"An atmospheric Gothic mystery that beautifully brings the ancient Cornish countryside to life, Armstrong introduces heroine Ruby Vaughn in her Minotaur Books and Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning debut, The Curse of Penryth Hall.

After the Great War, American heiress Ruby Vaughn made a life for herself running a rare bookstore alongside her octogenarian employer and house mate in Exeter. She's always avoided dwelling on the past, even before the war, but it always has a way of finding her. When Ruby is forced to deliver a box of books to a folk healer living deep in the Cornish countryside, she is brought back to the one place she swore she'd never return. A more sensible soul would have delivered the package and left without rehashing old wounds. But no one has ever accused Ruby of being sensible. Thus begins her visit to Penryth Hall.

A foreboding fortress, Penryth Hall is home to Ruby's once dearest friend, Tamsyn, and her husband, Sir Edward Chenowyth. It's an unsettling place, and after a more unsettling evening, Ruby is eager to depart. But her plans change when Penryth's bells ring for the first time in thirty years. Edward is dead; he met a gruesome end in the orchard, and with his death brings whispers of a returned curse. It also brings Ruan Kivell, the person whose books brought her to Cornwall, the one the locals call a Pellar, the man they believe can break the curse. Ruby doesn't believe in curses - or Pellars - but this is Cornwall and to these villagers the curse is anything but lore, and they believe it will soon claim its next victim: Tamsyn.

To protect her friend, Ruby must work alongside the Pellar to find out what really happened in the orchard that night."

Dammit, I love Cornwall and their belief in the uncanny.

I really enjoyed a lot about Jess Armstrong’s debut novel. There’s nothing better than a Masterpiece Theater style who done it! The jazz, the liquor and the murder was all so fantastic.

There were times I felt like I was getting through a maze to a plot line or a connection to a character and ended up feeling lost. Which is why I gave it 3 stars. I’d like to make a note that this was an uncorrected text, and it’s very possible that when it’s published it will be clearer.

I will definitely give this roaring 20’s cozy murder, another read when it’s published and write an updated review

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Jess Armstrong's debut novel is a the perfect romance, gothic, suspense, paranormal mystery novel I've read. The Curse of Penryth Hall kept me on my feet for all 336pages.

Set in 1920's Cornwall, disgraced American heiress Ruby Vaughn made a life for herself in Exeter, England, running a rare bookstore alongside her eclectic employer, and housemate. Ruby has been known more for running from her past than facing it. When she is forced to deliver a books deep in the countryside, she is forced to face her former life head on.

Ruby runs into her former friend, and lover?, Tamsyn, who is married to a wealthy man with a wandering eye. Not long after Ruby arrives in Lothel Green, Edward, Tamsyn's husband, shows up dead. Now the entire town is talking of a curse while the lead investigator is a local Pellar.

This book was everything a fall book should be. It was like playing a game of clue, trying to figure out who did it. It's cozy. Theres a hint of romance, lust, and heartbreak. It's twisted and gothic, without being gruesome. I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense and mystery of this book. This is the kind of story that's made for stormy days. Well done, Jess!!

This was such a stellar debut—it's an enchanting gothic murder mystery set in the Cornish countryside in the 1920s. Ruby is such a spunky, unique heroine and I sped through this entire book on a flight from Texas to NC. My only complaint is that the ending felt like it was setting itself up for a sequel, and I wish that one very important loose end had been tied up since there hasn't been confirmation about whether or not a sequel is actually coming.

“The past was no good to anyone, and digging about in it only brought about unpleasantness. It was best to leave it where it was. Past.”


This kept in line with my ‘spooky’ reads for October thus far. It’s a gothic mystery set in the brooding moors of the Cornish countryside in the 1920s.

There were some unexpected things and then some forgotten things that made this book not my favorite, but I think a lot of people will probably still like it. Plus the ending was ‘mostly’ satisfying which is good.

If you’re looking for a completely supernatural type of book and a murder that is only explained through ghosts or curses, etc, then you won’t find it here. Armstrong wove together reality and supernatural elements throughout the story and some were explained away, but she did leave a bit of mystery and intrigue by the end. I liked the balance as I am not a fan of books where it’s completely about the haunting things.

(We’ll see how I like The Book of Cold Cases which I’m reading next as I know it has some supernatural elements!)


