Book Description 

A gothic feminist body horror in two timelines revolving around three Anatomical Venuses—ultrarealistic wax figures of women—that come to life at night to murder men who have wronged them.

Seoul, present day. Antiques dealer Alys’s task is nearly complete. She has at last secured Elizabeth, the final anatomical Venus in a dangerously intertwined trio. Crafted in eighteenth-century London and modeled after real-life sex workers to entice male medical students to study female anatomy, these eerie wax figures, known as slashed beauties, carry unsavory lore. Legend has it that the figures are bewitched, and come to life at night to murder men who have wronged them. Now Alys embarks for England, where she knows what she must do: sever her cursed connection to the Venuses once and for all.

London, 1763. Abandoned and penniless in Covent Garden, wide-eyed Eleanor and another young woman, Emily, are taken under the wing of beautiful and beguiling Elizabeth, one of the city’s most highly desired courtesans. But as Eleanor is seduced deeper into a web of money, materialism, and men, it seems that Elizabeth may not be the savior she appears to be.

As past and present begin to intersect, it becomes clear that the women’s stories are linked in deeper, darker ways than it initially seems. And that the only method for Alys to end the witchcraft that binds her legacy is to gather all three models in one place and destroy them.

The problem is, Elizabeth is not ready to burn. Far from it. Centuries on, she is determined to rise again, and she will obliterate anything standing in her path. Including Alys herself.

My Review 

I first learned about anatomical Venuses when reading a Veronica Speedwell novel, so my interest was immediately piqued when I saw that they were the subject of this novel. 

The timeline splits between the present day with Alys finally close to securing all three wax figures after years of working towards her goal, and the Georgian era wherein the beauties make a name for themselves in London under the tutelage of the more worldly Elizabeth. 

The timeline switches every chapter, leaving the reader always reaching for threads of context and connectivity dangled in front of them in a most alluring fashion. 

Without giving too much away, the historical timeline is somewhat tragic, although that can be deduced from the blurb alluding to the beauties’ murderous history. Their story lends a sense of urgency to the present day, especially with stories of the Elizabeth doll compelling men to go to extreme lengths to remain close to her. 

I would absolutely recommend Slashed Beauties. This book had some interesting twists that I wasn’t expecting and I loved the details in the Georgian timeline portion. I am looking forward to reading more from Rushby in the future. 

I received a digital ARC of this book from Berkeley/NetGalley