Blackthorn

Geissinger (Brutal Vows) mixes paranormal fantasy, contemporary horror, and sexual tension into an extremely dark romance. Maven Blackthorn returns to Solstice, Vt., with her daughter, Beatrix, for her grandmother’s funeral. However, the funeral home has lost her grandmother’s body, and, when the authorities investigating start exhuming Blackthorn graves in the cemetery, all of those bodies have gone missing as well. Local billionaire and Blackthorn enemy Ronan Croft, who abandoned Maven when she got pregnant at 17, offers to help solve this mystery, but only if he can meet Beatrix—and he’s willing to stalk, manipulate, and threaten his way into getting what he wants. The antagonistic back and forth between Maven and Ronan drags on, and, while Geissinger is clearly aiming to create a toxic, possessive, star-crossed dynamic between these two, Ronan’s actions often veer into the straightforwardly abusive. Meanwhile, the third act plays frustratingly coy over what’s real and what isn’t, leading to an epilogue that wants to have it both ways about the supernatural elements. The author’s fans may find something to enjoy in this graphic gothic romance but others can skip it. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency. (Nov.)