For all you creeptastic lovers, this is for you! I loved it!!! Creepy, atmospheric and completely unputdownable! If Shirley Jackson met Rebecca, this is what you'd get. Great writing, riveting story and a terrific ending. Thank you so much!

i should probably just accept the fact that gothic literature is not my thing(unless it's a classic)

this book was good. solid. great even. but it had lots of elements that I dislike. barely any detail, and the characters kepttt getting on my nerves.

4.5 stars
TW: medical gore, gaslighting.

For fans of Rebecca, Crimson Peak, Bunny, and Jane Eyre, this gothic horror set in an alternate version of England revolves around our main character, Jane. Jane is an extremely practical young woman orphaned from war who knows what she wants - she has to get married to secure her future, but she wants to continue being independent and doing her work. She finds that Augustine Lawrence, a local surgeon, is the best fit for her, and he accepts her strange proposal, on one condition - that she never stays the night at his family estate. Jane unknowingly embarks on a journey of mysterious cults, dark magic, vengeful spirits, and tests of strength in this nightmare of a novel.

When I say I love weird books, this is exactly the type of thing I'm referring to. Too many horror books I've read recently just haven't gone far enough for me, but this got exactly where I wanted it to. As a debut horror novel, this absolutely shocked me. The atmosphere was spot-on and was extremely reminiscent of classic gothic literature. I became attached to our two main characters quickly, even if Augustine isn't the best person. I kept wanting to flip the pages to see what would happen next, but I think this book should be taken slower to absorb it all. The speculative elements were fascinating and I liked that it played into Jane's already established strengths. The tension was always kept very high; there was never a dull moment.

However, the ending got a little muddled for me; I needed to reread some. When it comes to this type of book, you're meant to be confused on some parts, but the logic near the end got a bit convoluted when it wasn't supposed to be confusing. I also thought that the main end goal Jane is pursuing was somewhat strange and I'm still unsure how to feel about it.

Overall, I was extremely impressed by this novel. I'm definitely going to pick up anything from this author in the future and will be recommending this to all my friends who like "weird" or gothic books like I do.

I enjoyed this book. The only thing I found a little jarring was the world setting. There were too many similarities (including names) of actual places, but while there were similarities to post-WW2 England, there weren't the modern conveniences of telephones and automobiles. I actually wish the author would've just stuck to a traditional English setting and lost the subplot of the cellars and Jane's parents. I kept trying to reconcile the two timelines in my head without success.

This book was really stellar. It pulled me in and disturbed me, but the more it disturbed me, the faster I read. Caitlin Starling has quickly become a one-click author for me, and this book just cemented that fact. And that ending! Whew, I'm still reeling a few days later. I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a ARC in exchange for my honest review.

While I thought the premise was intriguing and filled with suspense, mystery, a creepy house and gothic vibes the story felt somewhat flat and confusing especially towards the end.

Thought the pacing throughout the book was really good and the mystery started right away, which kept me on the edge of my seat. And while I did love the concept of paradoxes and echoes in time, it felt a little convoluted during the last half of the book.

Overall, I did like the beginning and middle part of the story but the ending left me slightly disappointed. However, it was still an enjoyable and fast read that left me questioning reality and all its synchronicities.

Thanks so much for the chance to read this book in exchange for honest feedback! First of all... this cover is brilliant! I think that my biggest takeaway (aside from the great writing and plotline) is that I am impressed by the author's ability to ACTUALLY be spooky! I'm not saying that others aren't... I'm saying it's hard to be spooky in a book! It's hard to be spooky in fiction. Starling does an excellent job of weaving together elements that may not be necessarily associated with this genre. I will be following up with looking for new publications by this author if they decide to do more!

In post-war England, Jane has made herself a plan. A marriage of convenience is her best bet, so that she can continue to be an independent woman in society, without being looked down upon. She narrows down her options and finds a young man suitable for her envisioned arrangement - Augustine Lawrence. Augustine agrees to the ruse on one condition - Jane must never his crumbling family manor. (Not suspicious at all, Jane! Go ahead, marry him!)

But after an accident occurs on their wedding night, Jane finds herself at the doors to the family manor - and finds her husband within - and he's not the man she knows, at all. Replacing the dashing, confident doctor she knew is a feeble, paranoid man. When morning comes, Augustine is himself again - and Jane realizes, something is amiss at Lindridge Hall.

