First off, I absolutely loved the comps this book had; Shirley Jackson, Rebecca, Crimson Peak, all excellent archetypes of gothic tone and plot. This was the perfect book to bring me out of a reading slump.

Starling’s novel centers around Jane Shoringfield, an educated woman at a crossroads in life: she’s either to move to Camhurst with her guardians, an arrangement to which she is adamantly opposed, or to engage qualified suitors for a marriage of convenience. In Augustine Lawrence, she sees opportunities for the latter; an eligible clinician recently assimilated into the small town of Larrenton, Jane employs persuasive argument in hopes of scoring grander purpose in matrimony. Jane’s logic is unrelenting, and, after expressing his doubts, the good doctor accepts.

What follows this calculated courtship is nothing less than a complete revelation to them both, as the Lawrences quickly learn that, despite their initial intentions, there are very few boundaries that can be upheld; between the personal and professional, the spatial borders between lovers and friends, and even that between life and death. Especially at Lindridge Hall, where the workings of magic conjure spectral visions that will bring about possibilities that can either deepen the lovers’ intimacy or threaten to sow the seeds of their undoing.

The Death of Jane Lawrence is definitely a rollercoaster of a novel. At first an introduction to the socio-economic structure of Victorian post-war England, you’re quickly drawn into the operating room as witness to a gory surgical operation, only to be shortly thereafter thrown into the inescapable and claustrophobic setting of Lindridge Hall, a residential palimpsest of past, present and future that inevitably unravels the traumas of its current and former residents.

Starling’s novel is intricately told, and her inventive descriptions of magic and ritual are a breath of fresh air when compared to other works in the genre that simply borrow from the canon. I only wish I’d been able to complete my reading in fewer sittings rather than with a few days’ interruption, as I’m sure that this contributed to some of the disconnection I felt when returning to this novel. Nonetheless, this was a great read that has me excited to devour whatever else Starling has to offer in future.

This is definitely a novel to look out for when it comes out in October!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this evocative read.

This highly-anticipated October release will be perfect timing for fans of thrillers and suspense.

Think Crimson Peak meets Jane Eyre, this gothic drama is perfect Halloween reading material.

Jane thinks she’s found the perfect solution for her independent lifestyle in Dr. Augustine Lawrence, but all is not as it seems.

Things start to go awry early in the book, and only continue to get more suspenseful from there.

I’ll be honest and say the ending wasn’t exactly what I had hoped for, but I did really enjoy the plot twists that Starling threw at us.

So excited to have been able to read an advanced copy!! I can’t wait to discuss it with my bookish friends.

I came for the cover, I stayed for the story. This was the perfect blend of historical fiction goodness with dark and creepy magic. Jane marries a doctor in what is supposed to be a business arrangement but turns so much more. Secrets, a bit of love story, and all the creepy.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for a review.

So, this started off very promising. I love Gothic literature and the comparisons to Crimson Peak and Rebecca completely sold me. Set in an alternate timeline of post war England the story centers around Jane who enters a marriage of convenience with the local doctor, Augustine. One of the terms of marriage is Jane never stays at his home Lindridge Hall. When an accident on their wedding night strands her there, she sees a completely different side to her husband. He's frightened and thinks she's a ghost. The next day Augustine is completely normal. Disturbed, Jane is determined to find out what is really happening at Lindridge Hall.

The first half of the book I loved. The pace was perfect. The author's prose is beautiful, and the mystery kept me on the edge of my seat. But the middle started to drag. Way too many details, the story meandered. And became so very boring and awfully confusing. It felt like it should have ended at certain points but kept going and going. I don't even, after endless details, know what Jane was trying to accomplish with her,"rituals." It could easily be a 5 star book with a few rewrites and some editing. All in all I rate it 3/5

Instagram review is up. Username: booknookcook04

The Death Of Jane Lawrence is a great read. The book held all kinds of surprises that I didn’t expect from the description. Jane finds herself in need of a husband. Set in a fictional area that mirrors London, Jane’s adoptive family is moving. She doesn’t want to leave the area. So she’s in search of a bachelor who she believes would be a good match for her. Jane is a math whiz and is always calculating her risks and benefits. Augustine Lawrence is a widower. He’s also the town surgeon. He and Jane reach a business agreement, she will be his assistant and do his accounting and they will marry - in name only. Dr. Lawrence has many secrets, one being the attachment to his manor. His manor is haunted by the ghosts of past patients and his dead wife. When Dr. Lawrence finds himself in grave danger, Jane must use all of her math skills to produce the magic to save him and make the ghosts disappear.
The story and the characters will draw you in. The story line is spun perfectly.

