One of my favorite settings is San Francisco so when I saw this was set post 1906 earthquake I was beyond excited. This one is a historical suspense that I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. A dark read that I’m still thinking about.

I really wanted to like this book. The premise was interesting because it reminded me of Rebecca and Jane Eyre. However, the ending ruined the book for me, and I felt that I wasted my time on it. Therefore, it was a very disappointing read. Still, I recommend this for fans of Wide Sargosso Sea, The Vanishing Half, and The Mad Woman Upstairs!

Thank you so much to Putnam, Netgalley and the author, Suzanne Rindell for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review. This one was a interesting historical fiction gothic thriller. HF isn't a genre I typically gravitate towards and I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It was a bit of a slow burn at the beginning but I loved the characters and storyline. The end I did not see coming, I thought for a while I knew what was happening but I was totally wrong! Its 1906 in San Francisco the distraction from the big earthquake leaves Violet homeless once again. But it also left her pretty wealthy. Ever longing for family Violet just wants to do something to turn her life around. But she wants to include her two best friends Cora and Flossie. After a few years at a camp for those who have been displaced, The girls have decided to part ways. Which leaves Violet feeling sad and alone.

She won’t let that keep her down though, she moves into an apartment for women and ends up becoming a shop girl somethings she has always wanted. And then comes in Mr. Henry Carlyle who changes her life forever. But what happened to the first Mrs.Carlyle? Will her past sneak up and haunt her? Or will the ones she truly loves betray her? Fighting for love, a family, and friends Violet has to figure out who she really can trust. And what her husband may be keeping from her. This was a 3.5 star read.

This story is truly a journey and feels like it follows a lifetime. It feels as though Rindell has packed a lifetime in this beautiful and haunting book.

The story revolves around the life of Violet, an orphan with a bit of a sketchy history. Violet is prone to spells where she blacks out and can’t remember committing awful acts – like burning down the orphanage. Following the burning of the orphanage, Violet, Flossie, and Cora set out together into San Francisco. But when tragedy strikes, along with the earthquake, the girls are forced to separate in order to keep their secret.

Violet becomes a shop girl and falls in love with Harry Carlyle, a wealthy bachelor with a mysterious past. After their marriage, Violet moves into the mansion – but all is not what it seems. The staff have it out for her, there are mysterious noises in the night, and Violet fears she is descending into madness. She calls on her friends Flossie and Cora (who have come back into her life through coincidence) to help her.

Honestly, this book was madness. I had no idea what was going on with the house and the previous Mrs. Carlyle. Everything was so shrouded in mystery, but contained just enough clues and intrigue to keep me interested. I would have to say the writing in this book was quite masterful. There is such slow, deliberate character development it feels as though we are truly growing with these characters over many years. And the way the mis-directions are sprinkled throughout was just perfect. At the end you sit there thinking “ah yes, that makes perfect sense. Why did I not see this coming?”

It truly was a wonderful read and I need to immediately search out more works by Rindell.

The Two Mrs Carlysles
Suzanne Rindell

I enjoyed this historical fiction gothic thriller read.

I loved that the story was centered on the time period during the San francisco Earthquake in the early part of 1900's. Beautifully written and wonderfully researched story about these orphans, Violet, Flossie and Cora who at an unsettling circumstance find themselves escaping their orphanage onto prostitution but with the earthquake providing them with a blessing to runaway and escape with a large sum of money before going their separate ways. Violet becomes a shopkeeper and meets and becomes the new Mrs Carlysle. With a great twist and turn of this gothic story, you will want to find out what happens when these friends reunite once again.

Such a gorgeous writing with mystery and thrill, this gothic suspenseful read is just perfect.

This book wasn't great and it wasn't bad. It felt a bit drawn out at times and I was able to guess what was going to happen about halfway through. I love historical fiction but I am not sure I would classify this as that. Besides the fact that there was an earthquake in San Francisco that is about the only historical aspect of the book.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Putnam for the egalley of The Two Mrs. Carlyles. This was only my second historical mystery book ever and what a fantastic read it was.

The Two Mrs. Carlyles is quite a wild adventure. Violet, Flossie and Cora are three close friends who have stuck together since their first encounter at St. Hilda's Home for Girls. They are really the only family any of them have but they are forced to separate when the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake destroys everything they've know.

We are taken through the years following the earthquake through Violet's perspective but when she meets and falls in love with San Francisco's wealthiest bachelor is when things start to turn. Her new home in the Carlyle Mansion holds secrets and eerie things go on during the night...or do they?

