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Quiver: A Novel

2.71 of 5 stars 2.71 · rating details · 382 ratings · 90 reviews

In sixteenth-century Hungary, Countess Elizabeth Bathory
tortured and killed over six hundred servant girls in order to
bathe in their blood. She believed this practice would keep
her skin youthful and her beauty immortal.

Quiver tells the story of Danica, a forensic psychologist who
works at a former insane asylum-turned-forensic hospital. one
of Danica's mental patients is Ma...more

Hardcover, 272 pages

Published July 15th 2011 by Pegasus (first published July 12th 2011)

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May 15, 2013 Illyria Nightshade rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am admittedly a fan of most writing about Erzabet Bathory and this book combined history with a current day thriller. Danica is a psychologist researching the murder committed by a self-professed follower of Bathory, named Foster. Her research leads her to reconnect with an enigmatic figure from her past named Maria who (like Danica) has a fascination with all things Bathory.

Danica's research, interviews with Foster, and renewed relationship with Maria lead her on a path of self-destruction a...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Matt Schiariti rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This came up as a kindle daily deal the other day and the subject matter really piqued my interest so I took a chance on it.

I'm pretty impressed that this is a first novel. I found the story based around a supposed cult that worships Elisabeth Bathory intriguing.

Danica Winston, a training psychologist, met the mysterious Maria while at a conference several years ago. They were drawn together by a mutual fascination of Bathory..her crimes, her beauty, her monstrous nature. Prior to the events of...more This came up as a kindle daily deal the other day and the subject matter really piqued my interest so I took a chance on it.

I'm pretty impressed that this is a first novel. I found the story based around a supposed cult that worships Elisabeth Bathory intriguing.

Danica Winston, a training psychologist, met the mysterious Maria while at a conference several years ago. They were drawn together by a mutual fascination of Bathory..her crimes, her beauty, her monstrous nature. Prior to the events of the novel they were scouring Europe for Bathory's personal journals. The mysterious Maria pops back into Danica's life when she's finally found what they looked for for so long. She wants to write a book and she wants more for Dani. She wants Dani to leave her job and consult with her on the book. It would be 'her time to shine.'

This happens at a time when Danica is assessing and counseling Mr. Foster, a deranged killer that also worships bathory and brutally killed a 15 year old girl. Did he act alone or did he actually have help? And why does everything in Dani's life seemingly fall apart when Maria's around, just trying to help her?

One of the highlights of the book, I found, were the translated passages from Bathory's diary that Maria sends to Dani. VERY disturbing things. It's like seeing through the eyes of a perfect monster.

I also found Maria to be frustratingly fun to read. She obviously wanted to be the marionette to Dani's puppet which was very frustrating for Dani, but Maria's attitudes and actions were fun to read.

I do have a few complaints about the book though. While I liked the main character I felt her to be a little weak. She honestly follows Maria around like a lost puppy despite the fact that Maria (seemingly with good intentions) makes Dani's life a mess time and again. There are even flashbacks in the book where Maria treated Dani like garbage and she still kept coming back for more. It was plainly obvious that Maria was totally selfish and I was a little disappointed in Dani, a trained psychoanalyst, would just put up with that type of treatment and not see it coming a mile away. It's supposedly because she's fascinated by the whole Bathory thing that she puts up with Maria, but it didn't come across that way. She just seemed to get punished and loved coming back for more.

I also found that there weren't that many surprises here. I had a feeling which way the book was going to go and who was responsible for what early on. However, the Bathory journals and reading Maria's quirky dialogue made up for that.

Of note, the book is told in the first person PRESENT tense. I've read plenty of first person novels but not always in that tense so it took a little getting used to.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a quick read with some good ideas and a good flow to the writing. I'll be keeping an eye peeled for further works from this author! (less)

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Apr 08, 2012 Sara Meehan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oddly enough, "Quiver" makes two books in a row that mention Elizabeth Bathory. Or, as she's known in her native Hungarian and in Holly Luhning's book, Erzsébet Báthory.

Bathory, for those who haven't heard of her, is a 16th-century countess who is infamous for having tortured and killed hundreds of girls before she was arrested and bricked up in her castle, where she later died. "Quiver" is the story of a young woman who is fascinated — really, you could say obsessed — with Bathory. Danica is co...more Oddly enough, "Quiver" makes two books in a row that mention Elizabeth Bathory. Or, as she's known in her native Hungarian and in Holly Luhning's book, Erzsébet Báthory.

