In January 1611, one of the highest-born members of the Hungarian nobility, Countess Erzsébet Báthory, was walled inside her castle tower and imprisoned for the rest of her life. Her crime—the brutal torture and murder of at least thirty-five women and girls, mostly servants in the countess’s employ. Nicknamed the “Blood Countess,”Báthory is the first and one of the most prolific female serial killers in history. While her story is horrific, her legend has nevertheless persisted in the popular imagination—inspiring a well-established cult following intrigued by her strange gothic legacy.
Rebecca Johns re-creates Báthory’s story in her own words, detailing how this daughter of a noble family is betrothed at age ten but rebels against her mother-in-law by bearing an illegitimate child. She is forced to marry Count Nádasdy, a man she barely knows, and resorts to spells and potions to give him a child. While the Count toils on the battlefield, the Countess wages a constant war in her household, relying on strict discipline and severe punishments to keep her servants in line. After the count’s death she conducts an ardent love affair with the man who would eventually imprison her. After he spurns her, she turns to the vicious torture and murder of her servants. The Countess offers an intimate, strangely sympathetic, and ultimately disturbing account of one of the most reviled women in history - a woman who was capable of gruesome acts of torture but also intensely passionate love.
Rebecca Johns is an assistant professor of English at DePaul University and a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Her first novel, Icebergs, was a finalist for the 2007 PEN/Hemingway Award.
GIVEAWAY:1 paperback copy of THE COUNTESS by Rebecca Johns
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Giveaway ends 26th October and winner will be announced on my blog ~ good luck everyone!
Thanks to Jonathon @ Random House for giveaway.
Sounds like a great read :)
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deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com
I've heard of, but never read about the Blood Countess. Sounds like a great novel. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeletelcbrower40(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks for the giveaway. I would love win this.
ReplyDeleteLizzi0915 at aol dot com
I find this to be a fascinating tale.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
kaiminani at gmail dot com
tweet
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thank you
kaiminani at gmail dot com
I love anything to do with the Countess Bathory.
ReplyDeleteWould love to win this one. Thanks for the opportunity.
fforgnayr@yahoo.com
Sounds good, count me in! tWarner419@aol.com
ReplyDeleteOhhh! I just finished a book called Quiver that was based on a serial killer obsessed with Bathory.
ReplyDeletefantasticalsharing@yahoo.com
This book looks great!
ReplyDeletealiciahall0605(AT)yahoo(DOT)Com
This sounds fascinating. Thanks for the review. I actually had never heard of this lady.
ReplyDeleteI think THE COUNTESS sounds fascinating and I'd love to read more about her. Thanks for the chance to win a copy!
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+2 Here's my Tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/ASeaOfBooks/status/124538833902637056
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I totally want to read this! Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteMargaret
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Ooohhhh, this book sounds SO good!! I would love to win a copy :)
ReplyDeletejwitt33 at live dot com
I tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/jwitt33/status/124631160549675010
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Heck yes please :)
ReplyDeleteI would love to win this!
ReplyDeletemuse_in_the_fog@hotmail.com
Thank you!
I think the Countess of Bathory would be a fascinating subject - I'm surprised there aren't more novels using her as a character
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I tweeted
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rlawrence110 at yahoo dot com
Would love to read this one.
ReplyDeletefmlj94 at yahoo dot com
Count me in :) This one looks awesome!
ReplyDeleterachie2004 AT yah00 d8t c-m
Tweet - http://twitter.com/#!/BrunetteLib/status/128536916063813632