If Rebecca and Crimson Peak had a literary child, this would be it! An excellent gothic horror adventure through a crumbling manor, rife with danger and unsettling scenes.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for advance access to this title!

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Death of Jane Lawrence is the newest tale.of spooky houses, tucked away secrets, and powerful women. All Jane wants is a husband so she isn't looked down upon as strange, but she has a condition. She wants it to be a marriage that allows her freedom, something most eligible men wouldn't entertain. When Jane meets Augustine Lawrence she finds the perfect match for what she's after. They agree on a marriage and he allows that she will stay in town at his surgery office which has an apartment upstairs while he resides at his family home. Their most important addendum for their agreement is this: Jane will never spend the night at his family home. This begins our twisted tale of hauntings, magic, and the impossible pull of love.

This book was one of my most sought after approvals, and I leapt for.joy when I got the email that my request was approved. Just coming off my disappointment in Mexican Gothic this was just what I needed to cleanse my horror palette. While there is alot to unpack in this novel, it is done exquisitely. The author weaves a tale that is broken down into parts with a conclusion that leaves you pondering about all you have just read. I don't say this to scare off any readers, in fact I think it will help readers as they come to the different exhibits this novel has to offer. Mathematics, Magic, time travel, existential crisis, life after death, out of body experiences, monsters, and a mystery all rolled into one. Sometimes I did find myself a but lost and had to reread a chapter or two back, but it was well worth it in the end.

That said, this book will not be for everyone. If you don't like complex magic systems, sloe burn stories, or have a super weak stomach this doesn't belong on your shelf. As I stated it was alot to unpack and made you think alot more than most books containing horror do. The author introduces characters throughout and the names at time were hard to keep straight, but each person served a purpose.

Overall I enjoyed this tale, but don't find it has alot of reread value. Four stars from me for originality and a well thought out and put together world. I recommend this for anyone 16+ as there is gore and a touch of sex(nothing smutty). If you stick out the slow burning beginning I think you'll be pleased with what you find waiting for you.

This book was absolutely amazing. I loved the book. Starling did not write a clique novel by any means and I really felt the ending was complete and it made me satisfied for now. I will definitely look out for anything written by the author from now on. This book left an amazing impression. The characters were well-rounded and they felt like real people you could meet on the street. The plot gave everything, it packed a lot of power and kept my attention. Loved it.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of The Death of Jane Lawrence.

Two stars… Firstly, I must say that the writing is not at fault here. Caitlin Starling does a fine job of weaving this tale. I actually enjoyed the first third of this book. It simply became tiresome and uninteresting when ghosts, crypts, and unbelievable events entered the premise. After reading 70 % of the novel, I skipped ahead to read the last three chapters. It seems that I did not miss much of the plot. If you enjoy this genre you may want to give this novel a try. It certainly is well-written. For me, it’s just not my cup of tea.

The best gothic horror I've read in ages. This book takes slow burn to a new level and throws in twists and turns that makes for a page-turning experience. Fans of Shirley Jackson, Crimson Peak, and Mexican Gothic will love this one.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

Jane Shoringfield makes what she believes is her best business agreement yet: marriage to the town’s new and reclusive doctor. His only condition to their arrangement: that she never visits his family’s manor house.

I went into this book not really expecting to like it (I had read the summary long enough before receiving an ARC that I had forgotten what it would be about), and holy shit, this book blew me out of the way. I’ve been putting off writing this review because it’s one of those books where I’ve had a hard time explaining my thoughts on it that go beyond just telling people to read it as soon as they can.

While this book really hits on traditional Gothic tropes (this is what teenage me was hoping Jane Eyre would be, honestly), it drops unexpected twists in as soon as you start to think that you know where the story is going. There are many sweet moments in the story, but Starling never lets you get too comfortable by inserting small unsettling details or pivotal (read: terrifying) encounters.

This is one of those books, where the writing style leaves you in much the same headspace as the main character. When she doesn’t understand something, the book becomes confusing and frustrating. When a discovery is made, you fly through the writing and everything makes sense. Jane, as the main character, has a hard time understanding relationships, but as the story moves on, we get a fuller picture of both herself and the other characters as they move from completely one-dimensional to fully fleshed out people. We learn as Jane does, and it’s a truly fascinating approach to the narration that I completely loved.