Bathory, for those who haven't heard of her, is a 16th-century countess who is infamous for having tortured and killed hundreds of girls before she was arrested and bricked up in her castle, where she later died. "Quiver" is the story of a young woman who is fascinated — really, you could say obsessed — with Bathory. Danica is completing the last of her training as a clinical psychologist, a field she entered because of her interest in psychotics. She's managed to get herself a job a mental hospital in England, where she's assigned to work with a convicted murderer who claims to have killed his victim for Bathory. Danica's work there attracts the attention of an old acquaintance, Maria, who tempts Danica with what she says are pages from Bathory's diary. What Maria really wants is a more complicated question, and it's one that Danica will have no choice but to answer.

I was more than a little put off by Danica's interest in Bathory. The story doesn't work unless she's borderline obsessed, but it's still disconcerting how little the extent of the countess' cruelty and monstrosity bother her. She blames her interest on a supremely safe childhood.

"Technically, I was fixated," she says later. For sure. When she reads scenes Maria sends her from Bathory's diary — scenes of unbelievable torture, total dismissal of the value of countless human lives — her reaction borders on aroused. (And, yes, there is a subtext of sexual tension between Danica and Maria, who resembles the countess in many ways.)

Without those diary scenes, this book would fall in line with the characters it describes, glorifying a woman who destroyed hundreds of lives and families simply because she could. With them, the reader is kept from buying into the warped adoration of Danica or, more so, Maria. (After I finished "Quiver," one of my first reactions was that no one would think of Bathory as Danica, Maria, and others in the book do. When I headed online to research some of the details of her story, however, I was shocked to find multiple sites whose authors defend her without denying her crimes. How sad.)

This isn't a book I'll be rushing to re-read, despite solid writing and editing. It certainly isn't uplifting, and the main character is both frustratingly obtuse and difficult to root for. If you enjoy horror and are a fan of movies such as "Hostel" or the "Saw" series (which I am not), you'll enjoy this book more than I did.(less)

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Mar 07, 2012 Brittany rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm sorry this book isn't getting better reviews because I think it's extremely well done for what it is. The problem seems to lie in the marketing - they keep saying it's supposed to be a thriller but it didn't strike me that way at all. It's much more of a psychological exploration than anything else and no, honestly, not a lot "happens" in the traditional thriller/suspense novel tradition. It is instead a fascinating look at the way people can form connections between violence and beauty, obs...more

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Sep 15, 2011 Christie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Saskatchewan native Holly Luhning has written a compelling novel based on the shocking life of the Hungarian Countess, Elizabeth Bathory. Bathory, who was born in 1560, earned her shocking reputation for having tortured and killed over 600 young girls so that she might bathe in their blood and thus retain her youthful beauty.

Luhning’s novel, Quiver, is a creepy crawly book that follows Danica, a young forensic psychologist, who has moved to London with her artist boyfriend, Henry, to work at Sto...more

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May 23, 2011 Robert Campbell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

At its core, this book has a confessional autobiographical quality, contrasting the exotic allure of serial killers and psychopaths that draws people into the study of psychology with the stark, quotidian reality of standardized protocols, objectivity and tedium that characterizes the professional practice of psychology. Psychometrics and bureaucracy give way to aesthetics, especially as captured in the seeming external fragility and delicacy of women that can mask a ruthlessness and strength of...more

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May 15, 2011 Tracy rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just finished reading this book which was one of our book club picks. Book club was on May 10th and today is May 15th.
The book sounded so exciting and interesting on the cover and then just did not live up to the write up.
It was an interesting story and very well written is some ways however the story takes a long time to build, painstakingly slow I would say. The characters were interesting but there were many of them and most of them aren't likable although they are memorable.

Several gory...more

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Apr 04, 2011 Nicola rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, no-longer-own

Reason for Reading: I already knew about Elizabeth Bathory and a thriller with a murder based on her crimes was one I simply *had* to read.

Elizabeth Bathory was a 16th century Hungarian Countess who tortured and murdered young women and rumour has it bathed in their blood to keep herself beautiful. No one knows how many girls she killed but figures go as high as 650.

In this book a man, Martin Foster, kills a 14 year-old girl and says it was in homage to Elizabeth Bathory. Canadian forensic psych...more Reason for Reading: I already knew about Elizabeth Bathory and a thriller with a murder based on her crimes was one I simply *had* to read.

