Lizzie Borden is a permanent fixture in American folk-lore. Ask anyone and the usual response you will get is, “She’s the ax murderer, right?” Historical fact shows that she was acquitted in the murder case of her father and step-mother, but what if Lizzie was not only innocent but was the heroine in a dark supernatural conspiracy? This is the premise that award-winning author Cherie Priest presented in her critically acclaimed novel Maplecroft and she continues the saga in her latest release Chapelwood.

 Lizzie (Who now goes by the name Lizbeth Andrew) continues to reside in her home town of Fall River, Massachusetts despite the general population viewing her as a murderer who got away with the crime. In her solitude she examines the newspapers and periodicals for signs of dark forces rising again. Her attention is drawn to Birmingham, Alabama where a series of ax murders has gripped the city with fear. The press has named the killer “Harry the Hacker” and the pattern of murders seems to be directed towards immigrants and people of color. Also drawn to the area is Boston Police Inspector Simon Wolf, whose close friend, Father James Coyle, has been murdered by a local citizen. The motive seems to center on the marriage of the killer’s daughter to a Catholic Latino migrant worker which Father Coyle helped to facilitate. The investigation leads to a secretive church, whose congregation seems to be following a sinister gospel that could be not only behind the rash of murders but a far more destructive end game. A young woman’s life hangs in the balance as the parishioners of Chapelwood plan a blood sacrifice that will unleash unholy beings and will bring on the apocalypse. Can Lizbeth and Inspector Wolf stop this evil pot and save not only Birmingham but the world?

Cherie Priest is a master of the sci-fi genre, nominated for both the Hugo and Nebula awards for her bestselling novel Boneshaker. With Maplecroft and now Chapelwood, Priest is one of the best at Gothic horror as well. Her writing style is easy to read and draws you into the larger narrative seamlessly. I enjoyed her use of a journal entry format for the novel’s individual chapters, which I find maximizes the character development exponentially and gives the reader a true window into the thoughts and emotions of even secondary characters. I have always been intrigued by historical fiction and Chapelwood is a very enjoyable read.

4.5 Axes out of 5