This book hooked me from the start. It had some sweet romance without being too over the top. Then it had mystery and suspense. I was eager to know what exactly was going on. It did drag a bit too much for me towards the end but I still enjoyed this book immensely!

The Luminous Dead blew me away, and Yellow Jessamine was an amazing novella follow-up. When I saw the announcement for The Death of Jane Lawrence, I knew I had to get my hands on it, and I was thrilled to be approved. While this title doesn't come out until October, I couldn't leave it in my queue a minute longer.

When Jane approaches Dr. Augustine Lawrence with a marriage proposition, she has every intention of keeping things strictly business. She wants autonomy, to work with numbers, and Augustine seems like a solid match. But when things progress between them and Jane spends the night at his decrepit estate, she soon realizes that there is much more to their arrangement. Ghosts, magic, murder--Jane doesn't know what to believe, but she's determined to find out.

I *loved* this book.

Let me start by saying, I don't scare easily. I love ghost stories. Haunted houses are my jam. But it's difficult to execute a scare that feels original and true to the genre at the same time. Starling, however, nails her execution. While we often talk about world building in fantasy, there is a great deal of scene-setting happening here, subtle details and meticulous structure that breathes authenticity into the story. Jane's world is so tangible, so realistic, it is nearly impossible not be in the surgery with her in those first harrowing pages. Visceral imagery steals the show, but characters also have rich histories, complex family turmoil, societal expectations that are close to but not quite the norm you might expect. It almost feels like you're reading of a parallel universe that is simultaneously overlapped with our own.

No spoilers, of course, but there is some matrix-level analyses of fear, time, identity, and womanhood that I won't be able to shake any time soon. Starling's writing highlights many relevant issues and does so while juggling supernatural beings that will literally haunt my nightmares for the rest of my life.

Overall, The Death of Jane Lawrence is a chilling, haunting, un-put-downable read that will leave you gutted. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a period-esque horror, haunted house horror, or anyone who is looking for an unforgettable read.

Huge thanks to St. Martin's and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Book Review for The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling
Full review for this title will be posted at: @fyebooks on Instagram!

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling is a horror story built on a foundation of traditional gothic elements. The novel opens with Jane Shoringfield, a pragmatic and mathematically gifted woman who negotiates her own marriage of convenience to Dr. Augustine Lawrence to ensure her continued security and independence. The good doctor only has one request—that Jane spends her nights in a room above his surgery, and he in his labyrinthine home at Lindridge Hall. But that’s easier said than done, and Jane finds herself in Lindridge Hall on her wedding night, where she quickly discovers her new husband is hiding disturbing secrets about his past. That’s only the beginning of her troubles.

A problem solver by nature, Jane is doggedly determined to save her husband from the vagaries of his eerie family home, even as they become more and more unexplainable. Regardless, she persists, and it is her resolve that makes her relatable if not likable. The most interesting part of Jane’s character arc is the way she questions her own monstrousness from the very beginning. At first, it’s because she fears she’s focused too heavily on logic over emotion, but as the story progresses, Jane succumbs many times to emotional whims, and interestingly enough, it is only then she becomes unrecognizable. Was she a monster before? Or is The Death of Jane Lawrence the origin story of the monster she becomes?

Starling’s use of magic as a metaphysical concept that challenges Jane’s logical and orderly view of the world is fascinating. As Jane methodically deconstructs and revises what she knows to be true, readers settle into an understanding of how magic is meant to function in Starling’s novel. Particularly creative is Starling’s use of the concept of zero as “everything and nothing,” which serves as the backbone for her depiction of magic. However, I wish Starling had done more to explain the greater role magic plays in her fictional world and why physicians, in particular, practice it. Perhaps it's meant to parallel the arguably god-like role they take in attempting to cure or reverse injuries and illnesses. Even so, considering Jane manages to learn magic, surely physicians aren’t the only ones who practice. How common is magic in this world? It’s difficult to tell, given Jane’s humble upbringing.

Starling’s prose is melodramatic and overwrought, which at first does wonders to establish the picturesque scenery of a gloomy little town in an alternate version of post-war England. However, this strength becomes a weakness during the second half of the novel, where it often feels as though readers could skip pages at a time without losing a sense of the overall plot. The extremely redundant nature of the seven-day spell Jane casts at one point was particularly tedious to read. In general, the prose is beautiful, the details unsettling and gruesome and delightfully spooky, but they’re truly unnecessary after a certain point. Kill your darlings, as they say.