The first half of the book is dedicated to giving us the background and lead up to when Violet meets Harry. To other's this may seem slow but I really appreciated this part of the story. I really enjoyed seeing how Violet makes her way through life wondering about Cora and Flossie (until their reunion) and making her way up through society.

There was never a dull moment for me and the pages kept turning. I never knew what to expect up until the very last page and even then author ended the book with my imagination still going.

Historical fiction is my favorite genre and I was excited to see a book with events surrounding the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco. I didn't realize this book was also a mystery or thriller so the story was a little surprising to me. All in all it was an enjoyable read, especially in the second half when I was eager to find out the ending. Speaking of... I'm not quite sure I understood what the author was alluding to in the last few sentences. Help me out fellow readers - what was I missing?

Thank you, Penguin Group and NetGalley, for a digital ARC.

I really enjoyed this one!

Thank you so much to Putnam books for my advanced copy.

What I Loved-

The time period- early 1900s . This book takes place around the events of an earthquake in San Francisco. I am familiar with the event but have read very few books about it.

The Characters- Violet, Cora and Flossie. I enjoyed their unique friendships and circumstances. They were interesting characters to read about.

The Writing - it took me a bit to get into the story fully but once I hit the halfway mark I could not put this book down. I binged the second half. It is almost midnight and I am typing this review knowing full well I need to be up in 6 hours to work. 😂. I literally just finished reading.

The Plot Twists- I cannot say that some of the twists were totally unexpected but I enjoyed them and it did not take away from the enjoyment of this book.

I cannot wait to read more by this author. So good.

This book felt a bit too long and drawn out. I do tend to be drawn to historical thrillers and this one had all the makings of being a great one, it just some how lost me along the way. The main characters are very interesting and intriguing, it just took a long time to get to the meat of the story. There are a few good twists and turns but overall, this turned out to be just an average story for me.

Review published in Shelf Awareness for the Book Trade on 6/23/2020 as well as Shelf Awareness for Readers on 7/28/2020. Links appear below.

San Francisco's massive and deadly 1906 earthquake lasted approximately one minute, yet its aftermath created a dramatic divide in Cora, Flossie and Violet's friendship. The trio's longtime bond from their childhood in St. Hilda's Home for Girls through their young adulthoods of affluence lies at the heart of The Two Mrs. Carlyles, an evocative and fast-paced novel of historical suspense from Suzanne Rindell (Three-Martini Lunch; The Other Typist).

Violet suffers from "spells"--"strange, trancelike episodes of which I have no memory"--and becomes dependent on Cora and Flossie to cover up her weakness and bizarre misdeeds. "With my spells, it would be impossible to tell the difference between what I'd done... and what it only looked like I'd done." A tragedy moments before the San Francisco earthquake presents the three with a life-changing decision, yet subsequent odd occurrences lead Cora and Flossie to sever their relationship with Violet. "But there are those who say that three is an unlucky number, and unluckier still when it comes to groups of young girls. Triangles make for poor allegiances, people will say. After all, a triangle--what is that? The blade of a knife, coming to a point."

Bereft at her friends' betrayal, Violet's determination to reinvent herself parallels San Francisco's civic rebirth, depicted in a symbolic yet subdued fashion. "Bit by bit, the city poked its head up from the ashes, rising shyly at first, curling into the air like a seedling sending its first green shoots up from the soil, feeling for sunlight. Folks began to rebuild. California is like a woman.... California really had reconfigured herself. It was as though God had split an invisible seam that ran the length of the mountains along the coast, shifting the earth like two pieces of cloth pulled in opposite directions."

When Violet meets and marries wealthy scion and arts patron Harry Carlyle, her life transforms further while mysteries surround the couple: Why does Harry's longtime housekeeper Miss Weber dislike Violet so intensely? Are the unexplained happenings throughout Harry's mansion due to Violet's spells or a sinister presence? And is Harry's first wife, Madeleine, dead or alive?

The Two Mrs. Carlyles is an atmospheric thriller with both a fairy tale and gothic feel. With well-drawn characters and Violet as her deeply unreliable narrator, Rindell deftly unveils how wealth has the power simultaneously to elevate and destroy our relationships with the people we love. --Melissa Firman, writer and editor at melissafirman.com

Shelf Talker: A gripping, twisting novel of historical suspense set in the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, The Two Mrs. Carlyles explores trust and deception among lifelong friends.

San Francisco

Violet was raised in an orphanage after the deaths of her parents when she was just 7. She was plagued with what were called spells and incessant crying. Her good friends were Cora and Flossie. The girls dreamed of running away, so when the orphanage caught on fire, they ran. It was later found to be arson. With no where else to go, Cora and Flossie found jobs in a dance hall and Violet was the cook and cleaner. Life for them was harsh until one day, there was a devastating earthquake that destroyed San Francisco. They took shelter wherever they could. After a few months, Cora was determined that the three of them should go their separate ways because they were all hiding a huge secret and they needed to start new lives.

