Thank you Netgalley, author, and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this e-arc.

I usually don't care for gothic stories but this one, apparently the beginning of a series, was intriguing. Ruby Vaughn is well-drawn and her interactions with an old friend, her octogenarian boss, and Ruan were instrumental in her quest for a curse. Not sure I will read more.

The story follows Ruby Vaughn, a spunky heroine, as she finds herself in the middle of a grisly "curse" involving her ex best friend Tamysn. Tamysn's husband is brutally murdered and with the help of the town's Pellar, Ruan Kivell, Ruby and him must solve it before it takes another victim.

Ruby is a very headstrong and speaks her mind kind of character. I actually really liked her for the most part, though I could find some of her dialogue extremely tiresome. Especially when it was focused on Tamysn as she just repeated the same thing over and over again. How much she missed her, how Tamysn didn't choose her, blah blah blah. Literally repeated so many times. My dislike of that character was probably more due to how annoying Ruby was with her. I did really like Ruan Kivell. His interactions with Ruby were probably my favorite parts. I found myself more interested in their dynamic and why they were connected than I was in the actual story. I really liked most of the characters overall, Mr. Owens also being a favorite. The only other issue I had with the characters were Mrs. Penrose and Alice Martin. I understand the two are supposed to be close friends, but they literally talk exactly the same. Even with it being a a certain time period they both over used "Lover" and "Maid" far too much. It could be easy to get the two confused.

There was a random interaction with a lady that had a warning for Kivell that literally made no sense and just felt like a random suspense input. Unless that was the author's way of hinting at a sequel, though the epilogue does that as well. The build up behind the mystery of the curse was done well. However the big reveal felt super rushed and flat for me. The mystery of the curse felt pretty easy to figure out. I wish the obvious clues the author gives to the readers was done more subtly vs basically highlighting it for us. It made it a lot easier for myself to figure out early on about the big reveal which is why I was probably disappointed by it. It just felt lackluster for me. I wish more had happened during the big reveal, instead it was done so quickly I was sure there had to be more to it. I was waiting for some sort of twist, but there wasn't.

This novel was an easy 4 stars for me up until the big reveal. It was a good mystery read with great characters. If there's a sequel I definitely will be reading based on how much I enjoyed Ruby, Kivell and Mr. Owens. I hope that the story arc will be better if there is another.

Thank you to NetGalley, for access to this book.

The Curse of Penryth Hall is an engaging gothic mystery that follows Ruby Vaughn to a small Cornish village where death greets her on her first night.
It took me a while to connect with Jess Armstrong's writing style and I can't quite pinpoint why. But once I did, I was enthralled with Ruby Vaughn and her quest to determine what's behind the curse - something real or something supernatural.
I loved watching as Ruby and her relationship with Tamsyn, her former-best friend, evolves. And her banter with village healer Ruan Kivell is funny and filled with the perfect amount of early 20th Century sexual tension.
I enjoyed trying to solve the mystery of who or what killed Tamsyn's husband, kicking myself when I fell for a red herring.
I felt the story was a little incomplete with a cryptid premonition from a character that I think is supposed to leave space for future books involving Ruby Vaughn. If that's the case, I can't wait to read them.

What an interesting read! I'm a fan of mystery but hadn't read any in the gothic style in a while. This was a brilliant example of both and captured my attention well. Within just a few pages, I could tell why this debut has already won awards. The characters are delightful, the mystery full of intrigue and twists, and the end satisfying. Read for yourself and enjoy!

I really enjoyed this book. Ruby Vaughn is an eccentric young woman who lives with the elderly Mr Owen working in his bookshop. She makes a book delivery to the Cornish countryside where she has vowed never to return after a tough separation from her closed friend who lives there with her infant son and adulterous husband. She makes the decision to visit the friend at her home, Penryth Hall, and finds herself at the centre of a mysterious curse she does not believe in. She makes connections with many people in this small village in the countryside while trying to solve the mysteries that are occurring. This was an engaging story with likeable characters and the ending took me for surprise and seems to be set up for a sequel. Thank you to Minotaur Books and Jess Armstrong for the chance to read this ARC.

A moody and atmospheric Gothic with an ending that leaves open the possibility of a sequel! Very enjoyable!

