**2.5-stars rounded up**

Jane Shoringfield is a practical, independent woman, but she unfortunately lives in a time when that is sort of frowned upon; when it is expected for all women to marry and care for a home. In order to best get by, Jane decides she does need to find a husband, yes, but she wants it to be a marriage of convenience. One where she will still be able to work and maintain a portion of her current independence.

She sets her sights on a handsome, yet reclusive, doctor, Augustine Lawrence. Jane presents her plan to the good doctor and to her surprise, he accepts. He does have one condition, however, that she must never visit Lindridge Hall, his decreipt manor on the outskirts of town. Jane agrees, but when a freak accident strands her on the manor steps in the middle of night, Augustine must relent and let her in.

Jane is disturbed by the state she finds him in. He seems a different man, scared and paranoid. What is going on here? By morning, Augustine seems to be back to his old self. Now that Jane has been introduced to the sinister mystery of Lindridge Hall, however, she wants to know more. What makes this place so frighteningly special to Augustine and why didn't he want her here?

As Jane goes deeper into her husband's history, as well as that of <i>Lindridge Hall</i>, she is introduced to whole new worlds she never even knew existed.

The Death of Jane Lawrence has a super intriguing premise. It's dripping in dark, gothic atmosphere and for that, I applaud it. I also appreciated the incorporation of occult ideas explored, as well as the build-up to the craziness.

With this being said, it got a little too crazy for my tastes. It felt too addled; like a non-stop fever dream. There was almost too much going on to be able to sink in and enjoy that rich gothic atmosphere. It just lost me. I will admit to being a bit let down by this one. I was so looking forward to it and wish I could have connected with it more.

In spite of my slight criticisms, Starling's writing style is quite pleasing. It has a nice flow and as mentioned before, it definitely delivers on atmosphere. I know a lot of Readers are really going to love this one.

Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies of this to read and review.

This was a wonderfully gothic story. It has unexpected love, ghosts, magic, and madness.

Jane Shoringfield has decided that she will marry Augustine Lawrence as a marriage of convenience for them both. He finally agrees with the one thing that she must never do. She must never spend the night at his home Lindridge Hall. Of course, you know that that doesn't last long and of course, there are ghosts of all sorts and weird behaviors of her new husband and the staff.

I couldn't put the book down but occasionally could not read it at night. Just enough spookiness combined with logical explanations and a touch of the arcane magic to make it the perfect book for me without scaring me too much. No gore if don't count surgeries explained a bit too well.

I look forward to more of this author's work.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this book for an honest review. I will be buying copies of this for friends.

The Death of Jane Lawrence made for a particularly interesting reading experience. I was so excited for this book, partially because I loved Caitlin Starling's previous book, The Luminous Dead, and partially because the synopsis itself just sounded so intriguing and gothic and perfect. This book had an amazing start that had me hooked from the very beginning, and it continued to build up and get me really excited about where the story was going to go... and then about halfway through things sort of got weird and then continued to flatline and eventually go downhill from there.

The story begins with a marriage arrangement between Jane and the young doctor Augustine. Jane instigates this arrangement as a benefit for both herself and Augustine for businesslike purposes, and it seems as though it will be just that. There are a few rules to their marriage, one of which is that Jane is never to visit the doctor's mansion at Lindridge Hall. We don't know exactly why this is the case, but since Jane agrees to it, it is left as is. However, as you may have guessed, things don't quite go as Augustine had hoped and Jane ends up stranded at Lindridge Hall one night after an extreme storm prevents her from going elsewhere. While there, she discovers that there are a few odd things about both her new husband and the house itself, and the mysteries only seem to grow from there.

I loved the premise of this book, and I think Starling really excels in her ability to develop an all-inclusive atmosphere and setting that really lets the reader feel as though they are in this somewhat gothic story. The setting itself is a slightly alternate reality to our own, but feels similar enough that it is easy to get acquainted with. I felt a constant sense of a sort of gloom that was overarching in the atmosphere, and I loved the feeling that this gave the story. This spooky overtone persisted throughout the entire book and was easily one of my favorite elements as it fit the dark, mysterious Lindridge Hall perfectly, which acted as one of our main settings. There are plenty of creepy elements at play in this book, as well as some hauntings and even some dark magic that made it a really fun and great read for the fall/Halloween season.

