A historical fantasy novel set in the 1920s. The story follows the adventures of a daring young woman named Zora, who becomes embroiled in a dangerous quest involving a mysterious and powerful book known as the Grimoire. This ancient tome is said to contain dark magic and secrets that could have catastrophic consequences if they fall into the wrong hands. As Zora navigates the roaring twenties' vibrant and often perilous world, she encounters a cast of colorful characters, including occultists, gangsters, and scholars, each with their own interest in the Grimoire. Her journey is filled with thrilling action, supernatural encounters, and a race against time to prevent the dark forces from unleashing chaos. Jones' novel combines elements of historical fiction, adventure, and the supernatural, creating a fast-paced and engaging narrative. The richly detailed setting and well-drawn characters add depth to the story, making "The Deadly Grimoire" a captivating read.

Three years ago Betsy Baxter was to be part of a Sidney Fitzwilliam film, The Mask of Silver. Three years ago she barely escaped the burning Fitzwilliam house, nearly caught in a mirror that was not a mirror as something went terribly terribly wrong. Despite the years of success that have followed, owning her own studio and the wildly popular The Flapper Detective serial, despite staring in said serial and filling her time with death defying stunts and maddening amounts of paperwork, Betsy cannot help but worry over the friends who disappeared during that fateful filming. Her personal investigating finally bears fruit when she receives word that one of her friends has reappeared. With one returned, another attacked, and rumors of a tome with a truly storied history and mysterious powers, Betsy Baxter returns to Arkham with new allies in tow to find a way to mount a rescue and, perhaps, prevent supernatural horrors from breaking loose and devouring so many more people.

When I heard that Rosemary Jones had written a follow up to Mask of Silver, I knew I very much wanted to read it. That The Deadly Grimoire is both a sequel to a book I enjoyed greatly and focused on one of the more fun side characters leads to some fantastic opportunities for a vastly different book that still follows through from Mask of Silver while also feeling like it is expanding into another big mystery rather than continuing a different facet of the same one.

And the mystery in this one is just flat fun with a strange seaweed creeping its way into Arkham and a doctor down in Innsmouth who just so happens to be offering a seaweed therapy to his patients. We have Betsy, the woman who can do it all, who uses death defying stunts as a means to relax, who is brilliantly competent and kind. We have a fearless ace pilot, Winnifred, and a poor cursed bookseller, Tom, who has found himself on the hook for a one-of-a-kind grimoire with two legitimate and legitimately dangerous buyers. All fantastic characters, and that is before I even start in on the antagonists. I feel like I could talk about the antagonists for ages with the way they are a study in contrasts from the word go.

I cannot overstate how much I enjoyed Nova Malone. She respects Betsy and Winnifred, likes them even, while also being very willing to do whatever it takes to ensure the prosperity of Innsmouth and its people. Contrast her to Dr. Ezra Hughs, he of the seaweed treatments, a man of standing and wealth who seeks only to further enrich himself despite being in a position to help a great many people. This book made me want to see a novel starring one antagonist and left me wanting to see the other punched squarely in the nose and I am entirely about it.

If there is one place where it felt like The Deadly Grimoire was a little less than expected, I admit that it felt a little light on the horror aspect. Part of this might be down to the focus being more on the human side of things, finding the grimoire, stopping the antagonists, saving Max from his disappearance. Part of it might be that Betsy herself seems to cope with the horrors by trying to fit them into ideas for movies, like there are places where she is clearly terrified, but also there was a big set piece moment and I cannot for the life of me remember it as standout horrifying. The mystery was also a little light, but that is hardly a complaint because I found myself here much more for the characters and the introduction of Innsmouth than Betsy trying to find Max or the question of the grimoire.

I very much enjoyed The Deadly Grimoire and I very much look forward to seeing what Rosemary Jones does next. This one leaves me wanting to ramble about the characters, especially the antagonists. I want to talk about how Betsy is absolutely ridiculous as a character, as in preposterous, and I love her for it. For being kind before anything else and clever beyond being an actress, director, producer. I love how weirdly kind the book felt for being set in the 1920’s and being cosmic horror. The book gets a five out of five from me.

I have been provided with an advance copy of the new Arkham Horror book The Deadly Grimoire by Rosemary Jones, published by Aconyte Books, so here is the honest review I promised in exchange for the book.

So here is an important disclaimer which is always important to put out there first. I have a casual work contact with Asmodee to demonstrate board games for them in stores and at conventions. Asmodee being the parent company of Aconyte the publisher.

I am going to try my best to not let that cloud my judgement in this review, but I accept that subconsciously it might.

What is Arkham Horror
Anyway that put to one side, let’s look at this book, by first looking at the game Arkham Horror which is a cooperative game, originally designed by Richard Launius, and is now in its third edition which was released in 2019.

