
Post nut clarity’s gonna hit our boy like a truck lmao
Like god doesn’t make predators🙄
How are his feet clean if he’s walking in the woods?
Oh god, men cannot be trusted.
That’s your kid dude. She does not want to fuck you.
Poor Conway lol.
It’s so disorganized in that he’s a recluse and he doesn’t have the Internet, but then he has a regular drug dealer and a local kid cuts his grass He’s on the fucking bulletin board at the library like-
Modern medicine: Oh, you feel like your spine is tearing apart? Have you tried two ibuprofen? Idk sounds normal to me. That’s just your period, hun. Don't be dramatic.
Say it. Out loud. Vampire!
Post-reading:
Oh brother. I feel like there's been an increase in these semi-historical horrors that are objectively well written but so molar grindingly dull that I end up loathing them and the whole reading experience. You stick an unlikable protagonist and some murky feminist messaging in there, and you've got yourself a moody and atmospheric little stinker. Like is it Gothic? Absolutely! Can I see the inspiration? For sure! I love Dracula, I love New England, I love a weird little guy. On paper, this should absolutely be up my alley.
But like men aren't lonely enough? I’m so exhausted from reading about men with bad fathers who make it everyone else’s problem. Ra-ra organized religion is a brainwashing, poisonous cult. Masturbation is natural. Sexual expression is healthy-yada yada. Get a job, stay away from her, stop trying to fuck your kids. Like I’m *tired!*
It has nothing new to add to the conversation. He’s like vaguely John Wayne Gacy coded. I feel like there’s a humorous element missing to this, and if you’re like Samantha, it’s supposed to be a Gothic, did you see Widows Bay? Like when the Baby Bjorn showed up, I kind of thought we were getting something a little more camp. A Man Called Ove meets Dracula, that’s a mashup banger waiting to happen. But instead, it’s just this long-winded life is so hard. I can’t think of any hobbies to make my life interesting. I’m tormented by the fact that I have to eat people. And maybe it’s the Capricorn in me, but brother you’re not thinking big enough. The books can keep preaching that immortality bad, but I can’t hear them.
It’s the most tired resolution: ingenue convinces man to live just by breathing? I feel like the book’s treating it as a redemption arc of he can be the father he never had! And I’m just like he’s already pictured fucking her! I don’t think I have it in me to read these hopeless cuck books. Your humiliation kink does not intrigue me. *Grow up!*
The logistics of this book don’t make all that much sense to me. He keeps saying he’s such a recluse, and then he’s got a kid who mows his lawn every Sunday. Oh, he doesn’t have electricity! OK, but he had to buy those candles somewhere. It’s not like he’s dipping beeswax in his backyard. (Sidenote, someone call publishing. Where’s my homesteading vampire book? I think that would be so fun!) Also, he drives. I want to see this fucker at the DMV. Like I can’t suspend my disbelief enough for this book’s “tragedy “to work. Even a repressed gooner like him is gonna find a hobby after a century. If anything, I feel like homeboy would get VR goggles and a La-Z-Boy and rot until his 70 day cycle is over.
Also, I feel like the reader is trapped in an abusive relationship when these types of characters threaten suicide. I’ll call the bluff every time. I’m like OK, do it then. If you truly believe you’re so horrible and rotten, bye! Otherwise, here’s 50% off to better health. Go get therapy PTSD from an unqualified provider like the rest of us.
I feel like there was a lot left unexplored with the vague illusions to Sarah’s little red riding hood coat. Tell me more about the monster at the door. Insert Debbie Ryan lip bite. Tell me more about the relationship between small New England town lapsed priest and Providence corrupt murse. That’s a buddy comedy waiting to happen! And instead, we just kind of know nothing about anyone in this story. What do I know about Sarah other than that she was selectively mute and had an emotionally absent mother? I need so much more from my horrors.
I think you can safely take this one off your TBR. I wouldn’t completely write the author off. If she puts out another book with a good premise, I would probably try it, but I’m not gonna actively seek her out. I am bummed that I didn’t like this though because I really wanted that cover on my shelves.
Who should read this:
Gloomy gothic horror fans
Dracula retelling fans
Ideal reading time:
Fall
Do I want to reread this:
No
Would I buy this:
No
Similar books:
* She Made Herself a Monster by Anna Kovatcheva-historical, gothic, horror, family drama, social commentary, queer, vampires
* Lucy Undying by Kiersten White-Dracula retelling, historical, horror, gothic, family drama, queer
* The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones-Dracula retellings, historical, gothic, horror, family drama, religious commentary, vampires
* We Are Always Tender With Our Dead by Eric LaRocca-gothic horror, family drama, queer, trans
* Grey Dog by Elliot Gish-historical, gothic, social commentary, queer, demons
* The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis-historical, gothic, social commentary, family drama
* Sarafina by Philip Fracassi-Circecretelling, historical, gothic, family drama, magical realism, social commentary
* Dracula by Bram Stoker-uh, duh.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Vampire gooner finds his manic pixie dream girl.
On my do not read list.
Pre-reading:
Do I usually like historicals? Fuck no! But I saw that cover and said it’s a need not a want. I mean just look at it!
⚠️(potential spoilers from here on)⚠️
Thick of it:
Vampire John Wayne Gacy
How does the phone work without electricity? (Apparently this is a thing! Who knew!)
Why is this lowkey vampire A Man Called Ove? (I wish!)
An apple? Girl, Twilight or Adam and Eve. (The latter.)
So I feel like he and girlypop had an illegal affair because he’s a man of god and maybe she had a monster baby? (No, that’s another book, but I can’t name it because that would be a spoiler, but iykyk.)
New England gothic supremacy.
How much trauma has been passed onto others by religious cults repressing sexualities? Like it’s natural behavior. You can’t teach people it’s deviant. And like it’s harmful to the individual directly and then creates so much indirect harm from everyone they then go on to traumatize because of their hangups. It’s so frustrating to me.
Fucking gooners, man.
Tillinghast and the Burnt Sparrow kid are the same kinda ugh.
I can’t with men’s humiliation kinks.
This is dull.
Just reading this like men aren’t lonely enough. Sorry, your dad was mean. Get it together.
I love Mystic!
A me!
Oh, you’re a tool alright lol
Him: it was life changing, inventive, ecstatic!
Lena, with a cigarette: it was two pumps
The narrator’s girl voice sounds like Stewie.
Detritus sin
Oh boohoo, immortality! He’s such a cuck, I can’t with him.
Thinking of her doesn’t make her yours, bud.
Post nut clarity’s gonna hit our boy like a truck lmao
Like god doesn’t make predators🙄
How are his feet clean if he’s walking in the woods?
Oh god, men cannot be trusted.
That’s your kid dude. She does not want to fuck you.
Poor Conway lol.
It’s so disorganized in that he’s a recluse and he doesn’t have the Internet, but then he has a regular drug dealer and a local kid cuts his grass He’s on the fucking bulletin board at the library like-
Modern medicine: Oh, you feel like your spine is tearing apart? Have you tried two ibuprofen? Idk sounds normal to me. That’s just your period, hun. Don't be dramatic.
Say it. Out loud. Vampire!
Post-reading:
Oh brother. I feel like there's been an increase in these semi-historical horrors that are objectively well written but so molar grindingly dull that I end up loathing them and the whole reading experience. You stick an unlikable protagonist and some murky feminist messaging in there, and you've got yourself a moody and atmospheric little stinker. Like is it Gothic? Absolutely! Can I see the inspiration? For sure! I love Dracula, I love New England, I love a weird little guy. On paper, this should absolutely be up my alley.