The basic premise is this:

Ruby Vaughn, an orphaned and exiled girl from America who lives with a likable, bookish old man in Exeter, is tasked with taking some ancient and “dangerous” books to a "folk healer” in the Cornish countryside.

A simple task brings her to death’s doorstep at Penryth Hall, the place of heirs and curses.

But Ruby, being a rational and logical thinker is convinced that the death cannot be explained away by a ‘curse.’

“There’s no such thing as magic, Mr. Kivell. No curses. No monsters in the night. None of it. There’s a perfectly rational explanation for what happened to Sir Edward and I intend to get to the bottom of it.”

But if she gets too close to the truth, she might be next!



So who is this Ruby Vaughn character and do we like her?

“Between leaving America, war, and the death of my parents, I’d become a different creature. An almost feral fatalistic thing, living from chance to chance, existing only because death didn’t want anything to do with me. At least not yet.”

I like that she is a strong and courageous and smart girl, though a bit reckless. She spent time during the Great War on the front lines carting injured soldiers to safety. She is no stranger to death or danger.

I also like her relationship to Owen, the father-figure she lives with. We find out Ruby’s parents and sister died on the sinking of the Lusitania ship during the war. (Side note: If that interests you, read The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams). Before that happened, though, Ruby was exiled from her high-society life in New York because of a scandal. She was young, only 16, but during a time when men had the upper-hand, her vulnerability to a man in power resulted in her forced departure.

Owen also lost his family— his wife before the war and his sons during. “Leaving him a father in need of a child, and I a child in need of a father.”

I think Owen is my favorite character of the book. I thought he was caring and funny and I appreciated that though they shared familial grief and brokenness, they could do life together and bear each other’s burdens, looking after one another and creating a new family. Owen also has a curious twinkle in his eye and I have a feeling if this book turns into a series as it was hinted at, he’s got a lot of adventure left in him!


Ruby is also a rebellious one. She would be the ‘flapper’ type of girl, throwing parties of debauchery and resisting the restraints of societal norms. Instead of a flapper dress though, you would find her in pants, holding a whiskey, arguing with men, and loving whomever she pleases.

That last trait was one aspect I was not expecting.

The murdered man— Sir Edward— was married to her lifelong best friend, Tamsyn (a female). Tamsyn and Ruby had apparently been lovers to some degree and Tamsyn had broken Ruby’s heart at some point during the war. We are not given a lot of details of this.

Throughout the book we see regularly that Ruby still has feelings for Tamsyn and is struggling between loving her and being mad at her.

“I’d expressly vowed to never set foot in the godforsaken county ever again.”

“‘You walk around looking as if she’s ripped out your heart and is carrying it around with her in her pocket, and you can’t decide whether to go fetch it back or leave it where it is. Anyone can see that.’”

As for sexual content, there is none, but we are privy to Ruby’s thoughts and feelings toward both Tamsyn and another character (Ruan) that tell us of her love.

While I like a courageous woman who is willing to push against certain societal norms, I’m not sure if I liked her character as a whole. I’m not into glorified debauchery and rebellion for rebellion’s sake.

“I’d been around the world, to war and back, and done things that would make the most wicked of men blush.”

I don’t know what she means here, but I know enough to know I’m not a fan of it.

Who knows what direction Armstrong could choose to take Ruby in any future books? For some that may be exciting, but for me, I don’t think I’ll continue to read it.



So we’ve got Ruby as our main character and from whose POV the book is told, but our other main character is the folk-healer— Ruan— also known as the Pellar.

“What is a Pellar, Mrs. Pemrose? The way you speak of him he sounds like a cross between a physician, a witch, and priest.”

Though it didn’t fully come to fruition (at least in this book) we have the makings of an enemies-to-lovers type of situation. They begin at odds because Ruby doesn’t believe in curses or magic. She’s trying to figure this guy out and see what his angle is.

“The man was harder to read than my own penmanship.”

But as the story progresses, Ruby witnesses things she can’t explain. Plus there is some sort of supernatural connection between her and Ruan that adds to the mystery and their special bond.

This is where some of the magic remains a mystery. I’m not sure if the author did this intentionally, but to me, it feels like a loose end that was forgotten.

Ruby says that magic can’t be real "Because if such a thing were real, it opened up a box of questions about my own past that I wasn’t ready to answer.”

We know that Ruby has dreams that become reality. We know that she used to sleepwalk as a child. We know that she was “born in the cowl” which is rare and may or may not have some sort of supernatural effect? We also know that her and Ruan share the same birthday.

