The Blood Countess - by Shelley Puhak (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

A March Indie Next Pick * A Barnes & Noble Most Anticipated Nonfiction Book of 2026 * A Barnes & Noble Reads Best Book of February 2026

From the author of the national bestseller The Dark Queens, an incandescent work of true crime and feminist history about Elizabeth Bathory, the woman alleged to be the world's most prolific female serial killer.

There have long been whispers, coming from the castle; from the village square; from the dark woods. The great lady-a countess, from one of Europe's oldest families-is a vicious killer. Some even say she bathes in the blood of her victims. When the king's men force their way into her manor house, she has blood on her hands, caught in the act of murdering yet another of her maids. She is walled up in a tower and never seen again, except in the uppermost barred window, where she broods over the countryside, cursing all those who dared speak up against her.

Told and retold in many languages, the legend of the Blood Countess has consumed cultural imaginations around the world. But despite claims that Elizabeth Bathory tortured and killed as many as 650 girls, some have wondered if the Countess was herself a victim- of one of the most successful disinformation campaigns known to history. So, was Elizabeth Bathory a monster, a victim, or a bit of both? With the breathlessness of a whodunit, drawing upon new archival evidence and questioning old assumptions, Shelley Puhak traces the Countess's downfall, bringing to life an assertive woman leader in a world sliding into anti-scientific, reactionary darkness-a world where nothing is ever as it seems. In this exhilarating narrative, Puhak renders a vivid portrait of history's most dangerous woman and her tumultuous time, revealing just how far we will go to destroy a woman in power.

Review Quotes

"Puhak draws from archival research to lay out how received wisdom has been warped over the centuries by exaggerations, shoddy scholarship and outright fabrications. Her book takes the tale of one woman and turns it into a portrait of an era . . . Puhak is a skillful guide through the thicket of political turmoil, weaponized accusations and palace intrigues. . . The legend is sordid, grisly and above all memorable." --Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times

"A feminist debunking of the myth of a monstrous Renaissance noblewoman . . . Through close reading of Bathory's many letters and various contemporary accounts, poet and writer Puhak uncovers a thoroughly pre-modern Renaissance woman, well bred and well read, from a distinguished ancient family . . . Admirably clear-eyed history related in crystalline prose." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"This striking account from poet and historian Puhak separates the true story of Hungarian noblewoman Elizabeth Bathory from her blood-soaked mythology . . . It's a stunning feminist reconsideration of one of history's most reviled villainesses." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Revelatory . . . Puhak's level-headed analysis of the evidence, grounded in historical context, exposes the tragic ease with which a powerful woman may be attacked through innuendo and misinformation. Given the fame of the Blood Countess Bathory, this should be a popular acquisition." --Library Journal, starred review

"Puhak sifts through the confusing, often contradictory historical record to present what could be the most complete, most accurate portrait of Bathory we've ever seen. The research is impeccable, and the writing is richly textured (the author is an accomplished poet), and, most important, the author's empathy shines through. This is no remote historical figure she's writing about, this is a living, breathing woman who was not who we thought she was. A splendid exploration of one of history's most enduring enigmas." --Booklist

"If not for this book, the actual story behind Bathory's status as a stock vampiric character could have continued collecting dust in the archives . . . The Blood Countess goes a long way in reminding readers of the historical relevance and narrative power of misogyny . . . a strong, well-researched corrective to a story that is about the type of power-hungry, deadly scheming best left in the annals of history." --Foreign Policy

"Shelley Puhak has launched an exhaustive effort to find the truth. Her new book, The Blood Countess, is an amazing demonstration of diligent scholarship." --Washington Independent Review of Books

"The Blood Countess delivers a sharply argued, thoroughly researched feminist takedown of a libelous legend . . . [a] thrilling historical cold case." --Shelf Awareness

"With vivid scenes and astonishing detail, Puhak takes us on an enthralling journey into the life of the notorious Elizabeth Bathory. In this deeply researched, essential historical corrective, we finally learn how Bathory came to be known as the Blood Countess and meet the woman behind the myth." --Olivia Campbell, New York Times bestselling author of WOMEN IN WHITE COATS: How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine

