I was drawn to another ghost story this month, which feels appropriate with spoooooky Halloween fast approaching. Quick summary: Set in Victorian England, Beatrix Greene the (empathetic, but fraudulent) medium travels to Ashbury Manor to hold a seance along with a writer and a photographer for James Walker. James does not believe in spirits, and wants this seance to prove or disprove his theory. Once they arrive at the Manor, it becomes clear that the house itself has a dark past and is full of secrets.

The Haunting of Beatrix Greene is set up more like a TV series than a book. It consists of nine episodes (basically chapters), and each author has written three episodes for this season (book). (Never fear, it does not read like a script, but in fact a story.) Beatrix herself is a great female lead character – strong and independent, determined to make her way in the world relying on herself. While she herself does not believe in spirits, she does use her vocation to bring comfort to those that seek her council.

The spooky Manor definitely has vibes similar to The Shining, and at times the book is pretty creepy. It’s a fun, fast paced story with a nod to Sherlock Holmes, and even a little romance thrown in.

Just like your favorite TV series, The Haunting of Beatrix Greene is a fun book to “binge read” in one sitting. I for one am looking forward to the second season and Beatrix’s next adventure.

This book was, sadly, incredibly disappointing for me. What started out as a promising and compelling premise quickly turned into a rather poorly constructed story. The romance between James and Beatrix was a far more prominent aspect in the story than the actual haunting, and the insta-love trope between them is something I really didn't enjoy. If this is meant to be the most horrific and terrifying night of their lives, why is so much time spent focusing on them deciding they're in love and need to be together?

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Haunting of Beatrix Greene has many of the trappings of good horror: an old manor with a violent history, a medium (albeit a skeptical one), and plenty of things that go bump in the night. There were things that worked well, and things that didn’t.

This book followed Beatrix Greene, a spiritualist by profession, but not in actuality. She doesn’t believe in that stuff, thank you very much, but a job is a job. However, if she is exposed as a fraud, there goes her livelihood. So when she meets James Walker, a scientist who makes a habit of debunking fake mediums, Beatrix is justifiably nervous. Instead of trying to expose Beatrix, James hires her to spend a night in an old manor to decide if it is truly haunted. Joining them are: Harry, Beatrix’s friend and a rather lousy actor; Amanda, a hired photographer; and Stanhope, a friend of James. Hijinks ensue.

The bones of the story (pun intended) were interesting and it’s obvious that the authors have a love of the eerie. I loved the atmosphere of the book- at least, I loved the first bit. Later on, it went from creeptastic to gory, which kind of bummed me out. It was an abrupt shift that didn’t really work for me.

There were mysteries to solve, and spooks aplenty. My biggest issue with the book was that it felt rushed. The pacing was off. I felt that it could have benefitted from a few extra chapters and a slower buildup to give the creep factor time to set in. It was almost too quick to really appreciate, honestly. There was so much happening that deserved more attention than it was given.

If I look at this book as more of a campfire tale than a horror novel, I’d say it delivers some fun spook. I didn’t love it, but I certainly didn’t hate it. My final takeaway is that, while there were some thrills, there weren’t any chills.

I would have finished this in one sitting but it got dark and I got too scared. For me this makes a great horror book. Really reminded me of The Haunting of Hill House or The Amityville Horror film.
I would definitely recommend, especially for anyone looking for a creepy halloween book. I hope this will be a series as I'd love to know what happens next.
I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and am willingly providing this review.

These three writers wove a seamless story brimming with misdirection, surprise, and the unexpected. There were times that if there hadn't been so many pages left, I would have thought the story was winding down, I liked the way the chapter were titled. I hope there is another book by this trio. I have more authors to add to my watch list thanks to this book.

#BookReview 94/100:
Finished: October 11, 2020
4/5 ⭐️’s

Simple plot, fast-paced action and page-turning ghost hunting!

