The Haunting of Beatrix Greene

OHEMGEE! This book was truly a professionally written piece that I had to struggle to put down! It was one of those “one more chapter and I’m going to bed” kind of works! Except I kept reading more chapters… I loved the subtleties and hints of what was going to happen and could possibly happen.

Beatrix Greene was orphaned when her stage actor parents died in horrible fiery on-stage accident. Haz became her best friend and together they became an incredible team of charlatans, using Harry’s acting prowess to make Beatrix’s so-called medium abilities look real. Keeping herself as understated as possible, Ms. Greene became well-known for her skills in speaking to the dead, relying not on silly staged antics.

Enter one Mr. James Walker, a scientist who has had a time in the city exposing those for what they are, mediums with no power to talk to the dead. Oddly enough, that had never been his goal, just an interesting coincidence as he looks for someone who can help him get answers that he has been searching for his entire adult life.

He needs answers and only one person is going to be able to help get those for him. Her skill and reputation have preceded her within her circles and those that she has helped. Mr. Walker just must find a way to get Ms. Greene to help him and make her an offer that she cannot refuse.

Power has a way of surprising us, especially once we find out that we do have the ability to control it. What will happen to Ms. Greene and Mr. Walker as she realized who holds it? Will he get his answers, or will his past destroy him?

I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars, only because some aspects drug out a little longer than needed. Read this book!

Beatrix Greene runs her own small business as a spiritual medium in Victorian London. Except: she doesn't really talk to spirits. She thinks of herself as a strong empath who is able to easily discern what her clients need to hear. Her clients love her subtle approach without all the slamming doors and blinking lamps.

James Walker, a scientist starts debunking false mediums in London. Curious, Beatrix attends one of his lectures and ends up chatting with James afterward. James offers to hire her to accompany him to a house that is supposed to be haunted so that she can help him communicate with the ghosts. Beatrix signs on figuring she can just make something up as usual and get some easy money.

Beatrix, James and a few other supernatural experts descend on Ashbury Manor and hold a seance. The seance awakens Beatrix's true ability to commune with the spirits. She is possessed by the ghost of James' mother. This exposes that James has some secrets of his own. And so begins their dark stay at this haunted house.

I enjoyed this one. I found it to be a satisfyingly spooky haunted house story. I could picture the dark foreboding manor and its occupants. It reminded me in several ways of the Haunting of Hill House (the TV series more so than the book) which I am a big fan of (both the book & the TV series!). It was fun gothic-style creepiness. I am curious to see if there will be a follow-up book since this was touted as "season 1". If so, it is definitely something I would check out.

What to listen to while reading...
Beatrix by Cocteau Twins
Haunting by Halsey
Dream State by Son Lux
Fuel to the Fire (David Lynch Remix) by Agnes Obel
Sad Day by FKA twigs
Darkest Hour by Sevdaliza
Run Me Through by Perfume Genius

This book though! I felt like watching a horror movie and feeling like watching one too. It's kind of a frightening haunted house tale, thrilling and fast paced. It kept me interested and it played with my nerves. I'm talking much about it since I think it's best to go into it blind and enjoy the scary ride. Horror lovers will love it! This comes from a horror lover guys! It's like a treat for our spooky craving souls. I just wish it was a bit longer. But it's the season for spooky and this book goes well with it.

I believe this is the first book in a new series, it’s terrific. Reall good Victorian ghost story, pretty scary.

The gothic story I've been hoping for! An absolutely creepy romp from start to finish. Characters you're not sure you trust, a setting that will spook you, and a world you get lost in.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Expected release date October 28, 2020.***

👻👻👻👻
4 - 4.5 stars

I REALLY enjoyed this creepy, gothic story, especially at this time of year. The setting was just right, and the characters were quite enjoyable (even if a few were a little predictable). I'm not used to stories being broken down as "episodes" instead of chapters, but having the sections further broken down to multiple points of view did help the story flow better for me.

