Gothictown

Written by Emily Carpenter

Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

In an immersive Southern Gothic with echoes of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery and Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, a restauranteur lured by pandemic-era incentives moves her family to a seemingly idyllic small town in Georgia, only to discover a darkness lurking beneath the Southern hospitality and sun-dappled streets …

 

Welcome to gentle Juliana, where you can have it all … if you pay the price.

 

The email that lands in Billie Hope’s inbox seems like a gift from the universe. For $100, she can purchase a spacious Victorian home in Juliana, Georgia, a small town eager to boost its economy in the wake of the pandemic. She can leave behind her cramped New York City rental and the painful memories of shuttering her once thriving restaurant and start over with her husband and her daughter. Plus, she’ll get a business grant to open a new restaurant in a charming riverside community laden with opportunity. It seems like a dream come true … or a devil’s bargain.

 

*A Publishers Marketplace BUZZ BOOKS Selection*

 

A few phone calls and one hurried visit later, and Billie, Peter, and six-year-old Meredith are officially part of the Juliana Initiative. The town is everything promised—two hours northwest of Atlanta but a world away from city living, a “gentle jewel” with weather as warm as its people. Between settling into their lavish home and starting her new restaurant, Billie is busy enough to dismiss any troubling signs …

 

But Billie’s sleep is marred by haunting dreams, and her marriage with Peter is growing increasingly strained. Meanwhile the town elders, all descended from Juliana’s founding families, exert a level of influence that feels less benevolent and more stifling day by day.

 

There’s something about “Gentle Juliana”—something off-kilter and menacing beneath that famous Southern hospitality. And no matter how much Billie longed for her family to come here, she’s starting to wonder how, and if, they’ll ever leave.

 

For readers of Stacy Willingham, Sarah Langan, Ashley Winstead, and Jess Lourey, a bewitchingly foreboding story about sacrifice, privilege, family, guilt, and the vengeful ghosts of a haunted past—from the bestselling author of Burying the Honeysuckle Girls.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 25, 2025
• ISBN: 9798895944301

Emily Carpenter

Emily Carpenter is the bestselling author of three thrillers, Every Single Secret, Burying the Honeysuckle Girls, and The Weight of Lies. A graduate from Auburn University with a bachelor of arts in speech communication, Emily has worked as an actor, producer, screenwriter, and behind-the-scenes soap opera assistant for CBS TV. Raised in Birmingham, Alabama, she moved to New York City for a little while to pursue her career before moving back to the South. She now lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her family. Visit Emily at www.emilycarpenterauthor.com and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Reviews for Gothictown

[rmarcin-630843 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

By the title, I was expecting a totally different story. I was pleasantly surprised.
Billie Horn is lured to the town of Juliana, GA with the promise of starting a new life for her family. Her husband agrees, and along with their young daughter, they move to this town with a dark past. For only $100, Billie can purchase a home and property, it seems like a dream come true. She opens a restaurant, and one of the patrons takes an interest in her.
A gothic town with a secret past - I enjoyed it.

[sheriawilkinson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gothictown by Emily Carpenter

When Billie Hope moves her family (Husband and Daughter) to small town Juliana Georgia, she thinks she found what she is looking for. Perfect for her family a break from the hustle and bustle of NYC. But what is really lurking in this idyllic small town? And does she really want to know ?

The story moves at a fast pace, character driven, with some (people) you like, some a bit shady, and many hiding secrets. Detail oriented(with) a bit of Southern History, I was pulled in from the start. The perfect mix of suspense and eeriness, a fantastic Gothic mystery.

Overall I found Gothictown very enjoyable. I wish I could give more than five stars, yes it's that good! I look forward to reading more by Emily Carpenter. I highly recommend.

[ajuliealliance · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Kind of sad that I wasted a credit on this. I don't think this book should be considered a gothic horror or even horror at all, I feel like maybe that it should have been categorized as a small town thriller with elements of romance because in the first book, there was just so much romance going on. That it took off the feeling of eerieness from the book. It was good for background noise, as I was doing work, but nothing where I would have kept reading. The only reason why I did is because I had a credit on this, and I wasn't going to waste it.

[libstaff2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 Stars
A gothic murder mystery set in (mostly) Georgia, this novel is a quick and easy read based on the premise, if it sounds to good to be true, it is. If you can suspend belief on the naivety of MC (think don't go into the cellar to check out that noise behavior) and the Stepford Wives rural town, then it's an enjoyable read for a rainy day. Loved the background story and the little bit of history intermingled into it, but I didn't find the MC relatable. I would try this author again though.

Kensington Books Between the Chapters Review Copy

[nadia.masood · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I picked up Gothictown looking for something eerie and immersive, and for the most part, it delivered on atmosphere. There’s this thick sense of dread that lingers over everything right off the bat.

But despite how hooked I was by the setting and mood, I struggled with the main character. She just keeps making one baffling choice after another. I'm talking decisions that put her in obvious danger, again and again. I understood that she was going through a lot emotionally, but her self-destructive behavior became exhausting after a while. She spends so much time spiraling without actually doing much to change anything.

And it wasn’t just her. Her husband, a therapist of all things, seemed incapable of just having a straightforward conversation. Instead, he preferred vague hints and cryptic messages when they were literally in life-or-death situations!

Still, the book held my attention. I wanted to know what was really going on in Juliana. The pacing had enough suspense and weirdness to keep me curious. There were also some surprisingly thoughtful moments in how the town’s past tied into the present, which gave the story a little more depth.

BUT the ending? After all the unease and horror elements, the resolution leaned more toward a cozy mystery wrap-up!

In the end, Gothictown wasn’t perfect but it was an entertaining ride. It’s the kind of book I’d recommend if you enjoy creepy settings but not too creepy, and don’t mind flawed characters.

[bridgettes-104215 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

*well-written, fascinating book
*easy to read and kept my interest from cover to cover
*great character development throughout the story
*highly recommend