Friday Face-Off: Scary
Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme created by Books by Proxy! Each Friday, we will pit cover against cover while also taking the opportunity to showcase gorgeous artwork and feature some of our favorite book covers. If you want to join the fun, simply choose a book each Friday that fits that week’s predetermined theme, post and compare two or more different covers available for that book, then name your favorite. A list of future weeks’ themes are available at Lynn’s Book Blog.
This week’s theme is:
“There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.”
~ a SCARY cover
Mogsy’s Pick:
Mayhem by Sarah Pinborough
Between 1888 and 1891 there were a series of murders in or around the Whitechapel area, and the modus operandi of some of these were different enough that investigators theorized that they could have been committed by another person other than Jack the Ripper. The idea of a separate “Torso Killer” in these “Thames Mysteries” is what forms the basis of Mayhem, and in Sarah Pinborough’s version of the events, this new mysterious killer likes to take his victims’ heads as trophies.
But while this story isn’t really about Jack the Ripper, his name and crimes are still referred to frequently, and his terrifying hold over East London is part and parcel to the creation of the setting. Establishing that there’s the possibility of not just one but two murderous psychopaths stalking the streets creates this sense of dread that is pervasive throughout the novel. The supernatural aspect also helps in this regard, adding a whole new dimension to the story beyond just another straight-up hunt for an ordinary mundane killer. Small wonder that the covers for this book are all so atmospheric. Let’s take a look at them now:
From left to right:
Jo Fletcher UK (2013) – Jo Fletcher US (2014)
Spanish Edition (2013) – French Edition (2014)
Winner:
I like my scary covers like I do my horror: dark, chilling and disturbing, without being overblown or excessive. This describes all our contenders this week, so it was a very tough choice. In the end though, I’m going to have to go with the original Jo Fletcher UK edition. Probably the least menacing of the bunch, it nonetheless radiates a sense of “wrongness”, as what appears to be the cover to a quaint and cozy Victorian-era historical is instead marred by blood-red text and blood drops. I just love the layout, art style, color choice, and overall aesthetic for this cover, and having the actual hardcover version of it on my shelf, I can assure you it looks even better in person.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
The BiblioSanctum 
I think the US Mayhem was pretty scary, but all of them had gorgeous artworks! Great post!
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It’s the skull face! *shudder*
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Good choice, but the French “Whitechapel” cover grabs me more – although I can’t really say why.
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That one is a great color, so I don’t blame ya!
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I actually like all of these covers! The US one is the most disturbing for sure. I like the UK one but my favourite is the Spanish one. I might well add the book to wishlist too!
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They’re all creepy in their own way, that’s for sure.
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I keep meaning to read this book. I’ve been wanting to pick up more by this author since I read The Secret Language of Dying. I’m with you on your pick. It may not be the creepiest but it speaks to me the loudest and is the one I’d pick up.
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Yeah, she’s great, though The Language of Dying felt very different from a lot of usual work. Still a gorgeous book.
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The Jo Fletcher US has always been my fave, very creepy!
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Yeah, when that one came out, I was shocked how different it looked than the original. Might be more appropriate though 🙂
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Great selection, I like your pick here. That one is just esthetically pleasing to me for some reason lol.
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It’s almost “artsy”, in a way!
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Yes you’d get my vote too Mogsy 😉
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Haha, good choice 🙂
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Great pick! I agree with your choice, that is an absolutely beautiful cover ❤
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I know, I just love the art style!
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Same. It is sort of cute.
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Heh heh, cute in a bloodstained kind of way 😉
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I love that cover – and the book too. Great pick.
Lynn 😀
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Oh yes, it was such a great book. It was my first by Pinborough, made me an instant fan.
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Love your choice!
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Nice, lots of folks in sync this week 😀
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That’s the one I like too, it’s not over the top but it’s still dark, definitely my favorite of the four.
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I think that’s what I love most about it. It’s artistic, but also eerie, but not too extreme in any fashion.
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the US one is pretty creepy. Jeez 😅. I like the other ones too. Very artistic.
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Yeah, the skull face creeps me the hell out!
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