The Haunting of Emily Grace Is the Gothic Suspense Novel You Have Been Waiting For
There are books you read and books that read you. The Haunting of Emily Grace by Elena Taylor is firmly in the second category. I picked this one up on a grey afternoon with a cup of tea going cold beside me, and by the time I resurfaced, it was dark outside and I had completely lost track of time. That is the kind of novel this is.
If you have been hanging around Nevermore Lane for any length of time, you already know that I have a deep and abiding love for dark, atmospheric fiction. Give me a crumbling mansion, a woman with a complicated past, and a mystery that may or may not have supernatural roots, and I am absolutely yours. This book checked every single box on that list before I even finished the first chapter.
Elena Taylor has crafted something genuinely unsettling here, the kind of story that lingers in the back of your mind long after you have turned the last page. Whether you are a longtime fan of gothic fiction or you are just dipping your toes into the genre, this standalone novel is a gorgeous and eerie place to start. Pull up a chair, let me tell you all about it.
What The Haunting of Emily Grace Is Actually About
Emily Grace has hit rock bottom. After a devastating loss strips away everything she had built, including her home, her career, and the friendships that once held her together, she finds herself with almost nothing left to lean on. The one lifeline available to her is a job offer from an eccentric millionaire who is constructing a remote mansion on a secluded island. It is not exactly a dream assignment, but Emily Grace is not in a position to be choosy.
The trouble starts almost immediately. The millionaire’s wife has vanished under mysterious circumstances, and the locals on the island are openly convinced that the property is cursed. Emily Grace, understandably, is not in the mood to be spooked. She has already survived the worst thing she can imagine, so whispered warnings and superstitious neighbors are not exactly going to send her running.
But then the strange things begin. Accidents that seem just a little too deliberate. Footsteps in hallways when she is completely alone. Ghostly whispers curling through the forest that surrounds the mansion. And a presence in the window that makes her question whether grief is playing tricks on her mind or something far more sinister is watching from the shadows.
The Rebecca Comparisons Are Completely Earned
If you loved Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, and honestly who among us did not fall head over heels for that brooding masterpiece, you are going to find a great deal to love here. Taylor leans fully into that gothic tradition of the isolated woman in an imposing house, the mystery of a missing woman, and the slow creep of dread that makes every quiet moment feel charged with possibility.
What Taylor does especially well is the sense of place. The island mansion is practically a character in its own right. The harsh and unforgiving sea surrounding it, the dense and whispering forest at its edges, the echoing rooms that hold their secrets close. You feel the cold and the isolation right alongside Emily Grace, and that immersive quality is exactly what good gothic fiction demands.
The comparison to Riley Sager on the back cover is equally apt. There is that same crackling tension, that same willingness to let you wonder whether the supernatural is genuinely at work or whether something entirely human is behind it all. Taylor walks that line with impressive confidence throughout the entire novel.
Emily Grace as a Gothic Heroine Worth Rooting For
One of the things I appreciated most about this book is that Emily Grace is not a passive protagonist waiting to be rescued. She is grieving, yes, and her grief is portrayed with a rawness that feels honest and earned. But she is also sharp, resilient, and determined to rebuild her life even when the circumstances around her keep getting stranger and more frightening.
Her complicated feelings about the handsome man who enters her orbit add another layer of tension to the story without ever tipping into melodrama. Taylor handles the romantic undercurrent with a light touch, letting it simmer in the background rather than overwhelming the central mystery. It adds warmth to what is otherwise quite a cold and eerie narrative.
Watching Emily Grace slowly peel back the layers of what is really happening at the mansion is genuinely compelling. She is not naive, and she is not easily manipulated, which means when she does start to doubt her own perceptions, you feel the weight of that uncertainty right along with her.
Why Standalone Gothic Suspense Novels Hit Differently
There is something deeply satisfying about a gothic novel that tells a complete story within a single volume. No cliffhangers leaving you adrift, no waiting a year or more for the next installment. The Haunting of Emily Grace delivers a beginning, a middle, and an ending that genuinely pays off, and in a genre where atmosphere can sometimes overshadow plot mechanics, that is worth celebrating.
Taylor does not sacrifice the slow burn dread that makes gothic fiction so delicious, but she also keeps the pacing tight enough that you never feel like the story is stalling. Every unsettling detail serves the larger mystery, and the pieces come together in a way that feels both surprising and inevitable at the same time.
If you have been looking for a way back into gothic suspense, or if you are a longtime devotee of the genre who wants something fresh to sink into, this standalone is exactly the kind of book that deserves a rainy afternoon and your full attention.
The Final Verdict on This Spooky and Atmospheric Read
The Haunting of Emily Grace is the kind of gothic suspense novel that reminds you why you fell in love with the genre in the first place. Elena Taylor writes with confidence and atmosphere in equal measure, and Emily Grace is a heroine who stays with you. This one absolutely earned its place on my keeper shelf.
Come join me for coffee and let us talk about all the books that have kept us up past midnight. Browse more of my book reviews and dark fiction recommendations right here on Nevermore Lane. I would love to know what you are reading this season.
