The story takes us from Greece to Ireland as Grace arrives to be a nanny to Skye. The home is a country house with a maze and a tower, which provides a perfect setting for a mystery in the present and the past. We move between three timelines, now, the recent past, and a past further back set in the time of the Potato famine. We learn of the history of the family of the house and how the house always protects its own.

A good mystery and a good read.

Having read Sinead Crowley's other books I was looking forward to her latest publication. I really enjoy her latest book.
Set in the west of Ireland in Hollowpark Hall with years of history and ghost stories the scene is set for intrigue and mystery. And this book delivers. Winding history into present Sinead does a fantastic job on this tale of murder and mystery. Definitely advise to read this and Sineads other books .

Hollowpark Hall protects its own…

Set in the west of Ireland, Hollowpark Hall is an old house with many secrets. At the heart of its gardens is the beautiful but deadly Belladonna maze. The estate is full of riddles and a young woman goes missing and is never seen again.

Grace comes to Hollowpark Hall to work as a nanny for young Skye Fitzmahon. Everything is not what it seems and soon Grace is dragged into the mysteries of the house.

I loved this book- I was engrossed in the story from the first line. It’s darkly atmospheric with supernatural elements and a gothic feel to it. I love a good haunting story and this book delivered! There’s a great mix of mystery, the supernatural, history and romance.

Loved the characters who were all well developed and felt really authentic. My favourites have to be Grace and Delia. Delia is your typical Irish mammy trying to feed everyone and be the mammy hen! I love how Grace instantly connected with the house and I had goosebumps on several occasions at what Grace experiences whilst staying there (the bathroom scene 😳😳)

This book serves as many twists and turns as the beautiful Belladonna maze itself. The dual timelines worked in perfect harmony with each other and Crowley masterfully weaves them together. There’s a level of unpredictability when reading this story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. A truly compelling story that I just could not put down.

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the beauty of this cover- it just makes you want to run through the maze in a beautiful gúna (dress in Irish)!​

The Belladonna Maze is a five star read for me. It’s out now so, so grab a copy. Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the arc!

I enjoyed this captivating book so much. An adventurous story set in Hollowpark Hall, Lisheesa. Ireland,

over two centuries of murder, deceit, and love of the historic house, garden, and maze. A love shared by the

present family owners and the ghosts..The past and the present are intertwined like the paths in the belladonna

maze.Spellbinding and atmosphreric.

A dual timeline, a gothic novel that mixes paranormal, past and present. It kept me hooked and on the edge till the last page.
Well developed and well told,
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I just loved this book. It was a real page turner that kept me up late at night. What was not to love.. Dual time lines, a mystery that just kept you guessing, and to top it all also a ghost story. I’m not going to give any spoilers as it just needs to be read. I will certainly be looking for more books by this author. Many many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this novel in return for a honest review.

Having returned from working in Europe, Grace moves to Ireland to be a nanny. The historical mansion has many secrets and a mystery that needs solving. I absolutely loved the characters and was pleased to discover some twists and shocks along the way. Such a good read.

Engrossing tale, transporting you from sunny, sandy beaches in Greece to the lush, green landscape of Ireland where the enigmatic Hollowpark House and its occupants capture your imagination. As the story flips easily from present to past times, plenty of goose bump encounters and twists kept me gripped until the conclusion.

This novel started in Greece but was mainly set in a spooky house in Ireland over 3 time periods, mostly 2007 and during the potato famine. It was spooky at times and quite a slow moving story until the end where everything just seemed to suddenly be crammed in and all the stories from the three time periods suddenly came together.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

An ancient country house in Ireland, a maze laced with the Belladonna plant, provide the perfect setting for this gothic mystery. Grace is a nanny who arrives at the house and is immediately aware of another, otherworldly presence.. A second time line is set in the Irish Famine and links to the strange goings on in the present day. And a third timeline describes the disappearance of a local girl back in the 1970s. All these time lines come together to create an compelling and atmospheric narrative.

Beginning with a telling incident in The Belladonna Maze in 1825, this story alternates between the nineteenth century and 2007. It is an absorbing medley of literary fiction with gothic and supernatural elements.

Lyrical and full of vibrant characters and vivid imagery, the story weaves its magic on the reader, immersing them in the maze and its secrets. It reads like a contemporary fairytale, and the reader is never sure what is fact and what is fantasy. Belladonna is known for its hallucinatory effects.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I wasn’t quite sure what I was expecting from The Belladonna Maze but I enjoy a gothic ghost story and thrillers so I was excited to dive in.

I really enjoyed the story – it jumps between present day Grace who gets a job working as a nanny on a large estate in Hollowpark and a myriad of characters in history who might be haunting the house with their secrets. These switches really help to keep the pace up and make for an engaging and atmospheric read. The setting of the Belladonna Maze in the garden is also really chilling and I enjoyed picturing it. The story has a good flow and I liked how to mystery is wrapped up in the end, I saw the reveal coming a little too early but that didn’t stop my enjoyment of the book.

