The Stealing

“The Stealing is a modern gothic incarnation of the classic gothic romance, featuring an independent young woman trapped in dreary and oppressive surroundings, a gentleman hero, storms at sea, a supernatural force, and a powerful, but conflicted love story. There are no vampires or werewolves in sight. But with its 1980s setting, this coming-of-age romance probes serious issues that resonate with modern readers including the harmful, isolating effects of male dominance on women, gender-role bias, and the struggle to harness inner strength and find joy in life.”

She chose to die. Now she chooses to live. And love. But her spirit has been claimed by a terrifying presence.

In the final year of high school, Sarah Vise’s life is set to start and finish on a literal dead-end street on the coast of Delaware. Abandoned by her mother, Sarah works endless hours on her domineering father’s fishing boat in the shadow of a run-down lighthouse. However, with an offer to college and after an intriguing encounter with her blue-eyed neighbour Grant, a fire is sparked inside Sarah. She is filled with a passionate desire to break free and carve out her own future for herself.

Sarah’s hopes are dashed when her callous father refuses to let her leave, and in desperation, she surrenders herself to the crashing waves. Grant frantically saves her from certain death, but her weakened spirit is taken by a dark-if alluring-presence to the afterlife. Captivated and too beaten down by life to resist, Sarah at first allows herself to be overcome by the hunter-sage. But she learns that Max is demonic in his need to control her and she once again has to beg for her freedom. Striking a terrible deal, Sarah steps back into her life and embarks on a romantic relationship with love-struck Grant. But the clock is ticking loudly, and Sarah’s fate is as unpredictable as the winds that lash her prison.

Debut novelist, SharonSutila, has masterfully crafted a modern-day heroine in this new take on Gothic Romance set in the Eighties. The plot is likened to a mounting hurricane. In the calm eye of the storm, it is a sweet romance, but when the wind picks up, the story changes direction and the ending flips multiple times, leaving the reader on the edge of their seat to find out what happens to Sarah.