Elizabeth Bathory was a 16th century Hungarian Countess who tortured and murdered young women and rumour has it bathed in their blood to keep herself beautiful. No one knows how many girls she killed but figures go as high as 650.

In this book a man, Martin Foster, kills a 14 year-old girl and says it was in homage to Elizabeth Bathory. Canadian forensic psychologist, Danica, moves to England to work at the criminal hospital where the killer is being treated. She has followed his case since the day it hit the papers and is thrilled when she actually gets to start working on his team. Danica has her own thoughts on his crime though, that he may have not been working alone and that he belongs to some sort of cabal that worships the countess. At the same time, Danica receives a message from an old friend, Maria, that she also is in London. The two had a falling out several years ago when they were working together in Budapest looking for the lost diaries of Elizabeth Bathory with plans to write a book together if they found them. With Danica's strange relationships with Foster and Maria her life begins to revolve around Bathory and her clinical observations of killers may just bring her face to face with with a killer on the outside, in the real world.

I had high expectations of this book and was really looking forward to the read. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. The book is written in three points of view. The present from Danica's point of view, flashbacks to the recent past from an unknown source's point of view and excerpts from the Countess' diary. For me the book broke down with the second flashback as I figured out what the whole book was about and what the outcome would be at that point. Thus I found the rest of the book boring. Nothing really happens. There's a lot of talking and going places in the present, but no murders or crimes. The only crimes are the flashback to Foster's killing and then the diary excerpts; which are pretty gruesome reading but have no bearing on the plot, they simply are there for the violence factor. (No diaries have ever been really found.) The climax at the end is the only bit of excitement. I read the book through, though. I guess I must have found it engaging enough to do that, though I never found the book compelling or page-turning. I didn't particularly like Danica. She was weak, whiny and easily lead astray. Usually I would DNF a book like this but for some reason I read to the end. Sorry, but my final answer is ... Boring.(less)

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Sep 04, 2012 April rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If it were possible to give this book NEGATIVE stars, I would rate it -3 stars! I only began this book because the Amazon description made it sound amazing, what I should have done was read the reviews. Turns out most people, like myself, thought they were getting one thing, but were handed something else entirely.
To say that this book was predictable would be the understatement of the year. Only someone with zero knowledge of classic cliches and a 3rd grade education wouldn't be able to figure...more

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Jul 01, 2011 LL rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, finished-but-painful

When I picked this book up at the library, I didn't know what it was. The synopsis seemed intriguing enough, so I decided to give it a try. Well, I guess not having any expectation was a good thing, because I didn't really get anything out of it.

(view spoiler)...more When I picked this book up at the library, I didn't know what it was. The synopsis seemed intriguing enough, so I decided to give it a try. Well, I guess not having any expectation was a good thing, because I didn't really get anything out of it.

(view spoiler)

All in all, the book had an intriguing premise based on an infamous historical figure, a fairly good start, but failed to capture my interest about a quarter of the way through because by then I had already guessed that the protagonist was being led on by the villain. Meh...

I give this book 2 stars only.(less)

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Jan 11, 2013 Anissa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-suspense-thriller-crime, contemporary-fiction, languished-on-kindle-way-too-long

2.5 stars. I had this on my Kindle for about a year & have decided in 2013 to get some of the lingerers read & done. The best thing I can say is that my task was completed & I finished reading this book. It was well written but a true slog.

Dani annoyed me for much of the story because I was able to see that Maria was a serious problem & not a very nice person but Dani was pulled in & dismissed just about everything because she believed Maria's story about Bathory's diary. It...more

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May 07, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Fins this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....

Luhning’s writing is pretty decent for a debut, but I can’t bring myself to go any higher than three stars. She is definitely on the right track, I don’t want to come off as discouraging, but the basic construction leaves much to be desired. More than that though, I think the marketing department failed her in that they set the book up to be something it simply isn’t.

I’ll come back to the construction issues later; I want t...more Fins this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....

Luhning’s writing is pretty decent for a debut, but I can’t bring myself to go any higher than three stars. She is definitely on the right track, I don’t want to come off as discouraging, but the basic construction leaves much to be desired. More than that though, I think the marketing department failed her in that they set the book up to be something it simply isn’t.

I’ll come back to the construction issues later; I want to address the marketing issues first. Quiver is advertised as a thriller. No offense to Luhning or her publisher, but I wouldn’t shelve this next to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo or Angels and Demons. It just isn’t that kind of book. I personally feel it would do better if it were marketed as a contemporary mystery. Quiver is a decent story, but it doesn’t have the edge of your seat momentum you would expect from a suspenseful whodunit or even the psychological drama of say Silence of the Lambs. Classifying it as such sets an expectation that the book just doesn’t achieve.

Similarly, I think the blurb makes too big a deal out of the Bathory. This isn’t her story in the same way that the Da Vinci Code isn’t the story of Mary Magdalene. I don’t know who makes the decisions regarding cover blurbs, but I think whoever created this one misstepped in relying too heavily on the drawing power of the Blood Countess. The name dropping ensures you will sell copies, but people who pick up the book expecting to find sixteenth century Hungary aren’t going to be impressed with present day London, relationship drama and art exhibitions.

Since I’m already dissecting the blurb can someone please explain to me exactly which “discoveries” Danica’s peers disregard? She brings up her concerns only in the final chapters of the book and while she is blown off, I don’t think her employers were unjustified considering their assessment of her mental state and the time her information was given. And what are the “disturbing incidents” that seem to follow Dr. Winston home after hours? So far as I can tell the only incidents that affect Danica involve Henry’s philandering and in all honesty, cheaters are a dime a dozen. Either I somehow overlooked several chapters worth of information or we are again over exaggerating the content.

The plot felt disjointed, a good idea but there wasn’t enough to really get into Danica’s story. There wasn’t enough Foster to be disturbed, there wasn’t enough jeopardy to evoke alarm and there wasn’t enough suspense to keep the audience guessing (Not to toot my own horn, but I called the ending midway through the reading). The Bathory diaries were interesting but they are short, limited in scope and few and far between. I felt myself asking which story Luhning was trying to tell. The psychological aspects of both the present day cult and the historic mistress who inspired it are literary gold, but neither was satisfyingly fleshed out.

This is really one of the books you want to go into with little or no expectations. It isn’t bad, but I think those who pick it up with an open mind will garner more enjoyment than those whose interest is sparked by the description of content. (less)

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Oct 24, 2011 Joyce rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really wanted to like the idea of this book, but at no point did I ever believe that Danica had a degree in clinical/criminal psychology (or whatever her precise degree was supposed to be that supposedly earned her an amazing fellowship opportunity of which she consistently proved herself to be unworthy). Mild spoilers ahoy: (view spoiler)...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Deb rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mystery-thriller

Danica is a young forensic psychologist getting her certification at a mental hospital in London. A patient she is assigned to meet with, Malcolm Foster, murdered a 14-year-old girl. Danica finds herself fascinated by Foster and begins to suspect that he had help in the murder by a underground group that follows and idolizes Elizabeth Bathory, "The Blood Countess" who in 16-century Hungary, tortured and killed over six hundred servant girls in order to bathe in their blood to keep her beauty int...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

If you've ever been intrigued by the Countess Elizabeth Bathory, better known as the Blood Countess who liked to bathe in the blood of young girls to stay young, then you would find this book enjoyable.

This is the story about Dani, a young psychologist fellow in London, who had a fascination with Bathory, and then is given a patient who killed in the name of the Blood Countess. And, supposedly, he is in a secret society who worships the Blood Countess and kill in her name.

Dani has this old "fr...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Elizabeth Walker rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I bought this book as an impulse buy, snagging a good deal on it. I figured it would be a quick, fun read, and that it was. I must admit that I was misinformed in starting this book, thinking that it was a book about vampires. That it is not. I am not however, a vampire enthusiast, I merely like to dapple in different sorts of literature every once in a while. So, for someone looking for a book a bit off the beaten path that would be quick to read, this book fits the bill.

The closest connection...more

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May 18, 2013 kingshearte rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, fiction

And now for something completely different. Despite its cover, this is actually neither a teen book nor a vampire book. It actually more of a psychological thriller built around the history of Countess Elizabeth Bathory. For the most part, I enjoyed it. It was compelling, and the supposed passages from Bathory's diaries held just enough detail to give me the slightly ill feeling I get in the pit of my stomach when I witness other people's pain. But the ending kind of ruined it for me. I just did...more

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Feb 21, 2011 Wicked Lil Pixie (Natasha) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Danica, a forensic psychologist, has left Canada and moved to England to work in a forensic hospital. One of Danica’s patients is the infamous Malcolm Foster, who has been imprisoned for murdering a young girl. He’s been surrounded by much media attention as his crime has been tailored after Elizabeth Bathory. Danica has always had a fascination with Bathory, which in part has been made worse by Maria, someone Danica met in her travels.