I really liked Jane's matter-of-fact approach to many aspects of her life, and I felt that it made for a really compelling foundation for this particular storyline. What I didn't care for was what I felt was a bit of inconsistency in her personality, and although I think it was meant to shift gradually throughout the story, it felt much more sudden and jarring than likely intended, which threw me off a bit. Nonetheless, I liked that Jane was practical and resourceful while also being very human and aware of making mistakes or finding certain things difficult, despite her seemingly confident nature.

My problems with this book occurred after some big pretty big reveals began to occur near the midway point of the story. Unfortunately, I can't mention any specifics about these or when they occurred because that would be giving away from spoilers, but suffice to say that not long after a majority of these reveals came to light, the plot began to get extremely muddled. I started to lose a lot of interest in this story as this occurred, and I suddenly felt as though this story that had been so compelling and seemed to have so much in the way of themes and promise going for it had suddenly lost all of that steam and was slowing to a stuttering, convoluted stop. There are some elements of this story that I think are meant to be a bit fuzzy and mysterious, but for me things just started going a bit haywire and I even had trouble following some of what was going on. The ending was also a bit lackluster for me and a little too predictable (not in the good way, in my opinion). I still think the first half of the book was fantastic, and I loved the atmosphere that pervaded the entire book, but the plot and characters really lost me after that midway point.

If you are at all interested in this book or enjoyed Starling's other books, I would still encourage you to give it a shot since it seems as though plenty of people have loved it. My rating is based on the fact that I still mostly enjoyed reading this book and it does have promise, but I still struggled to get through the end. Still, if you're looking for something a bit spooky for your October reading, you can't go wrong with The Death of Jane Lawrence!

Since the death of her parents during the war in a country that’s an alternate version of England, Jane Shoringfield has been raised by a kindly couple in a smaller town. When they decide to move to a larger city, inviting her to move with them, Jane feels it would be best to part ways and find a husband. She’s not looking for love but rather a marriage of convenience where she could continue her satisfying bookkeeping work and be independent. She proposes her idea to the town doctor, Augustine Lawrence, who is hesitant but finally agrees to her terms, with one condition: that she never visit his old family manor outside town.

Before the wedding, Jane assists Augustine at his practice, and she finds that she is impressed with her fiance’s skills and calmness under pressure. She even finds, despite the bloody nature of the work, that she can do more than she would have imagined to help. The two get along well, and Jane is surprised and uncomfortable to realize she’s becoming attracted to this man she sought out simply to be part of a business arrangement, which entirely complicates the situation and her thoughts.

After the simple wedding, Dr. Lawrence’s assistant drives them in a carriage out to Lindridge Hall, misunderstanding their planned destination, and when he starts to drive Jane back into town, a storm and ensuing carriage accident strand Jane, and she finds herself already having to break her promise not to go to the manor. When she is admitted to the house, she finds her handsome and confident new husband a very different person: terrified and paranoid, worried that Jane is a ghost.

As Jane ends up staying nights at the house, she worries about her husband, and she begins to fear for herself. Something is truly not right at Lindridge Hall. She begins seeing things, and she learns about strange things that happened there in the past. As she pieces together more of what has been going on, ultimately, Jane decides to do whatever she can to rescue her husband, whom she has grown to care for deeply. And she may pay any price.