It’s published by Fantasy Flight Games, a subsidiary of Asmodee, and is set in 1926 in the town of Arkham, Massachusetts. Each player takes on the role of an investigator, who are working to stop the Ancient Ones, eldritch horrors which lurk in the void beyond space and time.

It’s a 1-6 player game and you work together to gather clues and defeat the evil of the Ancient Ones and save the world.

As I said I haven’t actually played Arkham Horror but I do own its spin off Elder Sign the cooperative dice game.

The Story
Like the rest of the Arkham Horror novels, its set in the 1920s specifically 1926 and is a sequel to Jones’s previous novel in the setting Mask of Silver.

We see the return to Arkham of Betsy Baxter who has now become a star in Hollywood in a film serial series, The Flapper Detective, which has made her very rich!

After the fire at the Fitzmaurice house three years ago, Betsy has been looking for her lost beau Max, who disappeared that night, the last thing she saw of him was him stepping through a mirror as he pushed her out of the burning building.

Teaming up with fearless pilot Winifred Habbamock and bookseller Tom Sweets, she returns to Arkham to try and find out what happened to Max, and solve the mystery of what happened that night.

But the trio find themselves caught up in a mystery involving a mysterious book that belongs to Toms family, and is being fought over between an Innsmouth bootlegger, and a local doctor, who seek the forbidden knowledge within, to travel the secret ways.

Conclusion
Now this is a curious story, despite being set within the horror universe of Arkham Horror, there isn’t actually any horror to speak of, its a very interesting paranormal mystery, but even then, its quite light on that too.

But that’s not to say it isn’t a great book, Betsy was very much a minor character in the last book, but now she has been very fleshed out into a daredevil, wanting to perform ever more dangerous stunts to keep the punters buying tickets to her movies!

Yes, it’s a sequel and whilst I do think having read the previous book is helpful, you don’t need to, it explains enough to set the scene.

What is great about this book is that it’s not presenting Betsy, our Flapper Detective, as a mere jazz baby, with interest mostly in having a good time, but she is very well aware of the issues of the time, and this book doesn’t shy away from touching on the racial and social issues that those who aren’t white, and protestant faced in 1920 US. It’s not in your face, but it’s acknowledged in a very natural way which adds to the story and creates a deeper sense of immersion.

The story itself is very very well researched and there are a lot of references to silent movies, jazz, aviation etc that I ended up grabbing my phone to read more up on.

The story moves along very well, but the conclusion did feel a little rushed, but it worked.

I really want to hear a bit more about some of the characters, I think there is room to develop some other plotlines from the two books.

It is giving me lots of ideas for RPG adventures in the setting!

I have to give this book, 4.5 out of 5.

"Success come at a price, but some people weren't even allowed to pay that price because of who they were."

Betsy Baxter is an actress known for her appearances as the main character in The Flapper Detective. Set in the 20's, Betsy will feel mobilized to investigate a disappearance that occurred years ago in Arkham.

"'How about the spirit writing' asked Tom. 'Oh, I think they find that much easier to believe than their own granny being a child like them.'"

Definitely, The deadly grimoire was a book that really surprised me. While there isn't a lot of depth to the character development, the excellent atmosphere makes this book impossible to put down. Although it's not like Lovecraft's dark and oppressive style, as there is a lot of humor present in the dialogue, I felt like I was watching a movie because of how fluid the writing was.

Both the plot and the pacing are engaging, and the world building is meticulous. I can't say that it blew my mind, however it had such an impact on me that months after reading it I remember it vividly.

It was a very entertaining story and I definitely want to read the author again.

Finally, I don't usually comment on the cover, but in this case I can't help but highlight that I loved it and that it fits perfectly with the story. Highly recommended!

“And I knew the Fearless Flapper Detective was a winner. It’s the best of Pearl White’s stunts and more but with a woman in charge, not in peril. It’s what modern women want to see.”

My thanks to Aconyte Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Deadly Grimoire’ by Rosemary Jones. My apologies for the late feedback.

There’s nothing quite as entertaining as sitting down with an Arkham Horror novel. While a sequel to Jones’ ‘Mask of Silver’, it worked fine as a standalone as enough details of past events were mentioned to provide context.

Betsy Baxter proved a delightful protagonist/narrator. Not only is she the star of the popular 1920s serial adventure, The Flapper Detective, she owns her own studio and is fully in charge of her career. While researching a wing-walking scene, she meets the fearless Winifred Habbamock, a barnstorming pilot. They discover a shared background of eerie encounters and eldritch phenomena centred around the New England town of Arkham.

Betsy has been investigating the disappearance of a friend during the filming of ‘Mask of Silver’. When she hears news of another disappearance, she and Wini fly to Arkham and into a world of trouble. There she encounters Tom Sweets, a bookseller, who has accidentally sold the Deadly Grimoire, an infamous volume, to two competing local clients. They are not happy! Adventures ensue.