These are elements that hint at this ‘box of questions’ about her past. But that’s as far as we get. It was kind of a let down not to know more about her dreams as they are a main feature in this book’s story.

Another odd thing that was confusing was some of the ‘terms of endearment’ Armstrong had her characters use. As we don’t find out about Ruby’s romantic love for Tamsyn right away— it seems like just a really deep friendship at first— it became weird when Ruby’s first interaction with Mrs. Pemrose in the bedroom hints at romantic love as well.

Mrs. Pemrose calls her ‘lover.’ Which I’ve only heard used in a romantic context. The interaction alluded to some sort of memory they shared when Ruby had visited for Tamysn’s wedding. Nothing is further said about it.

It is only until later when another person uses that term ‘lover’ to Ruby in a situation that did not hint at romance that we realize there was nothing further to divulge between Ruby and Mrs. Pemrose.

So I think it must just be a cultural term they used then, as they often call Ruby ‘maid’ as well. But it was weird and misleading, especially considering Armstrong had already introduced an LGBTQ relationship. How were readers supposed to navigate the potential relationships if someone was called ‘lover’ non-romantically?



I was a bit put off by Ruby’s distaste for the vicar. It’s probably because I automatically feel defensive when someone mocks or hates Christianity. I mean the vicar is an immoral guy who has no business leading a church and was probably preaching an unbiblical religion (we have no way of knowing and it’s not a tenet of the story) so I don’t fault her for being against the man. But by hearing all of her thoughts surrounding the church or God in general, I’m not convinced she would think fondly of any vicar.

It’s an easy trope to use an immoral and preying religious man as a villain in a story. I know why it’s done, but I don’t have to like it.



Part of what adds to the ‘gothic’ and moody feel of the book is the Cornish setting.

“The old Cornish folkways predate even the Romans. There are things that occur there no one can explain, no one dares question. After all, Tintagel is the birthplace of Arthur, they say. The seat of kings.”

Many stories of giants, pixies, mermaids, and beasts have their origins in Cornwall. While they talked of pixies (piskies) in the book, I think there could have been more ‘story-telling’ around these myths or curses. The Curse of Penryth Hall is not of the fantasy genre so I’m not sure how much incorporation could still be done in the time period chosen for the story, but I wish there had been more lore intertwined with the curse.

Along those same lines, I think there were ‘secrets’ of the house that were hinted at but not really elaborated on that I think would have also added to the spooky vibes. It was more of an afterthought when they could have been played up more.



Randos

I learned a few interesting things that prove Jess Armstrong did her research. At the beginning it is mentioned that Ruby has constructed an in-ground pool at their house and that she thought it would become popular soon. The first hotel swimming pool in America was at the Biltmore in the 1930s so the timing of this was probably right and also weird to think about!

Also, sunglasses were mentioned. And I realized I had never thought about when those were invented. Sunglasses started to become more popular in the 1920s, so again, timely insertion. Look at Wikipedia's page for sunglasses and you'll find some interesting sunglasses Inuits created to block the sun's exposure.

Lastly, ‘Old Nick’ is another term for the devil. I hadn’t heard that before. It’s odd to be so similar to Old St. Nick (Father Christmas). I did a little research and it appears there is no certain explanation for where Old Nick was derived from.


“‘She was murdered… here?’ I repeated, staring at the rug. ‘It was thirty years ago, maid. I doubt there’s a great house in this country without a death or twelve within its walls.’ she said.”

This quote stuck out to me because I just read B.A. Paris’s book The Therapist in which a woman finds out her boyfriend bought a house where someone was just murdered and didn’t tell her about it and she refused to live there. So it was interesting to see this take and realize older houses have seen a lot of things. So, does the age of the house matter when considering whether or not to live somewhere someone was murdered? I’ve been curious to ponder what factors would influence a person’s choice.



“I was struck by the tenuous line between life and death on a farm. Everything was more real. More vital here than back in the ballrooms and theaters of New York.”

This quote also struck me as I recently heard someone talking about the political climate of a rural area vs an urban area. He mentioned that the closer you get to agricultural industry areas, the more conservative the political views are. That political ideas, thoughts, or plans are less abstract. On a farm, you have to grow something. You have to produce more livestock. Therefore, gender matters in a more real way. You go into a city where you are removed from the vitality of a farm, abstract ideas ‘make more sense’ or have less ‘detrimental’ implications.

