Chez Usher by Vicki Hendricks
“A fierce and fearless talent.”—Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River
For readers captivated by the lush prose and psychological intricacies of The Great Gatsby and The Secret History, Chez Usher is an irresistible invitation to Key West’s shadowed heart — a place where decadence, desperation, and decay converge.
When architect August Dupin is lured to the crumbling mansion of his former lover Roderick Usher, he finds himself drawn into a world where secrets lurk behind every velvet curtain and nothing is quite as it seems.
Roderick and his enigmatic twin sister, Madeline, are as glamorous as they are doomed — vivid, unforgettable characters who navigate their fates with a dark grace reminiscent of Fitzgerald’s tragic heroes and Tartt’s magnetic misfits.
Hendricks’ prose is atmospheric and evocative, painting Key West’s tropical beauty with a noir edge, weaving a tale of tragic beauty, forbidden desires, and the haunting legacy of family ties.
With its exploration of human frailty, obsession, and the inexorable pull of the past, Chez Usher is more than a thriller— it’s a meditation on the price of passion and the fragility of identity.
Prepare to lose yourself in a world of dazzling decadence and haunting mystery.
Praise for Chez Usher
“Chez Usher marks the darkly glorious return of one of the best to ever do it: Vicki Hendricks. A richly gothic, camp-tinged riff on Edgar Allan Poe, Chez Usher offers a uniquely dark spin on sex, drugs and bad behavior in Key West, with a cast of desperate characters skilled in canny manipulation. Not to be missed.”—Megan Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of Beware the Woman
"Vicki Hendricks is back! It's a good thing, too, because this twisted and extremely sexy reworking of The Fall of the House of Usher is a tale only she could have told. True love, offhand sex, languid heat, tropical foliage, and a malevolent mansion combine here for a book I couldn't put down. Pick it up; you'll miss something wonderful and unique if you don't."—SJ Rozan, best-selling author of The Murder of Mr. Ma
“The gothic chills of Edgar Allan Poe meet the gonzo debauched mayhem of Florida Man in Vicki Hendricks' superb Chez Usher. I loved this book—sexy, dark, depraved, and spooky, this is gothic noir at its finest. A rock n' roll Poe retelling that fits the madness of the 21st century.”— Halley Sutton, USA Today bestselling author of The Hurricane Blonde
“An ethereal, evocative, and unputdownable homage to Edgar Allen Poe. What Vicki Hendricks did for noir in Miami Purity, she does for the haunted house story in Chez Usher. Don’t miss this one.”—Sara Gran, author of The Book of the Most Precious Substance.
“When one of noir's legendary mavericks takes on Poe, you know it's going to be a funky, bizarre and nerve-jangling ride. This book oozes cool, creepy vibes as dark as the shadow Chez Usher casts over the neighborhood. Hendricks has triumphed!” — Anthony Neil Smith, author of the Slow Bear series.