Fran Arbaugh Knihy

A dazzling diva. A glittering society dinner. A servant with a terrible grudge.It's 1903 and bookish, bespectacled Vita Carew longs to be left to her studies, but her aunt insists they attend a gala dinner at Pemberton Hall, home of a girlhood friend. A glamorous German opera singer is to perform, and the grandest of company will enjoy a lavish dinner to mark the household's return to high society after a run of misfortune.But Vita soon notices dark undercurrents at the grand country house. What strange power does the footman hold over his master? When disaster strikes as the seafood is served, only Vita and a visiting German doctor are on hand to offer first aid. Worse still, she suspects the death of a troubled governess has been covered up to preserve Pemberton's reputation.Vita and the German doctor are left to delve into the hidden undercurrents at the grand country house, and find who is to blame, but can they do so in time to prevent the poisoner striking again?Wit, drama and a hint of the Gothic; if you like stylish mystery with your Downton Abbey, dip into Poison at Pemberton Hall today.

Full of dark, deadpan humor, this raucous story explores the messy business of living, dying, and family. Gabriel finds himself in a waiting room, then an examination room, grappling with his father’s death, a crumbling relationship, and a looming deadline for a novel. Tasked by his well-adjusted brother to clear out their family home, Gabriel's sanity unravels as he encounters shifting manuscripts, a bizarre home video hinting at buried secrets, and a hideous man in the garden. Disquieting yet hilarious, this taut and lyrical debut meditates on grief, art, and love, leaving readers breathless and eager for more. The novel crackles with gothic horror, deadpan humor, and a sense of alienation. Gabriel's perspective reveals a deeply gothic world filled with ghostly visions and uncertainties, presented in short, clipped chapters with uproarious dialogue. Readers who appreciate the morbidly funny will find much to love in this unique tale of loss and the anxiety of modern life, tinged with humor and deep insight. Gabriel Smith's distinctive style offers a sharp, eerie exploration of grief and memory, making this debut an unnerving yet seductive read that resonates long after the final page.

Gabriel's skin is falling off.His dad is dead.He owes his editor a novel.His girlfriend won't answer his calls.Tasked by his horribly well-adjusted brother with clearing out the family home for sale, Gabriel's sanity quickly begins to unravel. His parents' old manuscripts appear to change each time he reads them. A bizarre home video hints at long-buried secrets. And there's a hideous man in the garden.Disquieting and hilarious, taut yet lyrical, blisteringly- paced but formally inventive, Brat is a mediation on grief, art and love that will leave you altered, breathless and desperate for more.