“The Curse of Penryth Hall” is a brooding whodunnit with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. If you like mystery and suspense with a little magic thrown in, you will enjoy this book. I can’t wait to read more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

With the understanding that this was an uncorrected Galley, I still found this book a little hard to get through based on grammatical errors alone-- the sentence structure often felt very jerky, and there were some minor continutity issues. However, the plot was solid enough and I feel like with some more editing this would be an engaging gothic mystery! I especially loved the incorporation of Cornish folklore.

The premise and setting tick all my boxes. The characters didn't grab me at first, although I warmed up to them. A fine story, overall.

So mysterious and love how I kept guessing! No spoilers but I wish I could read it for the first time again!

All opinions expressed are my own, I was gifted this book through NetGallery.

This book gave me serious Hester Fox vibes and I'm always here for a gothic mystery with some supernatural vibes. American Heiress Ruby Vaughn has made a life for herself working with an oddball octogenarian employer who has her run off on interesting book deliveries. Her employer collects rare and ancient texts so these books are in high demand. Ruby is sent to the Cornish countryside and runs into the town healer, or as they call him The Pellar. Not one for folklore and fairy tales Ruby takes all the talk with a grain of salt. Also living in this Cornish town is an old friend of Ruby's named Tamsyn. The two have not spoken in some time and although Ruby knows she shouldn't get involved she can't help but stop by Tamsyn's home, Penryth Hall. Ruby is quickly wrapped up in a murder investigation, a curse, and maybe a bit of a romance with the Pellar. It's up to her and the Pellar to uncover who or what is killing the inhabitants of Penryth Hall.

Extremely well done book. I couldn't put it down. I adored Ruby and Ruan(the Pellar) and I hope they will have more adventures in the future. The ending made me believe that will be the case👏
I enjoyed the mystery, still unsolved, of the connection between Ruby and Ruan. I'm quite sure Ruby may have some super natural-ness to her just as Ruan does. The mystery, and reveal, was excellent-not what I expected at all! The setting was perfect and the author nailed the unsettling and spooky vibe. Ruby is witty and funny but there is emotional depth in her as well. Overall a fun and incredibly engaging read!

Thank you to @netgalley @stmartinspress @minotaur_books for the ARC.

A gothic mystery woven with Cornish folklore, atmosphere, interesting characters and a tall, dark and brooding Pellar/Healer. I’m looking forward to the next installment.
**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review. **

I'm a fan of Phyllis Whitney, Victoria Holt and while it had the gothic mystery "feel" of those authors, Jess Armstrong weaved an original and entertaining tale of mystery, romance and, paranormal that I couldn't put down. There were so many "twists and turns" and " red herrings"" that I had every character guilty of murder.

I had other books I had planned to read first, but after reading the first few pages,with Ruby, Mr. Owen, and Fiachina, the cat, I was hooked! Ruby is a complicated, hard nosed, soft hearted character. The backstory of Ruby and Tamsyn, along with their experiences during "The Great War" was sad but it showed how strong each woman was, in different ways. The paranormal aspects of the book with Ruan Kivell, also known as the town "Pellar" was perfect - moody, dangerous and romantic- fans of gothic mysteries will not be disappointed. The author's description of Penryth Hall was so vivid, that I felt as if I was there - searching for a murderer, along with Ruby.

I hope this becomes a series and will definitely put it on my series list!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I was invested in the main character, Ruby right away. The character development for all the characters was good and the setting was described well also. The book had some paranormal elements which I wasn't expecting as the books was not labeled as such. There was more than one quirky character which made the antagonist seem not too unusual. I enjoyed the characters and setting but the plot was too slow for me.

The book is ineligible for review so far on Amazon. I'll post my review online when I'm permitted. Here's what I'll say online:

Let me start by saying I just traveled to Cornwall this year and loved it. So the setting drew me to the book. And the author didn't disappoint in terms of setting the Cornish scenery and mood.

The story was intriguing, and I cared what happened to the characters. Ruby is a likeable young woman who's smart and independent, and it's interesting to learn how she got that way. Her relationship with Mr. Owen is delightful. Her relationship with Pellar--a term I've never heard but that tells you much about the Cornish traditions--is also engaging as it unfolds.

Overall, a really compelling story in an atmospheric setting--and with characters you want to learn more about. I'll definitely go looking for more of Armstrong's work, and I'll read a second in the series if there is one.

