By KEVIN HOOVER
Trigger warnings to some; attention grabbers to others. While casual page flippers may be repulsed at the notion of things like “asphyxiation,” “blood,” “gore” and “human testing,” those are the very same traits that grab horror bibliophiles by the glazzies and dare them to look away, lest they miss a single syllable of the debauchery that lies between the covers.
Shelley Lavigne’s new book, ENAMOURED: A TRIPTYCH (Hedone Books) embraces all those distinctions and more, with an atmospheric tale that pulsates with the emotional intensity of a romance novel, infused with the grisly undercurrent of a horror narrative.
From the press release:
“Josephine is determined to make her fortune, but in early 1900s Canada as a widow under suspicion of murder, her dream of building a cosmetic empire seems like a fantasy. That is, until a wealthy, young socialite enters her shop, her presence reigniting long-caged desires and memories of Josephine’s first love. As their unassuming relationship turns into a seductive power struggle and the cosmetic application takes a dangerous turn, will Josephine choose companionship or capital?”
Drawing comparisons to works like Natural Beauty and Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, ENAMOURED: A TRIPTYCH aims to engage readers beyond its prose, as the book also contains a trio of illustrations from Becca Snow. And as an added bonus, early supporters will also receive a copy of Lavigne’s La Petite Mort, a previously unreleased erotic ghost story.
ENAMOURED: A TRIPTYCH is currently available for pre-order through Hedone Books.