Like what you read? Drop me a line – let’s chat over virtual coffee.
~ Chrystal
THE HAUNTING OF EMILY GRACE
by Elena Taylor
May 25 – June 19, 2026 Virtual Book Tour
Synopsis:
An eerie suspense novel, in which a grieving woman takes a job at an isolated mansion only to become wrapped up in the curse that seems to have befallen its eccentric owner.
Emily Grace has endured the worst loss imaginable. But can she survive a remote manor haunted by more than just memories . . .?
Drowning in grief, Emily Grace has lost everything: her home, her friends, her career. Only one lifeline remains—a job working for an eccentric millionaire. Along with his wife, he’s been building a mansion on a secluded island surrounded by a harsh and unforgiving sea. But when she disappears under mysterious circumstances, Emily Grace is hired to finish the project.
Locals believe the house is cursed, but their warnings go unheeded as Emily Grace works to rebuild her life. After what she’s been through, nothing can scare her—except perhaps the attention of a handsome man offering more than friendship. And yet, there’s something strange about this solitary fortress. Accidents. Mishaps. Ghostly whispers through the surrounding forest, footsteps when she’s completely alone . . .
Is there truly a curse or is the ethereal specter in the window an omen of something more sinister?
This spooky standalone from phenomenal crime author Elena Taylor will have readers sleeping with the light on for weeks! With vibes of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, fans of Riley Sager and thrillers with light horror elements will love The Haunting of Emily Grace!
NOW IN PAPERBACK!
Praise for The Haunting of Emily Grace:
“Taylor doesn’t just conjure suspense—she dissects it, peeling back the fragile layers of identity, memory, and trust until nothing feels safe. The Haunting of Emily Grace is deeply unsettling in all the best ways.”
~ Carter Wilson, bestselling author of Tell Me What You Did
“Beautifully evocative and atmospheric, The Haunting of Emily Grace is a one-sitting read. I couldn’t put it down.”
~ Lisa Hall, bestselling author of suspense
“gut-tightening suspense”
~ Edward J Leahy, author of the Dan Brady and Kim Brady mysteries
The Haunting of Emily Grace Trailer:
Book Details:
Genre: Suspense with a touch of light paranormal/horror
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: May 21, 2026
Number of Pages: 288 pages
ISBN: 9781448318889 (ISBN10: 1448318882), Paperback
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Severn House
Read an excerpt:
ONE
Over the Water
Grief is a scab that I can’t stop picking at, no matter how hard I try. It pokes at me now as I sit in my truck on the deserted ferry dock, surrounded by dense morning fog and waiting for the boat to take me across an expanse of dark water to a house rumored to be cursed.
My fingers trace a photograph taped to my dashboard. My hand trembles, likely from an empty stomach or sleeplessness, as both are constant companions. But I outline the beloved face, forever frozen, like a precious object in amber. Lost to me in the real world, calling to me from the next.
The ferry slides into the dock in front of me with a bump against the pilings. A lone figure moves across the empty deck, while an old, grizzled seaman stays inside the tiny wheelhouse. One captain and one first mate.
Tying the ferry off with ropes thicker than my arm, the mate’s actions are practiced and steady. He lowers a ramp and waves me forward. Ever so slowly, I roll across the water, fighting against holding my breath—the superstition I’ve clung to my entire life every time I cross a bridge. The thirty-minute sail to Salish Island, and tiny Monk’s Rock where my new job awaits, won’t allow me the indulgence, so I might as well continue to breathe despite my need to cling to anything, even a silly belief, to keep me safe.
After parking the truck as the mate directs, I wait as he shoves bright orange chock blocks around all four wheels, as if, without a barrier, my vehicle might drive itself into the sea.
I open my door a crack; our eyes meet. “Can I get out?”
“Of course.”
The first mate is rugged, with an air of confidence like he’d be good in a crisis. Smooth skin on his cheeks. Bright, inquisitive eyes. Broad shoulders visible under the bulky uniform of dark green waterproof overalls and a yellow slicker.
He holds out his hand as I step out. “Careful. Parts of the deck can be slippery when it’s this wet.”
Electricity flies between our fingers, and I pull away as if he poses a threat. I don’t want to feel desire. Intimacy is dangerous. But what does it mean that I’m looking at men again?
He gives me an odd look. “We’ll be underway in a few minutes.” He walks back to the ramp, where two men unload a battered white cargo van. The three of them quickly stack boxes to one side, lashing them in place. No doubt provisions for an island that’s home to five hundred hearty souls—and me. At least for the time it takes to complete the finish carpentry in one enormous house.
I’d once been a very good carpenter. Before my life exploded into hospitals and medical visits, overwhelming helplessness and all the endless paperwork connected to dying. Since then, I’ve done a poor job of putting myself back together. The rough pieces of grownup life refusing to fit a new pattern now that I’m alone.
My mentor Bill Thomlinson had started this project less than a week ago but fell and broke his leg in multiple places. After he came through the surgery, metal pins in place, he convinced the homeowner to take a chance on me.
