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The Collins Widow
Some family secrets are better left buried.
Six months ago, Stella Collins killed her husband, Morgan. Previously mild-mannered and caring, Morgan changed, becoming monstrous in an instant, and tried to murder Stella on the staircase in their home, instead falling to his own grisly death.
In an attempt to understand what happened to her husband, Stella travels across the country to Morgan’s childhood home to search for answers. She finds the house derelict, rotting from time and neglect, leaving Stella with more questions than answers.
Uncovering a packet of old letters and diary entries that belonged to the matriarch of the family, Elizabeth, Stella begins to uncover the horrors of the Collinses, the house, and the winding caverns that snake beneath the ground. Stella’s mind begins to play tricks as she learns of Elizabeth’s plight, and she is haunted by the literal ghosts of the past, including Morgan. And the more she learns, the more she is convinced that all of it, even Morgan’s death, leads back to the past, to the original Collins widow. And to the unspeakable horror which has plagued her husband’s family for a century.
Six months ago, Stella Collins killed her husband, Morgan. Previously mild-mannered and caring, Morgan changed, becoming monstrous in an instant, and tried to murder Stella on the staircase in their home, instead falling to his own grisly death.
In an attempt to understand what happened to her husband, Stella travels across the country to Morgan’s childhood home to search for answers. She finds the house derelict, rotting from time and neglect, leaving Stella with more questions than answers.
Uncovering a packet of old letters and diary entries that belonged to the matriarch of the family, Elizabeth, Stella begins to uncover the horrors of the Collinses, the house, and the winding caverns that snake beneath the ground. Stella’s mind begins to play tricks as she learns of Elizabeth’s plight, and she is haunted by the literal ghosts of the past, including Morgan. And the more she learns, the more she is convinced that all of it, even Morgan’s death, leads back to the past, to the original Collins widow. And to the unspeakable horror which has plagued her husband’s family for a century.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 27, 2023
44 people are currently reading
203 people want to read
About the author
J.L. Murray
22 books150 followersJ.L. Murray is the author of the Niki Slobodian series (Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, The Devil Is a Gentleman, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, The Devil Was an Angel, and The Devil's Backbone), The Thirteen series (Jenny Undead and Eat the Ones You Love), After the Fire, Blood Day, the Blood of Cain series (Monstrous, Hoarfrost, Sanguine), the Gothic Folk series (The Hungry Deep), and The Collins Widow.
Murray is a firm believer that horror can be beautiful, and that good and evil are very far from black and white. She lives with her family in Eugene, Oregon and can be reached through her website at www.jlmurraywriter.com.
Murray is a firm believer that horror can be beautiful, and that good and evil are very far from black and white. She lives with her family in Eugene, Oregon and can be reached through her website at www.jlmurraywriter.com.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 19, 2025
At first blush, The Collins Widow is a Gothic horror: an unexpected journey to a new home in an unknown town, strange neighbors/townsfolk, hints and obvious signs that something is not right, ghosts, and monsters. Most of the violence is remembrance of past events, but what is here is not the over-the-top blood and gore of modern Hollywood and horror. Tension builds slowly but surely to the final showdown where we hope, but can't be certain that good will prevail.
However, the story is more than a horror. It is also about grief and the process of coming to terms with both loss and our own misdeeds.
This is not necessarily an easy read, and fans of modern horror may not care for the style, but I do recommend this tale for those who have a taste for Gothic horror.
However, the story is more than a horror. It is also about grief and the process of coming to terms with both loss and our own misdeeds.
This is not necessarily an easy read, and fans of modern horror may not care for the style, but I do recommend this tale for those who have a taste for Gothic horror.
November 7, 2023
Story grabbed me and kept a decent pace. There was some back tracking to retell things from a different point of view which while it worked to bring a little more to the story it got a little boring in those parts.
Seems a little sad it took 100+ year for anyone to realize how to kill this creature. I feel the townsfolk could have just introduced something in the water to kill it off prior to Elizabeth when they had to draw straws for their first born to be sacrificed.
Also what happened to the remaining townsfolk? Did they all die? We hear Rose calling in the end so maybe just she survives?
Overall I enjoyed this book.
Seems a little sad it took 100+ year for anyone to realize how to kill this creature. I feel the townsfolk could have just introduced something in the water to kill it off prior to Elizabeth when they had to draw straws for their first born to be sacrificed.
Also what happened to the remaining townsfolk? Did they all die? We hear Rose calling in the end so maybe just she survives?
Overall I enjoyed this book.
April 4, 2024
I wanted to like this so badly. There were too many characters to keep track of and the plot was just confusing enough to where I didn't quite understand what was happening all the time. Could definitely be user error.
March 11, 2024
What is love to someone or something that doesn't understand? A curse of widows following an abusive husband.
September 9, 2024
3.5 stars. Not really my genre but J L Murray is an excellent writer so always worth a read. Too much filler at times, the book could be trimmed down 30 pages IMO.
November 13, 2025
This is my second time I stumbled into a gothic horror novel, and I can say now that I'm not that into them. The story was kinda creepy and intriguing but there were too many characters and too much plot and I got confused a lot. which was the present vs the past.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2023
Not a terrible book...but not a book I would normally pick.
It'a great book if you love a horror/sci-fi/mystery type book.
It'a great book if you love a horror/sci-fi/mystery type book.
April 4, 2023
This…..was just….odd.
So, it’s a true gothic horror. Nice and moody and creepy. Truly, one of the creepiest books I’ve read. That is, when I could follow the plot line.
Truth be told, I struggle with paying attention to plots, especially if there’s multiple characters and various plots and timelines. This story however, had so many jumps between past and present and character and then ghosts that it became difficult to figure out what was going on.
Why is Eve angry? Why is her thing water? Why is everyone nuts? I’ll never know.
Worth a read if you’re into this type of thing, but I wouldn’t revisit it.
So, it’s a true gothic horror. Nice and moody and creepy. Truly, one of the creepiest books I’ve read. That is, when I could follow the plot line.
Truth be told, I struggle with paying attention to plots, especially if there’s multiple characters and various plots and timelines. This story however, had so many jumps between past and present and character and then ghosts that it became difficult to figure out what was going on.
Why is Eve angry? Why is her thing water? Why is everyone nuts? I’ll never know.
Worth a read if you’re into this type of thing, but I wouldn’t revisit it.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews