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P.L. McMillan
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Sisters of the Crimson Vine Paperback – December 6, 2022

by P.L. McMillan (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 79 ratings
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John Ainsworth nearly died in that car crash.

Soon he’ll learn there are worse fates.

After a brutal accident, John awakens in the dilapidated Crimoria Convent under the care of thirteen unconventional nuns. Grievous injuries trap him within the borders of the ruined sanctuary and its strangely successful vineyard. When his body starts healing faster than nature allows, John’s questions quickly pile up.

A pair of Church auditors arrive to look into the convent’s finances. It’s obvious the pair are unwelcome guests, but John has bigger concerns. The order’s annual ritual draws near and John begins to discover things that make him wonder if any of them are truly safe in the hands of the Sisters of the Crimson Vine.

“In her masterful debut novella, Sisters of the Crimson Vine, P.L. McMillan cultivates dread like a fine wine. The more we sip, the deeper we sink into this insidious tale grown from the seed of Jackson’s “The Lottery” planted in a Lovecraftian terroir and harvested in Ari Aster’s Midsommar. Like the title characters’ famed libation, you will not be able to stop reading once you imbibe. A drunken sense of imbalance and uncertainty remains with you until the very end. Lovers of the occult will be pleasantly satiated by P.L. McMillan’s gothic offering.” — Stoker award-winning EV Knight, Three Days in the Pink Tower

“A taut braid of repressed desires, implied deviance, and eldritch horror. McMillan coyly lures us to a finale as repulsive as it is compelling.” — Stoker award-winning Jamie Flanagan, co-writer of The Haunting of Bly Manor and Midnight Mass

“Sisters of the Crimson Vine by P.L McMillan is folk horror at its very best. The visuals, tension and mood created then intermixed with undeniable dread and mystery rides the very edges of illumination and darkness. P.L explores themes of religious hypocrisy and the power of women and sacrifices made to survive. She expertly subverts older tropes into something terrifying and new. This book is as vivid and twisted as any Aster movie.” — Brenda S. Tolian, Blood Mountain

“Sisters of the Crimson Vine is a perfectly paced suspenseful story that will make you want to savor every word. Invoking the ominous folk horror atmosphere of the Wicker Man and Midsommer, P.L. serves an unsettling tale of the supernatural bond between women and nature and the power and price of living free from patriarchal dominance.” — Joy Yehle, author and host of The Burial Plot horror podcast

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  1. Print length
    124 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    December 6, 2022
  4. Dimensions
    5 x 0.28 x 8 inches
  5. ISBN-13
    979-8992590012
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

P.L. McMillan is a writer whose works have been known to cause rifts in time and space itself...

Well, not quite. But writing often makes her feel that powerful.

P.L. McMillan is a Canadian expat living in the States, after having taught English for three years in Asia. With a passion for cosmic horror and sci-fi horror, P.L. McMillan sees every shadow as an entryway to a deeper look into the black heart of the world, meant to be discovered and explored. Infatuated with the works of Shirley Jackson, H.P. Lovecraft, and Ridley Scott, her dream is to create stories of adventure, of chills, of heartbreak, and thrills.

Besides being a fiction writer, PLM has experience as an editor (Howls from the Dark Ages and an upcoming anthology from Salt Heart Press), hosts PLM Talks on Youtube (interviewing peers and professionals in the horror industry), and is the co-host of a horror writing craft podcast, Dead Languages Podcast. On top of all that, PLM does digital illustrations and artwork for anthologies and her merch shop.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DY7ZR77D
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Salt Heart Press (December 6, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 124 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8992590012
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.28 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 79 ratings

About the author

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P.L. McMillan

P.L. McMillan

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P.L. McMillan's short fiction has appeared in a variety of anthologies and magazines such as Cosmic Horror Monthly, Strange Lands Short Stories, Negative Space, and AHH! That’s What I Call Horror, as well as adapted to audio forms for podcasts like NoSleep and Nocturnal Transmissions. In addition to her short stories, McMillan’s debut collection, What Remains When The Stars Burn Out, and debut novella, Sisters of the Crimson Vine, are available now.

