A debut Gothic horror set in 1870s Brazil—a tale of creeping suspense in which a young pregnant woman finds herself unable to escape her lover’s isolated family home, and a family’s deal with the devil goes terribly wrong.
1877, Pernambuco, Brazil: Raised in a deeply religious household, Madalena knows Dante’s Inferno by heart and fears her mother’s reaction as much as she fears God. When she falls pregnant with a child conceived in sin, her mother issues a threat: marry or surrender the baby. Madalena is confident that the father, the dashing Leandro Neves, will do right by her and propose. But just as she is about to tell him about the baby, a violent storm sends their carriage careening off the road.
Madalena awakens in Leandro’s sprawling, secluded home, under the care of the mysterious and larger-than-life Doctor Lobo. Leandro is there . . . but he is no longer the charming poet she knew. He’s silent. Obsessed. Always watching.
Strange perfume haunts a locked room. Pages vanish from books. Jewels lie untouched in a forgotten wardrobe. And mirrors begin disappearing after Madalena sees something—or someone—ghastly in the reflection.
Leandro is unraveling. Doctor Lobo may be hiding something even darker. Trapped in a decaying house of secrets, Madalena must uncover the truth before the men around her destroy her, and before the hell she fears becomes the one she’s living in.
✨✨✨A prime example of why I love gothic horror!! ✨✨✨
This is the authors debut? I’m blown away!
👏MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR 9/1/26 and LOCK IN, it’s a wild ride and go in as blind as you can!!!👏
An Immaculate Deception grabbed my attention immediately and kept it the whole way through! This story just kept getting better and better. I really don’t want to give anything away at all. You must read it for yourself!! If the plot summary sounds intriguing, read it. You’ll LOVE it!!! 😍 A new favorite book for me!!!
Whatever this author writes next, I’ll absolutely be reading it!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is expected to be released September 1, 2026 .
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for providing me with the eARC in exchange for this honest review!
Dawg…. This was a wild ass ride omg. To start by saying that Horror and Gothic Horror are one of my favorite genres to read, so the premise of this intrigued me and BOY did it deliver. The prose and writing style drew me in and kept me LOCKED IN, like I legitimately couldn’t put it down I wanted to do know what was happening and only took a break to eat. I literally don’t want to give anything away about this, it’s best to not read any spoilers because wow, I literally screamed what aloud at the plot twist. 😭 like I would LOVE to do a more in-depth review, but literally I don’t want to give anything away, so please do give this a chance and read it!!
This was an amazing novel, I had such a fun time reading this!!!
Captivating from start to finish with a twist that knocks you on your feet. I enjoyed this so much! I couldn’t stop reading and wondering what might happen next. This is a story that keeps you guessing until the end with characters who take readers on a wild ride.
My jaw is on the floor I had so many ideas as to what this was going to be and I have never been so wrong!
When Madalena finds herself with child she is hopeful her love Leandro will propose saving her from scandal but when their carriage crashes she finds herself locked in his home where he is distant and the new doctor strange. As she looks for answers she finds herself haunted by a figure lurking on the grounds and unsure of who to trust she finds herself in more trouble than she could have ever imagined.
What a wild ride!
This book is split into two parts and I had read Madalena’s side before bed and had all these ideas as to what this book would be as it felt very Crimson Peak and Rosemary’s Baby and then once I got to the second half all of that shattered so so quickly! The atmosphere is still the same with this strangeness and not knowing who is being truthful and what sort of elements are at play and I could not put it down!
Madalena is such a compelling character so full of hope that her life will be all she dreamed despite her mother’s warnings surrounding men and their responsibility when they father a child. When the crash happens and you see her struggle with this change in Leandro’s behavior you can’t help but feel for her as she tries to make sense of the coldness and other oddities in the home. Leandro too is haunted by his family and what he feels is sin based on his mother’s harsh teachings making him the perfect vessel to be taken advantage of and ask zero questions.
I love that there is this fun sort of is it real or is it trauma lingering in the background and just the isolation of being pregnant in a space where you are without anyone who believes you and how desperate you can become to find salvation.
**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a review of this book.
From the beginning, a had a lot of mixed emotions. What drew me in was this idea that it was a blend of The Hacienda and Rosemary's Baby, and in some ways, I think it succeeded in doing that. The plot hooked me in, kept me motivated in understanding the mystery. I was intrigued in understanding why the characters were acting the way they were - I felt intense emotions about how Magdalena was a woman trapped and these men were keeping secrets from her, oppressing her, which I think goes to show how well the writing can be.
