‘You’re a tempest, Ruby Vaughn.”

Ruby Vaughn vowed never to return to the small Cornwall village where her ex lover married in front of her eyes, only to be summarily dispatched to the gothic setting by her employer to make a delivery of books to the village witch. And unable to help herself she finds her way to her ex’s door, just in time to get caught up in the ‘curse’ that takes the life of the unfaithful husband. Not sure who she can trust besides Ruan, the witch, who has the uncanny habit of reading her thoughts, Ruby can only hope to get back to Exeter alive in this compelling debut novel.

Disgraced American heiress Ruby Vaughn, living in England and working in partnership with a an elderly bookseller after WWI, in which she had served a stint as a nurse, receives a commission from him to hand-deliver a box of books to a customer in Cornwall. Nearby lives Tamsyn, with whom Ruby had had an intense relationship before Tamsyn decided to play it safe and marry the obnoxious Sir Edward Chenowyth. Ruby hasn’t seen her since the wedding but decides to visit her at Penryth Hall while she’s in the area. Little does she know the hornets’ nest she’s walking into.

Although she delivers the box without incident, after enduring a tense dinner with Tamsyn and Sir Edward, Ruby has a vivid dream in which Sir Edward attacks her and she drives him off, only to awaken and discover that he has been found dead in the woods near the house, his body violently mutilated. She is not the suspect, however; there is supposed to be a curse on the family, and Ruan Kivell, the man she had delivered the books to, known in the neighborhood as a Pellar, or folk healer with supposed powers of divination, has been called to determine whether the cause is natural or otherwise. Skeptical Ruby and Ruan, who have a mysterious connection that seemingly allows him to read her thoughts as if she had spoken them aloud, then set out to determine the truth.

While the mystery was interesting and both Ruby and Ruan were sympathetic characters, I found the plot of The Curse of Penryth Hall to be somewhat disjointed and I had a hard time sticking with the book, and although admittedly she has been downtrodden since her marriage, I couldn’t picture Tamsyn inspiring such passionate devotion in Ruby. I also wasn’t particularly impressed with Ruan’s “powers,” since at least one thing later discovered by the doctor they call in should have been obvious to anyone who had any familiarity with violent death, whether they were psychic or not.

I received a copy of The Curse of Penryth Hall from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a delightful historical mystery!

I was a bit nervous that this would be too 'cozy' for me, or that the historical element might lose me, but never fear--this is a fun, snappy mystery with plenty of haunting, twisting moments. Ruby is a fresh, snarky heroine (anti-hero?), both tough-as-nails and vulnerable at once. Her relationship with Ruan is the BEST--I'm pining after them so hard--and I do love where Tamsyn and Ruby ended up in their friendship. The touch of magical realism was excellently handled.

Extremely excited for the sequel, and very grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

THE CURSE OF PENRYTH HALL is a brilliant blending of mystery and romance in a positively Gothic historical setting. Armstrong created a tale with intrigue, emotion, and a bit of the supernatural.

There is something so fabulous about a suspenseful novel set in a time and place that brings alive its characters. This tale does just that. With Ruby set as the amateur sleuth determined to prove the perpetrator is human rather than otherworldly and Ruan adding doubt to her more logical way of thinking, this pair engages the reader as we are brought into their lives and the investigation.

From the beginning until the very end, I was addicted to this story. The atmosphere created by Penryth Hall and the Cornish countryside was the perfect setting for this mystery. Armstrong truly crafted a thrilling narrative centered around unique and spellbinding characters. I cannot wait to see what is up next for Ruby and if her story will shed more light on her connection to Ruan.

Audiobook Note: Narrator Emma Love brought to life this tale and its characters. Her pace and inflections were perfection. Her diction was right on point. Listening to this audiobook only made the experience of getting to know Ruby and the cast all that much better.

I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, it did not meet my expectations. While the plot was promising, the characters lacked sufficient development. As I continued reading, my enjoyment of the book diminished more and more. The story revolves around a house that many believe is cursed, but Ruby refuses to accept this superstition and sets out to disprove it. However, as the narrative progressed, I found myself increasingly disinterested. I was disappointed because the concept of the book was good, but it was not executed well.id not live up to those hopes. There is a good plot, but characters are lacking in development and the longer I read the book the less and less I enjoyed it.  Everyone blames it on the curse at the house. Ruby refuses to believe it and sets about trying to disprove that myth. The longer it went on, the less interested I was in the book. Disappointed, since the idea behind the book was good but it was not executed very well.


Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All the above opinions are my own.

[arc review]
Thank you to Minotaur Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Curse of Penryth Hall releases December 5, 2023

It’s 1922 and Ruby’s employer has just tasked her with transporting a box of books to a town she swore she’d never return to.
On the way there, she takes a detour to Penryth Hall to see her old friend, Tamsyn.

When Ruby wakes up the next morning at Penryth Hall, Tamsyn’s husband is dead. The local townsfolk are certain that he was killed by a curse, but Ruby believes otherwise.
Was Ruby’s dream of killing him really just a dream? Or was it reality?