Violet found a job as a shop girl in a shoe store and later got a better job in the millinery department of a large emporium. She was occasionally hit with one of her spells which left her essentially not remembering what happened. One day, a handsome, older, and wealthy man named Harry Carlyle approached her at he emporium and together they designed a crazy hat. Later, he invites her out to dinner and other places. Affection develops between them and they marry.

Not all is as it should because Harry’s first wife supposedly fled the marriage just before the earthquake and has not been seen since. Thus, Harry had her declared dead. Soon, Violet starts finding unusual things in the house and wonders if it’s her spells returning or is something more sinister going on?

Well now. This was a terrific whodunit in the Agatha Christie style. I really enjoyed it but must admit I was left with a couple of questions at the end that rather smacked of a sequel. If so, I would be waiting first in line to read it. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I love Suzanne Rindell's writing, so I do not even need to read the flap to know I will want to read her latest book as soon as possible. The Two Mrs. Carlyles was excellent! Violet is a young orphan working as a cook in a house for dance girls. She survives by the skin of her teeth flying under the radar as much as possible and relying on an alliance with a couple of the "dancers." When an earthquake hits, her employer and his mistress die, though the cause of death is hardly from a natural disaster. In fact, it is hardly natural at all. Violet and her friends Cora and Flossy realize there has been a murder, break into their employer's safe and steal as much money as they can carry, and set out to begin again on their own. They plan to meet up near the Golden Gate Bridge in a year's time. Violet finds a room in a boarding house and a job as a sales girl. She is eventually swept off her feet by the very wealthy widower Harry Carlyle. Harry's first wife Madeline allegedly died in the earthquake, though the gossips say otherwise. Harry soon marries Violet. Her welcome to his mansion is anything but, with servants treating her coldly, particularly Miss Weber.

The Two Mrs. Carlyles reads like a modern day domestic thriller, and had me hooked from the start with great suspense. Rindell is a master at crafting a timeless story in an historical atmosphere. I was constantly tempted to trust her characters, though I deduced there were no reliable narrators and no one without an ulterior and self preserving motive. A thoroughly enjoyable page turner!

This was such a fun read ! I loved this book . Its part thriller, part suspense, part domestic drama and paranormal. It has so many fun elements to it that I found myself turning pages into the night. Very well done to the author.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review is my own synopsis.

We are introduced to three young women that are friends and working at a San Francisco boarding house . When the earthquake occurs they realize their boss has been murdered and they steal his money from the safe. They make a pact to meet in a year and wish each other well. As each reinvents themselves one of the women meets a new rich widower of considerable San Francisco wealth. She marries him with the understanding his wife died in the earthquake. The servants are not pleased and treat her badly. Soon strange noises and happenings occur in their home .

I love Suzanne Rindell's writing. The author captures the essence of old San Francisco amid the after effects of the earthquake. The charcters are strong and I liked all of the women for their strength and ability to start over in life amid difficult times. A enjoyable read that had me enthralled from start to finish.

More like 3.5 stars really. This was an enjoyable book and a pleasant departure in style from what I've been reading lately. It was easy to read, fast paced, and the plot kept you searching for answers. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys just basic mysteries.

(NOTE: The following review will appear on CriminalElement.com the week of the title's publication.)


If you asked me a few months ago if I believed in ghosts, I would have more likely said no than yes. I’m fairly certain of it.
I was not haunted then.


Violet is a woman with many secrets.

After St. Hilda’s Home for Girls burned to the ground, she was left to make her way in turn-of-the-century San Francisco with her only friends: Cora and Flossie. The three teenagers did what they had to do to survive, the older girls working in Mr. Tackett’s dance hall while Violet tended to his boardinghouse where they all lived, cooking and cleaning and mending.

Though none of them enjoyed this life, at least they were together.


But there are those who say that three is an unlucky number, and unluckier still when it comes to groups of young girls. Triangles make for poor allegiances, people will say. After all, a triangle—what is that?
The blade of a knife, coming to a point.


Then, the night of the great earthquake, Violet has one of her strange “spells”. She loses track of everything and returns to reality to find a most gruesome scene…

In the wake of the city-wide devastation, the three women ultimately decide to split up, now armed with enough money to make their own way in respectable society, and vow to never tell another soul what happened that tumultuous night.