Obviously there is lots to debate here, but I think it’s really interesting to think about farmers’ perspectives on life and the world where the line between life and death is “tenuous.” Where abstract ideas are not usually helpful or practical. What do we lose when we live in the abstract, ‘free spirit’ of the urban arts and commerce? What would we lose if we never ventured into the abstract?

Politics do seem to work that way in general so it's interesting to think about factors that play into that. Just some thoughts.



Recommendation

To reiterate: This book had some interesting elements and gave me some spooky Nancy Drew vibes. I was mostly satisfied with the ending and appreciated the intertwining of supernatural with rational.

There were several unexpected or forgotten things and the somewhat unlikability of the main character that made this book not really for me.

It’s not badly written, so I know some will like it. There were just elements that didn’t work for me.

As I also mentioned, it seemed like the epilogue hinted at another book. If that were the case, I would not continue to read the series.


**Received an ARC via NetGalley*

[Content Advisory: 1 f-word, 1 s-word, main character is LGBTQ but no sexual content]

This debut has all the makings of a classic gothic mystery with a few cozy elements mixed in -- e.g., a cat and a grandfatherly octogenarian bookseller. The "detective" in this case is a young woman, an American heiress who has fallen into disgrace from polite society. Ruby Vaughan lives a gin-soaked flapper's lifestyle in the years following World War I, during which she drove an ambulance under fire from the battlefront to Amiens. She's young, but she's seen some stuff. So when her bookseller employer sends her on a delivery to a village in Cornwall, she goes. But not without trepidation since she has a history with one of the village's prominent residents -- the wife of an asshat baronet who lords over Penryth Hall, "a great foreboding neoclassical fortress set against the windswept countryside." Penryth and its surroundings are a classic setting for a murder. Ruby is fascinating, her character deepening as the plot thickens and she becomes further involved with the villagers, their relationships, their history, customs, and superstitions. I especially enjoyed the Pellar character and learning about the history of such cunning folk in Cornwall. But best of all, the ending sets up further gothic and mysterious ventures for Ruby in Scotland. Aye, I'm all in. 
[Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

Fans of Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series should enjoy this Historical Mystery debut which I’m hoping leads to further adventures.

Following the Great War, American heiress Ruby Vaughn finds herself exiled by her parents (for bad behavior) to Exeter, where she “works” for her octogenarian house mate in the running of an antiquity bookstore. When she is asked to deliver some books to a folk healer, Ruan Kivell, living in the Cornish countryside, she stops in to see her former friend, Tamsyn, who married a not-well-liked local baronet. When said baronet is gruesomely murdered, Ruby, along with Ruan (known locally as the Pellar) must determine if the murder is connected to a centuries-old curse following that family or if it’s for a more secular reason.

Great debut! Loved this one. From the supernatural tension, the atmosphere of the place and time of the story, and the eerie and dark feel of the never knowing what comes next…very well done. But it’s truly Ruby, as an unapologetically headstrong, relentless and capable heroine who shines. She’s such a wonderfully drawn character that I must say I will sorely miss her if this doesn’t turn out to be a series. She’s a flawed character with demons of her own to wrestle with, but she is loyal and cares deeply for those she loves.

Highly recommended.

My heartfelt thanks to the author, NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing the free early arc of The Curse of Penryth Hall for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Moody, atmospheric, slightly fantastical and otherworldly. I initially thought this was going to be a cozy mystery, but quickly realized that it was going to be the kind of book that started with "it was a dark and stormy night." Once I got into the vibe, this is a fun and interesting read. The mystery is pleasantly convoluted and the characters well drawn. FYI, there is some sapphic love in this book. It looks like this may be the start of a series and I look forward to seeing what happens next.

What an exciting debut from Jess Armstrong! Ruby is such an engaging character, and her interactions with literally everyone else, especially Ruan, are fascinating. The setting in post-WWI Cornwall is a character in its own right - a very gothic, pixie-led, mystical place. I absolutely devoured this book as quickly as possible, and I can only hope this leads to more Ruby adventures!

I received a copy of this book from Minotaur Books.

I started this book but I could not finish it.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is part romance and part paranormal mystery.. so many twist and turns to keep you on your feet. IF you like mysteries set in the past this is for you.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to review this book. My review will appear on my blog as well as episode 35 of my podcast which drops on Monday, November 20. I'll also post the review to Goodreads and Instagram that same week.

