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.

I absolutely enjoyed this book! I couldn’tput it down. So twisty and turny. So descriptive and well written to where I could easily envision what was going on. I loved the period of time chosen to write about, it added a level of charm. There was romance without there being romance, which I really liked. Who doesn’t want to read about curses and mystery?! I look forward to reading more about Ruan and Ruby. I hope we hear more from them!

I struggled to like Ruby and this took me a long time to finish because she never hooked me and I didn’t enjoy the process of learning her backstory. Anyone expecting a romance should know this isn’t a HEA or HFN, but the gothic vibes of the mystery hit.

Okay, this is a hard one to rate! I will say this: I really enjoyed the setting, the story development, the mystery (I did not see the whodunnit coming!) and the characters. Mr. Owen, Ruby, Ruan, Mrs. Penrose, even the cat! Loved them all.

There were a few small things that bothered me, and I wonder if they will get cleaned up in editing (I received an advanced copy). Like some of the female characters would call Ruby, “my lover.” This was WEIRD for me, but it would make so much sense as “love” or “luv,” instead.

Finally, and this is a spoiler, I found the bisexual romance in here honestly a little unnecessary. I don’t mean this to sound hateful; what I mean is it felt sort of forced or contrived. So these wealthy young women were in a relationship? During the war? What on earth was that like for them? What drove them together? How did they overcome the social barriers to get there?

Because we don’t get those answers AND both women have more profound relationships with men, it felt unnecessary to me. We need more context, particularly historical context, for it to work.

I’m still giving this 4 stars because despite these things, I ended it wishing desperately for a sequel! I really hope the author has this planned as a series.

Magic, mystery, a curse, and several red herrings. This book was quite enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this to fans of history, magic, and female leads turned detectives

Jess Armstrong's new book is the perfect read for chilly fall nights with its gothic vibe, murder mystery and plucky main character. Main Character Ruby finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery when she visits her old friend, Tamsyn, and is not there but one day when Tamsyn's husband is brutally murdered. With the help of the local pellar (or witch, which every small town has of course) Ruby must uncover the mystery of who wanted Tamsyn's husband dead and why. With some romantic vibes thrown in for fun between Ruby and the pellar, Ruby cleverly finds the culprit and solves the mystery. And if I'm correct, I sense that we may see Ruby show up, hopefully, in another book by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy.

Ruby Vaughan is an heiress who, to avoid the secrets from her past, helps run a bookstore with her octogenarian landlord, miles away from her hometown in Exeter. But, as pasts are known to do, Ruby’s catches up to her when she returns to Exeter on a book delivery and runs into her former best friend, Tamsyn, who is now married to a baron and whom Ruby hasn’t spoken to since leaving the war. Obligated to check on her friend, Ruby returns to Penryth Hall and quickly learns that her friends’ happy life is a lie. When Tamsyn’s husband is found brutally murdered, people in town begin to speculate that the “Curse of Penryth Hall” has struck again, seeing as the murder follows a pattern from many years before. But Ruby doesn’t believe in curses and she is convinced to stick around and find out the truth- even if that makes her the next target.

"The Curse of Penryth Hall", the debut novel by Jess Armstrong, is equal parts romance — or not — and paranormal mystery — or maybe not that, either. Armstrong keeps you guessing with plenty of twists in this page-turner set in Cornwall in the 1920s. I enjoyed the setting of the novel and some of the characters. I felt that both Ruby and Ruan could have been a little more developed (what was the scandal that made Ruby leave America?), and Ruan's brooding got a little much at times. I thought Tamsyn was kind of boring. But the housekeeper, Mrs. Pensrose, was a delight (as is Mr. Owen).

The first 50% of the book, for me, was slow and I had a tough time committing to it. Then it picked up and I finished it within 2 hours. It was an enjoyable read and I hope that Ruby Vaughn and Ruan Kivell continue to be the detective duo they've been set up to be. I loved the setting and the gothic feeling of the book. I would read others!

I read an advance copy of this book provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a review.

I love a Gothic novel and an old creepy house. This novel has TWO old houses AND a charming cottage. Sold.