The final “revelation,” which occurs in one particular chapter near the end of the novel, closes the loop with regards to several plot points that seem misleading or arbitrary until readers are plunged into that chapter. It is deeply satisfying…until the novel just keeps going! The Death of Jane Lawrence would’ve been so much spookier if everything had ended right after the revelation. I almost thought that’s where it all ended until I turned the page! Nevertheless, the actual ending is unsettling in its own right. In proper gothic fashion, readers reach the conclusion and wonder how much of it was real and whether the supernatural elements can or should be rationalized. That’s one of my favorite elements in gothic literature, and Starling executes it so well.

The Death of Jane Lawrence is a creative take on gothic literature and boasts some of the creepiest scares I've seen recently in a novel, especially towards the beginning, when suspense is at an all-time high. I couldn’t walk past reflective surfaces at night for nearly a week without fretting a little! However, the dense prose and excessive, rambling explanations to validate the pseudo-science behind the magic only disorients the reader and makes the second half of the story drag. Despite my misgivings, it is worth checking out if you enjoyed Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic, yet another novel that puts a modern spin on the horror-gothic mash-up with a deliciously slow and suspenseful exploration of the uncanny, or other familiar gothic stories like Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher,” Edith Wharton’s “The Lady’s Maid’s Bell,” or Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Death of Jane Lawrence is the gothic horror you crave when the others are just a bit too gentle. This dark, fantastic tale of blood and ghosts is best read without too many preconceptions; readers need to make their own decisions about reality in this tale. Shadows and dark magic abound, and it's deliciously frightful.

Characteristics:
Pace: medium paced
Moods: tense, mysterious
Plot or Character-Driven: a bit of a mix
Strong Character Development: sort of complicated
Loveable Characters: not really
Diverse Cast: no
Flaws of the Main Characters a Center Focus: not really

Overview:
Jane Shoringfield is a very mathematically, logically-brained single woman in need of a husband. Left as an orphan in the aftermath of war, she's been living out her days with a kind, elderly couple who have decided to make a move to a different city. Jane would become more of a burden if she were to make the move, so instead settles her mind to find herself a husband, marriage being strictly a business transaction, nothing more. Enter Mr. Augustine Lawrence, a talented surgeon with a bit of a hazy past but a willing candidate. His only request is that they keep their nights separate: him at his home at Lindridge Hall, and Jane in a room above the surgery. Things, of course, quickly diverge from the plan and after staying one night at Lawrence's home, Jane realizes things are very wrong and the man she married is entirely not himself but a shell of a man, paranoid and haunted.

My Thoughts:
This book was advertised as a mix of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell meets Crimson Peak meets Mexican Gothic, and the author, Caitlin Starling, was nominated for a Brom Stoker award. The overall description of the story and other promotional blurbs really hooked me in quickly; they said absolutely everything they needed to in order for me to believe this would be another favorite for the year. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell as well as Mexican Gothic have both been two favorites. I was hopeful that The Death of Jane Lawrence would join their ranks, but it fell a little bit short for me. While I did enjoy it overall, it was missing that special something that leaves me raving and adding a new book to the "favorites" shelf.

What I Enjoyed:
- I loved the classic "something is not right here" vibes that it gave.
- There are definitely a lot of eerie things happening within Lindridge Hall that the reader doesn't fully understand or come to realize until we get more towards the end. As a note, these eerie things aren't creepy enough to leave you wishing you'd read the book only during the day time.
- I enjoyed the little elements of magic that were incorporated.
- I also appreciated the historical elements that were embedded (at one point Augustine and Jane, respectively, use cocaine in order to stay awake and sharpen their focus; another doctor friend of Augustine's visits who seems to have an interesting history with asylums and those suffering from "madness").

What I Didn't Love:
- The magical aspect fell short for me. While I was glad it was incorporated, it felt like it wasn't fully fleshed out to its full potential. There were mathematical elements that were very entwined with the magic system and I didn't find it to work as well as I would've hoped.
- Jane, being incredibly mathematically-focused (always crunching numbers it seemed like), brought a level of logic to the story, which was fine and great to have a main female character who was entirely rational, but, again, the mathematical aspects seemed to take up a bit more of the stage than I would've liked, though the author incorporated it within the magical system, so all of it was very tangled up together.
- The entire story is told from Jane's point of view, and while I wanted to like her, she just wasn't that likeable. I didn't dislike her, but I didn't really love her either.
- There was a bit of a sort of twist at the end that wasn't as well explained as it could've been and there seemed to be some plot holes that were left a bit open.
- In order for it to be anywhere in the realm of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, it would've needed to be twice as long, the magical system significantly more developed, a bit more humor and fun, eclectic characters, and even some other points of view to add more layers of complexity. I went in with really high expectations I think because of the blurbs with all the right words, but it fell a bit short.

