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.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Jess Armstrong for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Curse of Penryth Hall coming out December 5, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I was really intrigued by the title, and I love historical mysteries. I love stories about grand houses that have a history to them. This book wasn’t exactly what I was picturing in my mind. I thought the book ended up being a little too long. I think it would’ve been better for it to be a little bit tighter. The characters were good, but I think they were floundering a bit and they were a little lost in the plot. I thought the writing was awesome and I was into a lot of the story. I just think it lost my attention a little toward the end. I think the curse wasn’t fully explained and how it affected the characters. Most of the action seemed to happen in the last 25% of the book. I would read other books by this author.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries!

This was an interesting read.

It was funny, magical, and the character development was top notch. I truly enjoyed this read.

This was a great murder mystery set in post-war UK.
Strong female lead who doesn’t believe in curses or anything she can’t logically explain.
Great story building and characters.
I love that the author had the characters deal with a lot of self-reflection and growth.

What a fun time this was. Obviously, the murder was not fun and very descriptive on some of the gruesome bits, but I loved it!! We start out with my favorite first chapter ever. "There were three things A girl wanted after the night I had. One: A proper breakfast. Two: a scarcity of sunlight. And three--possibly most important--coffee. DARK, bitter, and at least two pots."
As a charachter, I loved Ruby! She was witty and so relatable. I loved seeing her interactions with her family she found in Mr. Owen and their cat.

Then the story starts to get wild right off the bat after she arrives back to Lothel Green and meets an old flame/friend Tasmyn. The mystery had me on the edge of my seat, and I honestly had no idea who did it until the reveal. All my guesses were wrong. The cook/housekeeper  was my 2nd favorite character, and I am happy with the ending we get to see! I appreciate the ending, and it makes me feel like we could get more!

My only real negative was the constant repetitive of Ruby not believing in a curse or magic that the teller, Mr. Kivel is capable of. I am fine with her not believing, but she brings it up all the time. We get it it's been established. That being said, it didn't affect my rating 5/5 stars.

Make sure to add this debut gothic mystery with supernatural elements to your cozy winter reading list. Set in Cornwall in 1922 the story follows (mis)adventures of troubled and trouble-making American heiress Ruby. When her elderly employer and landlord Mr. Owen asks her to deliver some books to a local healer, Ruby is reluctant to go because her once closest friend Tamsyn lives there as well. Ruby's visit stirs up a lot of unresolved things from the past and throw her in the middle of a an investigation of unusual death of Tamsyn's husband.

This story had a little bit of everything but I think I enjoyed the dynamic between Ruby and Ruan the most. Cornish folklore, potential curse, lots of secrets and unresolved feelings and Ruby's mischievous spirit made for an entertaining read. It was a quick, fun read that made me forget about everything else for a few hours. I also liked the fact the epilogue read as if there is a possibility of a sequel.

Read this if you're up for:
- gothic vibes
- love triangle
- mystery with a dash of supernatural
- great chemistry between main characters
- compelling "side" characters
- beautiful setting

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Curse of Penryth Hall is a quaint, charming and cozy yet gruesome Gothic mystery novel set in the idyllic 1920's Cornish countryside. Is it an ancient curse or a terriorsome murderer that is targeting the inhabitants of Penryth Hall? This is the mystery the readers must solve. Our protagonist, Ruby Vaughn, an American Heiress is quite feisty and I instantly took a liking to her spunk. All in all this novel is a feel good mystery with a grim twist.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotour Books, the author, Jess Armstrong and NetGalley for extending me this ARC.