The Strange Case of Dorian Gray

Gothic Horror Mash-up #3

by Cindy Winget

Dorian has it all: good-looks, money, and a prominent social status. But when he agrees to sit for a portrait, he is introduced to a man who unwittingly plants a dangerous idea inside Dorian’s head. As Dorian becomes more and more obsessed with the painting, he seeks out supernatural means of retaining his youth and beauty. With his first cruel act, he notices the painting has changed, taking on the grotesqueness of his soul. When his sinful desires lead to murder, Dorian seeks to rid himself of his baser instincts, which sets him down an unforeseeable life path.

Will this chain of events lead to his ruin or his salvation? Will Dorian discover a way to rid himself of the evil that had taken root in his heart, or will he let his wicked side take over for good?

Genres: Horror

254 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 11, 2022

Reviews

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I really enjoy this author's classic mashups so I was excited to check out her newest release. I have read A Picture of Dorian Gray but I have not read The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. I was glad I had read Dorian Gray since I felt it allowed me to get more out of the story.

I liked this one, but I did not think it was the strongest of the three novels I have read by this author. This one just lacked that special sauce that made the other two novels uplift the original material. The mashup just didn't feel quite as creative or punchy as I would have liked.

Yet these books are meant to be fun and I still had fun with this one. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy these classics and are interested in reading a creative retelling.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the author.

[Ticklemepnk35 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A spooky tale

I've read all the stories written by this author and the Gothic Horror Mash-Ups are my favorite so far. My favorite one is Fall of the House of Crain. I've never read the tale of Dorian Gray nor have I read Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde which this book is a mash-up of so I can't really say how close this book stays to the original stories. I can say that this book was creepy. Dorian becomes so full of his healthy youthful self that when he realizes he's getting older he begins to go crazy. He does horrible things throughout his life and I found myself sometimes getting a little squeamish at his thoughts and actions. I'm not normally a reader of the horror genre, but after reading and enjoying Fall of the House of Crain, I thought to give this one a try as well.
I enjoyed (although it was disturbing) knowing what Dorian was thinking throughout the book. I really enjoyed the times the author took to throw in little mentions from her other books. Little "Easter eggs" that are fun to find.
I did think the pacing of the story was a little rushed at some places and there were some parts I wished to have learned more about which is why I couldn't give this book five stars, but the writing by this author is beautiful. Cindy is very good at describing a scene and I appreciate that this author researches and knows her history because she can really make a story come to life.
If you are wanting to read a good spooky book this season, I'd suggest reading this one.

[Morgan Malasky · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a second to get sucked into the book but once I did, I finished the book pretty quickly. It has an interesting concept and I liked the references she made. I really enjoyed the characters, as flawed and terrible as they were.