Gothic horror books and governesses go hand in hand with ghosts and other supernatural weirdness, don’t they? If you’re a fan of classic and modern Gothic horror, you need to know about these books.
Below is a selection of new and classic horror books that feature governesses and ghosts. Each one of these tales focuses either on a haunting or the psychological decay of the governess:
📚 The Whistling by Rebecca Netley
📚 This House Is Haunted by John Boyne
📚 The Spider by Hanna Delaney
📚 The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen
📚 The Secrets Of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden
📚 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Whistling by Rebecca Netley: A Gothic tale of an isolated Scottish island and a haunted house.
I read this one back in 2023. It was so eerie that it inspired me to write my own ghost story: The Spider. This novel takes us to the 1860s where a young woman named Elspeth takes a position as a governess on a remote Scottish island. The child she is looking after doesn’t speak, and her brother died in mysterious circumstances not too long ago. What happened to the previous governess? And is the whistling Elspeth hears at night just the storm outside?
This has all the classic Gothic traits: strange noises, items left in weird places, long corridors that are never properly lit, and of course, odd children.
This House Is Haunted by John Boyne. Another eerie Victorian ghost story.
1867. On a dark and chilling night Eliza Caine arrives in Norfolk to take up her position as governess at Gaudlin Hall. As she makes her way across the station platform, a pair of invisible hands push her from behind into the path of an approaching train. She is only saved by the vigilance of a passing doctor.
It is the start of a journey into a world of abandoned children, unexplained occurrences and terrifying experiences which Eliza will have to overcome if she is to survive the secrets that lie within Gaudlin’s walls…
The Turn Of the Screw: A classic Gothic tale of a haunting.
The Turn Of The Screw. A classic by American author Henry James. In this classic Gothic horror novella, a young governess is hired to care for two children, Miles and Flora, at a remote estate. She becomes convinced the children are being haunted and corrupted by the ghosts of former servants, Peter Quint and Miss Jessel.
This Gothic horror book has been adapted for television and film multiple times, with the most recent adaptation of The Haunting Of Bly Manor going down well with Gothic horror fans.
The Spider by Hanna Delaney, a Gothic Mystery novel set in Victorian Liverpool.
Liverpool, 1892
Finding his fortune in Australia, John Bryant returns to his wife and child in England. He moves them into number five, Percy Street. Anxious to start a new life, Frances Bryant finds herself in the clutches of a malevolent presence. It is in the house with her wherever she goes. She is unable to escape it.
When paranormal investigator Daniel Muldoon is called, he soon discovers the haunting of number five is just the beginning of the horror that will unfold.
Lives hang in the balance, for some it is already too late. Muldoon must compete in a race against time to save those who remain caught in a spider’s web.
More Gothic horror books featuring governesses and ghosts:
While the following Gothic books aren’t strictly horror they certainly carry some classic conventions of horror: dark corners, half-empty manor houses, dirty secrets and the risk of scandal hanging around like a bad smell…
The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen.
Believing herself guilty of a crime, Olivia Keene flees her home, eventually stumbling upon a grand estate where an elaborate celebration is in progress. But all is not as joyous as it seems.Lord Bradley has just learned a terrible secret, which, if exposed, will change his life forever. When he glimpses a figure on the grounds, he fears a spy or thief has overheard his devastating news. He is stunned to discover the intruder is a scrap of a woman with her throat badly injured. Fearing she will spread his secret, he gives the girl a post and confines her to his estate. As Olivia and Lord Bradley’s secrets catch up with them, will their hidden pasts ruin their hope of finding love?
The Secrets Of Hartwood Hall. A Gothic mystery novel by Katie Lumsden.
1852. Margaret Lennox, a young widow, is offered a position as governess at Hartwood Hall. She quickly accepts, hoping this isolated country house will allow her to leave the past behind.
Margaret soon feels there’s something odd about Hartwood: strange figures in the dark, tensions between servants and an abandoned east wing.
Margaret is certain that everyone here has something to hide, and as her own past threatens to catch up with her, she must learn to trust her instincts before it’s too late…
How could I end this post without mentioning a Gothic Classic: Jane Eyre. Although it is more of a Gothic classic, Jane Eyre does feature some classic tropes found in Gothic Horror books.
This is one of my favourite Gothic tales of all time. Jane Eyre is a young governess coming from nothing and finding herself bored with teaching and ready to take on a role somewhere else. She travels up North to Thornfield Hall where she will tutor a young French girl named Adele. Jane Eyre is one of the best Gothic novels of all time, as it examines out innermost desires (wanting to feel loved and accepted) and the challenges that come with love (the things he hides in his attic, for example).
Originally published in 1847, this book propelled Charlotte Bronte (Currer Bell) into literary stardom. While it is certainly a Gothic Romance (no, not in the contemporary romance sense) these are parts of this book that are chilling and emotionally challenging. Every Gothic horror fan needs to also read Jane Eyre. Trust me.
Want more Gothic horror? Love ghosts? Check out my post below about books similar to The Haunting Of Hill House.
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