Ruby is an American heiress who hasn’t recovered from losing her family or the horrors of the Great War. She’s likable, impulsive and the kind of character you want to see get things figured out. She is sent to deliver a trunk of mysterious books to a mysterious client of her landlord and boss. She reconnects with an old friend on the same day the friend’s husband is murdered. Or maybe it’s a curse. Like all my favorite Gothic novels, it might be something supernatural or it might just be run-of-the-mill evil people.

My only complaint is that I would have liked to see the sparks flying between Ruby and Ruan do a little more burning

The Curse of Penryth Hall is SO GOOD. I read this book at the beginning of Autumn, and let me tell you, when people are looking for seasonal mood reads- this is IT. The dark setting, energy, and town are stunning. This has multiple mysteries wrapped up in one and a bisexual main character who has romantic tension with several characters! I will 100% be recommending this to anyone who loves a gothic setting and wants a good mystery.

Ruby Vaughn works for a bookseller in 1920s Exeter. Her grandfatherly employer tasks her with delivering a trunk of books to a folk healer in a village Ruby knows from her past. When Ruby arrives, conflicted feelings bubble to the surface, but she decides that she must check in on her estranged friend Tamsyn, the lady of Penryth Hall. Soon Tamsyn’s husband is found dead and whispers of witches and an ancient curse abound. Ruby gets caught up in the intrigue as Tamsyn begs Ruby to protect Tamsyn’s son from the curse. Ruby doesn’t believe in curses, but strange events put her in danger at every turn.

In “The Curse of Penryth Hall '' Jess Armstrong develops complex characters with many secrets. The atmosphere is delightfully gothic with an old Hall, curses, accusations of witchcraft, attempts at charms of protection, and a somewhat reluctant village Pellar. The story starts off with a bang (“whatever you do, don’t open the trunk of books”) and keeps going until the very end. It’s hard to put down.

The publisher’s blurb says that the reader is introduced to Ruby Vaughn in “The Curse of Penryth Hall,” so I hope this means that we will see more of Ruby and her adventures. There are a few unanswered questions and an opening for another story that leave readers wanting more.

This book is great for those who like atmospheric and gothic mysteries.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and Minotaur Books, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Perfect spooky read for these darker, colder October days! If you love Miss Fisher or Enola Holmes, you will love this! Just spooky enough to be fun, but not so much so that I didn’t want to read before bed. A fun read!

This is like a mix of Miss Fisher and Sherlock Holmes. It was fun, but the supernatural elements are very basic here. It is a cosy mystery, not really very Gothic.. Ruby makes several jokes about being stuck in a murder hamlet and she was a really good MC. I think this is the beginning of a good and fun series that even under the background of the war and some trauma, managed to be somewhat light.

“The Curse of Penryth Hall” by Jess Armstrong ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Gothic Mystery. Location: Devon and Cornwall, England. Time: August 1922

Dear Jess Armstrong: Please make this the 1st in a series!

Expat American heiress Ruby Vaughn has a dark brown bob, and drives a Crow-Elkhart roadster. She runs a rare bookstore in Exeter with the secretive (and Scottish) Mr Owen (her 80+ year old employer/housemate), and Fiachna the black house cat. Ruby makes a delivery to a folk healer 60 miles away in the tiny Cornwall village of Lothlel Green, a place she swore she’d never visit again. A sensible person would have delivered the package and left-no one ever accused Ruby of being sensible.

Just outside Lothlel Green, Penryth Hall is home to Ruby’s former best friend Tamsyn, and her husband, the morally corrupt Sir Edward Chenowyth. When Penryth’s bells ring for the 1st time in 30 years, they find Edward dead in the orchard-and villagers whisper of a returned curse. Ruan Kivell is the village’s Pellar (folk healer/witch). Vllagers believe he can break the curse they say will kill Tamsyn next. To protect Tamsyn, Ruby must work with Ruan to find out who killed Edward.

Author Armstrong has written a witty, atmospheric, gothic mystery. It’s full of dark undercurrents that may or may not be paranormal, a jazz age heroine, a handsome brooding hero, a cat who shows up in unexpected places, and of course a village curse. She has a knack for using witty prose, particularly with her flawed but appealing heroine.

Armstrong’s debut book is the winner of the Mystery Writers of America / Minotaur Books First Crime Novel Competition, and its 5 stars from me! Thank you to Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Jess Armstrong for this early ecopy. Publishes 12/5/2023.