Overall, I DID still enjoy this book and entirely think it's a great one to add to your TBR if you enjoy the eerie vibes of Daphne du Maurier's works along with some of the weirdness that Mexican Gothic provided. If you're a big fan of Susanna Clarke and Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, set the bar a little lower and you won't be too disappointed.

This novel left me speechless. This story haunted my dreams in the form of nightmares. It brought me in the mindset of The Haunting of Hill House. I was genuinely scared but could not put this book down. I do not read much in the way of horror just because I scare easily and reading a book and conjuring the scene in your mind is far scarier than watching it on television. So, if the author wanted to frighten its readers while composing a fantastic story, I would say she had done exactly what she set out to do.

Jane wanted a marriage of convenience, one that could be benefit her and her partner. She complied a list and the good of doctor of her town made the cut. The doctor had no intentions of marrying but Jane was persistent and very convincing and explained it as a business arrangement rather than a marriage and the doctor agreed. The fact that she is beautiful, hard working and not afraid to get her hands dirty also help persuade the doctor. The only thing he asked her is that she never visit Lindridge hall.

Unfortunately, because of circumstances beyond either one of their control Jane winds up at Lindridge Hall the night of their marriage and from there all hell breaks lose and crazy things start to happen. Jane could never imagine that she would not be able to cipher what real and what is illusion and the deeper she gets into the halls of Lindridge the more traumatic and unsettling her life will become.

This tale of gothic horror takes you on a ride you will not soon forget. You will be turning the pages as fast as you can go devouring every word. I highly recommend this amazing read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital review copy in exchange for my honest review.

I didn't expect the ending to this book. I received as an ARC from Netgalley. As a lover of gothic fiction and horror, this book ticked every box and then some. The worldbuilding of the town isn't very solid. It takes places it what seems like an alternate Europe with Jane wanting to marry a man who fits her list of requirements. And she finds such a man in Dr. Augustine Lawrence. He has a rule of his own, she is never to stay at his familiy's old home, Lindridge Hall. A storm upends that and sets the story in motion.

I put down other books to finish this. It is my first book by the author and I loved it. The third act got a bit slow but not without reason. We watch as Jane dives deeper and deeper into darkness and things she may not be able to control. I read as quickly as I could to find out if she would be okay, to find out just how it would end. I couldn't have predicted it. In fact, the prediction I had for it was thankfully wrong.

I do wish the cast had been better described. There were no real descriptions of the characters in a way that gives a clear picture. At the end of the book, I have no solid idea what anyone looks like. It's why I can't give it five stars. I want to know what the characters look like. I want to know if they look like me or my friends and family.

I was so excited to get an ARC for this. I don’t remember exactly what “most anticipated” list I saw it in, but it sounded great and the cover is gorgeous. It’s not really what I thought it was going to be, but it’s super good! I didn’t really feel like it was too Crimson Peaky like some other reviewers. I think it’s just that basically every gothic horror story kind of follows the same ghost/mystery format. It takes a pretty wild occult left turn a third of the way in and definitely distinguishes itself from the pack. It’s fun. It’s about a surgeon, so it’s pretty gruesome. That’s a plus for me, but just a heads up for the squeamish. I’m not super crazy about the ending, to be honest. It gets kind of hard to follow the Christopher Nolany logic and circle speak, but the journey up to that point is pretty great, so I’d still recommend it.

Jane lives in a time when it is difficult to be an unmarried woman so she proposes to a local doctor explaining their marriage can be a business arrangement and they will live separately. After their wedding, the rain makes the roads impassable and Jane stays the night at Augustine's house. Odd things happen in Lindridge Hall and Augustine seems like a different man there. After going through his financial records and meeting some of his college friends, Jane tries to figure out who the mysterious Elodie is and what is haunting the house. I felt a little lost in the beginning and wanted more background about the time period and location. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a book to fill the void after watching Crimson Peak, look no further. THE DEATH OF JANE LAWRENCE is a brutal, mind-bending tale, and had me on the edge of my seat wanting to find out what the heck was going on. The second half of the book was a little hard for me because the mathematical and ritual stuff kind of went over my head, but the final revelation had me going “oh, I guess I have to read this book again now that I know x.” (But not in a bad way, hence the 5 stars!) All in all, a solid read for fans of gothic horror. This book hurt me in my feelings and I enjoyed every second of it,

You guys - you need to read this book. It’s a gothic horror fan’s dream (or nightmare). Think of House of Leaves meets Frankenstein. It’s the real deal. I need to read more of this author’s books. The writing was exceptional. The first 2/3’s of the book = 4.5/5 stars. The last third was confusing and a touch too repetitive but it did not ruin the overall experience. This is the type of book you finish reading then talk about immediately with your horror-loving friends. Now I have to wait until October to get the physical copy and talk to someone about it!!! Do yourself a favor and put this on your tbr list...now.

