"'Brooding and twisted, but beautiful in its honesty, A Veritable Household Pet will chill you to the bone as it simultaneously breaks your heart.' —Paulette Kennedy, bestselling author of The Devil and Mrs. Davenport
Darla Gregory received a lobotomy at eleven years old . . . and she was never the same.
Based on painfully true history, mixed with family drama, complex characters, and a gut-punch twist.
[Scribe's note: This is my sister Darla's story, as dictated to me. I have tried to remain as faithful to her diction and voice as I can, while also making it intelligible and coherent. Darla has progressed considerably since the lobotomy, but she is still unable to write by herself. I have added notes, interpolations, and supporting documentation where necessary to clarify or explain, or to add my own experience if relevant.
If you're wondering why it took so long for you to listen to this, I'd encourage you to keep your bratty thoughts to yourself. You're lucky I'm telling you the truth at all. This is the last thing I have to do for her, and I hope you're finally mature enough to handle it.]"
"'I am ready to join the Sisterhood of Viggy after reading The Rotting Room. Time to take my vows, now that I've novitiated on this awe-inspiring novel, and commit myself to a lifelong calling of reading whatever Parr Hampton writes.' —Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Wake Up and Open Your Eyes
Sister Rafaela, a newcomer to the cloistered Sisters of Divine Innocence, yearns for redemption from her horrific past. However, her new abbey, bound by a vow of silence and a disturbing burial ritual, hides its own sinister secrets.
When a mysterious stranger arrives and dies soon after, her body resists decomposition, sparking fevered claims of sainthood among the nuns . . . but Rafaela suspects something far darker.
As the abbey teeters on the edge of madness, Rafaela and local priest Father Bruno race to uncover whether the Sisters of Divine Innocence are graced by a divine miracle—or consumed by unspeakable evil.
'Hampton delivers a masterclass in narrative restraint, yet refuses to pull her punches. By taking its vows alongside The First Omen, Immaculate, and Suspiria, The Rotting Room ascends to horror literature heaven.' —Nick Roberts, author of The Exorcist's House and Mean Spirited"
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