"A brilliant reappraisal of the life and legend of Elizabeth, Countess of Bathory . . . Employing an engaging style and meticulous research, Puhak slices through four hundred years of superstition and smears with the ease of a Renaissance knight on a noble quest for truth and justice. Both an invaluable contribution to scholarship and a compelling true crime mystery, The Blood Countess makes for a fascinating read." --Nancy Goldstone, author of THE REBEL EMPRESSES: Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France, Power and Glamour in the Struggle for Europe

"In a remarkable feat of research, Shelley Puhak untangles the four-century-old mystery of the Blood Countess, a tale long tainted by misinformation in a society determined to sink a powerful woman. Puhak's fine writing brings the notorious countess to life with clarity and passion." --Becky Aikman, author of SPITFIRES: The American Women Who Flew in the Face of Danger During World War II

"Shelley Puhak skillfully reveals the layers of deception and fear surrounding Countess Elizabeth Bathory, portraying her as a complex and misunderstood figure: commanding, powerful, and punished for defying the limits imposed on women. A new image emerges-a formidable woman fighting against men eager to seize her property and power. The Blood Countess reveals how influential women are often vilified and underscores the significant role myths play in shaping our understanding of history." --Lydia Reeder, author of THE CURE FOR WOMEN: Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi and the Challenge to Victorian Medicine That Changed Women's Lives Forever

"Shelley Puhak leaves no stone unturned in her thorough debunking of the myths surrounding Elizabeth Bathory . . . [Bathory's] only crime was being a woman who would not cede her power . . . This tale, though set in the seventeenth century, strikes so many notes with contemporary resonances. . . Exciting, revealing, and often enraging, the life of the powerful Elizabeth Bathory finally gets the treatment it has long deserved." --Catherine Prendergast, author of THE GILDED EDGE: Two Audacious Women and the Cyanide Love Triangle That Shook America

"I greatly enjoyed this pacy, compulsive investigation, with its persuasive unpicking of many claims made against Elizabeth Bathory. We think we know about this witchlike, vampiric murderess-but Puhak tells us a whole new story of intrigue and injustice." --Marion Gibson, author of WITCHCRAFT: A History in Thirteen Trials

"A well-researched and well-told epic history. The Dark Queens brings these courageous, flawed, and ruthless rulers and their distant times back to life." --Margot Lee Shetterly, New York Times-bestselling author of HIDDEN FIGURES on THE DARK QUEENS

"Powerful feminist history . . . sweeping and detailed." --USA Today on THE DARK QUEENS

"History at its most fun. Game of Thrones, eat your heart out!" --Napa Valley Register on THE DARK QUEENS

"A lyrical and astute assessment of the political maneuvers, battlefield strategies, and resilience of medieval queens and rivals Fredegund and Brunhild . . . Puhak skillfully draws on contemporaneous sources . . . The resulting is a deeply fascinating portrait of the early Middle Ages that vigorously reclaims two powerhouse women from obscurity." --Publisher's Weekly (starred review) on THE DARK QUEENS

"A delicious read." --Denise Keirnan, New York Times bestselling author of THE GIRLS OF ATOMIC CITY on THE DARK QUEENS

"Bravo to Shelley Puhak for a remarkable piece of detective work, by turns enlightening and shocking." --Amanda Foreman, New York Times bestselling author of GEORGIANA: Duchess of Devonshire and THE WORLD MADE BY WOMEN on THE DARK QUEENS

"Bright, smart, and playful, The Dark Queens is a marvelous trip into the murky early Middle Ages. Shelley Puhak presents a believable and vividly drawn portrait of the Frankish world, and in doing so restores two half-forgotten and much-mythologized queens, Brunhild and Fredegund, to their proper place in medieval history." --Dan Jones, New York Times bestselling author of THE TEMPLARS and POWERS AND THRONES

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