This didn’t have a strong storyline or characters, and the fact that Ruan could hear Ruby’s unspoken thoughts didn’t fit the narrative.
Based on the blurb, I really thought this was going to be more centered around books, so that was a bit of a disappointment.
I believe this would’ve worked better as a short story or novella.

cw: infidelity

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins press for allowing me to read an arc of The Curse of Penryth Hall.

Is it a ghost? Are supernatural forces at work? Or is there just a murderer on the loose?

This book took me a minute to get into, but once I got settled in I very much enjoyed it! It definitely kept me guessing and there were a few twists I didn’t see coming. I enjoyed the main character!

My biggest critique is that it does feel like it sets itself up for more of a romance, but falls short. I would have been fine with no romance, or committing to a full romance, I struggled a bit with where it landed. I will say it does set itself up for a sequel so perhaps there’s more to come!

“The Curse of Penrtyh Hall” has all the hallmarks of books I usually adore. Elements of gothic literature, folklore, and a setting involving a love of books. The characters were interesting and relatable while the mystery was solid. The supernatural elements tied in well. However, I struggled to stay engaged. Despite the great characters, I felt the dynamics between characters seem awkward and stilted. There were elements within the storyline that seemed forced and try hard at times. Eventually the magic was lost for me but it was solid three star read and I would willingly read more by the author who had a lot of potential!

Definitely a wild ride following this story. I enjoyed the book, but feel that parts of the story tended to drag on. Regardless of that, I finished it in one day and would enjoy reading a sequel if there were one published.

I love a good gothic mystery in the fall, and this was no exception. I loved the characters and plot. The mystery was really well done. An enjoyable read!

Oh man was this a great gothic mystery set in 1920s Cornish countryside where Ruby ends up back at Penryth Hall where she swore she would never return. It was home to her former friend Tamsyn and her husband Edward but when Edward is found dead Ruby ends up helping investigate what happens. There was a lot of twists and turns and it kept you guessing until the end which I love since I am a very good guesser and I hate figuring it out too early. This was a great read.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Loved the setting and spooky vibes. Very dark academia of the British variety. Well done for a debut and I look forward to the rest of the series.

The Curse of Penryth Hall is a strong gothic mystery debut. Ruby Vaughn is an American heiress that works at a rare bookstore. When her octogenarian employer sends her to deliver a box of books to a folk healer living deep in the Cornish countryside, she is forced to look at events in her past and is brought back to the one person that she thought she would never see again, Tamsyn. Ruby visits Tamsyn and her husband at their home known as Penryth Hall. Ruby is completely unsettled by the home and Tamsyn's husband. Eager to depart, her plans are set aside when Tamsyn's husband is found dead in the woods. Tamsyn and the employees at the manor believe that the curse that killed the residents of Penryth Hall 30 years ago is back. Ruby must work with the town's Pellar to determine what or who killed him.

I enjoyed delving into this gothic mystery and trying to figure out if the murder at Penryth Hall was actually part of a supernatural curse or done by mortal means. Ruby character was perfect for this book. I enjoyed learning more about her past and what happened between her and Tamsyn. Her skepticism of the supernatural lead to a nice balance with her partner, Ruan in the investigation and I am hoping to learn more about the mystery behind these two characters in the next book. Overall, a great gothic read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review The Curse of Penryth Hall. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love the gothic, atmospheric vibes in this book. Plus a historical setting in a countryside? Yes, please!

This book was so twisty! Perfect amount of suspicion and information. The MC is basically me, if I had lived back then. I'm curious to learn more of what a "pellar" is and what their job entails. Can't wait to read the sequel!

I love gothics and I was looking forward to this. On top of that, it was set in Cornwall! However, something just felt off about this book.

4*

I wanted to love this book. A gothic mystery set in Cornwall? Please and thank you.

And for the most part, I did. I thought the characters were well-developed and their drama felt real and relatable. The dive into Cornish folklore was wonderful and the driving factor that led me to pick up this book.

Do I wish Armstrong had played around with the thesaurus a little less? Yes.
Do I wish Ruby and Ruan's past had been better developed? Also yes,

But overall this was a great debut and I'm excited for the next installment.

Absolutely fabulous. This one was a bit of a slow starter for me, but once things started speeding up, between murder, attempted murder, and a phenomenal cast of characters, I couldn’t put this one down. EVERY SINGLE TIME I thought I’d figured out what was going on, the author went left and I was back at square one.
Between curses, a vicar who seems off, a housekeeper who seems to know more than she lets on, a healer/witch who is definitely my favorite character and a cat that seems a bit more than meets the eye this book kept me fully involved and anxious to see what will happen next!
This is definitely a must read and based on the ending, I expect we will be seeing more of these characters in the future, and I for one cannot wait!

I was really looking forward to this book as the premise seemed very much up my alley, However, the execution ultimately just wasn't there for me.
The overall conceit is very interesting, but the book suffers from lack of character development; the book starts of strong and tapers off as it progresses.
While typically I like progressive reveals over the course of the book, it doesn't work here. There's not enough information from the start for the reader to hold onto, and so it's hard to make sense of what turns out to be key parts of the book.
With some structural changes I do think this book could have been much improved.

This is a wonderful atmospheric novel filled with mystery and suspense. It is filled with twists and turns with an ending I never saw coming. It is a captivating debut novel.
Thanks to Net Galley for this advanced copy.