Beatrix Greene is makes her living pretending to be a medium and acting out the deepest desires of individuals wishing to commune or have some closure with those on the other side. She’s strategic, calculating and rather thoughtful when it comes to her work and often is able to do what other mediums cannot: bring peace and understanding to those suffering, without all of the bells and whistles. That is, until she is challenged by a scientist who would like to expose frauds like Beatrix and settle once and for all that ghosts and mediums alike do not exist. While Beatrix believes she is up for the challenge and plans to manipulate her way through the deal, she has no idea she will be in the battle of her life and awaken powers she never knew she had.

I enjoyed the fast pacing. I also enjoyed being with the cast of characters as they navigated the Ashbury house. All of that coupled with Beatrix’s own personal challenges with self-discovery really worked for me. A good story to add to your Halloween pile.

Not to mention, I loved the ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Serial Box for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Publication Date: 10/28/20
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#TheHauntingOfBeatrixGreene #RachelHawkins #AshParsons #VickyAlvearShecter #NetGalley #SerialBox #Horror #Thriller #Suspense #HauntedHouses #Mediums #GhostHunting #HalloweenBooks #BookWorm
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An interesting read about a woman who pretends to be a medium, discovers she really can communicate with spirits. When she is invited to an ancestral home under the pretense of observing her abilities, she finds that there is other things out there than just spirits. She is out for the fight of her life as well as others. I really enjoyed the scenery of early England. When the characters of the book decided to sail to America and begin anew, I found myself wondering what that must of felt like. James and Beatrix were ready to start over. I only hope there will be more adventures for this likable couple.

An entertaining, fast-paced ghost story complete with a haunted house and a basement of horror! It reminded me of campfire stories when we would take turns adding to the plot., resulting in unseen twists ( in this case a romance developing). A fun, spooky read perfect for the Halloween season. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

A fantastic edge of your seat 5 star read, perfect for Halloween month. I've always loved a good ghost story, and I haven't read one recently that grabbed me as this one did. I loved the character of Beatrix and how she came into powers she didn't know she possessed. I surely hope there are more volumes to come.

I’m here for a haunted house story. I enjoyed reading The Haunting of Beatrix Greene, it had a really interesting storyline. I was immediately drawn in by the main character and wanted to learn more about her. It was a quick read that kept my attention. I would have enjoyed more a more descriptive setting to pull me into the scenes more..

I wanted to love this book, and I did enjoy it for the most part. That being said, here comes the nitpicking. The pacing was odd, and I'm not sure if it is something to do with the serial nature of the writing, with multiple authors penning different "episodes" or what. It goes from spooky, to seductive, to complete and utter chaos, and each time feel like I'm not quite sure how I got there. There were times where it went slow enough to savor every detail (without getting boring) but then there were other things that happened so fast and were over before I even had time to really settle in mentally with what was happening.

Also, I had to laugh because at the beginning of the book I was already side eyeing some feminist themes like, oh no, is this going to be a thing? And then the end (not spoiling) felt to me like basically the bright light of feminism against the evil of domineering men, lol. I cringed a little.

There was romance in the book, more than I was expecting, and I was pleasantly surprised by it right up till the end. It felt a bit vague... but I'm going to choose to believe that it ended the way I wanted it to, so okay. ;)

I thought this was such a great book. Once I got started it was hard to put down. I love the format of the story where it is like a tv show. Each chapter is set up as an episode. I like the characters of the story. Beatrix and James are two great characters. I like how Beatrix has her career as being a medium, but she is a hoax. Then she meets James who wanted her help in seeing if Ashbury Manor is a haunted house or not. This was full of twist and turns and got even a bit creepy. I highly recommend this during the Halloween season.

Oh what a perfect pre-Halloween story! This was a very quick read and very engaging and fun. The characters were well-developed, and the atmosphere suitably creepy. The story was a blend of spiritualism and the Occult and horror and romance and it sped by as I read... I will definitely look for more in this series - Beatrix is a delightful character and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting her!

A spiritual medium, a disbelieving scientist, a haunted house and vengeful sprits make for a perfect spooky fall read.

