3.75

The Curse at Penryth Hall is one of those books where I mainly just got in my own way. As you know if you’ve read any of my other recent reviews, I have a hard time jumping into an unknown author or series and this was the epitome of unknown. Is this a Gothic novel with fantasy? Is the curse just a smokescreen like on and Scooby Doo, demystified by lifting the hood at the end, all of the special effects disappearing to reveal one man or woman?

I can’t say I’m much of a fantasy reader at all and I think I chose this book when I was short of options and a bit desperate. Once I let go of the preconceptions, the angst, and the bias, it’s a fairly enjoyable read. I’ll spoil it by saying that this is a mystery. I won’t tell you whether it’s reality or a spectacle. I won’t tell you because I don’t know if I know the answer to that even now.

Ruby, a name I love for several reasons, is a free spirit, primarily because her life has shown her that getting attached or serious just causes heartache. She is house-sharing with a rich older man years after having been cast out of American high society because, as was not uncommon, young women weren’t told anything about sex and she allowed herself to get compromised. Then at some point I think a few years later, her family was killed leaving her an orphan. She served in the Great War as an ambulance driver to the casualty clearing stations. We learn before too long that she was in love with one of her best friends who she was sent to live with when she was kicked out and served with in France.

At first, I was annoyed with the idea of so many of these historical stories now being written with gay characters and story lines, but then I realized that they aren’t really modern stories, they just couldn’t be discussed in the past, let alone documented or fictionalized, until recently. In this case, I think it may have been more of a time and place and person than necessarily a binary preference.

Ruby is sent on an errand near Penryth Hall, where her former friend and lover is the lady of the house. She stays the night and before morning, the despicable Baronet husband of her friend is violently murdered. Everyone and their dog blindly blames the curse that took his uncle and aunt decades ago. It’s also not a good time to be a quirky stranger in a small village on a witch hunt. She develops a closeness of unusual proportions with the local Pennar who is like the town’s weapon against evil forces.

So, is this a mystery with a human behind it, or a curse, or a combination of human and mystical forces? I give them an A+ for a story that is unusual and creative. It’s not really deep or cunning, but there are enough moving pieces and questions that you aren’t really sure where it’s going or who to trust. If you want an unusual cozy-adjacent mystery with some Gothic elements and a bit of the roaring 20s, it’s a nice read. The end foreshadows a second book set in Scotland, so 1. expect more like this and 2. know that you can’t get all of the answers now if there are more books to come.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for providing an unbiased review.

The Curse of Penryth Hall is a mystery with just a pinch of fantasy. It follows Ruby as she visits the small town of Lothel Green to deliver some books to a mysterious man, who she soon discovers is the town’s own witch doctor. She also takes advantage of the little trip to the countryside to visit her old friend Tamsyn at Penryth Hall. Her trip takes a turn, though, when someone shows up dead and the towns folk start talking about a fated curse come back to haunt them.

In general, I liked the bones of this story - it was certainly mysterious and there was that little hint of magic that made you wonder of the killer was truly human. I think the setting and atmosphere was what shone in this book. The characters all had rich backstories and complex relationships alongside all of their own mental health issues. However, I did feel there was some spark, or some something, missing to truly bring them all to life. In particular, the growing something between Ruby and Ruan, the witch doctor, was *almost* there, but I feel like there was something missing in the end. There were a couple of questions left just slightly unanswered.

Overall, I would recommend if you’re in the mood for a mystery set in a superstitious, post-war, English countryside with just a hint of magic.

The Curse of Penryth Hall is the debut novel for author Jess Armstrong.

As the story opens, Ruby Vaughn, an American heiress, is given the task of delivering a crate of books to a remote village in Cornwall. It seems a scandal in America has been the reason for her being cast upon the shores of England and now Ruby must fend for herself. It is revealed that Ruby's former dearest friend, Tamsyn Chenowyth, lives in the same area as the folk healer who is to be the recipient of the books. They have not seen each other since Tamsyn's marriage to Sir Edward Chenowyth of Penryth Hall. It is a marriage that Ruby disapproves of completely. But she had received a letter from Tamsyn begging her to come a while ago and feels compelled to visit. Ruby spends the night at the manor, Edward is murdered in the orchard in a particularly gruesome manner and the locals blame it on the family curse of the Chenowyth's. A Pellar (a folk healer or witch) is called in to break the curse. It is the very person that Ruby delivered the books to: Ruan Kivell. . Ruby scorns the idea of a curse but not the idea that her friend and even her small son are in danger so she wants to find the truth. The unlikely duo of Ruby and Ruan join forces to set things right and to unravel the mystery.