A Gothic mystery set in the Cornish countryside, populated with a haunting setting and intriguing characters (with wit and secrets!) is usually something that hooks me right away! Alas, this was a difficult read for me - I felt like the book, compelling premise aside, didn’t take off as I was so hoping it would. It does feel like this could be the beginning of a series so it will be interesting to watch where the story goes next.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one early and provide my honest review.

A murder mystery starring a bi heroine that involves curses, intrigue, and a touch of romance? Sign me up! 5 ⭐️ to Jess Armstrong for writing a mystery that kept me guessing right until the very end!

I had the chance to read an ARC of The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong, and it was an atmospheric gothic mystery that completely drew me in. Set in the ancient Cornish countryside, the book follows Ruby Vaughn, an American heiress, who finds herself entangled in the mysteries of Penryth Hall after delivering a box of books to a folk healer in the Cornish countryside. The eerie setting and the whispers of a curse add to the haunting atmosphere, making it a captivating read for fans of gothic novels.

Ruby, the main character, is a fascinating and feisty protagonist, and I loved how her relationships with the enigmatic Pellar, Ruan, and her once dearest friend, Tamsyn, evolve throughout the story. However, my only slight disappointment was the open-ended nature of the conclusion, which hints at a sequel or series, leaving some unanswered questions. Overall, The Curse of Penryth Hall is a compelling debut that combines mystery, folklore, and a touch of the supernatural, making it a must-read for fans of gothic tales.

I'm so sorry to say I dnf'ed this book. I made it to about 40% of the way and couldn't connect to the characters or the plot. I found I was picking up other books to avoid this one. Not sure if I will try to pick this book up another time.

This is slow paced mystery that dives into a lot of history and setting description. The dialogue was fun and the interaction between the characters were interesting. It took me about 20% to get invested, but in the end I enjoyed my reading experience of this book.

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

It's ages since I've read this sort of novel-- I'd call it a Gothic novel of suspense. But the setting in Cornwall was calling my name (thank you, Victoria Holt, Winston Graham and Daphne du Maurier!) so I requested The Curse of Penryth Hall. I'm so glad I did. It was an enjoyable read, teasing one with a curse and a pellar and a bookstore and a broken friendship. I think the book was well written, I definitely enjoyed the characters and would actually like to see more of them. If you are looking for something on the lighter side but still desire some substance ( as well as the possibility of NOT knowing how it was going to turn out by chapter three), I'd recommend it. Personally, I will be on the lookout for more books by Jess Armstrong. My thanks to Jess Armstrong, NetGalley and the publisher for making this book available to me for review.

For a fast-paced frolic through a roaring ‘20s Gothic tale set in myth and murder-based historic Cornwall, England, then the delightfully fun and witty dialogue-driven tale, “The Curse of Penryth Hall,” by Jess Armstrong is definitely for you. This little treat kept me laughing and entertained from beginning to end as I puzzled out it’s intriguing mysteries. It’s definitely a great romp with absolutely divine characters, plotting and as I mentioned wonderful conversations moving the story forward.

TheBookMaven graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Jess Armstrong, and Publisher St. Martin’s Publishing Group/Minotaur Books for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

Thanks so much for the ARC, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books! While this book took me about a quarter to get into, I genuinely could not put it down once it got going! I loved the mystery, the suspense and the magic that happened during this book. I thought the characters were likable and there was enough background to keep me entertained. I’m so excited to read the rest of this series as they come!

To be honest, I am not a big fan of gothic mysteries, with the required heroine constantly in peril, a family with history of murderous curses, and castle with hidden rooms. But even so, Jess Armstrong's The Curse of Penryth Hall is a more tolerable example of this genre than most others that I have struggled to read. This is a novel that flows quite easily and that, for the most part, holds riders attention. However, there are some significant problems.

Although the gothic mystery is not my favorite genre, I am aware that for many people, it is their reading choice, and so I am determined to evaluate The Curse of Penryth Hall with that audience in mind. The characters are promising but remain poorly developed. I had no idea about these characters--who they are, their ages, or their backgrounds. Where is the depth of personality? There is some repetition that is unnecessary, unless of course, the heroine is really that dense?