Besides being a fiction writer, PLM has experience as an editor (Howls from the Dark Ages and The Darkness Beyond The Stars: An Anthology of Space Horror), hosts PLM Talks on Youtube (interviewing peers and professionals in the horror industry), and is the co-host of a horror writing craft podcast, Dead Languages Podcast. On top of all that, PLM does digital illustrations and artwork for anthologies and her merch shop.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
79 global ratings

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You won't be able to put this book down
5 out of 5 stars
You won't be able to put this book down
Let me preface that I haven't read a full book in 5 years as I get very easily distracted. I read this gem of a book in one afternoon. I couldn't put it down! The author has the most beautiful and captivating writing style. Every time I thought I had figured out the secret of The Sisters, the author threw in another mysterious aspect of the Convent that I never could have predicted. The entire book was beautifully thought out and incredibly well written. I can't wait to read the rest of P.L McMillan's books!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • avid kindler
    5.0 out of 5 stars They aren't exactly sisters of mercy, but then again..…
    Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    If P.L.McMillan wrote the telephone directory, you'd probably read it all the way through. She weaves words the way a spider weaves its web - and you're the fly. She leads you in, gently, gently, a nice little story about a guy in a carcrash, getting picked up and nursed in some friendly little backwater of a convent... but like the awkward note in a minor key, you know there's something wrong. And you read on, feeling more and more sure there's something wrong, but not able to pin it down. The nuns are so warm, so friendly, so .... dare I say it? ... wholesome. Except - no spoilers here - possibly they're not.
    It's a quick and easy read and a pleasing mix of familiar and unfamiliar elements, a slow build to a conclusion that is in some ways unsurprising but still disquieting. The unspoken thing (like I said, no spoilers, but there is always an unspoken thing in a horror story) is unexpectedly vile, but the outcome curiously forgiving. They aren't exactly sisters of mercy, but then again..…
    One person found this helpful
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  • Bob Lewis
    4.0 out of 5 stars Short but strong
    Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2024
    This short novella begins as a man is nearly killed in a terrible car accident. He wakes up under the care of nuns at a local convent. Also visiting the convent is a priest sent by the Church to investigate because it seems the sisters aren’t correctly following Catholic traditions. And as things progress, we get the sense rather quickly that indeed these sisters have indeed strayed from the Church’s traditions and that something rather different is afoot. But it raises the question of whether the wayward nuns are dabbling in something evil or whether the Church itself is exercising some tyrannical overreach in its attempt to bring the sisters back into the fold.

    I won’t spoil anything except to say that answers are indeed forthcoming toward the end of the book, and what’s really going on ended up being only partially what I predicted, so it still had some surprises in store for me. But how one interprets these revelations will likely depend largely on one’s own perspective on matters of religion, which makes it an interesting exploration of some philosophical ideas but mercifully not a propagandistic work that forces its message down the reader’s throat.

    Some of the details regarding the Catholic Church and its religious orders will require some suspension of disbelief and some of the details aren’t accurate, but not in such a way as to severely detract from the reader’s enjoyment of the novella.

