The Halloween season isn’t just for horror movies. No, the slightly more queasy — or easily jump-scared — of us horror fans tend to turn to novels for our scares, and Penguin Random House has the perfect story for those with a preference for historical terror. FANGORIA is excited to debut an exclusive excerpt from author A. Rushby’s new novel, Slashed Beauties, which hits shelves at the end of this month.
The historical horror novel is inspired by the real and chilling history of Anatomical Venuses, the name given to the lifelike wax models of women used to teach male medical students in the eighteenth century. Created by artist Clemente Susini in an era when dissecting real human bodies for medical purposes was either difficult to come by or strictly outlawed, more than 2,500 were created in Florence between 1771 and 1893. The novel’s synopsis is as follows:
The novel alternates between present-day antiques dealer Alys, who’s desperate to sever her family’s cursed connection to three Anatomical Venuses, and 1763 London, where the women who inspired the figures meet… though one harbors a deadly secret. As Alys tries to dispose of the Venuses, it becomes clear that one—Elizabeth—is determined to rise again, no matter who stands in her way.
Spanning the decadent Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens to sleek Seoul boardrooms, SLASHED BEAUTIES is a haunting exploration of beauty, control, and the bodies women inhabit—perfect for fans of provocative feminist horror.
Slashed Beauties is Rushby’s first novel for adults in over ten years, though some of her work for children and middle grade readers doesn’t stray too far from its terrifying roots. Her work also includes The Ghost Locket, about a young girl who must face off against the supernatural, The Turnkey, about a young ghost tasked with keeping her fellow undead in line, and The Mulberry Tree, about a young family who encounters an ancient with a strange and terrifying legend attached to it.
Slashed Beauties hits shelves on September 23, and is available for pre-order now. Check out our exclusive excerpt below:
