“Dark and haunting in the very best ways, Marina Scott’s My Darling Girls is a compelling journey to the underbelly of 1904 Chicago and the women who struggle to survive within it. Jo, the main character, grabbed hold of my curiosity as she strives to find her place in the world as a newly widowed photographer at a time when few women were accepted in the trade. The more the story draws you in, the more macabre and layered it becomes. Jo’s journey into the depths of Chicago’s underworld becomes Dantesque, steeped in secrets, laudanum, seduction, and betrayal. With this novel, Scott establishes herself as a leader in the gothic historical fiction genre.” —Andrea Catalano, bestselling author of The First Witch of Boston and The Lacemaker’s Fortune

“Moody, raw, and suspenseful, My Darling Girls plunges readers into the gritty alleys of early 1900s Chicago and takes them on an unforgettable journey through the spirit world and into the darkest recesses of the human mind. I absolutely loved it.” —Hester Fox, author of The Last Heir to Blackwood Library

“Marina Scott’s latest novel is a deliciously atmospheric, spine-tingling story of mystery and redemption. From Victorian death portraits to ghostly, opium-laced visions that blur the line between memory and haunting, it swirls with Gothic imagery. But beneath its eerie surface lies a powerful exploration of grief, abuse, and resilience, and a testament to women’s survival in a world shaped by male power and desire. At once unsettling and deeply compassionate, My Darling Girls reminds us that our stories must be told, and known, before we can ever truly be free.” —Molly Greeley, author of Marvelous