The Death of Jane Lawrence is a story of specters and horrors, about misguided people going down paths they should have avoided. It involves magic and a haunted house; a man with a past, riddled with guilt. It also involves love and sacrifice, two people with the potential to find happiness if given a real chance. It’s gripping, and the last stretch delivers a decidedly clever and fascinating conclusion. It is one of those tales that you’ll find yourself wanting to read back over at least a bit to see how the puzzle pieces came together to show a picture you weren’t quite expecting. I expected strictly a ghost story, and it gave me a satisfying bit more to chew on. But it’s also one of those stories a reviewer has to be careful to share too much about for fear of spoiling anything particularly good. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Wow, what did I just read?! Set in a fictional world, similar to our Victorian Era, this is Gothic horror, supernatural and strange, with just a hint of romance thrown in.
Jane Shoringfield, accountant and lover of all things numbers and math, has calculated that her best chance of survival is a marriage of convenience. She creates a list of her most eligible men, none too handsome or young so as to limit competition from other women. Bachelor #1 is Dr. Augustine Lawrence, country doctor and surgeon with a large estate in Larrenton called Lindridge Hall. At first skeptical of the match, he is soon convinced when she steps in to assist him in an emergency surgery without fainting or squeamishness. His only condition... that she stay at the surgery in town and NEVER visit his estate, where he will stay every night. But things go awry the first night when the wedding crowd delivers them to Lindridge. Are the whispers of ghosts and strange things in the house true? Why does she see the reflection of a blond-haired, red-eyed woman when she looks at a dark window pane?
I found myself deliciously scared by the strange things happening in this book. At first just seeming like a nightmare, then I thought maybe Jane was losing her sanity and these were the workings of a psychotic mind. I honestly got a bit lost for a while with all the strange things going on, but it all added to the foreboding atmosphere of the story.
I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

I loved this book. It makes me think of Crimson Peaks, Jane Eyre, and then sprinkle in just a little bit of gruesome magic on top of that all. It follows Jane as she arranges a marriage with a doctor in the town. Her requirements are that she gets to help run his business and not be expected to do typical wife things like have children. His requirements are that she never sets foot in his ancestral home. But, on their wedding night, circumstances lead them directly to the house and the secrets that are kept there. From that point, the story unravels into a glorious gothic-style instant classic. Jane is smart, stubborn, and determined, making her a wonderful protagonist while she tries to figure out who her new husband exactly is.

But, above all else, this author excels at writing atmosphere and mood. The level of detail and thought that has been put in to set up the house is amazing. It has dark intense moments, and classic haunted house vibes all at once. This was an instant favorite for me, if not my all-time favorite read of the year so far!

I first want to mention - how gorgeous is this cover?! I think it's absolutely stunning. While I thought this would be more of a suspenseful story, it's definitely more of a gothic horror tale. With that being said, it was mind-bendingly insane. It's creepy and twisted and will keep you up on night thinking about it in the best way possible. It's magic meets a haunted house - what more could you ask for in an October read? I will say the plot got a little muddled half way through, but wasn't enough to keep me from reading on. If you are there, I encourage you to keep going. Thank you St Martins Press for my gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read The death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling. A new author to me, Caitlin Starling's homage to gothic horror/fantasy was definitely an eye-opener and not for anyone easily disturbed by either horror or the gore of Victorian surgery. I will admit I read this book in bits and pieces (mostly during the day) and while I quickly became engrossed in the story of Jane and Augustine, I found some of the story dragged in places, but overall did enjoy the story.

3.5 Stars
✨ The Title/Cover Draw:
This was a pick coming up for the Literally Dead book club by #BooksAndLaLa and I was able to get an advanced copy to read from @Netgalley and St Martin's Press.

💜 What I liked:
The story is truly in the gothic / horror theme. It reminded me a lot of Rebecca or Crimson Peak in that the main character, Jane, marries a man she barely knows whose previous wife is dead. There are some major creep vibes and body horror here.

😱 What I didn’t like:
This book is awesome for like ¾ of it and then it gets weird. I can’t explain why or even tell you any explanation as I have no idea what exactly happened. Ok, that’s an over exaggeration. But if you like strange tales, this one's for you!


🚦 My face at the end: 🤪

💭 3 Reasons to Read:
1. Gothic horror house
2. Distorted reality
3. Magic - real or not?



🕧 Mini-Summary:
Jane offers to marry Augustine Lawrence, a doctor with a mysterious past and secrets in every corner of his forbidden house.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Received from Netgalley.