I was impressed by how well plotted this novel was and by its strong cast of characters. Aside from Betsy and Wini, I was especially taken by Nova Malone, proprietor of the Purple Cat in Innsmouth. While a ruthless bootlegger, she wasn’t portrayed as a one-dimensional baddie. Her deep love for Innsmouth and her desire to free its people from malefic influences was compelling. Sequel material?

Alongside the Lovecraftian escapades for Betsy, Wini, and Tom, the novel also touched on various aspects of early 20th Century history, including social issues linked to racial discrimination and women’s rights. Jones’ period detail was impeccable as well as her commitment to vividly portraying the world of Arkham Horror. I hope that she will write more books for the series.

Overall, a fun pulp horror adventure that also had depth as a work of historical fiction. After this, I plan to read ‘Mask of Silver’ as well as looking out for Rosemary Jones’ future projects.

Note: a comment made by Tom caught my literary eye: “there’s a fellow in West Egg who keeps buying volumes to fill the shelves of his mansion’s library, and we don’t ask how he made his money. Buys books by the yard if the colors of the bindings match the colors of his shirts!”

Being a huge Lovecraft fan and also a huge fan of FFG when I received a copy of this arc I couldn't have been happier. Fortunately the book lived up to my hopes. The plot was amazing and kept mentioning thing that happened in a previous book. Fortunately there was no need to have read the previous book to be able to enjoy and understand what was happening in this one. The characters were also perfect, the fearless actress taking on her role as a the fearless flapper detective in real life instead of in screen. The alcohol smuggler, the psychologist and a multitude of different supporting characters were all so unique there was no problem in keeping track of who was who. I thourghly enjoyed the writing and I was pretty gutted when it finished. I'm hoping to read some more work by Rosemary Jones soon beacsue this was just plain fun.

4/5

The Deadly Grimoire is the latest in Aconytes Arkham Horror tie-in series and follows on from the happenings in Mask of Silver. I didn’t realise this was a sequel until part way through reading the novel and only when I came to the understanding I didn’t know some of the backstory that was being discussed. As such, I’d say that The Deadly Grimoire can stand on its own two feet.

Betsy Baxter is a Hollywood Film Star, Stunt Woman, Studio Owner and Fashionista. She also lost the love of her life, Max, in a terrible fire accident a few years ago. So when she hears of one of her co-workers returning from the midst of that terrible fire unscathed she hot-foots it to Arkham to solve the mystery, much like her big-screen name; The Flapper Detective. Alongside is Winifred Habbamock; who helps the novel tie in with the Arkham Horror card game as she is a playable character. A fearless woman of the skies and pilot of early aviation. When in Arkham Betsy stumbles upon Tom, whom she saves from being assaulted by some ‘thuggie-baddie’ types and a dastardly daring way, learns about The Deadly Grimoire and embarks on a rip-roaring adventure… sort of.

The pacing of The Deadly Grimoire is slow. It takes a long time for the heroes to arrive in Arkham and the coastal town of Innsworth and by the time the horror aspect of the story comes to the fore it all feels a bit ‘Too little, too late.’ While the aspects of horror are needled into the story it felt to me as though there was more emphasis on the eras women’s right and empowerments movement. While these are certainly valid and topical commentary, it seemed like the focus of the novel was shifted to these topics rather than concentrating on the Arkham Horror aspects of the narrative. There was very little horror in this supposed horror novel. And more commentary from Betsy about how she could turn instances into future movies. It all became very draining, very quickly.

I am discovering very quickly that a lot of female lead characters are written as flawless. In The Deadly Grimoire, I couldn’t relate to Betsy Baxter because there was no perceived flaw in her character. Whenever something went wrong, it was her that solved the problem. Her that got the other characters out of the pickles or her brilliant ideas that got them out of trouble. Alongside the humble bragging of being the best stunt-woman or having her own studio in a mans world… I felt like I was being preached to rather than taken on an enjoyable horror novel.
The side character Farnsworth, Betsy’s butler, had more about him than the main cast in the sassiness with which he spoke and unforced sense of page presence. Maybe the purpose of the novel, horror in Arkham, was lost somewhere along the line? Other than forcing people to drink sea-weed tea and some vague movings in windows, I don’t know where the cosmic horror in this novel was.

As the plot chugged along, more characters were introduced. Nova, an illegal speakeasy owner and rum-smuggler and a Miskatonic University Professor who seems to have an unhealthy obsession with seaweed. These two serve as the books antagonists who are both morally grey in how they are written. As such the reader is often left guessing which of these two is the true bad-guy? I felt there was no true turning point to this novel though, there was no vial reveal of ‘It’s you‘ the plot just keeps chugging away and then it suddenly ends. Rather unsatisfactory.

For a book titled The Deadly Grimoire, we’re told a lot about the titular book and a false, red-herring of the same name. This aspect of the story is where the book is brightest. When it’s focused on what it’s meant to be about. Something spooky happening, hints of rituals and dire happenings that the Grimoire influences. There’s some real potential here that’s been missed. There just isn’t enough of it in between the aforementioned empowerment.