Once Danica arrives in London, she receives a note from Mari...more Danica, a forensic psychologist, has left Canada and moved to England to work in a forensic hospital. One of Danica’s patients is the infamous Malcolm Foster, who has been imprisoned for murdering a young girl. He’s been surrounded by much media attention as his crime has been tailored after Elizabeth Bathory. Danica has always had a fascination with Bathory, which in part has been made worse by Maria, someone Danica met in her travels.

Once Danica arrives in London, she receives a note from Maria that states she has found Bathory’s Diaries. Maria starts to insert herself into Danica’s life, which starts many complications in Danica’s professional life and private life with her boyfriend Henry. But Danica is in to deep with Maria and it may be to late for her.

I’m going to begin this review by telling you briefly who Elizabeth Bathory is:

"Hungarian Countess Erszebet Bathory (1560-1614), who tortured and killed over six hundred of her servant girls. She often bathed in her victims blood as part of a beauty ritual designed to preserve her youth. The Countess’s famed “honey torture” involved coating a naked girl in honey and making her stand in the woods for a day. The honey attracted various pests, and the girl would eventually die from excessive insect bites and exposure. -pg. 93"

Elizabeth Bathory was a brutal mistress and ended up being bricked into her castle for her crimes. I have been intrigued by the legend of Bathory, so once I heard Quiver was based on the Bathory legend, I had to read it. I was not disappointed, Holly Luhning’s debut was the most brilliantly written thriller I have read in 2011!

Quiver reminded me of Silence of the Lambs meets Single White Female, in terms of the “dear god, what am I reading, I’m freaking out people” and then “Run Danica, get away from that woman she’s straight up crazy”. Alas, book characters don’t listen to me, so Danica didn’t run but it made for one helluva story! It drew me in right from the start and even when I wasn’t reading it, I kept thinking about it which would lead me right back to the book.

Maria is one hell of a “friend” to Danica, you can see Danica wanting to trust her but pulling back. But by the time she realizes what Maria’s been doing, it’s too late. All I can say is DAMN. When this book all ties together near the end, your mouth will drop. You suspect things through the book, but once everything’s been pieced together you want to shout “SEQUEL”. It’s been over 12 hours since I finished the book and it’s all I can think of, it was just that fantastic.

In between Danica’s part in the story, there are bits of Bathory’s Diaries which are horrifying and graphic. *Shudder* but they are written in a way to keep you hooked, even when you want to do anything but visualize what Bathory did to her servants. There is a part that horrified me so bad, I saw horses on TV that evening and had a Quiver flashback.

Quiver is action packed and full of things you don’t want to read about late at night, but you won’t be able to help yourself.

(less)

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Oct 11, 2012 wade rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have got to agree with a lot of the other reviewers about this book. I had high expectations and for the first 75 pages I was really into it. But then it starts all falling apart. Virtually every character not only knows about but is intensely interested in the evil Countess Elizabeth Bathory who died over 300 years before. The main character (Danica, the psychologist) is the most spineless protagonist I have ever read. Everything her friend Maria tells her she believes, virtually everything s...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: z2012_read_list, fiction, suspense-thriller

I think this book is perhaps suffering from a bad title and cover. I read this one at home as the cover made it look like I was reading a naughty bodice ripper. And while this book did have some interesting and sort of naughty moments, it was a psychological thriller more than anything else. Interesting historical and pseudo-historical elements about Elizabeth Bathory, fairly interesting main character, but sadly a nearly laughably silly plot about a sort of cult that deifies Bathory and acts ou...more

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Dec 01, 2011 Anna rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I did not like this book at all. It's well-written, but it just disgusts me. I am so sick of reading fiction about Elizabeth Bathory and the consistent glamorization of what this monster did. There were no redeeming qualities. It wasn't erotic. It wasn't sexy. She was a sadistic serial killer with a serious disorder. And yet, author after author glamorizes her. People may not think that's what Holly Luhning is doing and she probably doesn't believe it herself, but I had to stop reading. I'm stil...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Miss rated it 3 of 5 stars

So...this book was not at all what I expected. I'm a little embarassed to say I thought it was going to be a Robin Hood thing (you know, the other sort of quiver?) but kept on when I discovered it was about Bathory.

I had a vague idea of who she was (what does that say about me??) so welcomed more info.
Ugh.
There's a bit much info at times. I could have done without some of the gorier details - there's some disturbing imagery that stays with you.

