Ashes to Ashes - JB Langley

Atmospheric and psychological, ASHES TO ASHES is a tragic, dark work of historical fiction, a psychological thriller with supernatural/magical realism elements and a LGBTQ romance woven in. This is the first book in the Bigsby family saga.

  A twisted tale steeped in witchcraft, murder, and betrayal-a story where shadows flicker, restless spirits linger, and spiritually gifted women are silenced by those who fear what they cannot control. But still, not all can be silenced, and some secrets refuse to die.​    

    Katherine was born at the turn of the century, beneath the shadow of her family's ancestral home in northern Maine. She descends from a bloodline of those who can shape fate with a glance. From childhood, a restless defiance stirred within her, and one reckless mistake sealed her fate-now she is bound to an arranged marriage, her dreams quietly smothered. To outsiders, her life appears flawless, but beneath the surface, she endures a relentless, silent suffering, forced to play the role of perfect wife, mother, and daughter. Then tragedy strikes-one daughter stolen by the Spanish flu, another unborn, lost in a brutal accident. Grief and supernatural dread entwine, leaving her teetering at the edge of sanity, plagued by visions that blur the line between reality and omen. At her breaking point, Katherine dares to speak the truth, unleashing secrets that threaten to unravel a bewitching web of manipulation-her family, her place in society, and the fragile threads of her own mind. Immediately silenced, she is committed to an asylum against her will.

    There, among the dank shadows, she discovers she is not alone. Other gifted women are locked away, each with their own pasts. Whispers of unspeakable horrors-abuse, disappearances, and crimes that fester in the dark-echo through the asylum's halls. Yet even in the darkness, there is light. Katherine begins to learn secret truths within herself-a yearning so deep it aches. Unacceptable by society, her longing for another woman becomes a silent battle, filling her with desire and despair. Together, they dare to plot to reveal the unspeakable crimes that have been covered up for years. But the patriarchal system is a labyrinth, and escape is only an illusion.