I have not read many gothic mysteries before this one and I would say that perhaps the genre is just not for me. I felt that this one dragged and not in a way that kept me reading to find out more but rather in a way that made me lose interest in the mystery.

The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong was perfectly spooky and atmospheric. If you’re looking for your next gothic mystery, be sure to check out this debut (and winner of the Mystery Writers of America First Novel Crime Award).

It’s 1922 and American heiress Ruby Vaughn has made a life for herself running a rare bookstore alongside her octogenarian employer in Exeter. One day her boss asks her to deliver a box of books to a folk healer Ruan Kivell, living deep in the Cornish countryside. Ruby decides that after she delivers the books, she will stop by nearby Penryth Hall to her once dearest friend
Tamsyn, and her husband, Sir Edward Chenowyth. Ruby assumes this will be a quick visit since Sir Edward is such an unlikable person.

Less than 24 hours later, though, Edward is dead–he met a gruesome end in the orchard, and with his death brings whispers of a returned curse. Is it really a curse or a human killer? Ruby is convinced that curses don’t exist but is unable to explain the unraveling mysteries in this small village. And Tamsyn insists that she and her young son will be the next targets so Ruby works with Ruan to find the true killer.

This is such a spooky (but not scary) read full of romance, danger and folklore. Armstrong’s characters are strong and her writing brings the setting and mystery to life. I may have physically been in my mid-western house, but in my mind I was in the rainy and mysterious woods around Penryth Hall. I honestly thought I had the whole mystery figured out, but I didn’t. Such a good ending. I look forward to reading more from Armstrong! @minotaur_books

THE CURSE OF PENRYTH HALL by Jess Armstrong won the Mystery Writers of America/Minotaur First Crime Novel Competition and was a LibraryReads selection for December 2023. It is an extremely atmospheric mystery set involving a gruesome death in the Cornish countryside. Young Ruby Vaughn is an American Heiress finding her way at the end of WWI; she has settled into helping an elderly bookseller and delivers some books to Ruan Kivell, a man her employer calls a folk healer and one whom the locals call the Pellar due to his extraordinary powers. When the Lord of the manor's mutilated body is found, there is much talk of the return of a curse. Although they don’t believe in curses, Ruby and Ruan gradually uncover sinister secrets and past family relationships as they attempt to puzzle out what is happening. Library Journal praised this debut's "elegantly crafted, supernatural-tinged plot" and gave THE CURSE OF PENRYTH HALL a starred review.

This was a bit of a wild read and I loved all the twists and turns. I did not see that last one coming, which is one of my fave things ever! I really would love to see this be a series b/c I really love Ruby and want to see what happens in her life...what is her connection to the Pellar and where will it lead??

#TheCurseofPenrythHall
#NetGalley

Courtesy of Minotaur Books and Netgalley,
I received the ARC of The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong. This debut gothic mystery is set in Cornwall, England, post WWI in a small atmospheric village. Worldly and adventurous American heiress Ruby Vaughn becomes involved in trying to solve a murder, along with the local Pellar (sorcerer and healer). I found this character driven story to be an absorbing page turner!

I was immediately drawn to this book when I saw that its description was Gothic Historical Mystery. The genre did not disappoint. Full disclosure, I am not a reader who enjoys characters that don't make sense for their time period and the leading lady, Ruby, fit that description so out of the gate, I had a bit of a negative reaction to the story, but as it went on, I came to appreciate that her being from a wealthy socialite family but outcast for her behavior actually made this story work in ways it wouldn't have otherwise. The mystery was solid. I loved the bit about basically alchemy being synonymous with witchcraft during the time period and am always fascinated about how different communities saw that skill differently. In Salem, they were often burned at the stake. In this community, they were revered as magical....although, to be fair, the book didn't really explore how the town would have reacted if someone being aided by the witch wouldn't have had a positive outcome. Anyway, after my initial annoyance, I grew to really like the book and read it really quickly.

Gothic and atmospheric, this tale of mystery and murder is an introduction to a fascinating character, if we get to see more of her.

Ruby is a firebrand-a displaced woman making her own way in post WWI England. We get to see her forging her own future, ruminating on her very colorful past, and spending the present fully in both her heart and mind. I found myself eating up every bit of her and wanting so much more.

