The Bloodstained Bridal Gown

Joyce Carol Oates’ stunning Gothic trilogy comes to a close with a heart-stopping tale of murder, suspense, and romance. As detective Xavier Kilgarvan sorts through clues and rumors, facts and fantasy, he is united with his beloved Perdita in a perilous challenge—the case of The Bloodstained Bridal Gown. Twelve years after solving the mystery of The Devil’s Half Acre, Xavier has received an urgent plea for help. A young minister and a woman from his parish have been murdered. Their torn bodies are found in an oddly suggestive position: leaning tenderly upon each other on a sofa in the rectory. Yet something even stranger is discovered upstairs: bound and gagged, the minister’s wife lies half-senseless in her bed, clad in a gore-splattered wedding dress. Through the splendid Mysteries of Winterthurn, Xavier Kilgarvan joins the ranks of the great detectives of the last century. Filled with tantalizing clues and evocative language, his final case will lure you into a deliciously eerie world.