It was then that I realized most of life is divided up into a series of “befores” and “afters”: Before my mother and father died, and after. Before my aunt brought me to the orphanage, and after. Before I made friends with Cora and Flossie, and after…


Up to this point, Violet’s life was one of bad luck and unhappiness. But then she crosses paths with Harry Carlyle, one of San Francisco’s wealthiest, most eligible bachelors, an older widower whose gorgeous wife, Madeleine, reportedly died the night of the earthquake. And after a whirlwind romance, Violet becomes the second Mrs. Carlyle.

Violet truly loves Harry, not his fortune, and is happy to finally have a stable life. With Harry, she can start a family and find peace.

But settling into her new life proves more difficult than she expected, and not just because of the vast difference between her and her husband’s places in society. Harry’s rebuilt mansion is still organized just as Madeleine decorated it. The first Mrs. Carlyle’s beautiful portrait stares down at her from the top of the grand staircase. And the disapproving housekeeper, Mrs. Weber, seems to delight in telling Violet all of the ways Madeleine surpasses her.

Then strange noises begin to keep Violet awake at night.


I understood that all houses, large and small, are given to a symphony of little noises in the night. Each house is a living, breathing creature in its own right, and makes the sighs and grumblings and groanings that are only natural to its animal state. That’s just the house’s bones settling, say some.
There is something of bones, to be sure, but also of a kind of digestion—as though it were possible that a house might need to work through the events of the day like a heavy meal…


Is the house truly haunted by the first Mrs. Carlyle—or is a living person behind all of the strange occurrences? Could the culprit be someone who knows the secrets of Violet’s past, the horrible truths she’s hidden from her handsome husband?

Does Violet need to fear for more than just her marriage? Should she be afraid for her life—or her sanity?

The Two Mrs. Carlyles is equal parts Jane Eyre and Rebecca, those quintessentially European stories then transplanted to a swiftly changing San Francisco. Just as the city feels starkly divided before the earthquake of 1906 and after, so too is Violet’s story: the first half covers the sordid years spent under Mr. Tackett’s thumb while the second details her new and opulent life as Mrs. Carlyle.

As a heroine, Violet is more a successor to the fragile Mrs. de Winter than the indomitable Jane Eyre. With her peculiar spells and uneasiness in high society, there’s always a chance the next shock will break her. But Rindell still makes us root for her, even as we wonder how reliable she is as a narrator…

And while love interest Harry undoubtedly has elements of both Rochester and Maxim de Winter in his makeup, he isn’t nearly as overbearing and rarely as cold as either; as a Byronic figure, he’s far more likable and gentler than most, which is certainly refreshing.

Rindell does a masterful job of mixing (possibly) supernatural otherworldliness with psychological thrills. The lengthy set-up establishing Violet’s character and experiences pays off wonderfully when the true meat of the plot begins, leaving us wondering just what exactly is happening and who is truly responsible. Everyone, including Violet, feels more than a little shady and unreliable, and the ultimate reveal is a multi-layered and brutal one.

The Two Mrs. Carlyles is a mystery that combines the best elements of several sub-genres—historical, romantic, thriller, paranormal—into a rather seamless whole that promises to please a wide spectrum of fans. While there are risqué and horrific elements, Rindell never goes into too much detail, well aware that sometimes less is more.

And while Rindell has clearly taken inspiration from two of the greatest romantic suspense novels of all time, The Two Mrs. Carlyles is still very much its own story with plenty of surprises. By the time you follow Violet into her new home, you’ll be turning the pages as quickly as you can, eager to see just how everything plays out.

A fan of The Other Typist so was excited to read the authors new novel.Happily I found this to be another pages turner Kept me Engrossed guessIng till the last moment. So well written so involving.#netgalley#putnampress.

Suzanne Rindell kept me on my toes for the entirety of The Two Mrs. Carlyles! I changed my mind as to what was happening every few pages and still didn't see the ending coming. Loved the plot, historical detail, and surprise ending!

I have not read anything else by Suzanne Rindell, but I chose this one due to the plotline and the historical time period. Unfortunately, there was very little history in this "historical fiction." I love historical fiction when I get to learn some history in a novel, but this one did not include any history; rather, it just took place during and after the big San Francisco earthquake of 1906.

The story of these three young women who are finding their way in the world after the earthquake includes some romance, gothic mystery and a bit of suspense. I was enjoying the plot until I got closer to the end, which I found quite unbelievable. Despite all this, it was a fairly enjoyable read.

If you are a reader who appreciates a light mystery set in a historical time period, this may be for you.

Thank you to the publisher, Penguin Group Putnam, as well at NetGalley for advanced access to a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I reviewed this book for the Autumn #165 issue of Mystery Scene Magazine and you can see my full review on August 15th