“You need this,” he said to me over the phone, his voice surprisingly strong for someone coming out of anesthesia. “I’m done watching you flail. This job can save you. Don’t let me down.”
Now I stand on the deck of a private ferry while the engines roar out a steady vibration under my feet, and wonder if I’ve made a terrible, terrible mistake.
Crossing to the rail, I pin my eyes where the horizon must lie out beyond the mist. Clouds above and waves below. Indistinguishable from each other because of the heavy air, thick like smoke. My stomach lurches at the thought of everything that swims underneath my feet and the unknown depth of the sea.
Breathe in . . . breathe out . . . focus on the future. Focus on the work.
All I know about the job ahead of me is that the original carpenter vanished, forcing the owner, Cameron Lang, to bring in someone else, but then Bill ended up with pins in his leg. Given that I haven’t slept in so long that I shouldn’t be trusted with power tools, I hope that whatever the curse is, it doesn’t come in threes.
When I feel like I’m losing my mind, it helps to ground myself with something physical, so I grip the hard, cold rail in my hands. No matter how much ending my life is a viable choice, some small part of me refuses to let death win again.
The fog brightens, and we cross a physical line in space, plunging into a blue so pure it hurts my eyes. I gasp and grip even tighter as the sky separates from the water, which now spreads out below me in an endless black void.
“Not quite got your sea legs?” The first mate watches me with barely disguised curiosity.
Salt spray traces tears down my cheeks. I must look like I’m crying. “I didn’t expect to come out of the fog so abruptly.”
“It does that sometimes. Now you see it, now you don’t. No matter how often we sail through a bank, it always feels like magic.”
“I can imagine.”
He lingers nearby. Maybe there’s little to do once the ferry is underway. Although small talk is beyond my ability, part of me longs to hear his voice again, even if I say things that sound insane.
The temperature drops as we head further out to sea.
We’re soon dodging between uninhabited land masses. “Some of these islands are so low they disappear in high tide.” He gestures to the slopes of land. Rocky outcroppings just under the surface. Dangerous, like unexploded mines in the sand.
Panic rises. The water below us taunts me—my troubles will be over if I simply fall into a watery grave. The voice becomes louder and more insistent that I should do something I can’t take back. To keep my mind off the words in my head, my eyes search for the defiant piece of US rock thrusting out of Canadian waters. If I can make it back to dry land, I can get through another day.
“That’s what you’re looking for.” The first mate’s breath tickles my ear as he comes closer, speaking over the hum of the engines, the slap of water on the hull, and the cry of seagulls. My gaze follows his arm to the far-off outline of Salish Island, where Monk’s Rock perches off the northern-most end, tethered to each other by the narrowest of bridges.
“Take this.” He presses a business card into my hand. “Just in case.” Under his name is a single word, handyman, and a phone number.
“Adrian Han?” I look up, his eyes capturing mine. “I thought you were the first mate.”
“I’m a lot of things.” His words are casual, but something reflects in his expression, an emotion I can’t put my finger on.
“You might realize at some point there’s a project you need help with. Nothing against your skills. Everyone needs another set of hands once in a while.”
“I have a helper.”
“Chuck, yeah. I’ve worked with him before.” His tone is carefully neutral.
My new boss made the arrangements for Chuck to help me with anything that requires two people. Am I going to regret his choice?
“How do you know why I’m here?”
Adrian’s carefree expression returns. “Emily Grace Turner. Carpenter. Here to finish the End of the World.”
It’s a jolt that he knows anything about me when I’ve worked so hard to become invisible. He reads me again, and his tone turns reassuring. “It’s a small town—people talk.” He gestures toward the wood rack that fits over my camper shell and the bumper sticker: Proud Member of the Carpenter’s Union. “Plus, your name was on your ferry registration.”
I chuckle for thinking his words are sinister until a darker emotion, one that looks like fear, crosses his face. “That house—” His lips purse as if he holds something back. “Just call if you need help. Anytime.”
The island takes clearer shape, and Adrian returns to the wheelhouse, his absence palpable, as if a physical hole remains in the air after he’s gone.
He’s taken his fear with him, except for the small part he’s left behind with me.
***
Excerpt from The Haunting of Emily Grace by Elena Taylor. Copyright 2025 by Elena Taylor. Reproduced with permission from Elena Taylor. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Elena Taylor spent several years working in theater as a playwright, director, designer, and educator before turning her storytelling skills to novels. Her first series, the Eddie Shoes Mysteries, written under Elena Hartwell, introduced a quirky mother/daughter crime fighting duo.
With the Sheriff Bet Rivers Mysteries, Elena returned to her dramatic roots to bring readers more serious and atmospheric novels. Located in her beloved Washington State, Elena uses her connection to the environment to produce tense and suspenseful investigations for a lone sheriff in an isolated community. The third in the series, Kill to Keep, launches summer 2026.
The Haunting of Emily Grace is Elena’s first standalone suspense novel.
Her favorite place to be is at Paradise, the property she lives on south of Spokane, Washington, with her equines, dogs, cats, and hubby.
Catch Up With Elena Taylor:
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This is a wonderful book.