However, after all that bad news, some good. Rosemary Jones is fantastic at setting the scene. Many of the locations mentioned in The Deadly Grimoire, gave such a vivid impression. The bookstore in Innsworth made me feel so welcome and homey, while the harshness outside the bookshop door made me feel chilled to the bone. I adored her stage setting and the decoration she added to the scenes she weaved.

While The Deadly Grimoire wasn’t a hit for me in terms of characters and plot, this isn’t the last time I’ll visit the Arkham Horror story setting. Since reading some of these books I’ve started playing the card game and thoroughly enjoyed it. I don’t see that ending here just because I couldn’t personally connect with an abrasive lead character.

The Deadly Grimoire
Rosemary Jones
Aconyte Books

Once again I find myself reviewing an Arkham Horror novel and being deeply impressed by the way in which publisher Aconyte Books are developing the setting. Under the sure hand of editor Charlotte Llewelyn-Wells, Arkham Horror is shaping up to be one of the most impressive brands being developed by Aconyte, as well as the gold standard to which all tie-in fiction should aspire to and hope to eventually match. Because not only is Aconyte gathering together some of the most impressive authors in the horror and science-fiction genres to write novels in the series, but they are clearly being given the latitude and freedom to develop the licensed setting in ways that I haven’t seen before. The novels written by Rosemary Jones are perfect examples of this – her first Arkham Horror novel, Mask of Silver was a superbly-plotted, intensely atmospheric and deeply unsettling tale of arrogance, ambition and greed blended together with certain elements of the Lovecraftian Mythos that the setting relies upon; yet at the same time, this was a novel that was allowed to blend that occult horror together with the very real and entirely human horrors of racism, xenophobia and social discrimination against Chinese-Americans, as well as women attempting to forge their own path in the early decades of the 20th Century in the United States. It weas an absolutely phenomenal novel that I thoroughly enjoyed both reading and reviewing, putting Rosemary Jones firmly on a radar as an author to watch, and I was overjoyed when it was announced that Aconyte would be publishing another Arkham Horror novel that she had penned – and not just another novel, but a direct sequel to Mask of Silver. The cover for The Deadly Grimoire was another eye-catching piece of Art Deco art that has become the calling card of the series, and Daniel Strange has outdone himself to create by far the most impressive cover of the Arkham Horror series, and perhaps even all of the series published by Aconyte Books.  The back-cover blurb promised action, adventure and chilling horror as several key figures from Mask of Silver returned, venturing back to the town of Arkham in an attempt to uncover the secrets of what happened in the deadly, flame-filled climax of early Hollywood film-making seen at the end of that novel. I was deeply intrigued, already invested in the stories, character and author, and couldn’t wait to see what Rosemary Jones and The Deadly Grimoire had in store for me as reader and reviewer.

Intriguingly, the novel opens with a brief letter from protagonist Betsy Baxter – the titular Flapper Detective from the novel’s cover art – to someone named Jeany, both a close confidant of Betty and also the narrator and protagonist of Mask of Silver. In between harmless, run of the mill gossip about the still-nacent film industry, we discover two key facts that will set the novel’s narrative in motion: Betsy is now a popular and successful actress with her own film series; and stagehand Jim, who was thought to have perished in the mysterious and disastrous fire that claimed the lives of many of the cast and crew on the doomed Mask of Silver film set, is not only alive but now conscious. Betsy, who only barely survived the flames and other – less explicable – dangers, is determined to question Jim and find out what happened to her friend and beau Max, studio accountant and right-hand man of director Sydney Fitzmaurice. Max disappeared as the film set and mansion it was housed in went up in flames, but no body was found, and Betsy wants answers that only Jim can provide. But her journey to confront her mysteriously returned colleague is anything but simple. When a rare and cursed occult tome is accidentally sold to an academic professor and a violent gangster, and then disappears altogether, the Flapper Detective soon finds herself enmeshed in the most dangerous and realistic plot of her life yet – involving disappearing people, hijacked aircraft and the real truth behind the fire that claimed the lives of her friends. Only by teaming up with an ace female pilot, and a mysterious bookseller, can Betsy have even a slight chance of surviving the perils of Arkham in general, the attention of the Deadly Grimoire, and hopefully uncover the true reasons for the disappearance of her friends on the set of Mask of Silver.