The Death of Jane Lawrence is absolutely terrifying and exhilarating, and I had a hard time putting it down.

This book started off with a lot of promise--intriguingly alt-universe Victorian/Edwardian not-England? Marriage as business contract to isolated doctor? Magic? Gothically haunted house with mysterious rules? Strong female lead?!!! Starling is a master of gothic atmosphere, as she proved in The Luminous Dead, but I did not find that the atmosphere was enough to carry this book. There were so many promising elements, and the first half to two thirds built up some excellent tension and backed the reader into incredibly interesting questions, however the book lost steam and began to drag for the last several chapters, and ended untidily with the questions left unanswered feeling like they were not just unanswered for the reader, but that the author also didn't know what to do or what had happened. This was a bit of a miss for me.

Gothic novel with an interesting an utterly unexpected twist. I thought it would be an old fashioned gothic story with a weak heroine and a byronic tormented hero but it was not and, at the same time, it really was. Highly recommended!

If you are into the supernatural, magic, spells and such this book is for you!
While it is not a genre that I usually delve into, this book kept me engaged and wanting to know what was going to happen next.
The story is engaging and definitely worth the time it takes to read it. You will be brought to a point where reality and possibilities meet! What is real, what is imagined and what is "of the other world". all come together to keep you turning the pages!
All together an enjoyable book that had my hair standing on end a few times.

This book is well written, the lines flow nicely and I enjoyed reading it. It is out of my normal reading material and gave me nightmares. I felt like it went over my head and the ending didn’t seem finished. It’s probably just me.

The writing is perfection though.

I received this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Death of Jane Lawrence spoke to me immediately when I first saw the cover (compliments to the designer) and continued to do so as I read the synopsis. Recently I've been craving gothic romance and I'd actually just come out of one of my many Crimson Peak hangovers, looking for something similar to quench my thirst.

Well let's just say, this book has not let me down. It's given me exactly what I wanted for about half of the book and then it added a twist, a huge twist to the second. I personally feel like it was a great idea and it worked, BUT I can also see the last quarter, or third even, of the book losing some readers along the way or might require them to read some passages multiple times to keep up. Not necessarily because it is so hard to understand, but rather because it comes a bit out of left field if you're expecting just a classic ghost story with some romance sprinkled in. This is not just that, and I enjoyed it. Some of the concepts surrounding magic in this book felt so oddly familiar and logical that I ocassionally had to take a break from reading because it got too real. That to me was far more frightening than any ghostly elements.

The only thing I didn't like that much was the pacing, which seemed off to me during important parts of the story. - Too fast in the beginning, mostly concerning the relationship of our protagonists with each other, but also when it comes to Jane's introduction. I feel like she could have been even more fleshed out early on to make connecting with her easier, to intensify the horrors we experience with her.
- A little too slow in the last third of the book, right where I feel like it's important to grip the readers that are beginning to get confused about where it is we're heading.

Besides that, I have no real gripes with the story and recommend it (especially as a fall read, come the release date in October).


**Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Listen, if the pitch of a book is “Jane Eyre plus arcane magical rituals and body horror,” you don’t need to tell me anything else. I am in, I am there, and I am gonna have a fantastic time.

THE DEATH OF JANE LAWRENCE is exactly the kind of horror I enjoy: creeping dread in an old house, rooted in an old grief or a simmering guilt. The author does a great job building suspense and dread, and more than once I had to stop reading and go turn on more lights in my house to make sure there weren’t any unsettling statue people there.

I’m not entirely sure I understood the ending, which is why I rounded down a little. The book has ambitious elements of alternate timelines that I didn’t quite feel landed, and I was left wanting a little more from the book’s interesting concept of magic.

But overall: I came, I read, I got spooked, would recommend others come and do the same.

There's never been a better time to read a book about a woman slowly succumbing to madness in an isolated house! When Jane decides to marry the town doctor, she is simply expecting to be a helpmeet at her husband's surgery. She certainly doesn't expect to have to spend the night at his family's creepy manor, where she will have to face the ghosts of his past (literally). Terrifying and smart, "The Death of Jane Lawrence" kept me reading long into the night ... with all the lights on, of course.