I'll definitely be on the lookout for other books by Rachel Hawkins. 😊

Thank you to Netgalley and Serial Box for my advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review! This book is the perfect pick for spooky season, and is a quick read.

This horror novella follows Beatrix Greene, a medium in the Victorian ages. Beatrix is a non-believer of ghosts, who puts her faith in the entertainment and production of her practice. That is, until she is sought out and hired to come to Ashbury Manor. The history of this home is dark and sinister, as a mother had murdered her own son, as well as herself, and is rumored to still haunt the halls.

The characters, and storyline, were compelling and interesting. It's everything you could want for a "haunted house" style plotline. I highly recommend it for anyone who is looking for a good, spooky read this October!

Pub Date: 10/28/20
Star Rating: 4 Stars

The Haunting of Beatrix Greene was hard for me to get through. I was drawn in by the premise, but the execution was a bit predictable and I kept getting distracted by the chapters being labeled as episodes as if it was a TV series.

I also didn’t find myself connected to the characters and that made it a little more difficult to stick with.

This story is a lot of fun, yes its a horror, yes it involves supernatural events and very gory scenes. It is so well written, it is fun.

It is a short, quick read that I would probably class as a novella. This book is perfect for the spooky (Halloween) season, if your into that. It’s a gothic horror set in the past of Victorian England.

Beatrix is a psychic medium, a fraud, who considers her job comforting, helpful and needed for her clients. As well as needed for her to continue to pay the bills. When she is asked to help prove or disprove the existence of ghosts in a mansion where a famous murder has taken place, Beatrix discovers she is not a fraud after all!

I really recommend this book and I look forward to reading more of Beatrix Greene in the future.

I think this would have worked much better as a full length novel. The pacing was incredibly off, and everything felt way too rushed, and that took away from my enjoyment of the story. I liked the characters and the plot, but everything was too rushed. I was never able to really know the characters, or feel any sense of mystery or suspense. As much as I enjoyed it, I think the fact that this story was so short really detracted from it. I understand this story is serialized, but for a first episode I don't know that I'm invested enough to continue.

If you are looking for a creepy gothic tale of a haunted house with a bit of romance that you can read in one or two sittings, then The Haunting of Beatrix Greene is perfection! The main character is Beatrix, a woman who earns her livelihood as a medium, but doesn't actually believe in ghosts. So when she's offered a substantial sum to determine whether a supposedly cursed estate is haunted, she thinks it's easy money. Little does she know what she is getting herself into....

The bulk of the story takes place in a single night where things go from spooky to horrifying. This makes it the perfect scope for a novella and I definitely recommend this if you want a bit of gothic horror in shorter form. It was fun with interesting characters, and if it was a bit predictable at times, I really didn't mind. Definitely one worth checking out! Do note that this is a horror novel and includes violence, death, evil spirits, the past death of a child, talk of losing parents, references to domestic violence, and a couple of more gruesome scenes. I received an advance copy of this for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Told in episodes, each ending with a cliffhanger, this ghost story is a great toe-in book for those interested in the "gaslight horror genre." Set in Victorian England, the main character Beatrix is a practicing psychic who provides a bit of solace for the grieving - even if it is fake. The characters were wholly modern and fresh: Amanda is an American woman who enjoys men's suits and photographs the dead and Harry is a orphan actor who is fiercely loyal to Beatrix. They are charged with the task of rooting out a ghost in a haunted mansion, only to have things go awry. The story is a bit expected, as is the arrival of a shady character at a convenient point of the book, but it does not disappoint on blood, gore, and ghosties.

Thank you to NetGalley and Serial Box for providing this digital ARC for review. This 9-episode serialized story is a different format for me. I liked having the entire thing at once (though I fear that this review will map to only Episode 1 on Goodreads) and given how poorly I am dealing with the week-long waits for GBBS episodes now that I've binged all the previous series I could get, I am not certain that I would have the patience for its intended consumption as a serial.

