My Darling Girls
A Novel
Will be published approx. on 20. October 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
251 pages
978-1-6625-3834-6 (ISBN)
Description
In 1904 Chicago, where secrets cling as thickly as the soot on every windowsill, Jo earns her living by photographing the dead. The work is quiet and cloistered, allowing her to hide from a past that haunts her: the grief over her husband's mysterious death, a spiraling addiction, and the guilt she carries over the things she's done to survive.
When a notorious crime family hires Jo to make a final portrait of their daughter Millie, it stirs up a spirit that refuses to rest. In opium-fueled dreams, Millie lures Jo into a realm called "the courtyard," where the dead burn to tell her their half-finished stories.
As Jo investigates Millie's murder, she forms a fragile bond with her sister, Grace, who's desperate for an escape of her own. Amid the whispers of the dead is a truth Jo must confront if she is to free them all from the shadows of the past.
When a notorious crime family hires Jo to make a final portrait of their daughter Millie, it stirs up a spirit that refuses to rest. In opium-fueled dreams, Millie lures Jo into a realm called "the courtyard," where the dead burn to tell her their half-finished stories.
As Jo investigates Millie's murder, she forms a fragile bond with her sister, Grace, who's desperate for an escape of her own. Amid the whispers of the dead is a truth Jo must confront if she is to free them all from the shadows of the past.
Reviews / Votes
Praise for My Darling Girls"Dark and haunting in the very best ways, Marina Scott's My Darling Girls is a compelling journey to the underbelly of 1904 Chicago and the women who struggle to survive within it. Jo, the main character, grabbed hold of my curiosity as she strives to find her place in the world as a newly widowed photographer at a time when few women were accepted in the trade. The more the story draws you in, the more macabre and layered it becomes. Jo's journey into the depths of Chicago's underworld becomes Dantesque, steeped in secrets, laudanum, seduction, and betrayal. With this novel, Scott establishes herself as a leader in the gothic historical fiction genre." -Andrea Catalano, bestselling author of The First Witch of Boston and The Lacemaker's Fortune
"Moody, raw, and suspenseful, My Darling Girls plunges readers into the gritty alleys of early 1900s Chicago and takes them on an unforgettable journey through the spirit world and into the darkest recesses of the human mind. I absolutely loved it." -Hester Fox, author of The Last Heir to Blackwood Library
"Marina Scott's latest novel is a deliciously atmospheric, spine-tingling story of mystery and redemption. From Victorian death portraits to ghostly, opium-laced visions that blur the line between memory and haunting, it swirls with Gothic imagery. But beneath its eerie surface lies a powerful exploration of grief, abuse, and resilience, and a testament to women's survival in a world shaped by male power and desire. At once unsettling and deeply compassionate, My Darling Girls reminds us that our stories must be told, and known, before we can ever truly be free." -Molly Greeley, author of Marvelous
"A taut and clever Gothic tale, rendered in beautiful, atmospheric prose. As it did me, let My Darling Girls pull you under its hypnotic sway." -Emily Carpenter, author of Gothictown and A Spell for Saints and Sinners
"Scott's My Darling Girls is about secrets, about ghosts, about in-between worlds, and most of all about the strange and wonderful connections human beings make with one another when faced with extraordinary situations. In short, it's a banger." -Erika T. Wurth, author of White Horse and The Haunting of Room 904
Praise for The Night Guests
"Darkly beautiful and laced with gorgeous atmosphere, The Night Guests will hold you captivated from its opening seance to the pulse-pounding conclusion. Brimming with romance, intrigue, and deception, this thrilling gothic tale is perfect for fans of Sarah Waters and Hester Fox." -Paulette Kennedy, bestselling author of Parting the Veil
"A terrifying twist on traditional gothic tales, Marina Scott's The Night Guests is the compelling story of a woman fighting to reclaim her power after the ruinous fall of her family. With nuanced characters and immersive details-both historical and horrifying-Scott's atmospheric writing pulls readers into a macabre world that will haunt them long after the last page is turned." -Erin Litteken, international bestselling author of The Memory Keeper of Kyiv and The Lost Daughters of Ukraine
"Nothing is as it seems at The Dawning, or in Marina Scott's eerie and unsettling The Night Guests, both of which are swathed in layers of gaslighting and gothic secrets that, like the heroine, force you to question everything, all while being lulled into a delightfully maddening dream of a tale." -Olesya Salnikova Gilmore, author of The Haunting of Moscow House
"Haunting and unnerving, tense and atmospheric. A gothic tale rife with all things curious, enigmatic, and ghostly, Marina Scott's The Night Guests will send shivers down readers' spines as it lures them into its pages and envelops them with this entertaining, chilling story." -Gabriella Saab, author of The Last Checkmate
"Ominous, mournful, and deliciously creepy, Scott masterfully unpacks themes of grief and loneliness in this slow-burn historical gothic novel, perfect for fans of Mexican gothic. You will find yourself looking over your shoulder long after you finish this book!" -Amanda Jayatissa, author of Island Witch
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Seattle
United States
Publishing group
Amazon Publishing
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
ISBN-13
978-1-6625-3834-6 (9781662538346)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Marina Scott was born and raised behind the Iron Curtain in Vilnius, Lithuania. She graduated from a local university with a master's degree in library science, but a short stint in a Soviet library changed her mind about being a librarian in the USSR. After immigrating to the United States in 2000, she attended Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, where she earned her master's degree in accounting. She now resides with her family in Salt Lake City. Marina loves visiting haunted houses and old cemeteries, and she enjoys all things Gothic. To learn more, connect with her on Instagram (@marina_v_scott) or visit her website (www.marinascott.com).