However, on the other side, there were times were I was pulled out of the story. Sometimes the writing failed for me. It felt novice when it tried to show Magdalena's desperation, and it repeated itself too much in part two. I felt like I reread the same novel again, and even though I was rereading it in new context, it was still annoying because I was rereading the passages I had just read.
Credit where credit it due, the twist of the novel is spectacular, so if you love a good plot twist, you will love this novel. And if reading from an unreliable narrator is your favorite perspective, this is also for you.
So overall, I did find the plot intriguing and the strongest part of the story. If you care about writing presentation, however, this novel might lack for you.
Immaculate Deception didn’t quite deliver on what it promised.
Marketed as a horror novel, I was expecting something unsettling or atmospheric, but the story never really reached that level. There were elements that hinted at horror, but nothing that truly built tension or created a sense of fear.
The book is structured in two POVs—Madalena in the first half and Leandro in the second. While the second half does work to explain the first, the initial portion felt scattered and difficult to follow, which made it hard to stay engaged early on. By the time the narrative began to come together, I was already feeling disconnected.
It’s clear the author did extensive research, particularly with the influences of Dante’s Inferno and the historical setting, which added an interesting layer. However, the story lacked depth in character development and struggled with pacing, which ultimately impacted my investment in both the plot and the characters.
There is a twist around the midpoint, but it didn’t land as strongly as it could have, mainly because I wasn’t fully immersed by that point.
Overall, this one had an intriguing concept and strong research behind it, but the execution didn’t come together for me, especially as a horror read.
Tropes & Themes:
• Dual POV structure • Religious / inferno-inspired themes • Historical setting • Psychological elements • Midpoint twist • Morality & sin • Descent / transformation
3.5 stars. This book is much more paranormal thriller than horror. At points it feels like a domestic thriller with a 19th-century Brazilian skin, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There’s not much sense of place or time; at one point a character’s POV mentions “adrenaline” some 20 years before its discovery. (Note that I read an ARC copy, so the text is not necessarily final and this may be changed before publication.)
I enjoyed the fast pace and the many mysteries that are posed early and quickly in the story. However, I felt that quite a bit of the plot was predicated on inexplicable decisions by the two main characters, even after we know what is going on. Early on, Madalena speaks out of turn without us really understanding why she says the things she does at that time. She should feel more inner conflict than she does if the scene’s later explanation is true. Later, Leandro makes a decision involving the senzala that he can barely explain to himself, let alone the reader. (I’m being vague on purpose; the twist is fun!)
This was an intriguing and entertaining read; I might be the wrong person to fully appreciate it because I ask too many questions about why characters do what they do. People who like their protagonists unhinged maybe have fewer complaints. I did like how much we eventually got to know the protagonists and how they were generally realistic, flawed people. And the epilogue was cool too, even if I wished we came back around to Dante’s Inferno.
I would recommend this book to thriller lovers who want something a little different and people who want to read about creepy occult magic.
Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton for giving me an advance copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Madalena is pregnant, but not yet married. She’s certain the father of the child, Leandro, will be thrilled. As she’s about to tell him about the baby they get into a carriage accident. When she wakes, nothing is as it should be. There are secrets, a heavy presence in Leandro’s house, and Leandro is no longer the warm man she loved. She begins to fear that she is in danger.
What a twist! I was feeling really unsure about this book until everything came together. I don’t want to give too much away and spoil it. But the biggest thing that left the story lacking was a lack of explanation surrounding the “order.” It felt so out of place and without more explanation I felt confused.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy!
Usually I'm rather good at picking up on foreshadowing and being able to correctly guess the answers behind mysteries in thriller novels but "An Immaculate Deception" was one of the few that has managed to blindside me, and I'm glad that it did!
This is a rather fast paced novel that definitely leans more to the sides of psychological or domestic thriller, and I'd have to say it's a pretty strong debut! Although some parts of the prose did feel a bit lackluster to me, I think Livino did a great job at portraying the character's emotions and that helped make up for the more lackluster areas. You could definitely feel Madalena's fear growing day by day alongside Leandro's increasing inner turmoil. The rather quick plot development made this into a real page-turner for me and I just wanted to keep reading so I could figure out exactly what was going on between Madalena, Leandro, and the mysterious Doctor Lobo.