Review:
This book is very different from my typical reads, I usually don’t go for horror stories. The beginning of the book had me very hooked and intrigued, yet by the middle I was thoroughly confused. I tend to like understanding things and not just taking things at face value, but it was impossible with this book and the logic and mathematical theories within. Then again I do believe it was intentional. This books links logic with magic in a way that felt a little laborious for me to read through in parts. This doesn’t mean it was not a good book, just that it left me with more questions than answers. I really enjoyed the creepy vibes and the moments of madness and fear kept me turning the pages. It messed with my head in a way that will continue to haunt me for days to come.

Synopsis:
A very practical Jane has decided that her best course in life is to marry Dr. Lawrence in a marriage of convenience. Dr. Lawrence agrees to the arrangement with the condition that she must remain at the surgery in town while he returns nightly to Lindridge Hall, his family manor. Yet an incident has her knocking on his door on their wedding night. This leads to inexplicable horrors within the walls of Lindridge Hall that Jane is desperate to uncover.

I got this book in exchange for an honest review on NetGalley.

While not my normal pick for a book, this one was worth the read. This was both suspenseful and frankly, gave me nightmares. The imagery and setting reminds me of a classic novel, but it wasn't stuffy or too lofty to be engaging. I wanted to keep turning the page to find out what would happen next. I have already recommended this to lots of readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the dARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

Without spoilers, I will say I enjoyed the book until about the last third. I struggled to connect to Jane through the middle when she was supposed to be going through this struggle for one reason but it seemed to be for her own benefit. And the last part, while expected after how things progressed, made me lose most of my attachment to her and her motivations. It is a stellar Gothic novel, however it does harken back to many of the Gothic tropes of unlikable characters.

Jane Shoringfield wants a marriage in name only. She hopes to pursue her own purposes while not having to rely on her benefactors. She convinces Dr. Augustine Lawrence that marriage is essentially a business relationship and he agrees to their unorthodox marriage under one condition: she must never visit Lindridge Hall., his decrepit family home. On their wedding night, after an accident strands her there, she begins to see why he doesn't want her there. Jane finds herself exploring a world of ghosts and magic that she never thought existed.

I am new to gothic horror but this cover and the premise immediately grabbed my attention. I loved how each character had such interesting theories on magic and whether they believed it to be real. Also, Lindridge Hall is a character all on its own - just the way in which it is described leads the reader to imagine the darkest and scariest mansion possible. Towards the last 20% of the story, it felt like the author went a little left-field but she managed to bring it all together for an exciting ending. Thanks to Caitlin Starling for introducing me to gothic horror - I will definitely be reading more.

This was very enjoyable and had a nice gothic tone. The book takes place in a postwar alternate Britain, so it has a historical feel as well. It's pretty fast paced overall, and I definitely wanted to keep reading it. I had actually started this in the late afternoon/early evening, and I needed to finish it before I went to bed that day because I couldn't stand the idea of having to wait until the next day to finish it. There were some lulls in the middle/end, but it ultimately came together to be a very interesting story.

The writing was engaging, and I liked how you slowly get to see how things are not quite right and that there are mysterious things going on. There are definitely some spooky moments with the house in particular! I got the feeling early on that something was off about the house, and I loved getting to know more about it (and again, just how everything ends up coming together). Admittedly, some aspects are still a little confusing, and I'm not sure I entirely followed what happened. It's a cool idea though!

I immediately liked Jane. She's a bit socially awkward and has taught herself how to do things like make eye contact and do small talk. She's really into math and is a self-taught accountant. She's practical and logical, and I found her to be so relatable. I love how she finds math to be very soothing and how she actually reads books with mathematical proofs since this reminds me of my own experience in graduate school (I don't love math proofs, but math is great!). I liked how she proposes the idea of a marriage of convenience and then discovers that maybe she is actually deserving of love. She has some hard times where she realizes that things aren't what she thought they'd be, but I liked how stubborn and determined she is.

Augustine is more of a mystery. He seems like he genuinely wants to help his patients, but he has some secrets as well. He's also tormented by some of his failures. I particularly liked seeing how Jane and Augustine interact over the book and how this changes/develops.

I definitely had a good time with this book and would recommend it, especially if you're looking for a nice, spooky book!