Wow I really liked this one I think I’m going to do a reread around October just to really get those dark vibes going and maybe drink a gingerbread latte while I read it

Loved the character development and the plot it was just really fun and I didn’t want to put this book down

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially the connection and banter between Ruby and Ruan. I thought the setting was great, the characters, while sometimes their decisions annoyed me, still engaging to read, and I really hope that we get to see more of Ruby and Ruan soon. I also appreciated how strong Ruby was as the protagonist and how she grew throughout the book, but her determination, and bravery never faltered.

StoryGraph review in link. Thank you for the book!!!

I really enjoyed reading this book and I enjoyed trying to find out how was behind the weird things happening in the book.

I have tried to get into this book for over 2 weeks now. The main character is unrelatable, and I was having a hard time feeling connected to her and thus, her story. The storyline was also very slow. I had to finally DNF @ about 30%. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys slow burn stories with dark academia.

I wasn't sure about where the book was going, but overall good mystery read. I liked the strong lead woman character, who survived the war and was good person to lead the investigation into the mysterious death. The characters were well shaped and you knew how they were all connected to the story. Just a heads up there is some
sexual themes nothing explicit. Hoping there is a next one, that continues where this one left off.

I read this book in one day. That is how much I enjoyed it. The best part is I felt this was the beginning of a series. Is it? I certainly hope so. Will be buying them.
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed the contrast of the modern ways versus the ancient ways in a small village in Cornwall, UK. The locals here are superstitious when the lord of the manor dies a horrific death in his orchard. His abused wife is believed to be the next victim of a beast.
Enter her best friend, Ruby, an American heiress, who is impulsive and a disbeliever in the ancient ways and folk remedies. A gentle romance grows between her and the village healer.
Ruby is the protagonist of the story, which has a gothic feel to it. If I say much more about it, this review will be a spoiler.
However, I appreciated the differentiation of the characters who felt real throughout. The tension and pace move along well while crises develop and unexpected roadblocks hinder Ruby's progress in solving a difficult crime.
Any reader of murder mysteries will enjoy this unusual story and a different take on the genre.
Recommended.

This book was given to me as an ARC by NetGalley for my honest review. If you love a good whodunit mystery set in the 1920’s with a gothic atmosphere? This book deals with old friendships and new while trying to solve the murder.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the Arc!

Unfortunately, this book was just not able to grab my attention. I tried reading it for 2 weeks and I just had to give up. It's not a bad book, just really slow. I'll pick it up another time and see if I can get into it more. DNF @ 29%

Thank you to NetGalley, Jess Armstrong & Minotaur Books for an ARC of The Curse of Penryth Hall in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own (except for any quotations) and may not be reproduced.

I’ll let you in on a little secret – anything with “Hall,” “Manor,” “Chateau” or anything of that nature in the title – I am 100% signing up. These type of novels tend to be incredibly atmospheric and oftentimes gothic and that combination is one of my absolute favorites.

Synopsis (quoted):

“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.”

Atmospheric? CHECK - - Gothic? CHECK - - A darn good story? CHECK!

This novel was suggested for readers who enjoyed The Secrets of Hartwood Hall, which I did and a couple other books that I am receiving ARCS of soon, so I’m excited that this fits in with those similar books that I’ve already read or are on my TBR.

I am not a historical fiction reader at all UNLESS it is mixed into a novel of this type, at which point, I LOVE It.

I loved how detailed Armstrong wrote the characters and Ruby was the perfect heroine. The addition of the folklore was spectacular and was a nice addition to the story. This was a quick read as it held my attention and I kept wanting to know what happened next and get to the bottom of the mystery.

I am very stingy with my 5 star reviews as I have to be blown away to issue those. While this story was fantastic, it unfortunately didn’t fit into the “blown away” category. It was a solid 4 Star read for me and I definitely recommend giving it a read!

The Curse Of Penryth Hall is about our main character Ruby Vaughn an American heiress who ends up in the UK working at a rare bookstore. Ruby is tasked with a book delivery deep in the English countryside. While delivering the books Ruby rekindles with one of her oldest friends at the mysterious Penryth Hall. Once she is staying at the manor unfortunate events occur and Ruby learns about a curse. The big question is, is there really a curse? This book is released December 5, 2023. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, Jess Armstrong and Netgalley for for opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.