But like men aren't lonely enough? I’m so exhausted from reading about men with bad fathers who make it everyone else’s problem. Ra-ra organized religion is a brainwashing, poisonous cult. Masturbation is natural. Sexual expression is healthy-yada yada. Get a job, stay away from her, stop trying to fuck your kids. Like I’m *tired!*
It has nothing new to add to the conversation. He’s like vaguely John Wayne Gacy coded. I feel like there’s a humorous element missing to this, and if you’re like Samantha, it’s supposed to be a Gothic, did you see Widows Bay? Like when the Baby Bjorn showed up, I kind of thought we were getting something a little more camp. A Man Called Ove meets Dracula, that’s a mashup banger waiting to happen. But instead, it’s just this long-winded life is so hard. I can’t think of any hobbies to make my life interesting. I’m tormented by the fact that I have to eat people. And maybe it’s the Capricorn in me, but brother you’re not thinking big enough. The books can keep preaching that immortality bad, but I can’t hear them.
It’s the most tired resolution: ingenue convinces man to live just by breathing? I feel like the book’s treating it as a redemption arc of he can be the father he never had! And I’m just like he’s already pictured fucking her! I don’t think I have it in me to read these hopeless cuck books. Your humiliation kink does not intrigue me. *Grow up!*
The logistics of this book don’t make all that much sense to me. He keeps saying he’s such a recluse, and then he’s got a kid who mows his lawn every Sunday. Oh, he doesn’t have electricity! OK, but he had to buy those candles somewhere. It’s not like he’s dipping beeswax in his backyard. (Sidenote, someone call publishing. Where’s my homesteading vampire book? I think that would be so fun!) Also, he drives. I want to see this fucker at the DMV. Like I can’t suspend my disbelief enough for this book’s “tragedy “to work. Even a repressed gooner like him is gonna find a hobby after a century. If anything, I feel like homeboy would get VR goggles and a La-Z-Boy and rot until his 70 day cycle is over.
Also, I feel like the reader is trapped in an abusive relationship when these types of characters threaten suicide. I’ll call the bluff every time. I’m like OK, do it then. If you truly believe you’re so horrible and rotten, bye! Otherwise, here’s 50% off to better health. Go get therapy PTSD from an unqualified provider like the rest of us.
I feel like there was a lot left unexplored with the vague illusions to Sarah’s little red riding hood coat. Tell me more about the monster at the door. Insert Debbie Ryan lip bite. Tell me more about the relationship between small New England town lapsed priest and Providence corrupt murse. That’s a buddy comedy waiting to happen! And instead, we just kind of know nothing about anyone in this story. What do I know about Sarah other than that she was selectively mute and had an emotionally absent mother? I need so much more from my horrors.
I think you can safely take this one off your TBR. I wouldn’t completely write the author off. If she puts out another book with a good premise, I would probably try it, but I’m not gonna actively seek her out. I am bummed that I didn’t like this though because I really wanted that cover on my shelves.
Who should read this:
Gloomy gothic horror fans
Dracula retelling fans
Ideal reading time:
Fall
Do I want to reread this:
No
Would I buy this:
No
Similar books:
* She Made Herself a Monster by Anna Kovatcheva-historical, gothic, horror, family drama, social commentary, queer, vampires
* Lucy Undying by Kiersten White-Dracula retelling, historical, horror, gothic, family drama, queer
* The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones-Dracula retellings, historical, gothic, horror, family drama, religious commentary, vampires
* We Are Always Tender With Our Dead by Eric LaRocca-gothic horror, family drama, queer, trans
* Grey Dog by Elliot Gish-historical, gothic, social commentary, queer, demons
* The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis-historical, gothic, social commentary, family drama
* Sarafina by Philip Fracassi-Circecretelling, historical, gothic, family drama, magical realism, social commentary
* Dracula by Bram Stoker-uh, duh.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 23, 2026
3.5* really. An interesting take on a familiar theme just thought it took a long time to get where it was going.
July 23, 2026
This is moving way too slow for me and I really am not at all invested in the MC, too many other books to read.
