Marion by Leah Rowan review

The lore of Psycho may have felt done to death, but sometimes storytellers can find a unique way to breathe new life into the mythos.

Authors such as Christina Henry have extended established fairytale lore, but the author Leah Rowan gives us a twist on the happenings of the Bates Motel with a minor supernatural twist.

It may feel like we’re in similar territory as we follow a woman to a motel off a desolate highway run by a young man and his mother, who live in the large house on the hill.

What Rowan gives us here is a modernised and feminist take on the story we think we know and then turns it on its head to become something quite interesting.

Our titular Marion is complex, whereas when it comes to the Billings (not Bates) family, we get some depth to parts of their story that may not have been explored before.

There is a confidence in Rowan’s writing which makes Marion a really interesting read, as you may feel like you know where it’s going but there are curveballs, but not for the sakes of a bait and switch, it enriches the text instead.

For Psycho fans this could be minorly divisive, but I’d recommend going in with an open mind and you’ll have a great time.

Marion by Leah Rowan is available now in various formats from Titan Books.