My video review can be seen on my booktube channel (around minutes 0:26-3:55 of this video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NWCE7RAdDQ

THE DEATH OF JANE LAWRENCE is slow burn horror of the best kind, built on bridging the gaps between wishes, nightmares, and reality with fevered applications of blood and viscera.

The setting is technically-not-England, which frees it from being beholden to any exact combination of surgical sensibilities with historical accuracy while still conveying a particular feeling by the sum of its details. A surgeon might know the term “ectopic” while still practicing bloodletting and looking down on anyone so backward as to subscribe to miasma theory. Jane is an excellent narrator, highly reliable in how she conveys her thoughts and observations to the reader, but repeatedly stymied as she is less and less able to trust what she learns from other people. I didn’t much like Augustine as a person but he fits his role in the plot very well and is a great character. I love the plot, the pacing is excellent, a great book all around.

Its ending is immensely satisfying, fitting for the characters and in keeping with the horrors which transpire before. If you like surgical horror with magic and madness, don’t miss this one.

3.5, rounded up. This has a lot of aspects reminiscent of House of Leaves, Rebecca, Crimson Peak, and Jane Eyre. The first half of the novel leans into historical fiction/romance, which is probably why it was easier for me to get through. I found Jane to be not only intelligent, but also charming in her quirks. As the book went on, it became more difficult for me to grasp the threads of Starling's world-building, though I'm not sure if that failing is personal or due to the writing. The ending was also difficult to follow, but the events leading up to it are horrifying and grotesque (a compliment, just to be clear).

This is a worthwhile spooky book to pick up for the season if you're looking for some historical horror with magic gone wrong.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

Let’s just take a moment to appreciate this cover. Isn’t it gorgeously creepy? And The Death of Jane Lawrence delivers on all the cover promises. This book is strange, disturbing, and perfect for spooky season. When Jane Shoringfield marries Dr. Augustine Lawrence, it is supposed to be a business arrangement. They will live separately, she will keep the books and assist in the surgery, and she must never go to his family manor, Lindridge Hall. But when a storm leaves Jane stranded at the Hall on their wedding night, she begins to learn the dark past of both the house and her husband. Starling captures the Gothic atmosphere perfectly, employing hints of “Bluebeard,” Jane Eyre, Crimson Peak, and The Haunting of Hill House. The scary moments are appropriately terrifying, and I enjoyed every horrific moment.

Jane is an excellent main character. Starling does a great job building her personality and making her feel like a real, flawed person. She’s practical minded sometimes to a fault, exhibited by her proposing marriage as a business arrangement to Augustine. She finds comfort in numbers and spends her time balancing account books and reading mathematical treatises. I loved seeing her worldview change as she comes to terms with the horrors and magic she comes in contact with. What’s especially great is that she doesn’t just toss her math and practicality out the window. Rather, she uses it as a window into the seemingly impossible. Starling also handles Jane’s backstory well. We know the general facts early on, but she slowly reveals details to give us a full understanding of Jane as a character.

There are so many twists and turns in this book! Every time I thought I had something figured out, Starling threw another curveball. I was completely surprised (in a good way) with how things ended up. There are a few chapters toward the end that I found a little bit confusing, mainly just because there is so much happening. One in particular takes on a different style than the rest of the novel, and it just threw me for a loop. The book also gets off to a slow start, but it more than makes up for that with the fast-paced climax.

Overall, The Death of Jane Lawrence is a fantastic Gothic/horror novel with complex characters, stunning atmosphere, and delightful scares. It’s definitely one to pick up this Halloween season!

The Death of Jane Lawrence is a gothic/horror novel very much in the style of The Haunting of Hill House, Crimson Peak, and Rebecca. I have to admit that although I loved those stories, I was not very impressed with the beginning of this novel. Jane Shoringfield is this logical accountant who reaches a point in her life where she sees the need for marriage. Not necessarily for the romantic aspect of it, but for convenience. She sets her sight on recluse, albeit good-looking, Dr. Augustine Lawrence. After convincing him that the marriage would be beneficial to both of them, they get married with the condition that she is never to set foot in Lindrige Hall, Lawrence’s family manor.