This offering is a true Gothic mystery with the atmospheric undertones of the manor providing the backdrop with Ruby standing out as the forward thinking, modern girl. The story is carefully crafted, one tidbit at a time, as we find out things about the mystery and the characters themselves. I felt a bit like Ruby: impatient and wanting to know the truth all at once. But I commend the author on a good first effort. I hazard a guess that she might be a fan of Victoria Holt or Daphe DuMaurier as I felt whispers of that style, which I love too. I look forward to more novels by this author.

Thank-you to St. Martin's Press: Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC,

Gothic mysteries are often atmospheric, dark and spooky but this novel lacked all I enjoy in these reads. The plot missed so much in the story telling leaving gapping holes that were unresolved at its conclusion.

Thank you St. Martins Press for the complimentary copy.

A historical mystery with some elements of supernatural. I liked the premise here but there were a few things that threw me off. First, some of the things the author references early on makes it feel like the reader should already know it (like things about Ruby's backstory). I even double-checked to make sure it wasn't a sequel (which I couldn't find any evidence it was). I also felt like Armstrong couldn't commit to a mystery or a more supernatural spin on things.

The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong is the well written tale of Ruby Vaughn, who lands in the middle of the Cornish Countryside amid secrets, murders, moors, and a very special Pellar, Ruan Kivell. This story has humor, intrigue, twists and turns, murders and hope, it is an enjoyable read.
This book was given to me by NetGalley for review.

Ruby was annoying and I feel like I've read this before. Setting was great and I did enjoy the Welsh folksy tieins

The Curse of Penrith Hall follows Ruby Vaughan, an American heiress who, after a scandal back home in America, now works at a rare bookstore in England. Ruby is given an assignment to deliver some books to a man in Cornwall who happens to be a healer. This journey leads her to the doorsteps of Penryth Hall where Ruby reconnects with her once dear friend Tamsyn and her husband Sir Edward Chenowyth.

Overall, this book was very atmospheric and gothic. It feels cozy in a way, though I wouldn’t really characterize this as a cozy mystery. The writing style is very simple and easy to read, and I really enjoyed Armstrong’s writing style. It’s also very descriptive

I loved the main character Ruby. However, I did feel that there could have been some more development in her storyline. There is lots of talk about her previous experience (i.e. war and her exile from her parents) but it’s very brief and didn’t really satisfy my want to know about her background. Although this does focus on her time at Penryth Hall, I would love another story that delves more into her background.

I also loved many of the other characters in the books, and there were some fun little side characters as well, like Mrs. Penrose! I also loved that Ruby’s cat kept popping up throughout!

There were also lots of suspenseful twists and turns throughout the book. When it came to the suspects, I kept guessing throughout even as the number of suspects dwindled.

I would definitely recommend this book for those looking for a paranormal, murder-mystery, kind of cozy in a way book!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book is everything I generally like. Gothic homes, murder blamed on curses, the wondering of whodunnit while also wondering if this a supernatural event. All great things. So while we seemingly have the ingredients for a good story why did this miss the mark so hard for me?

Let's start with what was good.
- The writing was gorgeous. This author set the stage, the prose wasn't flowery, it was definitely moody and atmospheric, and it was such an easy style to engage with and get lost in.
- Ruan, the mysterious broody witch man was certainly the male love interest I am interested in.
I loved him so much that I wanted more.

What I did not enjoy
- a first person POV from a self-righteous, not-like-other-girls protagonist with a 3rd wave feminist chip on her shoulder in a 1st wave feminist world.
- side characters I wish were fleshed out more in casting suspicions.
- the over-the-top messy relationships. Was there anyone in their right mind? The infidelity and wishy-washy love was an absolute cluster-cuss.
- overt messaging. Stop telling me how I should think and feel and agree with you, and instead persuade me to think and feel the same way as you. I mean this specifically about things such as feminism, women's rights, and misogyny, religious views, etc.