The Death of Jane Lawrence is a puzzle of a book. You have Jane Shoringfield and Dr. Augstine Lawrence.
Jane Shoringfield who is an accountant yet it seems as if she is also a nurse. ( untrained ) She is a brainy women with a headful of numbers. Who wants to marry in a desperate kind of way. So an arrangement is made. However things start to turn into a mysterious way. Living in a world where magic seems impossible. Ghost stories don't exist, frayed nerves and surgery. Dr. Lawrence is a surgeon. Stick to reality here, on a scientific level.

The Character building and world building take a while. Character interaction is really tight woven. Feels a bit surfacey leaves me wanting more. It feels as if I'm constantly being lead on in a plot development then its being taken away. Like a puzzle that the reader has to solve. ( In a good way)

In a lot of ways it felt very psychological thriller and in parts it felt as if I was there and it was a living movie. When When its mentioned Bram Stoker it feels like Bram stoker visual description. ( Total plus)

This Arc was given to me by Netgalley in Exchange for an honest review. Publish date October 19 2021!

Double wow, I suspected a little mystery, maybe a little goth, based on the cover. That did not prepare me for the slice of Victorian Life, where crypts, marble slabs, myths and magic converge at Lindridge Hall. Our protagonist, Jane is perfectly cast as the logical young woman seeking a marriage of convenience. She thinks the Dr is the best choice and outlines her plan. At first he informs her, marriage is out of the question. However, based on her skills with his ledgers and assistance in the surgery, he decides that it might work. With qualifications that Jane quickly disregards.
She can only blame herself when she doesn't follow those agreements and boundaries she accepted with her husband to be. The wedding night is a sham and Jane finds herself in a horrifying world of images, secrets, magic and madness. Bloody and disheveled, will she survive her evenings in this creepy, decaying residence?
Of course we all know to stay out of the cellar, do not agree to allow yourself to be pulled into magic that you don't know the extent of, but Jane's not thinking because now she is in love with the creepy doctor and can't bear that there are secrets she's not privy to.
Augustine seems pretty pathetic to me, dishonesty seems to come naturally to him, or could his version of the truth be the real one? If he would just stop running away.
Yes, this has all the ingredients of a proper horror tale - blood, guts, pain, decaying mansion and metaphysics.
Don't read it alone at night or plan to stay up all night. Not really my cup of tea but I'm grateful to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Crimson Peak? Yes.
Gothic? Yes.
Intersteller? Yes. ... wait what.

Those are the three things that you should think of when reading this book. This book is a RIDE. A RIDE that I thoroughly enjoyed.

'The Death of Jane Lawrence' is an interesting title, and also focuses on the name of our protagonist? She dies? ... Yes and no. I can't go into any more detail and I really don't think any reviews should give away the plot dynamics of the book, because if done so it would ruin everything.

So, bare bones, the summary on GoodReads and the book flap (I assume when it gets one) is correct. Our protagonist, Jane, wants a marriage of convenience. She finds a good looking Doctor who turns out is not really wanting a marriage but he is so wow'ed by Jane's proposal, her beauty, and the fact that she is a damn good assistant in an operating room (when she has never worked as a nurse) is enough for him. His only request on his end of this marriage of convenience is that she never, ever lives or visits his manor on the outside of town.

After their wedding ceremony, and on the day of the wedding, she is accidentally taken to his house. Unfortunately for one another, they have fallen in love with each other. Unfortunately for her, an accident causes her not to be able to return to the city... CUE THE FREAKY SHIT GOING DOWN.

This is where the Crimson Peak vibe comes from. This is where ghosts with piercing red eyes, specters that defy normal ghost-like behavior (like leaving blood trails all over the house) start popping up and hey, our protagonist is freaked out... but this is no surprise to her husband. He seems to know about these ghosts and why they're here.

... And that's where I leave you. The Interstellar bit comes in from this point on, and if you are familiar with that film then you may have a hunch of where the story goes... but if you don't, well, by the end of the book it'll all make sense. All I can say is that I loved this book and I am just tickled that I was allowed to read it early. I am pretty sure the last third of the book will cause a lot of people to be confused. But as one character instructs Jane, you must open your mind and accept the possibilities.