Jones once again provides a fast-paced and deeply compelling narrative as Betsy bull-headedly strives into the morass of chaos and corruption in the midst of Arkham and Innsmouth, and her skillful prose is immediately put to work in not only developing both the overarching Arkham Horror setting, but also connecting it to the wider developments in the United States as the Jazz Age progressed – something that has always been something of a weak point of the entire Arkham Horror setting due to the insular nature of the boardgame and role-playing game. As the novel progresses, we get some fascinating insights into the wider process of producing films in the 1920s, and in particular the complexities and inherent dangers of performing the thrilling stunts that we take for granted in a 21st Century of computer-generated graphics and immaculate safety standards. An early chapter in The Deadly Grimoire involving a filmed piece of wing-walking is genuinely enthralling, both for the thrilling sequence itself, but also for the detailed look at the technical requirements for filming something so radical only a few years after films started to be made. This is a key part of The Deadly Grimoire, and Mask of Silver before it, and Jones’ research and dedication pay off in spades. The same is found in the logistics and mechanics of both flying and maintaining those early aircraft, particularly in an era when knowledge was passed along word of mouth than in technical manuals, and female pilots and mechanics were discriminated against, dismissed or even openly mocked. It’s a genuinely fascinating and little-known subject, and Jones does these early pioneers a great service by informing readers about them and their achievements. These chapters are joined later on in the novel by subtler strands of history that Jones combines with the overarching Mythos narrative of deadly tomes and greedy gangsters and shady physicians seeking profit and glory through exploiting their forbidden knowledge. Jones’ knowledge roams everywhere from voting rights and discrimination against women and minorities, to the early female pioneers of flight and stunt-flying whose names and achievements have been lost to time, and even the role of postwomen in the aftermath of the Great War. Taken altogether, these additional elements are subtly blended into the wider plot, and add an extra dimension to the tale (apart from the usual Lovecraftian non-euclidian ones that Jones also provides) as it progresses.

That excellence extends to the small cast of characters found in The Deadly Grimoire, who are just as three-dimensional and nuanced as those in its predecessor. Betsy really clicked as a protagonist, even moreso than Jeany did in Mask of Silver, and I enjoyed the way in which Jones portrayed her as a driven actress determined to prove her worth in the early days of Hollywood, yet also trying to care for the staff of the mansion she owns by setting up saving schemes, or trading dry sarcasm her butler Farnsworth. And her death-defying stunts on the sets of the various films in The Flapper Detective films provides a solid basis for her acrobatic abilities when facing the occult and human perils throughout the novel. I also appreciated how Jones developed her character in the aftermath of the events of Mask of Silver, making her more independent and determined not to blindly follow the whims of a film director or businessman. I also enjoyed the sense of friendship and camaraderie that Jones developed between some of the characters, especially those between the women behind the camera and those in front – particular director Marian, and the fearless Winifred Habbamock, ace stunt pilot and someone not unfamiliar with the occult strangeness to be found in – and above – Arkham and its surroundings. Winifred in particular is a character that I hope we see more of in the sequel (there had better be a sequel!) because she’s an intriguing, multi-faceted character who would make an excellent protagonist for her own book. The supporting cast is just as varied and sterling – bookseller Tom Sweets is a quietly amusing character – a slightly pompous scion of a family who made their money sourcing occult tomes who finds his real calling in life by becoming the ‘advance man’ for Betty and Winifred; and Jim, one of the members of the Mask of Silver film crew makes a welcome return, giving us a fascinating insight into a character rarely seen in Lovecraftian fiction: the individual who has encountered something inhuman and survived – physically and least partially mentally. Jones’ skill at characterisation fortunately also extends to the novels antagonists, particularly Miss Nova Malone, gangster and criminal mastermind; a deeply untrustworthy woman ready to shed blood if required, and yet also a deeply compelling and even somewhat admirable character with her far-sighted social views on what Innsmouth and its people require in order to truly prosper. There’s also the arrogant and overbearing Doctor Ezra Hughes, with his overbearing, arrogant and deeply misogynistic bearing and obsessive interest in mirrors and glass panes that can show hidden truths. Jones has deftly crafted sinister characters in her previous works, but the obsessive Hughes and his ‘oceanic therapy’ is especially unsettling and memorable.

Populated by a carefully-crafted cast of characters, an atmospheric and often chilling plot, and filled with some superbly cinematic and tension-filled action sequences that thake their cues from the stunts found in those early Jazz Age monochrome, silent movies, The Deadly Grimoire is not only a superb addition to Aconyte Books’ Arkham Horror series, but also the best book that Rosemary Jones has written yet. Jones manages the devilishly – or should that be squamously – difficult job of crafting a novel that works on multiple levels: as its own stand-alone occult horror novel, as a sequel to Mask of Silver that further develops the plot and characters of that novel, and also as a work of Lovecraftian fiction that further expands on Arkham Horror as a setting. Artfully constructed and painstakingly researched, and imbued with an energy and imagination that demonstrates Jones’ complete mastery of the Arkham Horror setting, The Deadly Grimoire was one of my favourite reads of 2022 – and I cannot wait to see what she and Aconyte Books come up with in their next collaboration.

An Arkham Horror novel

I received an advance reader copy of this book from Aconyte Books via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the latest in a series from Aconyte based on the Arkham Horror board game. This volume features main character Betsy Baxter, a 1920 silent film star and studio owner known for playing the lead role as “The Flapper Detective,” a very popular series of films.