The novel is split into two different parts with the first being in Madalena's POV and the second in Leandro's and I think this was the perfect layout for this particular story. Having both of their perspectives really added an additional layer of depth to the story and made the reveals much more satisfying in the end. This is definitely one of those novels where you'll be able to appreciate the first half way more after finishing the whole thing.
I'd definitely recommend this to fans of gothic thrillers who are looking for a quick, entertaining read! There are some horror elements but it's not overly grotesque or frightening, so it might be a good pick for readers who aren't too good with horror but want to take a chance on a darker story.
(I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher, Dutton, via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.)
FIRST- there are major twists to this story. Be careful reading reviews and descriptions. You want to go in fresh with this one.
This was one of the most mind bending books I have read in ages. Normally I am not a fan of adult gothic thrillers, but I could not put this one down and finished it in 3 days. The story starts off simple enough - a young woman is pregnant out of wedlock and what is she to do. But then it takes a turn and all bets are off. Rosemary’s baby had an easier ride.
But it’s so much more than that. The story is set in the oppressive setting of rural Brazil under the rigid doctrine of the Catholic Church. The author deftly weaves in themes and ideas from Dante and the inferno - questioning belief and dogma but also redemption and faith. The main character, Madalena is isolated to a country farm and begins to not believe even the most obvious things she sees. The few around her are doing everything they can to support her. There are real themes around family and a hard look into loving and hating someone so close to you. How do you reconcile those feelings? There are no heroes and villains in this book. Well, there might be a few villains. But everyone has a reason. It’s is not simple banal evil for evil’s sake.
The tension and anxiety just keeps pushing and pushing on your chest till you have to put the book down. But then you immediately have to pick it up again. And it is creepy. Have you ever been weirded out by a piece of cake? You will be after this book. Can’t recommend it enough.
Madalena is a young girl who has found her self pregnant with her lover, Leandro's child. She is unmarried and therefore in fear of being shunned by her family and community if he does not agree to marry her. On the evening she finally tells him of her pregnancy, they get into an accident and when she wakes, nothing makes sense.. She is recuperating in Leandro's estate under the care of a strange doctor Lobo, who seems to want to tell her something about Leandro, but never gets a chance. Leandro is awkward and distant and she cannot figure out if he blocked out the memory of her telling him about her pregnancy or if he has permanent damage due to the accident.
This one was a roller coaster! Every time I thought I had something figured out, it took a bit of a turn in direction. I did not see the twist coming at all!!
3.5 stars overall but rounded up for goodreads. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!
OMG! Ok so I do not normally read this genre at all. I was given this book copy to read and review and, oh boy, what a chilling surprise. I have to say, I was a little skeptical at first since gothic horror stuff is not my cup of tea but I have to admit, boy was I wrong. From the moment i started i could not put it down and read the entire book in 3 days! It is not often you can read a book that has such elegant writing but it is also so disturbing and thrilling. “An Immaculate Deception” will keep you hooked until the end. I do not want to give it away, so do yourself a favor and read it asap! You are welcome.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.
This was an entertaining but flawed read. The author did a great job of building tension and a haunted, creepy atmosphere. Additionally, Madalena's character was well thought out. Whilst suspending belief is often a feature of gothic novels, the plot became rather surreal in the second half of the book. In particular, Madalena's willingness to follow Dr. Lobo's instructions seemed rather unrealistic. Leandro's point of view did also not add much emotional depth to the story apart from helping to set out the plot twist. Overall, the book had some excellent writing and pacing, but was unfortunately let down by the plot. .
Enjoyed this gothic SO much. The writing and the vibrant narrator pulled me in immediately but it was the twists that made this story impossible to put down. Really enjoyed how the second viewpoint brought the story to life in a whole new way, just when I thought I knew where it was going. A wild ride from start to finish. Everything I wanted in a gothic horror and more!
I honestly don’t want to write a review because I fear it would have spoilers. What I would recommend is jumping in without prior knowledge. And any questions or concerns you might have, just write them on a slip of paper and place them in a box.
Not what I was expecting! There was a plot point of that story seemed disjointed from the overall story. But I loved the overall "deception" concept of the story and its reveal when it switches viewpoints in the middle. Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton publishing for the eARC!