In case you're wondering about just the first episode, I will say here that Rachel Hawkins did a good job introducing the premise and the three main characters: Beatrix, a Victorian medium who is a non-believer; Harry, her best pal and sometime ghost stand-in; and James, a scientist who threatens to expose her as a fraud while offering her the opportunity of a lifetime. James is also clearly set up as Beatrix's love interest, and if you hate love triangles, no worries here about Harry, whose affection for Beatrix is decidedly platonic. Unlike a TV episode, this does not have much of a story arc of its own. It's all about the setup, and you'll need to read the remaining 8 episodes to get a full story.

Each of the three authors wrote three of the nine episodes, and whatever method they were using for collaboration seems to have worked well. While the overall tone of the story was inconsistent, sometimes feeling like a distinctly modern take on a Victorian or Gothic setting, they were at least consistent with each other.

If you are tired of tales that are ambiguous about whether or not they're supernatural, this may be what you need. This is definitely and unapologetically a story about a haunted house and demonic possession. It may be tropey and melodramatic, but y'know, sometimes that's just the treat you want. If you're in the mood for some creepy historical fiction that has both violence and romance, and isn't overly long, this is a fun ride.

This 9-episode collection constitutes Season One, and while the story wraps up satisfactorily, it's left open for more seasons. I will probably continue reading. Just not one episode at a time.

This is the spooky story of a medium who is called out by a scientist to visit his family's supposedly haunted home and determine if it is indeed haunted. She takes her assistant with her and arrives to find other people there as well. They have a séance and what happens ...

WOW.... What a delectably dark Victorian era horror story that proved to be a wonderful and quick read that had me from the first page. The book is slightly different than most, set as a bit of a screenplay, with names of each “episode” or chapter of the book, that really made me think this would be an excellent series to watch. (Hello, Hulu!) It follows Beatrix Greene as she does her best to make as much as she can relieving the grieved families who have lost a loved one, by “hosting” seances or readings to let them find solace in speaking with their since passed relatives. What most people don’t know is that Beatrix is a fraud and although she feels a bit of a respite in doing this work since she feels she helps people find closure, there are people like Dr James Walker that find this practice predatory and disturbing. Never one to back down from a challenge, when she is invited to a lecture on why James Walker believes mediums are fake and can prove his theory in front of an audience, she and her friend Harry, accept the invitation. Once Beatrix is there and asked to be a volunteer, James Walker finds her after the discussion and asks her a question that seems pretty innocent at first, but becomes a life-changing one for her. She’s asked to Ashbury Manor to provide a seance with a photographer and others to investigate the historic home. Of course, rumors abound about awful happenings within the home and of the ground it was built upon before Beatrix even arrives, but once she steps foot into the manor, all kinds of horror wait for her. Truly a wonderful read that had me quickly turning the pages to finish!

I wanted this to be more. I loved the character of Beatrix but everything else fell a little flat for me.

This was written by multiple people and they did an excellent job of keeping the 'voice' of the book consistent. While there were some parts that I found unnecessary - i.e. the romantic slant - it was still excited and scary all the same.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Holy cow, I should not have finished reading this after dark! This 9 episode ghost story seriously creeped me out, but I thoroughly enjoyed all of the heebie jeebies! The serialization was a very clever idea, and I wish I had only read one episode at a time, but I just couldn’t help myself.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NrtGalley. All opinions are my own.

The perfect October read.

I was hooked from the very first page. I love All Things England so this was fun and just what I need right now.

I liked the idea that James’ goal is to disprove Beatrix as a spiritual medium. He persuades her into performing a séance at Asbury Manor. I like the twist. It was a page-turner. It made me want to believe in ghosts.

I really enjoy this story, it was small but it definitely kept you on your toes and scary also. It is great Halloween story full of ghosts, demons and some great characters especially Beatrix Greene. She is strong independent women who didn't except what she discovers about herself and what happens to her. It was good and I hope we see more Beatriz Greene in the future.

Great horror book - and just in time for Halloween!!

The plot and setting remind me of the Haunting of Hill House or something equally Stephen King!

Great plot, use of historical scenes and a love story all combine to make this a read to the finish type of novel!