Needless to say, after a series of “unfortunate events” Jane finds herself at the entrance of Lindrige Hall, and instead of finding her dashing, and sharp new husband, she finds a weak and paranoid man who believes Jane is nothing more than an apparition and hallucination.

From that point, we embark on the more gothic portion of the novel and the mysteries that surround Augustine and his manor. At about 50% of the book, the story takes a turn, and elements of the supernatural and the metaphysical come into play.

I have to admit that I came into this story knowing this was primarily a horror/gothic/ghost story. What I initially thought set this story apart was the use of logic and the paranormal together. So when you take this novel for what it is, it’s certainly an interesting read, especially during the Halloween season.

The reason I couldn’t give it more than 3-stars was the fact that at times I felt Starling was trying too hard. This novel felt as if it wanted to be so many things at once and in the end, failed miserably. In terms of character development, there was none. All the characters were pretty 2-dimensional, but the novel is pretty gory with strong elements of the macabre which suits the genre.

Possible triggers include descriptions of miscarriage/infant death which may be a sensitive topic for some readers.

The Death Of Jane Lawrence is scheduled to be published on October 5, 2021. I want to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Death of Jane Lawrence is exactly the book you want for October. It should come with a blanket, rain, and a pumpkin spice drink, because it's a perfect Halloween read.

The Death of Jane Lawrence follows Jane, a young woman who wants to be independent, a difficult task for a single woman in the unspecified, but Victorian-like setting of this book. In order to get her freedom, she makes a particular offer to the local doctor and eligible bachelor, Augustine Lawrence. She wants to marry him, but only as a business transaction: Jane gets to avoid all the troubles that an unwed woman would otherwise face, and the doctor gets an accountant. After Jane proves herself helping out in Augustine's practice, he agrees but with a few conditions of his own, the most important being that Jane is never to sleep at his house, Lindridge Hall. But fate has a mind of its own and Jane finds herself stranded in Lindridge Hall on their wedding night, forced to stay because of a dangerous storm raging outside. Did Augustine forbid her from staying because his house is in a state of ruin or is there a darker, more bloodcurdling reason, one that Jane might wish she never found out?

Wow, what can I say but that I am in love with The Death of Jane Lawrence . It's a gothic horror story with a dash of romance, a good amount of gore, and lots of magic. The beginning immediately pulled me in and I kept rooting for Jane, even if sometimes her actions made me want to argue with her. I was also surprised by how much I rooted for her relationship with Augustine - it did develop very quickly but there was something touching in how it blossomed. They're both well-rounded characters with fascinating backstories that added to the plot.

I simply couldn't put this book down. It was creepy and unsettling enough to make me not want to read it late at night, even though I desperately wanted to stay up the whole night and read it in one go. For anyone strong enough, I think that might be the perfect way to read it - the atmosphere and events of the second half (which I sadly felt weren't as strong as the first half but enjoyable nonetheless) can only be described as a fever nightmare: things become more frightening and delirious as we progress. They also become more confusing and I found myself going back to reread some paragraphs, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. The writing was beautiful, it felt true enough to the era the book was set in without being difficult to follow, and the plot twist at the end was a perfect choice for a story that turns this intense and paranormal. I simply can't praise this book enough: The Death of Jane Lawrence is a frantic, hair-raising read that I will more than happily reread come every October.

I not normally one to read gothic horror, but The Death of Jane Lawrence may have changed that.

This book starts out with a marriage of convenience so that Jane, a single woman, can continuing living in a town instead of moving with her adopted family. Everything seems great. There's a handsome doctor, a beautiful wedding, and a perfect plan in place. Then a storm comes along ruins everything. Jane gets stuck in a crumbling, old mansion. She doesn't know if she can trust her husband, his friends, or even her own eyes.

This tale divulges into madness quickly and you stay on the road until the very end. If you're a fan of gothic horror, or books that make you think "what did I just read" (in the best way possible) then I highly suggest you check out The Death of Jane Lawrence. It was such a captivating, maddening tale, that I 100% have plans to reread it again.

Caitlin Starling is a master of horror & suspense. I can't wait to see what else she comes out with!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for offering the ARC in exchange for an honest review.