Initially, I struggled to understand the time of the setting, or even the exact location. There are no dates. Ruby, the heroine appears to dress as a 1910 character--riding breeches, a walking skirt, blouses with tiny buttons all over. When readers are told the events happen after the war, my first question was which war? I finally settled on the Great War, but that was largely because of some small hints that seemed to suggest so. But admittedly, I could be wrong about that war. How far from Exeter is the village where Penryth is located? Locations and distances are rather vague. Armstrong seems to think that readers can fill in the blanks, but we need some basic details to do so. People wander on the moors, but can Ruan hear a silent thought from such a great distance or more than 5 miles? it is all rather unfocused, and while mysterious murders and a family curse are designed to be vague, the actual characters who are the central movers in this story, need to be more concrete. The end of the novel suggests a set up for a series, but in considering the romantic Ruan, what is the story there? Who is the witch in black? What happened to the end of this novel? Readers have a limited interest in being left hanging..

Thank you to Minotaur Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review. The above comments are my honest opinions. I hope that some judicious editing will go a long way in tightening up this story and filling in some actual details. Thank you also to NetGalley for making access to this novel so easy.

I read this book thanks to NetGalley! This book took me a solid month to read. The first 30% was slow. I also feel like the main characters sexuality was very wispy washy instead of being up front. I felt a little led on about it in the beginning. However by 40% of the way through the plot really picked up and more clarity about the FMC became clear. I was (mostly) satisfied with how the mystery turned out and really enjoy books that toe the fantasy line. Mr owen, mr kivell, and ruby vaughn are some of my favorite book characters. The author knows how to write a variety and even the background characters were memorable. I think Ruby was a string FMC who wasn’t I afraid or infallible. I really hope there is a sequel because I have some unanswered questions and think this could easily be a solid trilogy. Four stars due to the slow start.

Well, I was interested in reading this when I read about how Ruby was delivering a mysterious box of books to an even more mysterious man and then I kept reading as the bodies piled up (Edward sure deserved it so I didn't feel too sorry about him) and the mysterious Ruan who is a Pellar (seventh son of a seventh son with certain unexplainable powers) tried to solve the mystery/curse (with Ruby's help of course). The story definitely kept me wavering back and forth on whether it was man or a curse and that made for a interesting read. Not what I expected as I went into this but I liked it and hope to see maybe more of Ruby and that cat!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book to read and reveiw.

I thought that this was a really unique and compelling mystery, and loved the setting. I also thought that the dialogue was pretty believable, which is difficult to do.

I had a few issues with the grammatical style of the book. The author loved to include incomplete sentences, to the point where there were almost one to two incomplete sentences per paragraph. I found this to be really distracting and it made me want to skip over areas that were especially choppy.

Additionally, I wish there was a bit more background information on the ages of the characters and the era when the book takes place. It took a while for me to figure both of these things out, which left me out of the loop in terms of context for a lot of interactions.

I also thought that Ruan’s personality and mood didn’t make much sense, as he was a pretty hot and cold character with no discernible reason to flip on Ruby like that. It would make sense if he wasn’t supposed to be likable, but I get the feeling that we’re supposed to like and sympathize with him and believe that would be more effective if we could understand why he’s upset, especially if he’s mean to Ruby as a result.

Overall, this was a really fun book and aside from a few critiques, I really enjoyed it!

3.5 stars. There is a lot of great potential in this story, but I felt like it tried to go in too many directions at once and lost the main thread. I'm hoping this is the start of a series and not a standalone, because I had so many unanswered questions at the end. I'd love to read more about Ruby's adventures, so fingers crossed!

I like that the author fully embraces the creepy Gothic aesthetic with a supernatural/paranormal twist. The heroine feels like a modern take on a Victoria Holt/Mary Stewart protagonist, which helps draw the reader in. I was confused by her backstory, which was a bit muddled and contradictory throughout the book, but overall she was a sympathetic narrator who was thrust into a strange world and forced to solve the mystery of who murdered her best friend/former love's husband (it's complicated!). I really liked Ruan -- he is a gifted healer who has reluctantly embraced his talents and role and as the "Pellar" in the small village, but remains somewhat skeptical of his powers and the myth surrounding them.

As a warning to anyone expecting a fully developed romance, there is no HEA (or even HFN) here. If there are further books in this series (assuming it is one), we will hopefully get more development there, but that storyline ends without resolution here.

Thank you to Minotaur and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!