A really enjoyable cozy with enough red herrings to keep you guessing to the end. I hope Jess Armstrong brings her readers more books with these interesting characters. We need more adventures with Ruby, Mr. Owen, and Mrs. Penrose! Sounds like they're headed off to Scotland next and I'm hoping they'll be in need of a Pellar while they're there!

The writing is every bit as beautiful as the cover art!

Wow! What a debut from Jess Armstrong. I have hopes that maybe there will be another Ruby book to follow?! The ending was open enough that’s it’s possible, but gave enough closure if there’s not.

This story blended some of my favorite qualities: mystery, a little bit of magic, a cast of beautifully detailed characters, and a unique setting. Ruby was such a vivid central character, but Ruan as her counterpart? Chef’s kiss!

For fans of “Belladonna” I definitely got some of those vibes from this, and loved this one was every bit as much!

A spookily atmospheric tribute to found family set shortly after the devastation of World War II.

An orphan and an absolute mess, Ruby spends her days partying as the roommate of a quirky, sarcastic but caring old man named Mr. Owen. When he sends her to deliver a load of books near where a friend and former lover live, Ruby decides it's her duty to drop in. She gets more than she's bargained for when Tamsyn's husband, Lord Edward, is brutally murdered. The local villagers are convinced it's a curse, though Ruby believes it's far more likely to be the gruesome work of a person. All of this is complicated by Ruby's dreams, that seem to be delivering warnings about future attacks.

The characters are a delight. Ruby's relationship with Mr. Owen provides some of the most delightful verbal sparring in the book. Ruby also meets a pellar - a local witch doctor - who's determined to keep her out of trouble, a task he often fails at. Ruby attracts trouble like a magnet. The only character we never really seem to know is the mysterious Tamsyn, Ruby's friend from the war who's at the heart of it all.

This has some great twists and turns, as characters are connected in ways that Ruby - and thus, the readers - never dreamed. A great spooky read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
This gothic novel was a bit disappointing to me. I found the main character, Ruby, not very likeable and had a hard time getting into the story. It was boring and I couldn't connect with any of the characters. The setting is great; Cornwell has always sounded wonderful to me, but the story itself just didn't work for me. Sorry!

I very much enjoyed this book! I love Gothic anything and historical settings. Ruby, the main character, is pretty well fleshed out in this story but the surrounding cast and other lead character Ruan, are not. Overall, the story was really good but the characters were flat to me. Some of my biggest questions were not answered in this novel so i'm really hoping thats because its set up to be a series? I would absolutely read more from this author. Thank you so much to NetGalley for my advanced copy!

I loved this book and didn’t want it to end. At first I thought Ruby was going to be a spoilt rich girl expecting things to always go her way but she developed into a multi-dimensional interesting character complete with flaws, strengths, insecurities and sorrows. Ruan also is a well developed and deep character. Plotting is smooth and well paced. I was a little confused initially by the Cornish way of speaking (maid, my lover etc) but worked it out as I went along. I received this book as an advance copy from the author via NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Curse of Penryth Hall
Jess Armstrong
Due to a scandal Ruby Vaughn’s family sent her abroad. After her parents’ deaths she inherited their estate. Ruby works hard and plays hard; she likes to drink and party. During WWI she drove an ambulance. Currently, she runs a rare bookstore in Exeter where she resides with the owner, Mr. Owen an elderly fatherly figure. Mr. Owen asked Ruby to deliver a box of books to Ruan Kivell, a folk healer in Cornwall. Ruby did not want to return to Cornwall for it brought back memories she’d rather not dredge up. While there she visits Penryth Hall where Tamsyn and her husband, Sir Edward Chenowyth reside. Tamsyn and Ruby were once good friends. Ruby quickly deducts that Tamysn and Edward were very unhappy in their marriage. After Edward’s battered body is found in the orchard, the people of the village believe it is the curse and that Tamsyn will be next. The people turn to Ruan to break the curse; they call him a Pellar or a witch. Ruby scoffs at the idea of a curse or of a Pellar but she must work along side him to discover what really happened to Edward.
I love gothic novels and this one has great potential but needs work. This is an ARC so I will assume the grammar and spelling will be edited but the plot needs work. Ruby is an interesting character but tidbits about her past are placed here and there sort of in a jumble. Then there is Ruan; he is unlikable and never becomes likable. I thought he was going to be a love interest for Ruby but that never worked out. Then there is Tamsyn; I don’t like her; she has little to no personality. However, the plot kept me guessing to the end, was it a curse or a murder.

This is an awesome gothic suspense/mystery. I read this in one day! It keeps you on your toes as your read and captures your attention from the beginning.

I found #thecurseofpenrythhall by @jessl_armstrong to be an evocative, well-written gothic (for which I am always a sucker) with modern sensibilities. While the first few chapters took me by surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed this page turner set in the 1920s "Cornish countryside." Ruby is a sassy, independent-minded, "scarlet" woman, an outcast (from her family) who finds herself living a rather peaceful life with an older bookseller. A special delivery takes her to Penryth Hall, where a former flame resides with her abusive and philandering husband. Ruby's conflicted about the old flame, there's a murder and a male witch (or "Pellar"), and the townspeople believe in things like curses and omens. Sure hope these adventures will continue for Ruby - I loved her spunk! Terrific story, characters and language.

