The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong was the perfect read for a couple of grey, dreary winter days. The mood set by the weather perfectly matched the gothic-style tone of the story. It is the story of two old friends who are brought back together after the death of a husband. More mystery and intrigue follow; could it be The Curse of Penryth Hall? Guess you’ll have to read it to find out. (Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for letting me preview this book. I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.)

This was my first gothic mystery and I found the characters a little lacking with the development of the story. Beautiful book however.

While the cover and the premise of this story had tricked me into reading this book the actual story and I did not get along. I unfortunately found the main character more like a petulant child that only focused on herself and and not an independent female. Other little things bothered me such as it's 1922 and I just don't see anyone taking off their dress and going swimming in the ocean in their underthings at a beach with others around. Sorry this book was just not for me. It seems that others out there like it and enjoy it but Its a no go for me and I DNF'ed it.

Looking for a mystery that gives you something a little different? This debut may be just what you’re looking for. The mystery is compelling and the murder is linked to a curse. That gives the story a unique twist. There is an overall gothic feel to the setting that creates an atmospheric almost spooky vibe. The characters are interesting. This debut is well written and tells a story that certainly holds your interest until the shocking conclusion!

If you are a fan of brooding novels and atmospheric English countryside settings, this could be the book for you! I understand this was a debut novel and the author shows excellent fluency in writing and storytelling. I was absorbed in the atmosphere and the finally drawn characters.

There was a bit of a fantastical element in some of the story, but mostly this only added to the very gothic atmosphere. I wish I had read this book when I had time to relax with it, instead of during the rush of Christmas, because at times I got a little impatient with the pace of the story. However, I suspect had I been able to give the book a relaxed reading, this might not have been the case.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review. It was probably a 3.7 read for me, so rounding up to 4.

There was so much to enjoy about this story! The characters are unique and there's so much backstory to them that I found myself wondering at times if this was a mid-series title. But apparently, it's the first book in a series, and I'm looking forward to further installments.

Ruby Vaughn is an heiress who lives with an octagenarian who is a dear father figure to her. After the loss of her own parents and her involvement in the Great War, she's a bit at loose ends. And her friend, Mr. Owen, provides her with a grounding and purpose she dearly needs.

Yet when Mr. Owen sends her on an errand to the last place on earth she wants to go, she's inclined to refuse his wishes. But soon he convinces her and she sees it as an opportunity to perhaps set right a wrong she's long regretted. So, she decides to visit her long-lost friend, Tamsyn, along the way. The last time they'd parted hadn't been under the best of conditions, and Tamsyn's letter from months earlier asking her to come and saying she needed help has been stuffed in a dresser drawer since it first arrived.

When Ruby does finally reach Penryth Hall, there's plenty that's wrong, but Ruby doesn't know that she wants to get involved in any of it. Unfortunately, someone has another idea, especially since Tamsyn's husband is found dead the next morning.

Overall, this was a well-written mystery, and I found myself surprised when the killer was revealed. I honestly thought it was someone else. So I like a mystery that can throw me like that. (It doesn't happen often.)

Thank you to Jess Armstrong, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advance review copy. I look forward to reading other installments in this series!

Ruby Vaughn has made a nice life for herself, running a rare bookstore alongside her octogenarian employer and house mate in Exeter. 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. 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. Ruan Kivell, the person whose books brought her to Cornwall, the one the locals call a Pellar, is the one 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 Ruan to find out what really happened in the orchard that night.

I am torn about this book. The premise sounded good, and I really liked Ruby. She was plucky, stubborn and fearless. I liked Ruan, and enjoyed the interactions between him and Ruby. The mystery was good, and it kept me guessing until the end. I also enjoyed how quirky several of the villagers were. I really didn't care for Tamsyn at all - she just seemed spineless to me. I felt the story seemed to ebb and flow, rather than either build slowly or stay steady throughout, so at times my attention wanted to wander. I did enjoy the mysticism of the curse, & the strange vivid dreams Ruby started having. Overall, I felt it had a bit of an Agatha Christie vibe, with a little supernatural element added to it.

Ruby is an independent American heiress, working for a rare book dealer in Exeter. When her employer asks her to deliver some books to Cornwall, she cannot resist checking in on her friend and former lover, Tamsyn. Tamsyn lives at Penryth Hall with her overbearing husband and adorable toddler. Ruby awakes from a bad dream to discover that Tamsyn's husband has been murdered.

