I picked up this upcoming release because the cover and the premise scream fall reading. Ann Stilwell arrives for an internship at The Cloisters (the isolated medieval museum at the very top of Washington Heights in NYC) and finds herself immersed in a project researching the history of divination and the art of tarot. We know from the opening prologue that things have gone very wrong for Ann, but the mystery wasn't as compelling to me so much as the rich descriptions of the museum itself.

The Cloisters feels like a genre-less book. It's a thriller, but not too spooky. It's a coming of age story. It's literary fiction. It has some elements of historical fiction. It really can give you anything that you want! I really enjoyed reading it.

This contemporary mystery set in New York City focuses on several employees working at The Cloisters museum. The claustrophobic nature of a Medieval cloister is echoed in the close and suffocating atmosphere of the heat and humidity of a New York City summer. As the detectives narrow in on the solution, the characters begin to feel more and more pressured. The beautiful writing and realistic descriptions of the city make this an engaging novel.

Genre: Gothic Fiction/Mystery

Format: Audio

4 stars - I liked it!

Gothic and atmospheric, a vivid dark academia setting, NYC vibes, an alluring friendship, an unreliable narrator, and a dash of tarot reading!

I enjoyed this book a lot! I was surprised by the ending and where the book led to, and really thought the audio was done so well! This one is definitely a slow burn, but I didn’t mind it and finished the audio within only a few days!

This one is perfect to read in the fall! This was such a unique debut, and I’m looking forward to see what she writes next!

Haunting, lyrical, magical THE CLOISTERS by Katy Hays delivers. Hays' storytelling is next level. The tension she creates in each scene had me marveling about how a perceived quiet, and unobtrusive space like The Cloisters could harbor so much mystery, curiosity and delicious frightfulness. This book is a must-read for anyone looking for a read that blends history, art, and the supernatural.

3.75 stars.

Reviews for this one are all over the place - I’d say I landed somewhere in the middle. I definitely liked it, but it didn’t fully click to make it amazing.

I really liked the atmosphere (10/10), some of the reveals and the audiobook narrator. I also thought the subject was super interesting and I learned a lot about The Cloisters (it’s a real place) and tarot. However, some parts of the mystery were VERY obvious, sometimes action was glossed over too quickly, and the characters were a bit bland at times.

Overall, I’d recommend this one as a quick read and a good listen. This was the author’s debut and I look forward to seeing what she does next.

If I’d known such a thing existed, or had grown into my love of art earlier, I might have been an art historian. So this book about the academic inner workings of The Met’s Cloisters grabbed me from the start. Throw in some romantic intrigue, complex female friendship, and a smattering of the occult and you’ve got a cocktail I’ll really enjoy. I did, however, enjoy the journey more than the destination. I didn’t feel like all the dramatic reveals at the end were necessary, though the protagonist’s arc was very satisfying. I could have done without the mystery and just enjoyed the dark academia.

Well this was more gripping than I planned for!

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to enjoy this book early. It’s a hard book for me to describe as everything I think about involves spoilers. So what will we do? Let’s talk emotions!

This book had me sold immediately. It’s such a gripping story, a real page turner that had me wanting more the whole time. But then - it just kind of ended. Did it wrap up? Sure. But for me it felt really abrupt. It wasn’t rushed, that’s not quite accurate but definitely abrupt. That’s really my only complaint.

This book places emphasis on Tarot and if that’s a hot button for you I’d give this one a good skip. No reason to rate a book poorly over something like that!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ recommend.

Honestly, this would have been a 4 star book for me had the twist with Ann's past not happen in the last 10% of the book. I get why Hays made that choice, but I think the overall plot would have worked without it and it didn't sit well with me, it cheapened other aspects of the plot. Though I can see how some readers would love this twist.

Personally, I was hoping The Cloisters themselves would have played a bigger role in the plot other than just the academia setting. But that's also just me because I love them and was excited to read a book set within them. I thought the tarot plot points were really interesting even if I never ended up liking (or caring for) any of the characters. I did love how a poison garden was woven into the plot which was fitting historically, but also made for interesting moments within the modern events.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.

