Delightful gothic novel. Many have said it is reminiscent of The Secret Garden with an adult cast of characters, yet it definitely has a many-layered plot that is for adults, with an atmospheric mood more like that of the Brontes, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.

The story is told from Vaughn's point of view. Vaughn is an outsider to Morton Abbey and her observations of the inhabitants of the abbey are insightful. She is ahead of her time, a young woman with a physical disability, who seeks to be independent. Her seeming quiet facade hides grit and determination to succeed in a male dominant society. She finds herself confronted with more than one mystery keeping her from completing her task as solicitor.

I found the slower pacing of the plot to be well-suited to the story. The cast of characters were intriguing. Unlike many novels penned in the Victorian era, Ms. Harwood skillfully paints fully fleshed out characters who are relatable. As with many gothic novels, the plot pacing sped up in the last fourth of the book. There were a few predictable plot twists, but some unpredictable ones as well. I found the ending to be a wonderfully satisfying conclusion.

****I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher through Netgalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a gothic suspense novel. There are some unexpected twists. This book is filled by some great characters. The pacing is quite slow but it works.

The Curse of Morton Abbey is a beautifully haunting and atmospherically delicious gothic novel. It contained all the elements of what I enjoy most about this genre. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this arc!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

I enjoyed this story but felt it was missing something. I liked the mystery and the romance. However, I was hoping for more gothicness(is that even a word?).

I love a mystery or thriller and this one was a little different with the gothic twist, which I liked! It definitely gave some Secret Garden vibes, but in a grown up way. I liked the the setting (queue creepy remote house), a strong female lead, drama, twists/turns, a love triangle, mystery elements and strange occurrences. I read this book around Halloween and it was the perfect cozy fall read! Recommend this one if you want a spooky page turner!

The Secret Garden meets Jane Eyre in a gothic setting
I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. As a lover of historical fiction and the classics it appealed greatly to my mind and emotions, although having a protagonist with disabilities is very unusual for the time. The story was full of suspense and the thread of romance too propelled the action forward very well.
Overall a very good read.

The Curse of Morton Abbey is a gothic romance set in Victorian times. While the story does not have many spooky elements, it is very dark and atmospheric. The written is very beautiful and filled with lush descriptions. Therefore, I recommend this fans of Simone St. James, Victoria Holt, and Rebecca James!

This story intrigued me because I was in the mood for a good spooky mystery/gothic tale. I thought that it was an overall good read, however, I wanted it to be just a little more creepy and gothic. I did think that the mystery part had some twists in it that I enjoyed and it definitely kept me intrigued because I wanted to know what was going to happen.

The characters were good. I thought that Vaughan was a good character and we got to see her develop and also just learn how her disability and life shaped who she was. I liked that she never gave up and stuck to what she believed and also that nothing scary that happened scared her away. Nicholas, I also liked it because we really got to see his character change as the story went on, especially the more time he spent with Vaughan. We don’t really learn that much about the secondary characters, which was alright. It would have been interesting but it didn’t take away from the story.

I thought the plot was well done and that it flowed nicely. I thought the romance was done in a nice way that kind of kept you guessing, but also enhanced the story as well. There was some creepiness to it and some twists that were well-timed. I liked the build of the book, it almost started out slow, and then just took off. But, that works for this book because you are learning stuff that you don’t really think about and then later in the book you go oh yeah and it enhances the story.

I definitely think this book is worth a read and is a good slightly creepy mystery/gothic novel.

This was fast paced and well written. Loved the gothic horror flavour to it. Will definitely read more by this author

This was an interesting read. I don't normally go for this type of book, but the blurb sounded interesting. I was not disappointed. I thought it moved quick and kept you interested in the plot. Very well done.

The mystery / gothic story was also well done where I couldn't tell who or what was 'haunting' the estate. The twists and turns were not things I could easily guess and I love that with a book, especially with an author I've never tried before.

If you're looking for a clean, gothic romance set in the early 1900's, this is the book for you!

Vaughan heads to remote Morton Abbey to act as solicitor in it’s sale rather than be forced to live with her sister. There she meets creepy servants, a sickly yet interesting younger brother to the heir, a surprisingly educated, hot, gardener and hears ghostly crying in the night. Classic gothic romance/mystery with some nice plot twists.

The Curse of Morton Abbey was a captivating and quick gothic mystery novel that I really needed to read at this point. Although it had its usual predictable elements you would expect in a gothic novel, the main character was very different, and I liked some of the choices she made. Definitely not one of your silly maids who does silly things over which you just roll your eyes and shake your head.

Vaughan is a very unconventional heroine, the youngest of five sisters, having to fight for everything she has earned in her life due to the fact she was born with a crippled foot and being put down her entire life for this very reason. I liked how independent, practical, and daring she was, but she definitely wasn't silly, making good decisions and being very aware of her own personal safety as well as the safety of others. During this time period, it is very difficult for a woman to make her own way, but Vaughan was determined to become a woman solicitor; her reasons were not always altruistic though, as she did want to avoid living with her overbearing mother and sisters. However, it did make you empathize with her plight and root for her all the way.