Beatrix Greene has been invited to Ashbury Manor by James Walker. They are accompanied by her her friend and a photographer. Mr. Walker is not very upfront about his intentions but the money he is offering seals the deal. Is the house really haunted?

This proved to be a fast, engaging and riveting page turner for me. Very Gothic, very atmospheric, and very entertaining. The story flowed smoothly. I enjoyed that nothing felt like filler. This is a short book with a HUGE payoff in enjoyability. Spooky, creepy, tense and with a sense of dread, this story never disappointed.

Will this book and its characters haunt you? They did me!

Thank you to Serial Box and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

it was the perfect read for someone -like me- who wants something spooky for the halloween season, but also is super easily scared and would like to still be able to sleep at night. i loved the victorian setting, it gave me chills. the haunted house thing was really well done and it was, over all, a fast and fun read.

3.5 stars
Wow! This was so much fun to read! It was not necessarily scary, but it was very entertaining with some twists that had me gasping out loud.

The Haunting of Beatrix Greene follows our heroine as she accepts James Walker’s job offer to hold a séance at the (presumably) haunted Ashbury Manor. Lo and behold, things are not what they seem…

This little novella was told in serials. I found this so interesting and unique because it enhanced the reading experience. The book read like a movie, fast-paced and gripping. No word was wasted. The plot was predictable but it was still fun to read. I definitely suggest going into this blind. My one complaint about this was that there were a couple of plot holes that were not addressed. Hopefully, they will be in the sequel.

Additionally, the writing style was great and consistent, considering there are three authors writing each episode. The book flowed really nicely.

In terms of the characters, I loved Beatrix, Haz and Amanda. Beatrix was such a strong-willed character and I loved her tenacity. I wished we got to see more of Haz though, he was such an interesting character.
The one thing I did not really like was the romance. It progressed too quickly for my liking and felt underdeveloped.

Overall, this was such an entertaining read, perfect for spooky season!

The Haunting of Beatrix Greene by Rachel Hawkins, Ash Parsons, Vicky Alvear Shecter
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Beatrix Greene is a well known medium who brings hope and closure to the people of Victorian London. There is just one catch, she doesn't believe in ghosts.
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When James Walker, a scientist known for discrediting charlatans offers her a large sum of money to spend a night in a haunted manor in order to prove or disprove the existence of ghosts she is convinced it's a trap to expose her ruse. Even so she is confident in her ability to convince him, especially with a life changing amount of money on the line, and she accepts the job. Upon arrival at Ashbury Manor she discovers that the home's haunting is intertwined with James' haunted past and a night of frantic horror follows.
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She came for the money but she will be lucky to escape with her life.
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This is more of a short story than a novel, but the pages are packed with Gothic horror and some unexpected gore. A great, quick read for the spooky season!
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Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Serial Box, for providing me with a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

The Haunting of Beatrix Greene is the first Serial Box story in which I have read all of a season's episodes. The episodes are told from the dual perspectives of Beatrix and James. The story begins with James Walker, a reputable man of science, requesting the assistance of Beatrix Greene, a known psychic, to determine whether there is a presence of supernatural activity at Ashbury House. Not long after their arrival at Ashbury House, James and Beatrix soon realize that more is occurring at Ashbury House than they had originally believed.

The Haunting of Beatrix Greene was a surprisingly good read! It contained several spooky elements, a dash of romance, and an intriguing plot. For those individuals who are looking for a spooky read for Fall, The Haunting of Beatrix Greene is one that they should definitely pick up. Many thanks to Serial Box and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

I liked the gothic feel to this story. I was not expecting to be that creeped out, but I was. The drama and spookiness slowly crept in, which is perfect for a horror. The season/episodes instead of chapters was interesting. I was wary about different authors for different chapters, but it ended up working well. It flowed and meshed well. I was not able to tell there were different authors and there was no choppiness as I feared.

I loved this book! It was gothic, haunting, suspenseful. If you don't mind someting a little dark, this is the book for you! great story!