Although I was really excited about the concept of this book, I did not end up liking the story itself. I think the author's writing is great, but the story was not something I enjoyed.

My best good friend @juliemarissa wanted to read The Cloisters so obviously I had to join in.

Ann Stilwell arrives in New York City only find herself assigned to The Cloisters, a gothic museum and garden renowned for its medieval art collection and its group of enigmatic researchers studying the history of divination.

As Ann learns more about fortune telling she finds a hidden 15th-century deck of tarot cards that might hold the key to predicting the future. When the dangerous game of power, seduction, and ambition at The Cloisters turns deadly, Ann becomes locked in a race for answers as the line between the arcane and the modern blurs.

I loved the dark academia vibes of the Cloisters. The writing was eerie and I could totally picture myself among the gothic architecture. That’s pretty much all I liked though. All the characters are unlikeable and I had no clue what their motives were. Couple this with a slow pace and this book was not for me.

Check this book out if you like a slow burn dark academia Murder mystery!

This book has so much to love! Katy Hays truly captures the magic of The Cloisters in this atmospheric debut novel. Her descriptive storytelling put me under a spell...and I love almost every minute of it! I am now officially a fan of dark academia, thanks to this captivating story.
It's the story of a girl, Ann Stillwell, who is struggling with grief over the death of her father. He taught her a great love for academia and medieval art. She travels far away from her hometown of Walla Walla. WA to NYC -in part to escape the dark cloud of grief her father left and in part to pursue her career goals. She's set to work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but she finds on her first day that her position is no longer needed. By chance, (or fate?) she meets Patrick Roland who offers her a summer position helping him in the Cloisters. She will work alongside Patrick and another academic, Rachel as they specialize in Tarot.
The story is magnetic and draws the reader in with fantastic descriptions and exciting characters. The buildings and gardens are infused with magic. I had a few problems with characterization, Ann seems a little too self-deprecating. Rachel's character had holes as well. But the story is fantastic and shocking, with twists and unexpected games left and right. I love the dark and gothic vibes that oozed out of this tale! Thank you to the publisher and Katy Hays! 4 stars.

I struggled to get through this book but I eventually hit a point about halfway through where it caught my attention and I managed to finish. I’m glad I finished because the ending made up for the slow start.

Ann stumbles into a summer intern position at The Cloisters--a NYC museum dedicated to the medieval period. Working alongside Patrick and Rachel, Ann is drawn into a mystery surrounding tarot cards. Everyone has a secret and everyone is out to be on top. Who is going to reveal the secret of the tarot cards and who will end up dead? This one was atmospheric, dark, and cunning. Really liked it.

Very good - It reminded me of The Secret History by Donna Tartt. The setting is a specialized place where few are allowed. The characters are fascinating but feel very flawed. You know things will probably end badly for most involved but you can’t close the book because it is so good. There were twists that I never saw closing which is rare.

Ann gets her first job at the Metropolitan Museum of Art working in the Cloisters. Her coworkers share a deep fascination for arcane rituals, and Ann begins to wonder who she can trust.

I loved the dark academia and NYC setting. I just moved out of NYC after living there for years, so it made me miss exploring!

This one was a slow burn that kept me hooked at every turn and I thought paid off at the end! It didn't have a bit twist, but I thought that made it feel even more insidious, because it shows you can't trust anyone.

My fave debut of the year. Review on my insta: https://www.instagram.com/p/CkYacZwriWw/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

An excitingdark, suspenseful novel set in New York City. Well-paced haunting story involving the Tarot. Highly inventive

There is something thrilling about academia and secrets and a museum of artifacts. Katy Hays weaves a compelling tale of ambition, determination, and fate. There was a good balance of predictable and unpredictable. Feels like a great fall book.

I had really high expectations with this one and it unfortunately let me down big time. Definitely not an objectively bad book and I enjoyed the academia and occult explorations throughout it, but the plot was predictable and the the love interest was bland.