On Good Authority: A Novel of Suspense

Written by Briana Una McGuckin

Narrated by Lauren Irwin

Repressed desires, irresistible obsessions, and perception-twisting games.

When lady’s maid Marian Osley and footman Valentine Hobbs assume their positions at the cliff-top estate of Valor Rise, they already share a history. Raised together as paupers in a London workhouse, they escaped through games of imaginary crimes and sublime punishment. Now they’ve been unexpectedly reunited—in subservience to the brooding Wythe Bornholdt and his frail wife, Diana. A master and mistress with their own dark secrets.

In private, Marian and Valentine return to their playful and addictive games—now tinged with BDSM. But when lecherous Wythe sees something he desires in Marian, he turns the pair’s diversions violently against them.

The line between servitude and bondage is drawn, and the dynamics of dominance and submission will shift in this sensually charged novel of Gothic suspense.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Oct 11, 2022
• ISBN: 9781713667834

Briana Una McGuckin

Briana Una McGuckin lives in a charmingly strange old house in Connecticut. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Western Connecticut State University and an MLS from Long Island University. Among other places, her work appears in the Bram Stoker Award–nominated horror anthology Not All Monsters, the modern Gothic horror anthology In Somnio, and The Lost Librarian’s Grave anthology. Briana has spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, a perhaps concerningly large collection of perfume oils, and a fascination with all things Victorian. For more information visit www.brianaunamcguckin.com.

Reviews for On Good Authority

[cathygeha · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

On Good Authority by Briana Una McGuckinCompelling twisted dark gothic suspense that I could not put down.What I liked* Marian Osley: eight years in a workhouse, loving daughter, lady’s maid hopeful about her new job in service but fearful soon, seamstress, good friends with Valentine in the workhouse* Valentine Hobbs: workhouse for several years, orphaned young, works way up in service to footman status, good friend of Marian’s in the workhouse* The way the childhood games Marian and Valentine played in the workhouse games were presented and the part they played in grounding them * The strong enduring friendship between Marian and Valentine* The dark oppressive dangerous feel of Valor Rise estate* The ability to so dislike Wythe Bornholdt* Feeling more than one thing about Diana Bornholdt* Wishing Karma would eventually be dealt out as I hoped it would be* Being drawn into the story and feeling part of it* The plot, pacing, atmosphere, character development and overall writing* The conclusion…and thinking about what happened after the last page* Reading a new-to-me author that I truly enjoyed* All of it really except…What I didn’t like* Who and what I was meant not to like* Thinking about how unfair the class system of the times was and how little recourse was available to many with such a divide and discrepancy between the various levelsDid I enjoy this book? YesWould I read more by this author? YesThank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review. 5 Stars