The author did an excellent job creating a character...more

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May 29, 2012 sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.5 stars

I was a little disappointed with this book. The writing is mediocre at best; it often drags on and isn't very descriptive. Also, there isn't much of a plot. I really wish the story would have focused more on Danica's job working with a psychopath. Instead, almost the entire book is spent discussing how sketchy her friend Maria is. For the record, this girl seems like trouble from the very first time the two meet, but for some reason Danica can't seem to say no or shut her out of her lif...more

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Mar 21, 2012 Alicia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a .99 Kindle deal. I'm glad that's all I paid for it. It had a lot of potential. The free sample I read really drew me in. I thought OK this might be like Silence of the Lambs. No such luck. I could get past the too much detail in the torturing of the girls. I don't mind skimming things like that if the storyline is good. The problem is the storyline could have been great. But the climax wasn't all that climatic. I found myself reading silently in a cheesy narrator's voice all breathy a...more

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Nov 11, 2011 Bondama rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of the most disappointing books I've come across. I picked it up because it purported to be about the infamous Elizabeth of Bathory, the "Blood Countess" -- In a way it is, but it is more concerned with a parallel modern story, which completely falls apart. There simply is such a scarcity of any factual information about Bathory that the book is just not worth reading. There are several, far better books for anyone interested in this distant relative of ... wait for it.... Vlad Tepes...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Claire (Bitches With Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A B*tches With Books Review

Book: Quiver by Holly Luhning
Publisher: Tor Teen, 2010
Genre: Thriller, Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Rating: 3-Page-Turns
Recommend: Elizabeth Bathory stories with an academic twists for the win!
Book Pro’s: The story blends modern-day horror with historical myths and terror.
Book Con’s: There comes a point when you want to yell at the protagonist and say, stop being used, stop being stupid!
Favourite Line: “Watch it, your sanity. Watch the line. What I don’t say is that...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Nattie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: skipped-many-pages

At first, this book was OK, I found the writing style very easy to follow, and it held my interest. It didn't take long for the whole thing to fall apart. I found almost every character to be quite annoying. Foster's personaility really got on my nerves, and Danica just came off as an idiot to me. Danica didn't even seem to be qualified enough to be an assistant to any kind of doctor; she's quite lame. Maria is obviously a freak, and I could not understand why Danica wouldn't stay away from her....more

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May 03, 2012 Mary Z rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really was looking forward to this one and there is definitely an audience for it. An audience of people that I wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley but an audience nonetheless. But I find Bathory, the greatest female serial killer of all time, a fascinating subject.

There are two parts to this book that complement each other: The first is the modern day story of Danica, a psychologist who is, together with her friend Maria, researching Bathory out of her own interest (what can I say, the girl...more

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May 23, 2012 Renee rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: this-was-crap, death-murder, mystery, authors-should-be-smacked, horror, mcs-that-should-die, is-this-shit-for-real, who-fucking-publishes-this-crap

I was so disapointed by this book. I really wanted to like it. A crazy serial killer, Elizabeth Bathory diaries and a cult that worships her? What could be better? However the main character was obnoxious and in the end her life just plain sucks and she loses everything and the ending is depressing.

Also I HATE cheating and when the MC's boyfriend gets caught screwing someone else and he is cold and callous about it, well I almost put the book down at that point and refused to pick it up 1) beca...more

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Feb 19, 2011 Alexis rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

I was profoundly disappointed in this book. I think part of me anticipated something different and that might have added to my disillusionment. I don't read a lot of crime fiction, so it is possible that I just don't understand the format.

However, I just didn't BELIEVE the story. There were things that happened that seemed profoundly outlandish. Was it because the narrator was supposed to be going insane? I didn't understand.

If I can't believe the actions or characters, I can't get into the sto...more

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About Holly Luhning

Raised in rural Saskatchewan and now living in Toronto, Holly Luhning holds a PhD in eighteenth-century literature, madness and theories of the body. She has received a Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor’s Arts Award, and her collection of poetry, Sway, was nominated for a Saskatchewan Book Award. Her first novel, Quiver, is forthcoming in January 2011.

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Quotes from Quiver: A Novel

“Watch it, your sanity. Watch the line. What I don’t say is that the line is hardly there. It’s as blurry and fluid as the slope of the shore, from beach to the shallows to water over your head to the open sea. And I’m not really supposed to believe in that spectrum…..But we’re all there on the slope. I think the difference is whether you’ve maneuvered yourself into a position where your head’s above the sea.” — 1 person liked it

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Quiver: A Novel

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