    At the end of the day, it’s a quick short read. Arguably even too short as I would have enjoyed spending some more time with a few of the characters. But the time I did get to spend with them was time well spent indeed.
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  • Austin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gladly drinking from The Vine
    Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Didn’t have a lot of expectations going into this novella but was very very pleasantly surprised by the end of it. Started and finished the book within a day. Never had a dull moment. Pacing was excellent and was made to actually care for the main character. Very much looking forward to what ever the author does next.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Austin Shirey
    5.0 out of 5 stars A heady mix of Jackson & Lovecraft
    Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    SISTERS OF THE CRIMSON VINE is a heady mix of folk and cosmic horror, with notes of Shirley Jackson. This novella is a masterclass in pacing and atmosphere; McMillan creates expertly weaves a pervasive sense of wrongness about every scene and sustains this dread-inducing atmosphere throughout. It's a chilling and shocking read with prose as smooth as a finely aged wine. And the cover is absolute FIRE!
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Jasmine
    4.0 out of 5 stars A creepy cosmic horror novella
    Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2023
    Sisters of the Crimson Vine is one of those stories that immediately draws you in and doesn't let you go until the very end. It's like if H.P. Lovecraft had written and directed Midsommar.
    The story follows John Ainsworth, a man who crashes his car. When he wakes after the accident, he discovers he's been taken in by a convent of nuns. But the women at the Crimoria Convent aren't your typical nuns. They don't wear shoes. They don't cover their heads. And they seem to drink a lot of wine. But the strange nuns are the least of John's worries.
    When two church officials arrive to audit the convent, things start to unravel very quickly. John begins to realize that he might not be making it out of the convent alive.
    This was a fun, quick read. It's perfect for the Halloween season, and if you're a fan of cosmic/eldritch horror, this novella will be right up your alley.
    I won't lie, I kinda thought the Crimoria Convent was cool. Horrific in a way, sure, but still kinda awesome. Granted, the whole cult-like vibe could be problematic, and the truth behind the convent is extremely problematic, but...
    Anyway, I digress. I think the only thing I didn't like, per se, was that it felt a bit too short. I would love to see something like this fleshed out (ha!) with more details about how the convent came to be and things of that nature. But other than that, I loved it.
    If you're in the mood for some short, creepy cosmic horror, give Sisters of the Crimson Vine a go.
    4.5 stars!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Sarah
    5.0 out of 5 stars Imaginative and thrilling, a great spooky story
    Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2024
    This was a fantastic read, from start to finish. I am usually pretty good at guessing plots, but this one caught me by surprise! Highly suggest
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  • Debra
    5.0 out of 5 stars You won't be able to put this book down
    Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2024
    Let me preface that I haven't read a full book in 5 years as I get very easily distracted. I read this gem of a book in one afternoon. I couldn't put it down! The author has the most beautiful and captivating writing style. Every time I thought I had figured out the secret of The Sisters, the author threw in another mysterious aspect of the Convent that I never could have predicted. The entire book was beautifully thought out and incredibly well written. I can't wait to read the rest of P.L McMillan's books!
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    Debra
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    You won't be able to put this book down

    Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2024
    Let me preface that I haven't read a full book in 5 years as I get very easily distracted. I read this gem of a book in one afternoon. I couldn't put it down! The author has the most beautiful and captivating writing style. Every time I thought I had figured out the secret of The Sisters, the author threw in another mysterious aspect of the Convent that I never could have predicted. The entire book was beautifully thought out and incredibly well written. I can't wait to read the rest of P.L McMillan's books!
    Images in this review
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    One person found this helpful
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  • Michelle Renee Lindsay
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
    Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2024
    This book is mysterious and mesmerizing. It is so absorbing.

    A convent of forgotten nuns. A vineyard of the best wine ever made shrouded with mystery and history.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Andrés Menéndez Cruz
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and memorable
    Reviewed in Mexico on March 7, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Sisters of the Crimson Vine is a beautiful novella that gave me everything I want when reading a book: interesting characters, a memorable setting, creepy scenes that built up to what's happening behind the curtains, and a shocking, beautiful, and horrifying ending that ties everything we were told before in a way we could have never imagined. The story behind the convent is sad and realistic, and you can't help but feel bad for the sisters, even when you know something is wrong with them. The antagonist was perfect for this story, showing the reasons the sisters do what they do and why the protagonist has trouble deciding who to trust. It's a beautiful book that I hope everyone reads at least once in their life
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  • Ryan B.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Such a great short story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 29, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Such a great short story which leaves you guessing until the end.

    I read this book and enjoyed it so much. From seeing if he survives the car accident to trying to solve what is going on with the sisters.

    Able to imagine all the events with the detail given. 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
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  • Ben Roberts
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome folk horror for fans of Midsommar and The Wicker Man
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 12, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This novella was such great fun! Classic folk horror with a steady buildup of mystery and dread, told in a fast-paced style that would suit a movie adaptation perfectly. The cosmic horror elements give the story a fresh and extra-terrifying twist, and I felt some Mike Flanagan vibes in there too (perhaps all the creepy religious stuff...) Oh, and the cover is badass. Check this one out!
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