A Spell for Saints and Sinners

Praise for Emily Carpenter

“Carpenter dazzles in this enchanting, suspenseful tale of a young woman who is both burdened and blessed by her family’s remarkable legacy of magic. Redolent with Southern Gothic atmosphere and the simmering tension between Savannah’s privileged elite and those tempted by worldly—and spiritual—ambitions, A Spell for Saints and Sinners is a dark pressure cooker of a novel, with an aura of exquisite dread.” —Paulette Kennedy, bestselling author of The Devil and Mrs. Davenport

“The innocent, the guilty, the good, the evil, the rich, and the poor shift and blur and shift again in this twisty story of loss, desire, and magic. With lush writing and colorful characters, Carpenter creates a solid stage and then deftly peels back the layers to reveal a different world entirely, one that will stay with you long after the last page.” —Susan Crawford, bestselling author of The Pocket Wife and The Other Widow

“Witches, psychics and family secrets haunt this mystery that twists and turns through the mansions and garden squares of Savannah. It’s the South in all its steamy glory and few write better about it than Carpenter.” —Leigh Dunlap, author of Bless Your Heart on A Spell for Saints and Sinners
“If you’re looking for a dark, moody, and bewitching tale of deception and suspense, let Emily Carpenter’s latest cast its spell on you. You’re in for a wicked treat!” —Avery Bishop, bestselling author of Girl Gone Mad on A Spell for Saints and Sinners

“Carpenter casts a lush, intoxicating spell steeped in the heat, secrets, and simmering menace of Savannah. It’s Southern gothic, psychological suspense, and social satire all at once: dark, dazzling, and impossible to resist.” —Carter Wilson, USA Today bestselling author of Tell Me What You Did on A Spell for Saints and Sinners

“Wreathed in magic, mystery, and the macabre, A Spell for Saints and Sinners whisks readers into a world where nothing is what it seems and no one can be trusted. Strolling down the hauntingly beautiful streets of Savannah, brushing shoulders with impossibly glamorous elites, and clutching the hand of a lovable psychic witch, Carpenter’s twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat.” —Allison Gunn, author of NOWHERE

“Carpenter’s brisk southern gothic skillfully deploys the genre’s familiar tropes to explore the disturbing ramifications of abuses of power and societal complicity. Horror fans will find it hard to put down.” —Booklist, STARRED REVIEW for Gothictown

“Influenced by Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” Carpenter creates a Southern gothic tale for horror-curious readers… Those who prefer a slow-burn story with an increasing sense of unease will enjoy this book, and fans of suspense novels with a small-town setting could find this a perfect way to try some gothic horror. Read-alikes include The Invited by Jennifer McMahon and The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons.” —Library Journal on Gothictown

“Emily Carpenter packs a multitude of twists and turns into Gothictown, delivering a gothic mystery with a high entertainment value. But peering past the murder, romance and supernatural intrigue, this story is ultimately an exploration of privilege and the lengths people will go to maintain the upper hand.” —Atlanta Journal Constitution

“A high-energy read that effortlessly reinvents the modern Gothic while delivering all the elements that make the genre so captivating: a haunting atmosphere, a dark legacy, a determined heroine and a whisper of horror. I love the Gothic and I love Gothictown.” —Jayne Ann Krentz, New York Times bestselling author

“Just the right amount of creepiness to add a scary but not terrifying element to the promised gothic tale, and the post-pandemic what-do-I-do-now feeling is spot on.” —firstCLUE on Gothictown

“The story masterfully intermingles mystery and psychological tension, making Gothictown a very engaging read. While Billie wrestles with her new reality, so does the reader, in this thrilling adventure into the depths one will go to for family and the haunting shadows which can lurk beneath the surface of a picturesque facade.” —John Raab, Suspense magazine on Gothictown

“Carpenter has a spectacular voice, and I was drawn into this story immediately. With all the gothic spookiness layered into a suspenseful family drama, this pulse-racing story of a New York family relocating to an idyllic southern town with a dark secret is timely, intense, and terrifyingly good.” —J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of A Very Bad Thing on Gothictown

“Troubled waters rise slow, and dark, and sneaky in Gothictown… Prepare to breaststroke your way through Carpenter’s latest feat to where the floodwaters recede, revealing an utterly satisfying conclusion.” —Robert Gwaltney, award-winning author of The Cicada Tree on Gothictown

“Inviting and atmospheric, this engrossing tale of a charming town hiding a chilling past is southern gothic at its best. Carpenter expertly turns up the heat as a seductive offer turns out too good to be true and dark secrets come to light, raising the temperature until the plot boils over. I was hooked from the very beginning!” —Katherine Wood, author of Ladykiller on Gothictown

“A gothic banger of a story. Carpenter’s talents really shine here: quirky characters that come alive on the page through her voicey Southern prose, and a sneaky, steady building of tension to claustrophobic proportions. Creepy in the best possible way, Gothictown is an absolute knockout.” —Kimberly Belle, internationally bestselling author of The Paris Widow

“The Queen of Southern Gothic dominates in this unputdownable feast in which deeply-drawn characters who inhabit a tantalizingly secretive southern town play a role in deadly secrets that link back to the past. Haunting, atmospheric, sexy, wildly vivid, original, and entrancing, Gothictown proves Carpenter is the master of balancing all the ingredients for a reader’s sleepless night of turning the pages.” —Shannon Kirk, international bestselling author of Method 15/33 and Gretchen

“An early entry in the beach-thriller sweepstakes, Carpenter’s story is much more layered and nuanced than most.” —Vulture on The Weight of Lies

“Carpenter’s refreshingly modern gothic tale offers great fun.” —Publishers Weekly on Reviving the Hawthorn Sisters

“An exciting, gothic-tinged quest sure to delight fans of women-driven mysteries.” —Kirkus Reviews on Reviving the Hawthorn Sisters

“The bestselling author of Burying the Honeysuckle Girls returns to uncover a faith healer’s elusive and haunted past. Read it in one sitting!” —Frolic on Reviving the Hawthorn Sisters

“Simply riveting. This is the kind of book where the past has a pulse—and teeth. It’s a page-turner for sure, with well-drawn, complicated characters whose choices linger long after the last page is turned.” —Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Never Have I Ever on Reviving the Hawthorn Sisters

“Fast-paced and teeming with long-held secrets, Emily Carpenter’s Until the Day I Die will have you rooting for the whip-smart, resilient mother-daughter team of Erin and Shorie Gaines as they race against time and unknown evil to salvage the life they have so carefully crafted. The twisty, jaw-dropping conclusion of this electrifying thriller will leave you guessing and gasping for breath right up to the final page. A must-read!” —Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and Not a Sound on Until the Day I Die

“This shocking cat-and-mouse thriller will shatter your expectations—and Carpenter’s skill for brilliant and twisty storytelling will have you gasping in surprise. Buckle up for a terrific ride—this is timely, unpredictable, and irresistible!” —Hank Phillippi Ryan, nationally bestselling author of Trust Me on Until the Day I Die