Currently Reading
March 23, 2026lol got an ARC of this but now i'm scared
September 22, 2026
Ingenious. I am a bloodthirsty fan of this specific genre of horror, and I thought there were no other ways to write the tale. How wrong I was, and how fortunate I was to find this book. This was absolutely brilliant. Dark, visceral, unsettling, and yet threaded with a depth of emotional resonance that was surprising. I can picture Tillinghast, though not Sarah, which I find odd, but also comforting. Life needs its mysteries, and I can believe they are still out there, just on the edge of the forest, melting into the backdrop of the trees.
July 23, 2026
Tillinghast’s struggle with the determinism of one’s natural supernatural state (i.e., a necessary consequence) and agency seemed customary. The idea of kinship bringing Tillinghast and Sarah together also felt familiar. But Cavenagh’s strength in her debut is portraying this tension and theme, respectively, with the late 1800s-style writing—perhaps one for the naturalist gothic genre, if that’s a thing.
I rate Tillinghast 2.5 stars.
I rate Tillinghast 2.5 stars.
Read
July 15, 2026I decided to DNF this book at 81% in. I want to say that I don’t think this is a bad book by any means, but definitely not the one for me.
This is a work of literary fiction that is extremely character driven, focusing on one man, Tillinghast. Tillinghast is a vampire who has lived a very secluded lifestyle, with the exception of his necessary outings, for well over a century.
There is an underlying plot of a sick woman showing up who turns out to be his daughter (this isn’t a spoiler, it’s in the synopsis) but that’s really as far as that branch extends. The majority of the book is Tillinghasts inner monologue as he recounts his previous kills.
If you want to read a lyrical character study with a gothic atmosphere, you may very well enjoy this book. If you like a clear defined plot, action, twists, or thrills, this probably isn’t the one for you.
This is a work of literary fiction that is extremely character driven, focusing on one man, Tillinghast. Tillinghast is a vampire who has lived a very secluded lifestyle, with the exception of his necessary outings, for well over a century.
There is an underlying plot of a sick woman showing up who turns out to be his daughter (this isn’t a spoiler, it’s in the synopsis) but that’s really as far as that branch extends. The majority of the book is Tillinghasts inner monologue as he recounts his previous kills.
If you want to read a lyrical character study with a gothic atmosphere, you may very well enjoy this book. If you like a clear defined plot, action, twists, or thrills, this probably isn’t the one for you.
July 27, 2026
3.5 // really enjoyed the writing style - I just wish Sarah had been more flashed out as a character. Their neglected relationship had a lot of potential. I am looking forward to reading more of this author though because their writing is impeccable.
October 12, 2026
BOOK REPORT
⭐ 2 ⭐
Wasted.
Potential.
Yep, you read that right—twice in one day I’ve finished different books and felt that way.
Won’t go into the whys and wherefores of it all. Instead, permit me to direct you to this actual really good piece at Manuela’s Reviews: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Also, I’ll take this opportunity to direct you to one of my most-favorite vampire movies of all time, starring Henry Rollins (yes, _that_ Henry Rollins), He Never Died: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2386404/...
And, finally, I’ll also point you in the direction of John Green’s 5-star book Everything Is Tuberculosis: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
One of my best friends and I had the opportunity to hear him speak about the book, and it was one of the best lecture/discussions I have ever had the good fortune to attend.
PS
Did anybody else who read this book keep thinking that the whole spine-lengthening/etc. schtick felt more werewolf-y than vampiric?
Bueller? Bueller?
PPS
Remembered the next day that I thought the apple offering from Lena seemed an awful lot like a tribute to Lilith.......
⭐ 2 ⭐
Wasted.
Potential.
Yep, you read that right—twice in one day I’ve finished different books and felt that way.
Won’t go into the whys and wherefores of it all. Instead, permit me to direct you to this actual really good piece at Manuela’s Reviews: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Also, I’ll take this opportunity to direct you to one of my most-favorite vampire movies of all time, starring Henry Rollins (yes, _that_ Henry Rollins), He Never Died: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2386404/...
And, finally, I’ll also point you in the direction of John Green’s 5-star book Everything Is Tuberculosis: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
One of my best friends and I had the opportunity to hear him speak about the book, and it was one of the best lecture/discussions I have ever had the good fortune to attend.