I think the best thing about The Deadly Grimoire is that it features several very strong female characters. The male characters in most cases are lacking in some necessary trait or another, or are only characterized at a superficial level. Plot-wise, the horror elements are not very strong and most of the threat to the main character and her allies comes from totally human villains. The adventure elements of the story are strong, as Betsy indulges her addiction to adrenaline rushes with the assistance of her pilot friend, Wini Habbamock.

I gave The Deadly Grimoire four stars. It was fun to read about women pushing against the 1920s social conventions of what they should and should not do, and there were several exciting action sequences. On the other hand, the lack of a strong horror element in the plot brought my rating down to four stars.

A wonderful suspense and thriller book with horror elements which gives it a lovecraftian vibe. Set in the backdrop of 1920s, I loved the main protagonist Betsy. I look forward to every chapter and words. The read was exhilarating.

I requested this ARC as I was attracted to the cover and the plot. I didn't know what Arkham Horror is nor read the previous novel.
Even if I won't start playing the Arkham Horror I will surely read the previous novel as I had a lot of fun.
The author did an excellent job in mixing Lovecraft, historical mystery, and fantasy.
The storytelling and the world building were fascinating and I liked the characters.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Deadly Grimoire is the latest entry in the Arkham Horror series from Aconyte Books, and follows up from last years Mask of Silver.

The story begins by introducing us to Betsy Baxter, the Hollywood star of the popular Flapper Detective series of films, as a shrewd businesswoman who owns the studios that make her movies. Her career has never been better, she's popular, the business is booming, she's recently bought herself a lavish mansion, and she's getting to perform amazing stunts. Things are going great, except for the fact that she's still haunted by the events that happened in Arkham years ago.

During her previous trip to Arkham (during the events of Mask of Silver) Betsy was witness to a strange event, and lost some of her friends during a fire on a film shoot. Her friends didn't die though, they disappeared into a mirror, never to be seen again; including her boyfriend. But when Betsy receives news that one of the missing has reappeared in Arkham, and is being taken care of in an institute, she decides that she needs to return to the city to find answers.

Needing to get to Arkham as soon as she can Betsy asks the pilot who helped her film her latest stunt, Winifred Habbamock, to take her across the country. Shortly after arriving in Arkham the two of them meet Tom, a bookseller who's in trouble with some local bootleggers because they're after a book that he's ailed to deliver. This book, the Deadly Grimoire, is said to be cursed to bring trouble to however has it, yet thanks to the promise of being able to open special pathways the local criminals want it badly. Now Betsy and Winifred find themselves caught up in Tom's plight, and have to help to find the missing book before it's too late.

I'm sorry to say that Mask of Silver is the only book in the Arkham Horror series that I've yet to read, as such, when it came to reading The Deadly Grimoire I was worried that I was going to start at something of a disadvantage; that I might get lost as to who everyone is and what's going on. Luckily, Rosemary Jones makes the book really accessible to new readers, and whilst it is a sequel for sure it feels a lot like its own adventure where knowledge of the last book isn't needed to enjoy things.

Having been used to seeing Arkham Horror stories following hardened detectives, academics, and reporters Betsy felt like a big change to the kind of person that these stories normally centre on. She's brash, opinionated, has an in-your-face attitude. She's a woman who's used to being the boss, calling the shots, and getting what she wants. She has an energy that we don't normally get to see from people living in Arkham, a kind of life to her that is normally ground down and worn out by long-time exposure to the grimness of the city.

Winifred is very similar in a lot of ways. She's a woman who's had to fight every single day in order to become the person she is. She's not only working in a male dominated field, but thriving in it. She's in a position of power and respect that a lot of people would love to see her stripped from, so she has a fierceness to her that she's needed in order to survive. She's also a woman of colour, and has had to live with being looked down upon by white people, and these experiences have definitely shaped her too. In contrast to the two women Tom is kind of what you normally expect from an Arkham book. He's a bit dour, he's not very outgoing, and he's a very insular man who's more than happy to spend his time around books instead of people (I feel you there Tom).
However, despite these differences in outlooks, these varying personalities, the three of them make for a pretty decent team. Each of them brings something different to the table, and they definitely help to support each other's weaknesses. There are times where they end up getting in trouble, not really thinking things through and get into bad situations, but they're always able to get through it by working together as a team.

Whilst the central three characters are great, they're really the only people in the book that we get any chance to get to know other than the two primary antagonists. These two, a strange doctor who runs a private clinic and seems obsessed with strange seaweed, and a bootlegger who runs a speakeasy and seems to support her local community of Innsmouth, don't really go beyond first impressions. Whilst the two of them are definitely interesting, I always found myself wanting to learn more about them. I know that they weren't the focus of the book, and that Jones had the rest of the story to tell, but I was left wishing we'd had more time with them. Perhaps if Jones ends up writing a third Arkham Horror novel these will be characters that get to make a return appearance.