Review:

I went into this one expecting a paranormal ghost story, but that isn't what I got. Instead, this is more of a gothic murder mystery. That's not necessarily a bad thing; it was just unexpected, and I kept waiting for something ghost-like to happen, but it never did.

The book is set in post-World War I England and follows the adventures of Ruby Vaughn, a spirited American heiress who finds herself swept up in an alleged curse that is supposedly attached to Penryth Hall - the place where her dear friend Tamsyn lives with her son and her bully of a husband, Edward. When Edward is found murdered, rumors begin to swirl that the curse of Penryth Hall has surfaced and taken another life.

While the book wasn't exactly what I expected, I did enjoy it. Armstrong's writing effortlessly transports the reader to the Cornish countryside. The descriptions of the landscapes, the characters, and the eerie atmosphere of Penryth Hall are all beautifully rendered, creating a vivid and immersive reading experience.

The plot is filled with suspense and intrigue. What starts as a simple delivery of books quickly escalates into a hunt for the truth behind Edward's gruesome death and the alleged curse that looms over Penryth Hall. As Ruby and Ruan delve deeper into the mysteries surrounding the orchard, the tension builds, keeping the reader hooked until the very end. The blend of historical events, whispers of witchcraft, and local folklore adds an extra layer of complexity to the story, making it an engaging read.

As I alluded to earlier, despite initial expectations of a full-fledged ghost story, the supernatural elements in this novel are only hinted at. The legends of witchcraft and the curse did give the story a haunting atmosphere, but those seeking a more overtly paranormal experience like myself may be left wanting in that aspect.

The characters in this book are well-developed and engaging. Ruby, in particular, stands out as a likable and relatable protagonist. Her determination, resilience, and curiosity make her a compelling and endearing character. The relationships she forms with the other characters, particularly her friendship with Tamsyn, are heartfelt and richly portrayed.

While the majority of the characters are well-rounded and intriguing, my biggest gripe lies with the inconsistency of Ruan's character. I liked him, but there were times when he felt a little too mercurial. One minute, he seemed fun and laid back, but then, all of a sudden, he seemed to be flying off the handle about something. It was difficult for me to get a good feel for him. I wanted to like him more than I did.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read that combined beautiful prose, compelling characters, and a captivating plot. While I had issues with Ruan's mercurial personality and wished for more paranormal elements, these things weren't enough to detract from the overall quality of the book. Fans of historical mysteries with a gothic atmosphere will definitely enjoy this one.

I received this from Netgalley.com.


I was expecting a Gothic mystery about <u><b>"books themselves are seldom the danger, it’s what’s within them that carries the risk.”</u></b> --- it just didn't deliver. The writing itself was okay but I was tremendously underwhelmed with the characters and their stories.

2☆

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. “The curse of Penryth Hall” is a book about the impulsive (and recently orphaned) American Heiress Ruby Vaughan as she travels to Penryth Hall - the home of her estranged best friend Tamsyn. Ruby never intended to stay, however, when a tragic death comes for one of the inhabitants of the manor, Ruby has to work with Ruan Kivell - the town’s mysterious Pillar - to solve the mystery of the curse that haunts the manor.

What I didn’t like about the book:

A.) The lack of exposition/backstory/general explanatory aids.

Usually I don’t like when books take too long to build up a plot and only get to the action later but it was kind of the opposite in this book. We get thrown right into the story with a brief blurb revealing that Ruby’s parents died after they sent her off to England and not much else. Then once Ruby gets to Corinth countryside, we are told that she has been there before for the wedding but she did something to embarrass herself and has no recollection of it at all. This really wouldn’t bother me at all if it weren’t fort for the fact that Ruby’s time at Penryth Hall in the past is what made Ms. Penrose so fond of her. Without that background information, her affection felt misplaced and confusing.


Another thing I didn’t like was how we as the readers didn’t really get the “lore” behind the curse until over halfway into the book. From the moment Lord Chenowyth died, everybody kept stating that it was the curse over and over again but nobody really described what that entailed or how the curse came to be until much later which was a bit disappointing.