PS
Did anybody else who read this book keep thinking that the whole spine-lengthening/etc. schtick felt more werewolf-y than vampiric?
Bueller? Bueller?
PPS
Remembered the next day that I thought the apple offering from Lena seemed an awful lot like a tribute to Lilith.......
August 3, 2026
I can see how this wouldn’t appeal to some, as it is heavily character-driven and slower-paced, but I enjoyed it. To me, it was captivating and very quickly made me want to know more about the two main characters and their evolving relationship. My biggest issue with the book, however, was that I wanted to know more about the characters, but that was part of the point, as they’re left in the dark as we are. It doesn’t focus on the vampire elements in the ways commonly found. Instead, focuses on the isolation and the repercussions of this life. It felt original, and although I would’ve loved to read more about Lena’s life and past, it doesn’t feel incredibly necessary beyond my own curiosity or bring my opinion on the book down. Although it wasn’t what I was expecting, there’s a lot of potential in the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 26, 2026
3.25 Stars Overall
A slow burn literary horror that focuses on the end of Tillinghast's extra long life that he has now decided has been long enough. Just as he's putting his affairs together, the result of another shows up in his small town and upends everything he thought he knew and must now look toward an unknown future.
This was an interesting character study and take on vampire lore, having been loosely based on the vampire panic of New England. It was a quick enough read yo capture my attention, but the ending ultimately fell flat for me. Recommended for vampire fans who lean more towards the literary aspect of Dracula rather than fans of the Sookie Stackhouse novels.
Thank you to NetGalley, Clare Cavenagh, and Penguin Viking for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
A slow burn literary horror that focuses on the end of Tillinghast's extra long life that he has now decided has been long enough. Just as he's putting his affairs together, the result of another shows up in his small town and upends everything he thought he knew and must now look toward an unknown future.
This was an interesting character study and take on vampire lore, having been loosely based on the vampire panic of New England. It was a quick enough read yo capture my attention, but the ending ultimately fell flat for me. Recommended for vampire fans who lean more towards the literary aspect of Dracula rather than fans of the Sookie Stackhouse novels.
Thank you to NetGalley, Clare Cavenagh, and Penguin Viking for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
Did Not Finish
July 9, 2026DNF 20%
I liked the opening couple of chapters, but I can tell this is going to be a "nothing really happens" type of book and I'm not interested in reading that. You really have to enjoy character-focused, literary fiction with a literal whisper of a speculative element to get along with this; and I think marketing it as horror is doing it a disservice.
Readers who enjoyed The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister may find more to appreciate about Tillinghast.
I liked the opening couple of chapters, but I can tell this is going to be a "nothing really happens" type of book and I'm not interested in reading that. You really have to enjoy character-focused, literary fiction with a literal whisper of a speculative element to get along with this; and I think marketing it as horror is doing it a disservice.
Readers who enjoyed The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister may find more to appreciate about Tillinghast.
August 18, 2026
Content warnings: Murder, depictions of suicide, body horror, decay, gore, blood
I like literary character studies of vampires. What does it mean to live too long, to have nothing left to you but the trail of bodies in your wake? What happens when someone just like you shows up? Do you leave them to their own devices, or take on the mantle of parent? The voice is so morose, and this is such a melancholy read.
I like literary character studies of vampires. What does it mean to live too long, to have nothing left to you but the trail of bodies in your wake? What happens when someone just like you shows up? Do you leave them to their own devices, or take on the mantle of parent? The voice is so morose, and this is such a melancholy read.
Did Not Finish
September 14, 2026This should be a book that I love, but I find myself just not feeling it! I may need to reexamine what I enjoy about horror books. My tastes have, for sure, changed.
October 7, 2026
I really enjoyed it
July 4, 2026
This was tame as far as vampire stories go, and for the best. I found its perspective refreshingly quotidian, well-grounded in one of the eeriest historical phenomena to ever overtake New England.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Extremely well written, just a little boring for me
Displaying 1 - 30 of 353 reviews