The Deadly Grimoire is an interesting addition to the Arkham Horror line, one that brings a very different kind of energy to things. It has more of a focus on the glory days of Hollywood, features silent movie stars, stung pilots, and dangerous bootleggers over the more otherworldly horror aspects. Whilst this may leave some people wanting more cosmic horror than is in the book, those wanting to spend some time with some interesting characters and getting to know a bit more about Arkham will come away satisfied.

This was an interesting read as someone unfamiliar with Arkham Horror and these characters. Reading a mystery involving a flapper detective was an amazing journey. This is a great read for Lovecraft and 1920s fans.

Thank you NetGalley and Aconyte Books for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book. The writing was immersive and descriptive without being overwhelming or hard to follow. The character development was also excellent. Betsy was a refreshing heroine who was strong, able, sure of herself, while being compassionate and soft at the same time towards those she cared about. The story itself was a very solid noir-esque detective type plot that felt familiar and cozy while a little spooky at times.

If I had any criticism of this book it would be that it lacked a little of that Lovecraftian horror-vibe. It was a fun detective story set in the Arkham universe but I did feel there were some missed opportunities to delve into the lore and atmosphere a bit more. However, since this is the second book Rosemary Jones has written for the series, I think that it may be set up to dig deeper in another book. It was still a nod to the Arkham world and a fun read nonetheless.

The Deadly Grimoire is a follow up to the wonderful Mask of Silver by Rosemary Jones. The tale itself is a stand-alone and while there are references to the previous novel you most definitely do not need to have read that work to understand The Deadly Grimoire. In my humble opinion you most definitely should because it is an amazing read.

We follow a barnstorming pilot (who honestly I love maybe a little too much!) and a daring actress who team up to save the world from supernatural disaster. Betsy Baxter is a plucky stunt-actor and star of the 1920s serial adventure, The Flapper Detective. While researching for a wing-walking scene, she meets the fearless Winifred Habbamock and discovers a shared background of eerier encounters and eldritch phenomena. Betsy has been investigating and trying to find leads on the disappearance of an old friend while they were filming the horror-struck The Mask of Silver. When she finds he has reappeared in Arkham, she and Winifred hit the road, or rather sky to investigate. Arkham is far from safe and full to the brim with danger and unsolved mysteries. Betsy needs to utilise her skills and allies, old and new, to prevent an otherworldly cataclysm from consuming her and all of Arkham.

Once again the authors and Aconyte team have perfected the use of tie-in fiction. Sometimes it’s difficult to transfer from one medium to another. Turning the lore of a game into a novel can face some problems – either you could follow the storyline of the games too closely that it becomes almost unnecessary or you stray too far and end up with some people less than happy. Although usually I would hope fans are just happy to have more ways to access something they love but digression aside this is not the case with Rosemary Jones’ stories. Or the whole Aconyte library to date.

Jones manages to capture the horror and mystery of the game and pairs this perfectly with a pulpy and rip-roaring 1920s setting. The horror and lead up of the tale have elements of Lovecraftian storytelling without the problematic racism and sexism. You are sure to find none of that in this book. I honestly adore the fact we have three strong female protagonists and even one morally grey strong female. It was wonderful to see, in some cases,the female taking care of and protecting the male protagonists and saving themselves and the day.

The story is told via Betsy Baxter’s point of view but this in no way undermines other characters. Sometimes first-person perspective can mean that side characters have less time to shine but this is not the case at all. Via our narrator we still get a wonderful insight into our other characters and while parts might be skewed slightly by Betsy’s view it is generally executed perfectly. The characters themselves are all fabulous and completely believable within the Arkham universe. Wini was an instant favourite, and I would happily read a book based solely on her adventures with or without the eldritch horrors and old gods. But, I also really want a Farnsworth spin off - then again, I dare anyone to say they don’t like sassy butlers!

All of the character are memorable and even the antagonists are well thought out and written. Honestly I don’t know how Jones’ fit so much action into this book but it has everything I ever wanted – daring stunts, flying, shoot outs, car cases, speakeasies, smuggling and eldritch horrors and not once did I find myself thinking this is too much. It was all perfect! The only downside is Wini isn't real!

A wonderful addition to the growing Arkham Horror line up, The Deadly Grimoire captures everything that is wonderful about the Arkham Horror games and sprinkles in high octane action, strong heroines and daring events. A must read for fans of the games, horror, pulp fiction and Lovecraftian eldritch horror.

The book is due to be released in ebook on March 1st 2022 with the paperbacks following on 15th March for the US and 9th June for the UK.
ROSEMARY JONES is an ardent collector of children’s books and a fan of talkies and silent movies. She is the author of three bestselling novels in Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms setting, numerous novellas, short stories, and collaborations.

