Spider, Spider 🌺

By L.C. Winter.

Spider, Spider by L. C. Winter is a dark, haunting, and beautifully written gothic book that grips early and refuses to loosen its hold.

Set against the grim backdrop of Victorian England, it is steeped in vengeance, trauma, and the quiet, persistent power of survival.

Nancy Ratcliffe is on the run, fleeing the brutal control of the Brethren and their terrifying leader. Every step forward is driven by fear and desperation.

Elsewhere, Spider waits. Haunted by her past and fuelled by a need for retribution, she moves through a decaying world shaped by pain and resolve. As their paths begin to circle one another, the tension tightens steadily, creating an atmosphere thick with inevitability.

The sense of place is exceptional. Shadows, corridors, and memories feel weighted with meaning, and the gothic setting seeps into every page.

Winter’s writing is lyrical yet precise, building dread slowly and deliberately. There were moments where I found myself slowing down simply to savour the language, followed by stretches where I read breathlessly, driven by the need to see how the reckoning would unfold.

What truly elevates this book is the emotional depth beneath the darkness. The violence is never gratuitous. Instead, it serves as part of a wider exploration of trauma, endurance, and what it costs to survive in a world shaped by cruelty.

The balance between historical realism and a more modern emotional awareness is handled with great care, making the characters feel vivid and immediate despite the setting.

The ending felt earned and deeply satisfying, bringing together pain, justice, and hard won resolve without undermining the weight of what came before.

Atmospheric, unsettling, and exquisitely crafted, Spider, Spider is gothic fiction that trusts its readers and rewards their patience.

Thank you to Josie and the team at Duckworth Books for sending out a copy for publication week. The book is out now and available to purchase.

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