A Most Unfortunate Study of the Science of Monsters and Anatomies of Desire
A Most Unfortunate Study of the Science of Monsters and Anatomies of Desire
The My Darling Malady series
Between Victorian England and Second Republic France, where medicine and myth have long shared the same operating table, former law student and French private investigator Jacques Valmont never expected that solving a missing juvenile case across the Channel would cost him his humanity—and lead him to the one his blood aches for.
After a chance encounter and rendezvous with Annie Castro-Tan, the seamstress working next to the infirmary where the Warncliffes’ daughter has vanished, an impossible medical conspiracy leaves them bound together by a hunger neither of them quite understands. As they flee England for Jacques’s hometown of Left Bank Paris, they uncover haunted theatres and bloodthirsty dance troupes, forgotten noble branches and inheritances, and the terrible truth that monsters are rarely born, but cultivated.
Blending together anti-colonial Gothic mystery adventure, steampunk vampirism, inevitably spicy historical romance and literary French and Southeast Asian horror, the My Darling Malady series follows a cast of beautifully unfortunate characters across Victorian Europe as each instalment explores who survives when love, history, and monstrosity—both arcane and mortal—become increasingly difficult to separate.
Perfect for fans of A Dowry of Blood, Penny Dreadful, Crimson Peak, Knives Out, and Taratoa Stappard's Mārama, with meticulously researched history, daring dalliances, and vampires with far more to fear than sunlight.
This is an ongoing series and must be devoured in chronological order.
About Briar
Briar Somerset, also published as Brianna Sugalski, writes exhilarating romance for the erudite and uncanny. She’s known for her audio-forward Gothic mystery-vampire romance series, My Darling Malady, which traces a bloodthirsty private investigator and the seamstress he’s roped into his pursuits through the spectral margins of Victorian society—and her debut, the SOVAS award-nominated Epic Dark Renaissance series, A Lay of Ruinous Reign, set in 16th-century Brocéliande.
While not writing, she can be found at the oceanographic institute, a local museum, or with her nose in a book on floriography or vampires, non-ironically plotting ways to incorporate both into her next story.
Born and raised in Hawai’i and a member of the Medieval Academy of America, Horror Writers Association, and Medievalists of Color, Somerset holds an ardent admiration for storytelling and all who pursue it, curating tales that examine identity and dread through a Southeast Asian diasporic lens.
“Beecham's Infirmary for the Affluent Afflicted mixes together the dramatic horror and gothic vibes of Crimson Peak, Dracula, and a splash of Blade! This fast-paced read is a deliciously compelling, truly terrifying, bloody good time… If you like PNR that has genuinely horrific elements (think Isabel Cañas or S.T. Gibson), the most stunning, poetic writing, and an interesting take on vampirism baybeeeee. This is the one for you!”
Cydney Humphrey, @thatcydney
“A story that skillfully expands upon gothic romances, Beecham’s Infirmary for the Affluent Afflicted is an immersive experience into familiar territory, with lust and some lush twists abound. You can feel the crowding of afflicted streets and the sanctuary of human connection in this quick, beautifully written read.”
Kiara Alexander-Castro, The Heir & The Knight
“Jacques and Annie’s characters are captivating as they are eccentric, far from the main stream mold of MMC’s /FMC’s yet their chemistry is incendiary when their personalities, goals, abundant cultures, background, and search for the truth intersect.”
Elle Bor, My Name Is Ophelia
“Beecham's Infirmary for the Affluent Afflicted is, like its hero, a raging torrent of intellect, passion, danger, lust, and ambition--the perfect cure for readers suffering from a terminal case of mundanity.”
Sean Gibson, author of The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True and The Camelot Shadow