After a really good run, the Aconyte series Arkham Horror stumbles again. Recently I abandoned "Cult of the Spider Queen" for tediousness. Now I've put aside "The Deadly Grimoire" for its inability to get to the point. At about 50% we still don't have a story, just bunch of words carrying action hero and impresario Betsy Baxter from Hollywood back to Arkham where we met her in last year's very enjoyable "Mask of Silver", also by Rosemary Jones. Has Aconyte changed editors? I don't know but someone over there needs to sharpen a red pencil.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book!

I was excited to read this book because I have enjoyed playing the Arkham Horror games. So how did this book compare to what I was expecting?

Characters: The characters were fine. I did like the main characters in Betsy and Wini. Tom was fine. Nova had the potential to be a super interesting character, but she wasn't a main character. I did like seeing America through the eyes of Betsy and Wini. There was some interesting conversations that could have been had about Betsy being a business owner and Wini being a pilot. There was some talk about it, but there was no push back. It just didn't seem realistic (especially for the time) that there was just no push back or haters.

Atmosphere: Arkham and Innsmouth are super well known in HP Lovecraft lore. I loved the secret underground criminal groups. But everything about the atmosphere had already been built.

Writing: The writing was fine, but this book suffered from the lack of horror. There was very little things that came from HP Lovecraft's works. Sure there was the grimoire but there was no scariness. Sure people were disappearing, but they showed back up fine. Like why should I be scared of this? This book was more historical fiction than anything. The author had the world of HP Lovecraft and squandered it.

Plot: There was the mystery of the mysterious grimoire, and that was interesting. But again this was supposed to be horror. There just was no horror aspects to this story.

Intrigue: I was intrigued to see if this tied in with the mythos of HP Lovecraft, and it did kind of. It wasn't anything that was satisfying though.

Logic: Thinking about the world of HP Lovecraft and Arkham Horror, I just can't think of how this wasn't something bigger than it was in the end. Sure it was logical within the world, but it was so small and not horror.

Enjoyment: This was pretty meh. Not scary. Squandered the chance to write in the world of Arkham Horror. 3 stars.

I must admit that this was my first dive into the world of Arkham Horror, which is set around the Lovecraftian coastal town of Innsmouth and all of its weird and wonderful inhabitants.

Here we follow stunt actress Betsy Baxter, who returns to Arkham following the mysterious disappearance of two of her co-stars in a fire.

Very much a detective tale, The Deadly Grimoire plays out like the board game of the same name, with characters finding clues and trying to unravel the mystery before its too late.

While this is at first gripping, the story does begin to lag towards the middle and doesn't really recover with a somewhat underwhelming conclusion.

Betsy, as the lead is quite an intriguing character, but her backups are perhaps less so and when the attention is on them The Deadly Grimoire can be quite a struggle.

Having said this, The Arkham Horror series clearly has a target audience to cater towards, it just didn't entice this first time reader this time around.

This is a wonderful read in the spirit of the 1920's pulp fiction and silent movies. Wealthy actress and studio mogul, Betsy Baxter is looking for new stunts to perform as the "Flapper Detective" in her silent movies. She is filming a scene as a wingwalker on an airplane. A call from a friend in Arkham on the East Coast alerts her to a strange disappearance of a professor friend and she convinces Winnifred Habbamock, the pilot to fly her to Arkham. Arkham is a strange town where Betsy has been in an ill-fated movie three years earlier where one man was killed and two others disappeared. Betsy intervenes in a fight in an alley and finds a bookseller,Tom, being beaten by thugs. After saving him , he tells her of a grimoire that his firm owns that was accidentally sold to two different parties and now has gone missing completely. Betsy, Wini and Tom set out to find what is behind all the strange disappearances , weird happenings and hopefully Tom's missing book.
This is an action packed thrill rider of a book and I found it a very enjoyable read!!!

I had a lot of fun with The Deadly Grimoire. This book could be used as a primer for anyone learning to write cliff hanger chapter endings. It makes sense because the heroine, Betsy the Flapper Detective, produces and stars in the short films of the 1920's that always ended with a cliff hanger so audiences would spend another dime to buy a ticket to the next episode.

When two of her actors disappear during filming, Betsy finds that being a detective in life doesn't always follow a script. There's a lot of strong female characters ranging from a pilot to a bootlegger and the male characters from her advance man to her butler are a hoot. The male criminals are a little ominous, but there is no gross-out violence. The story is more like a thrilling 1920's flick rather than a gorefest like later horror. The seaweed smells pretty bad, though. It's gross. Oh, and there's sea creature/monster thingys flying through storms and biting biplanes. What more could you want?

For some thrills set at the seashore (and we know what kinds of things live in the sea) pick up The Deadly Grimoire and take yourself back to 1926 and get a little wing walking for your reading pleasure.

Thanks to Netgalley and Arkham Horror for allowing me to read and review The Deadly Grimoire.