P.S. Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.

A fun gothic mystery for anyone who loves locked-room murder mysteries! Especially with the story taking place in a small town, it’s very easy to get sucked in to the story and become obsessed. Recommend for all mystery and dark academia lovers.

Ruby Vaughn is a young American heiress residing in England with Mr Owen, who also happens to be her employer. While running an errand for him, Ruby is confronted with places and people from her past, alongside a whodunit with a paranormal element. This story is, in essence, a gothic mystery. At the core of this mystery are questions around an old curse, how to stop it, and if it’s responsible for the murders that have taken place and are expected to come.

Ruby is quite the character for her time - plucky, impulsive, insensible, independent. Her story is a bit muddled, and it takes much of the story to really understand her character and the backstory. The relationships in the story are not well developed, from my perspective, and could have used more teasing out.

This isn’t a genre I really dabble in - I love me a good mystery, and I love me a good atmospheric, brooding historical setting - but I often get lost when it comes to the paranormal elements. This book kept my attention, but I felt that overall, it really just scratched the surface of what it could be.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the chance to read and review this ARC!

I very much enjoyed this story, I finished it in a day! The characters are well written, each presenting a certain aura about them immediately and the plot itself leads the reader through every mystery with impressive twists and tension. Ruby is a witty, headstrong character that gives me slight Indiana Jones vibes. I’m excited to see more of her adventures. I’d have loved to see more of her and Ruan’s relationship fleshed out. I also loved the way all conversations of relationships was handled, in that sexual orientation simply wasn’t a fact to be considered. Jess Armstrong creates a fantastic world that leaves you wishing for the next chapter.

I truly enjoyed this story which constantly kept me guessing! Read it in one sitting while on vacation. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

I loved the opposition of science and magic in this book. The main characters Ruby, representing a modern woman of science and knowledge, and Ruan, representing the old ways and the unexplained, come together in perfect balance to solve this mystery. The whole time you are left guessing if the murders are the results of supernatural means, or if there is a scientific explanation. There are enough little hints for the mystery to turn either way, up until the very end when all is revealed. With the existence of the Pellar in play, the supernatural explanation actually gains some traction. Though Ruby argues Ruan's success with healing can boil down to being a gifted physician, combined with a "penchant for parlor tricks", Ruan's uncanny ability to hear Ruby's thoughts is firmly paranormal. These details give the curse some credence. I found this to be a unique and entertaining read.

This book includes the tropes that I adore reading about. The first bit was slow reading for me however after the first few chapters, I became engrossed and really enjoyed the twist at the end as to "who done it". I would enjoy reading more from this author.

A classic whodunit mystery. I loved the gothic writing style of this author and I was hooked from the very beginning! I can say I enjoyed the characters and was invested in what happened to them. Ruby had some of her own personal issues going on alongside the main plot but that just had be guessing even more. My opinion on the killer changed drastically almost every chapter I felt like! I can say that I was surprised at the end which is always a bonus when it comes to a good thriller!

A good ol’ fashioned whodunnit! The Secret Garden meets Knives Out meets Hasbro’s Clue, I had a truly enjoyable time reading this book. It hooks you in right from the start and keeps you wondering who you can really trust! I never did guess who the killer was before the big reveal, so that’s a true sign of a good mystery!

This was a thrilling mystery, woven with gothic atmosphere, romantic longing, folklore, and delightful characters. I was so caught up in the story that the reveal truly caught me by surprise. Once I started reading I truly could not put this book down and it's been on my mind since. Overall a memorable read and one of the best mysteries I'[ve read this year!

The central mystery of the murder of Edward and the possible curse of Penryth Hall is not the only mystery in the book. The main character, Ruby, has some mysteries of her own. Especially when it comes to her relationship with the town's Pellar, Ruan. Much the mystery of Ruby's past and the meaning of the strange connection between the two is left unanswered in this book, which might be to everyone's liking but it is something I enjoyed. It only made me more curious to go back and read sections to see what else I could glean from the text. I'm eager to read the next installment and to follow along on whatever mystery Ruby stumbles upon next!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this e-ARC in return for an honest review.

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.

Firstly, I'd like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Book, and the author for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so close to a five star for me. I'm a sucker for a good gothic novel. The setting was eerie, the idea of the curse, Penryth Hall, the pellar. It all adds up to a book that I'll love.

Ruby is a great MC. She's mysterious, feisty, and determined. And she's got a cat! I loved watching her relationship with Ruan evolve while almost simultaneously watching her relationship with Tamsyn devolve. It was an interesting dynamic which definitely helped with the plot twist that comes towards the end of the book.

My only complaint with this book is that it doesn't wrap up nicely. It seems to be obviously leading into a sequel or a series. There are so many unanswered questions. I do kind of wish that there wasn't so much left open ended at the end, especially for a first book.

Other than that, it was a great read! I especially recommend if you like books in the gothic genre.