Overall this was a story I wanted to walk away from. I read it to completion to give an honest review, but if I had no commitment I would have just set it down and moved on.

I received this as a complimentary copy from the publisher. The opinions expressed are my own.

I was drawn to the cover of this debut novel, a gothic suspense set in 1922 that turned out to be a very enjoyable change of pace from more contemporary thrillers. Ruby Vaughn is a disgraced American heiress who has ended up in Exeter, running a bookshop with her octogenarian employer and house mate. When he asks her to travel to the Cornish countryside to deliver a trunk of books to a "folk healer", she is reluctant because her childhood best friend, Tasmyn, from whom she is estranged, lives there and Ruby sworn to never see her again. But once convinced to make the trip, Ruby goes to visit Tasmyn at Penryth Hall. That night, Tasmyn's husband is murdered and all the locals are convinced the curse that killed the last baronet and his wife has returned. The "folk healer" Ruby delivered the books to turns out to be the local Pellar, Ruan Kivell, who investigates the murder with Ruby's help. This is a poor description of the plot, but I don't want to give too much away! I really enjoyed the nontraditional characters, from the independent Ruby to the mysterious Pellar. The plot took me on a wild ride with unpredictable ups and downs and a satisfying end. I hope this is the start of a series as I would love to go on another adventure with Ruby Vaughn!

While at its bones the plot is well written it feels like it’s missing something, or maybe it’s just the order in which information came out that left something to be desired. The subplot explaining what led up the body of the story is the most interesting part. Additionally, the characters are underdeveloped. Really the whole this is underdeveloped. But this author definitely has potential in the future as they grow into their talent.

Ruby Vaughn is tasked with taking a box of books to the last place on earth she wants to go, the tiny Cornish hamlet where her former best friend, Tamsyn, is living with her Baronet husband and new baby. Once Ruby has deposited the books into the hands of the strange, young folk healer in town, Ruan Kivell, she makes her way to Penryth Hall to check in on Tamsyn. After a tumultuous night, Ruby wakes to the sound of Penryth’s bells tolling the death of Tamsyn’s husband, Edward Chenowyth.

This was an ambitious premise. The idea of a former WWI ambulance driver (Ruby) and a small town folk healer (Ruan) coming together to figure out if a man was murdered by a human or a curse is interesting. Unfortunately, the writing was unable to bring it to its full potential. The reader is told a lot of interesting things about Ruby, but is rarely shown her actually doing anything interesting. And this felt like it carried over into her interactions with Ruan too. Ruan and Ruby’s relationship begins and ends in exactly the same place. Neither of them knowing if they like each other or not and several plot threads left dangling. If this is intended to tease future Ruby Vaughn Novels, it was ineffective. The mystery that the whole plot revolves around is given less page time than one might expect and is then explained to the reader via a monologue at the end with information that neither Ruby nor the reader could have any way of knowing.

Well this gothic murder-mystery debut was an absolute delight.
🪦Post-WWI Cornish countryside setting
❤️Murder mystery with magical or supernatural elements
🪦Rebellious bi-sexual heroine who seems to cause and attract chaos
❤️Great chemistry between the logic-minded heroine, Ruby Vaughn, and the mystical town healer, Ruan Kivell
🪦Family drama, decades of a curse, hidden secrets, twists and turns, shocking reveal
❤️Complex and flawed characters with great growth arcs

This story had a great blend of mystery, suspense, and budding romance but I think I enjoyed the dynamic between Ruby and Ruan the most. Their unique connection, ability to fluster one another, and their witty banter will definitely draw me back if there is a sequel book (pretty please!) It was a quick, fun read with a fantastic immersive gothic atmosphere.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for my review. I also listened to the audiobook from Libro.fm narrated by Emma Love who did a fantastic job with the American, Scottish, English and Cornish dialects.

The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong intriqued me by the title, the cover and the synopsis.

Ruby Vaughn a wild child exiled to England by her parents has reovered somewhat from the Great War and the tragedies it entailed, She is now living as a Bright Young Thing in the 1920’s and enjoying living with an octogenarian and helping him run his bookstore. Other than her tendencies to run off their housekeepers with her wild parties, they rub along nicely. Then Mr. Owen asks her to take a box of books to a customer in Cornwall to a folk healer named Ruan Kivel. The only issue, Mr. Kivell lives in the same village where Ruby’s best friend Tamsyn has married the local squire. Tasmyn and Ruby have parted on not the best of terms and Ruby has ignored all of Tamsyn’s efforts to contact her. However being so close Ruby decides to bite the bullet so to speak and visit Tamsyn at Penryth Hall. While staying overnight a murder occurs and Ruby teams up with Ruan to solve the murder. Dealing with superstitious villagers and weird goings on that may or may not be of a Supernatural bent, allow for an engrossing mystery.