Out of all the characters though, Nick was probably my favourite as he definitely had the most depth as well the greatest character development. Every time we met him, more layers were added to his personality, something I really enjoyed, and I never knew what to expect from him. Yes, he was mercurial, but I spent a lot of time speculating as to his reasons why he was so changeable and was really drawn to his character. To be honest, I really felt like the author spent so much time developing Vaughan and Nick that the rest of the characters kind of paled in comparison and their characters did not develop in the same way, something that would have added some depth, and some mystery, to this book.

The plot itself definitely has the gothic elements: the atmosphere is creepy; the house is haunted, with all the elements you would expect in a creepy, old house; there is a mystery to solve; there is the mysterious benefactor; there are characters with secrets; and of course, there are the things that go bump in the night. Personally, I didn't really feel the book was spooky, but I always love the big, old house trope and get hooked on things like that. The writing is solid, and there were enough twists and turns to keep me interested, even if some of them were predictable. I did think some things went a bit too far towards the end, and some things were not satisfactorily explained, even to the point of being improbable and forced. While there were some things about the ending I liked, there were definitely some things that were not explained, at least not adequately. And the curse? Not sure why that was the title of the book.

The Curse of Morton Abbey was a fun book to read, and while somewhat predictable, kept me entertained nonetheless. The two main characters were very well developed, but I wish the author had developed the rest of the characters as well as it would have increased the tension as well as filled in some of the missing information that left the ending feeling a bit inadequate. Highly recommend if you enjoy Gothic mysteries with a strong female lead and well-developed main characters.

What a cracking good book!
Set in the late 1800s this is the story of a fiery independent woman determined to proress in the world of Law. Vaughan takes advantage of her unusual name to secure employment as a legal agent on the death of her father with whom she worked for many years, her job is to go to Morton Abbey to prepare the estate for sale on behalf of Sir Peter Spencer. So far so prosaic. However things at the Abbey are not as she expects and thus begins the tale. This is a debut novel for the author but never do you think this is amateurish, Clarissa Harwood weaves an exciting tale in the Gothic genre which kept me hooked until the wee hours. The writing style is crisp and the characters so well drawn that it is impossible to stop reading. I very much enjoyed this book, it contains mystery, secrets and a bit of romance to spice it up. My grateful thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for an advanced copy of this book. I heartily recommend.

Not my usual genre but i enjoyed this it's isn't very spooky but it is atmospheric with some nice twists and turns i didn't see coming. Very well written and holds the interest throughout.

Gothic thriller…sign me up! This was fast paced and well written. Great premise and I loved the change in setting from my current books. Recommend for sure!

Go to IG: @entre.mi.libro.y.yo to read the full review on December 16th, 2021.

OMG, this book had me 100% in its hands.

It is a book with fall vibes that you will enjoy if you liked Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights.

I have to say that I did fall in love with *the character*, why lie?

Even though I saw some of the twists coming, it is very worthwhile.

I want to say a huge thank you to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for giving me this book in exchange for an honest review.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for approval. This was massively something right up my street. The premise of this was incredible. Writing was so good. I really loved this book, I read it so fast as didn’t want to stop.

London, 1897. Vaughan Springhope is the youngest of five and the black sheep of the family. Growing up she was consistently fed a lie that she is ugly and unmarriable given her crippled leg. While serving as her father's assistant for a number of years before his death, she has learned everything she knows about the law from her father who was a solicitor himself. As she knows life with her sisters and her mother is unbearable, she decides to make her own way in the world and put the knowledge her father passed down to her to good use. In a desperate act to prove her worth, Vaughan accepts a job offer from Sir Peter Spencer to sort out documents of his large estate called Morton Abbey and prepare the sales deed. While she is suspicious given her limited experience and the large amount of money he is offering, Vaughan accepts anyways. Once she reaches the estate the ever practical Vaughan realizes she may be in over her head just a bit. As her employer is absent, she must reside in the dark and mysterious house alone among the house's more eccentric occupants. One of the most mysterious and eccentric being Nick Spencer, the sickly brother of his employer with some madman tendencies that put Vaughan on edge. As she sets about getting the estate in order, Vaughan starts to hear and see things that don't seem to exist in real life, or do they? It seems nothing, and no one are truly who they say they are.
Told in first person from Vaughan's perspective, The Curse of Morton Abbey is a multilayered story with slowly unfolding elements of suspense, mystery and romance. Our unconventional heroine Vaughan is rather charming and a bit of a trailblazer as well, given the time period, as very few women would have had the guts to set off on their own. The story has all the dark and creepy atmospheric gothic vibes with the mysterious house and its eccentric inhabitants at the center. There are plenty of twists, turns, and surprises you won't see coming and a bit of romance cleverly woven in as well. Despite its length, I flew through the pages and found it a quick and satisfying read. I highly recommend The Curse of Morton Abbey for readers looking for a swiftly paced and captivating gothic suspense novel that is sure to delight.