Ruan, the folk healer to whom Ruby delivered the books, becomes inextricably linked to the investigation. Ruby gets involved too--and nearly killed more than once-- as she tries to protect Tamsyn and Jori from harm.

This book includes so many features I love--Cornwall, rare books, rich American heiresses, but it felt a little flat. Ruby, however, is a spunky character, with a fascinating back story. #TheCurseofPenrythHall #NetGalley

This was a good mystery that didn't give too many of its secrets away although it did border on too convoluted at times. I really liked the characters and the setting. I have mixed feelings about it obviously having a sequel. I liked the characters so I will look forward to it, but I hate waiting for sequels to come out.

The Curse of Penryth Hall
A Mystery
by Jess Armstrong

A solid murder mystery set in the 1920’s in both Exeter and the Cornish country side. The main character is a fabulous American heiress Ruby Vaughn who lives with an octogenarian book keeper. She is sent out to deliver books to a client and she decides to visit a long lost friend Tamsyn - married to Sir Edward who lives in the cursed Penrith Hall, and may have been abusing his wife Tamsyn. He ends up dead and along with Ruan, a Pellar, Ruby tries to solve this mystery.

I thought the writing was solid and kept me entertained - I loved the voice that had a tad humor and charm - simply wonderful to read.

Overall, I liked this book. I didn't know much about Pellars or English/Cornish folklore in general, so I enjoyed learning about that. Ruan and Ruby have a great dynamic, the mystery of who killed Edward was compelling, The prose felt overinflated in places. I also thought the ending was a bit abrupt. However, I did enjoy the book overall.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

The Curse of Penryth Hall is a solid mystery debut. It has a lot of things going for it: 1920s, American heiress in Cornwall, Cornish folklore, a gothic manor, and a local curse. But while the whodunnit delivered nicely, I never got the gothic feel that I was expecting. I wanted the house and all its spooky passageways to play a bigger role, but it was a background setting at most. I also wanted to know more about the characters Ruby and Tamsyn and their wartime relationship as well as the Pellar Ruan. I sense this is meant to be the beginning of a series, but I just wanted more sooner so I could become more invested in and connect with the characters. All in all, it felt a bit too "cozy" for my person preferences, The MC Ruby had a lot of grit and bad girl sass, and I wanted to see more of that come out graphically in the story but there was more dialogue than gritty scene setting or action.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy.

The Curse of Penryth Hall started out strong, but fizzled out after the first half of the book. Murder mystery/paranormal/gothic/historical genre mash up sounds really cool, but the end got kind of confusing and lost me.

I will say the gothic vibes are ON POINT and the descriptions were fantastic. I felt like I was there and want to go see this place in person.

The concept was great, but maybe it was just the wrong time for me to read this one. I will definitely read this author's next book - major potential.

The Curse of Penryth Hall is a wonderful compilation of genres rolled together in a terrific dark murder mystery with a heroic female heroine and a handsome sage set in gothic times. There are hidden past secrets, curious characters with dashes of intrigue and magic and of course a bit of romance all rolled into one. You will think you have won the lottery with this story!

Ruby Vaughn works at a bookstore in Exeter who has been asked by her co-worker to bring a box of books to a man in the woods. He is no ordinary person, and she is not allowed to look into the box. She knows this place and is hesitant to go because there is someone there, she would rather not see. 

But she goes and meets this seer whom she immediately dislikes. She then goes to visit her best friend, Tamsyn who lives in Penryth Hall with her now husband Edward Chenowyth. She and Tamsyn have not seen each other in years due to a bit of a falling out. Upon meeting Tamsyn’s husband, she immediately takes a dislike to him He is gruff and treats her friend badly. Convinced to stay the night, Ruby soon regrets the decision.

Suddenly she awakens to church bells ringing. She finds out that someone has died and the bells which have not rung for years mean a previous curse has been renewed. Then she discovers the dead person is her friend’s husband Edward. What? Can this be true? A curse?

Now Penryth Hall is thrown into chaos as there seems to be two sides, those who believe he was murdered by someone and those who believe the curse has killed him. Enter the handsome soothsayer Ruan Kivell who is convinced the curse has come back and will kill again. Ruby feels someone murdered the man because he was nasty. But then the doctor tells them that not only was he poisoned but after he was dead, he was stabbed.