Another example I can think of is how one of the characters makes a throwaway comment about how Ruan and Ruby were born on the exact same day during an eclipse or something of the sort, and how that might relate to why they have their psychic connection. However, this is never expanded on again (since Ruby doesn’t seem to care about it all that much) and we as the readers are just left to wonder what it could possibly mean. A final example would be everything related to the white witch and her prophecy about how Ruby would destroy Ruan and how it clearly affected Ruan very deeply but he tried to brush it off.

I can only hope all these loose ends are a lead-in for a sequel book because otherwise everything will be a bit confusing.



B.) Ruan’s hot-and-cold personality.

Don’t get me wrong, I like brooding, mysterious MMCs as much as anyone but Ruan character got boring quick. I understand that he can be more goofy when he’s just Ruan himself but he has to get more serious when the town needs him to be the Pellar. However, I wish we got a bit more backstory as to how he came about to be this why and how he truly feels about it; the pressures the goes through, his fears and doubts about his job, that sort of thing. One moment he’d be all nice and caring but then he’d get closed off and angry in the next moment for seemingly no reason. It was very hard to keep up with.



What I did like:


A.) The trope-iness of it all


Although Ruan was an inconsistent character, I did enjoy his relationship with Ruby and how it progressed . Although there were a lot of basic romances tropes between them (ex. Psychic connection, have to work together to solve mysterious, their fates are linked together, etc.), I think the way they grew to trust and lean on each other was quite endearing and I want to read more about them.


B.) Ruby’s personality

I liked that she was a force and hot-headed without being too impulsive or unthinking. Ruby’s actions were for the most part, very rational and I greatly appreciated that. I also liked her quippy one-liners about Freud or the state of the church and the “holy” men around her. It made her feel very real and somewhat modern.


Overall, I give this book a 3.5 stars and I really hope to read more about these characters sometime in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Figuring out who is behind everything going on in and around Penryth Hall was not an easy task. For me, it was a case of who I didn't want it to be, and who I did want to see go down for everything seemed to have gotten off quite lightly. I was a bit disappointed that I didn't really connect with any of the characters in this 1920s murder mystery. The FMC has some depth, and her background is quite sad. But, while I felt bad for her, I wasn't necessarily connecting with her. The MMC just aggravated me with his strange behavior. He'd be friendly and flirting one minute, and almost cruel and dismissive the next. The writing itself was well done, so if you enjoy mysteries set in this time period, you may want to grab this one in December.

The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong follows ex-pat Ruby, who is on a trip to the Cornish countryside to deliver a trunk of books to Ruan Kivell. The last time Ruby was at Penryth Hall was to attend the wedding of her best friend Tamsyn Turner to Sir Edward Chenowyth. She has no recolection on what happened during her stay. 18 months ago Ruby recives a letter from Tamsyn, ask Ruby to come to Penryth Hall to help her. Ruby ignored Tamsyn's request. Now she must help Ruan, the town's Pellar with discovering who is behind the "curse" at Penryth Hall. Ruby is a strong, funny protagonist in book. You can't help but to fall in love with her. She speaks her mind which gets her into trouble at times. The ending felt like there is going to be a series and I can't wait to see if I am right. Read a likes would be A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons, A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fratality, both by Kate Khavari. Murder by Degress by Ritu Mukerji. The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner. These authors have very strong and intelligent female protagonists who you can't help but to fall in love with them.

This novel provides an immersive reading experience to those who love gothic mysteries and lovely descriptions.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love a good Gothic mystery, but this one seemed to have a bit of an identity crisis. The main character, Ruby, is trying to be sassy and cool like Phryne Fisher, but comes off as self-centered and inconsiderate of others. She also seems totally fine with massive gaps in her memory. The story kind of pivots into a love story with the burly local witch, and then they are investigating someone's suicide, and I really stopped caring.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. So thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity!

I’ve read the word gothic and immediately thought this is gonna be a great read cause that is my fav sub genre.
But unfortunately this was such a hard book to get through. I forced myself into reading it and the plot was pretty much nonexistent. I know there are people out there that prefer that so I’m sure if you like that you’ll like this one.
But i need a complex plot and complex characters so this was a mediocre reading experience for me.

I am not sure how to review this book. It’s a book that should have been right my alley but I had the hardest time with it. I kept putting it down and reading other books in between. It was pretty well written but there seemed to be very little plot to follow and it wandered here and there and everywhere. The plot needed to be tightened as it lacked focus. I couldn’t really relate to the main character. She didn’t seem to fit into the time period of the book. I would be open to trying this author again but not if this is going to be a series.