There are quite a cast of characters in both of the time periods but I never felt overwhelmed – it seemed they all had their own narrative style and dialects which helped to keep the reader on track at all times. My only annoyance was the romance element of Grace and the father of her young charge which I felt was a little unrealistic and irritating.

Overall, the Belladonna Maze is a great historical mystery and thriller with a touch of horror thrown in. Thank you to NetGalley & Head of Zeus – Aria for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story has a number of timelines but the main character is Grace in 2007. It also reverts back to 1825 and upwards. Hollowpark Hall in Ireland is the main setting and all the main action is around the house and it’s maze. Grace came from a wealthy family but didn’t have a good relationship with her mother. She has become quite an independent person. There are paranormal elements to the story. I must admit I didn’t see how this was going to end. I found this to be a riveting read, there were so many layers to the story. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

An utterly mesmerising mystery that is a melting pot of historical charm, spine tingling thriller and seductive romance. The story spans dual timelines: 1840s and 2000s and centres around an old house on the West Coast of Ireland. At the heart of its gardens is a maze, its namesake Belladonna is a lethal poison. It is both a place of magical beauty and sinister unease, as around girl disappeared here leaving much suspicion and fear. This history soon seduces new nanny Grace, who often glimpses a young woman from the upper windows of the house. Who is she? What does she want? Grace is drawn to the maze. Absolutely captivating . #thebelladonnamaze #sineadcrowley #netgalley #headofzeus #aria

I really enjoyed this book. I am a fan of dual timeline historical fiction and of murder/mysteries so two of the things I love in a book were combined in this one book obviously made it a strong possibility that I would find this a good read!
On the face of it the book is about a maze in the gardens of Hollowpark, a location in Ireland where much of the book is set. But the book is also about the people who live there, who have lived there, and those who have died there.
There were bits of the book that niggled with me slightly- the main protagonist constantly saying/thinking she should leave but never actually doing so, some lack of clarity about dates/the passing of time in the present day and the rather sickly American-style happy ending, but once I got into the book, which admittedly didn't take me very long, I really wanted to keep reading. Thanks go to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Thank you to #NetGalley for my advance copy of #TheBelladonnaMaze by #SinėadCrowley

Grace loves her life spending Winter in England as a nanny and then Summer working in hotels in the Mediterranean looking after Children in the Kidz Clubs there. But when she’s offered the chance to go back to Ireland as a full time nanny she decides to take the job.
The house is fabulous and her charge Skye Fitzmahon a little sweetheart., but something is wrong and she could be in danger but from what and how she doesn’t know. A gripping atmospheric novel set in both the present and the past.
An absorbing read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was everything and more. I absolutely love the different timelines, I feel it adds depth to the characters and how we get to the ending. And wow, what an ending, it truly was a huge surprise. The twists and turns had me gripped, I nearly cancelled clients so I could finish it quicker!
The characters were so easy to connect with, I felt the hatred, the fear, the love. I wonderfully well written book.
Thank you to the author, netgalley and head of zeus for an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

*Love* a book with split timelines! Beautiful prose, lots of twisty turny goodness and compelling characters. Don't let this one pass you by!

A novel with three timelines it is mainly set in Ireland in 2007. I love books set in this country. Grace is a professional nanny and comes to live at Hollowpark House to take care of little Skye FitzMahon. The house is wonderful but it hides some dark secrets. There is a tower in the grounds which overlooks the maze. The belladonna of the title is a deadly plant which is found entwined with the maze hedging.
The past story is mainly about Deirdre one of the original family of Hollowpark. She loves the house with a passion but is forced to leave it for the Gate House when on her father's death her cousin inherits. I would have liked to spend more time in the past story as it was more interesting. I felt this period of the story was wasted. Almost brushed over.
The third timeline is brief and sets the scene for a disappearance which happened many years ago.
I enjoyed the story. A lot. The opening chapters were very engaging and there was plenty happening but then it got bogged down. There were quite a few chapters where absolutely nothing
happened and we spent a lot of time with Grace and her thoughts which got very monotonous.
The twist at the end was brilliant. Not for one second did I see it coming.
Then after meandering along for quite a few chapters the end came at speed. Too much happened too quickly and it was all tied up a bit too neatly but I would definitely try another book by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a thrilling, atmospheric novel which draws you in from the very first page. Set in two timeframes, the 1840s and 2007, and told by two different women in different circumstances. The story begins with Dierdre, who is a young girl living with her family at Hollowpark, an old mansion set in the west of Ireland. The second timeframe is set in 2007, when Grace becomes employed to work as a nanny to Skye, the family now living at Hollowpark.
This is the first book I have read by this author, and the writing is superb. You become completely absorbed in the characters, mysterious old house with its dark draughty passages, chilling shadows and drama. I loved this book, finding the characters relatable and likeable developing as the story unfolds.
The intriguing, well drawn plot is chilling, with enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Highly recommended.