Book Review of THE DISMEMBERED by Jonathan Janz

THE DISMEMBERED by Jonathan Janz (Cemetery Dance, November 2022) Paperback, 178 pages. ISBN# 9781587678332 

 Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . .

In the spring of 1912, American writer Arthur Pearce is reeling from the wounds inflicted by a disastrous marriage and the public humiliation that ensued. But his plans to travel abroad, write a new novel, and forget his ex-wife are interrupted by a lovely young woman he encounters on a London-bound train. Her name is Sarah Coyle, and the tale she tells him chills his blood.

According to Sarah, her younger sister Violet has been entranced by a local count, a man whose attractiveness and charisma are rivaled only by his shady reputation. Whispers of bizarre religious rites and experimental medicine surround Count Richard Dunning, though no wrongdoing has ever been proven. Sarah’s family views the Count as a philanthropist and a perfect match for young Violet, but Sarah believes her sister is soon to become a subject in Count Dunning’s hideous ceremonies.

Smitten by Sarah and moved to gallantry by her plight, Arthur agrees to travel to Altarbrook, Sarah’s rural ancestral home, in order to prevent Violet from falling into ruin. He soon learns, however, that his meeting with Sarah on the train was no accident. And his arrival at Altarbrook represents a crucial but ghastly step in the Count’s monstrous plot.

My Four-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . .

     Jonathan Janz takes the gothic template and puts his personal stamp on it. THE DISMEMBERED ventures beyond the gothic pond into previously uncharted waters. Just like adding butter to popcorn adds more flavoring to a snack food, the Janz seasoning applied to THE DISMEMBERED is a welcome re-boot to a traditional horror genre. 

     The atmospheric cover art evokes an earlier time, indicating the gothic contents. Yet the book title, while appropriate considering the contents, does not feel very gothic. It's an early indicator that this will be a gothic tale like no other. 

     The novel is divided into three parts, and wisely so. Each section adds more scenes that distinguish this from just another standard gothic. The tropes are still there, but the distinctive ability to horrify and thrill with gory scenes is ramped up in each section with Part Three the most extreme example. 

     In Part One, the writing style, choice of words and sentence construction all evoke the gothic atmosphere. There is one particular scene that indicates where Jantz is going to put his personal stamp on things. 

     There are tips of the hat throughout the novel to various writers and characters of classic horror literature, including Poe, Shelley, Stoker, LeFanu and others I am probably less familiar with. My exposure to gothic fiction is somewhat limited, but I know it when I read it. 

     However, you won't find the typical "damsels in distress" in THE DISMEMBERED. All the female characters display toughness and fortitude at one point or another in the story. Also, while the family manners in gothic fiction are normally very proper, much of the entertainment value here comes from the dysfunctional Coyle family with dueling sisters and brother and constant insults and snide comments.

     A thoroughly entertaining spin on the gothic genre. If only gothic fiction were more like this, I would be inclined to read much more. THE DISMEMBERED is standard gothic with special seasoning, indeed.