The Curse of Penryth Hall wsa an enjoyable Gothic mystery and I look forward to more books by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martn’s Press and the author for the chance to read and review this book.

The Curse of Penryth Hall is a mystery full of twists and turns. Ruby delivers a box of books to Cornwall for her charming employer, It is her first trip to Cornwall since her former friend's wedding. A man is killed, and Ruby, alongside Ruan, the community's "seer", works to determine if the death was the result of a curse or was a murder. The author does a good job of creating a setting that is as much a part of the story as the characters.

It’s December book people! While many of you are reaching for feel good holiday books, for my gothic mystery lovers this one’s for you!! The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jessica Armstrong is perfect for curling up in a cosy spot. I binge read this in a day. It’s an immersive blend of old books and mysticism, where legend and folklore get wrapped in the Cornish countryside. It’s a journey of facing old loves, of a curse reborn, of selkies, curses, and wisemen who may or may not be magical. This is all you need to know, really, you can go get the book now.
What follows is my purposefully vague description.
In postwar England Ruby Vaughn rents a room from her employer, Mr Owen. When he sends her to deliver a box of books to a client in the Cornish countryside he gives her one admonition, do not open the box. “These are ancient things, my girl…dangerous ones.”. It’s the last place Ruby wants to go. The last time she was there the most important person in her life, Tasmyn, married Sir Edwyn Chenowyth. She now lives at Penryth with her son. Ruby was so brokenhearted she didn’t respond to Tasmyn’s most recent letter.
When Ruby arrives to deliver the books she’s drawn to Penryth Hall. A horrific crime is committed, and it is feared the curse that plagued the home thirty years earlier has returned. A local healer, wise person, known as the peller, is brought in to help.
Going in with just a vague outline is going to be your best friend here. I think it’s easy to be spoiled on some things and I enjoyed having very little background. I loved the atmospheric feeling, just right for a winter read. This is Armstrong’s debut novel and she’s absolutely an author I’m going to be watching! I loved the mystical vibe combined with a female main character that was complex, strong, flawed, and open to new ways of thinking.
I highly recommend to readers looking for something atmospheric, gothic, set in the English countryside. Thank you to @minotaur_books @netgalley and @jessl_armstrong for the advance copy.

4.5
The story is a combination of mystery and a twist you won’t expect. At least, I didn’t. My mind kept going somewhere else.

Ruby was involved in trying to help with the investigation of the deaths and the major secrets that were being hidden in the town. It gets dark but not as dark as you would expect.

I loved how it had supernatural and how you are given the story with such detail that you don’t want to miss out on what happens next. Not only are you given a great ending, but I felt there was something that I didn’t get answered.

A gothic tale set after the Great War, where an heiress decides to run a bookstore.

Ruby is sent away from home due to a scandal, so she decides to help run a rare bookstore in Exeter. One day she’s given an assignment to run some books down to Cornwall, where Penryth Hall is. She’s shocked to see the house is run by her old friend Tamsyn and her new husband. Ruby feels the need to reconnect after their falling out, but Tamsyn doesn’t feel the same.

This story is a light mystery with a dash of a strong heroine. The premise was intriguing and definitely had the brooding gothic feel with a dash of paranormal mystery surrounding it.

I could not get into The Curse of Penryth Hall. The synopsis of the book was great; however, it did not live up to the hype for me. I could never get into the book. Seemed slow and drawn out. I stopped reading it a couple of times thinking if I read something else and came back it would capture my attention. Unfortunately The Curse of Penryth Hall was not for me.

This book felt like a good set up to a series. We got some good characters, and we’re introduced to a much different sort of fantasy. My only critique is that felt like it was super effective in the supernatural elements at times. If you’re going to try to try a hybrid genre or more realistic magic worlds, I think you need to be more clear than this book was at times. Still, I’d read another book if they continued with the series.