Now it is up to Ruby and Ruan to investigate the death even though each believes the death was caused by something different, and Ruby herself seems to be a target! Who would want to kill her and is there really a foolish curse? As the town awaits the next death, it seems all are suspects!

As the investigation continues, the one person who seems to have a reason to kill Edward is her dear friend Tamsyn. But would she try to kill Ruby too? Haste is a necessity now as clearly someone else will die. Can Ruby and Ruan agree to disagree and find out what is really going on in this small town? Is this a crime or a curse?

The Curse of Penryth Hall will keep you enchantingly engaged throughout the mysteriously engrossing story!

Thank you #Net Galley #MinotaurBooks #JessArmstrong #TheCurseofPenrythHall for the advanced copy.

One of the interesting things about this book was the slightly dark sexual undercurrent that ran through the story- it was also one of the annoying things. Put it out there once and let the reader run with it. Aside from that, this was a very well drawn gothic style mystery with interesting characters and just the right amount of twists and turns. The dynamic between Ruby and Ruan, the two main characters, and his ability to read some of her inner thoughts added just the right touch of humor when things seemed to be taking a left turn.

Recently I have read several writers who focus on Cornwall for not only this type of story but for police procedural murder mysteries. They have all been well written and provided me with hours of entertaining reading. Congratulations to Jess Armstrong on a very solid debut novel. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books and NetGalleyfor a copy.

A historic gothic mystery with a few surprises.
Ruby an American heiress works for a bookshop was sent to deliver some books to a small village where gets drawn to Penryth Hall and its inhabitants. and a murder ,mystery,curse, ghosts, and romance.
Very intriguing story and characters.
Enjoyed reading.
Voluntarily reviewed.

This was a most enjoyable historical gothic mystery with a slight paranormal twist. It is set in the early 1920s of Exeter and Cornwall, England. Ruby Vaughn, our plucky and free-spirited protagonist, is an American heiress who fears nothing. After a valorous stint as an Army nurse in WWI, she charges in where others fear to tread. She works for an aging English antiquarian who has sent her off to the hinterlands of Cornwall to deliver a hoard of books to one of his friends, who just happens to be a small village's folk healer or "pellar". Ruby's dearest friend lives at Penryth Hall - quite close to her destination. So, she stops by to say hello and gets wrangled into an extended stay with the friend. One thing leads to another and a body is found on the grounds of Penryth which is attributed to a long-standing curse. Ruby gets dragged in further and further. If she's ever to leave this small village of small-minded folks, she'll have to solve the murder. But can she survive the ordeal?

This was a highly atmospheric, somewhat dark mystery. The writing is rich and the characters colorful. The scene setting is cinematic in scope and the tension is steady throughout. I was amazed to discover that this was Ms. Armstrong's first published book. I can only believe that it is the first of many to come.

I am grateful to Minotaur Books for having provided a complimentary uncorrected digital galley of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review.


Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: December 5, 2023
No. of Pages: 336
ISBN No.: 978-1250886019

The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong is fast paced and full of suspense. With it’s gothic setting, a touch of the supernatural, enough drama for an episode of Real Housewives and a tale of unrequited love, there is something for everyone.

I have posted this review on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/C1KwZNIgv6w/?igsh=MTQ0aXI4eHhnMHZjaA==

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6034717634

And Amazon

This is a really great story with a good mystery and well-written likable characters. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Jess Armstrong, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.75

Writing: 4 Stars
Plot: 3.5
Pace: Slow
Characters: 4 stars
Cat: 5 stars
Main character: 4.5 stars

A Gothic Mystery taking place in the 20’s (20th century) about an American heiress, Ruby a bookseller, living in Exeter, England. ( with her adorable kitty- as all kitties are and older employer and flatmate.
Ruby is sent with a book delivery to the Cornish Countryside, a place she never planned on returning.
Ruby visits her friend/ I believe ex lover, Tamsyn while in town. Upon her visit, Tamsyns husband dies and thus begins the story of the curse at Penryth Hall.

Although there is magical realism this book falls more along the lines of slow burn gothic mystery.
I really good enjoyed the character of Ruby, Ruan and the cute kitty.
However, I wish more had transpired, I felt this was a bit slow to consume.

Overall a nice cozy debut novel. I will definitely be reading more from this author