Unfortunately, the mystery itself was dime store paperback simple - a plot that could have found itself in any book set in the English countryside over a hundred years. What we didn’t get was Ruby in the war, Ruby in Paris, Ruby on adventures with Mr. Owen to parts unknown. It was those things I was wanting more than anything. I really thought I might have been mistaken and this was the continuation of a series, but it looks as if it’s a stand alone. I hate to judge a book based on what it’s not, but I was very disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

How can you not love a gothic mystery with
supernatural vibes! This book was filled with
twists, murder, and a beautifully atmospheric
setting in the English countryside. It's very rare
that a murder mystery stumps me, but just
when I thought I had it all figured out, I was
proven wrong.
Overall, I was completely enthralled by this
magical and mysterious story. I highly
recommend it if you enjoy gothic mysteries
with some magical elements. I'm sincerely
hoping this is the start of a series because I
would love to read more about Ruby and Ruan
Kivell. I'm sure any future adventures would be
well worth the read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book.
Dpinions expressed in this review are my own

I really liked the vibes of this book, the sort of gothic-lite mystery. I really enjoyed Ruby as a main character, and I loved her interactions with Ruan. I really hope this ends up being the start of a series because I need more of the two of them.

The beginning of this book really hooks you, and I was enchanted by it. But then… it kind of lost me in the middle. The ending wrapped up really well which made the middle worth it. The idea for this book was so original! One of the most unique gothic mysteries I have read.

The Curse Of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong was a dark atmospheric Gothic Manor mystery set in 1920s Cornwall. Ruby Vaughn, an exiled American heiress and socialite with a tragic past has set up with a bookstore and it wonderful octogenarian owner in Exeter and does the occasional job for him while at the same time maintaining her flamboyant flapper lifestyle - imagine Peregrine Fisher with a tragic slightly darker bent.
When one of her odd delivery jobs brings her to the Cornish countryside to bring books to a local pellar she uses the occasion to visit an old friend and former lover now Lady of the manor at Penryth Hall. She had not put much effort into the friendship after her friends marriage but seeing her belligerent and womanizing husband and her subdued friend is a lot to take in, even more so when after Ruby spends the night at their home Penryth Hall and the husband is discovered murdered the next morning. There is a curse but Ruby believes that it is much more likely that human hands were involved and starts investigating together with the pellar who has his own reasons for not ascribing the death to supernatural reasons. There are twists and turns and the mystery kept me intrigued and on my toes. I loved my reading of this debut novel and really hope this is the start to a series! Ruby's dardevil approach to life in the 1920s gave me definite Ms.
Fisher vibes and makes me want to join her on her next adventure.
This is a fantastic books for fans of historical mysteries
- delving into a time and place while enjoying a mystery !
I have a good friend who lived in Exeter for 16 years and still vacations in Cornwall every summer. With this book I may have found the perfect Christmas gift for her!

I really really enjoyed MOST of this book. I was hooked from the beginning and had it set in my mind that this was going to be a 5 star read. Unfortunately, I do feel as though it fell flat around the halfway point and I had to push myself to keep reading up until about 80% of the way through. But it did pick back up again and I did enjoy the ending. Overall wasn’t a terrible read, but it isn’t one I think that I will continue to think about over and over again. I will continue to read books by this author though in the future.

I enjoyed this historical fiction/mystery. It’s atmospheric but also kind of fun (as fun as a book about murder can be?). There is magical realism - or real magic? I don’t even think the characters knew. I loved the main character. The ending definitely had a twist. There are a lot of unanswered questions which I am hoping means there is another book.

Loved the Gothic and mysterious vibes of this book. The characters were interesting, I especially liked the banter between Ruby and Ruan and the father-daughter like relationship between Ruby and the older gentlemen she lives with. Some strange and very creepy things were going on in this story and the twists just kept coming! The story dragged a little bit in the middle for me but the ending was worth it.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Content warnings: Death, infidelity, gore, suicide, toxic relationship, sexual content.

Thank you to Minotaur Books, St-Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC for review. All opinions are my own.

I loved The Curse of Penryth Hall. Scary mystery that will keep you guessing. Ruby Vaughn is an amazing character with a great personality. This story was mysterious and interesting with twists and turns you don't see coming like the surprise ending that had me gasping. I also liked the character of the Pellar, Ruan. The Reverend is an awful man and I couldn't believe his part in this mystery. I'm looking forward to reading more from this Author.
#TheCurseOfPenrythHall #NetGalley

I give The Curse of Penryth Hall 5 stars for its mysterious read.
I would recommend this book to mystery fans.

Thank you Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read and review The Curse of Penryth Hall on NetGalley.

Narrator: Emma Love

Stars: 2.5. Mixed emotions and feelings.

The synopsis reads like a PBS Masterpiece advertisement and I was drawn in. I do believe this could be a nice 90 minute program. That program where the name escapes me, and sitting down it takes 15 to 20 minutes for me to realize I've seen it before, and I'm not sure how it ends. The Curse of Penryth Hall is the book format of that program.

The book follows a standard nonpublished checklist for murder in a castle filled with simple people. I didn't connect with the characters making them forgettable while reading. Around 60% I found myself just wanting the book to be over. Sadly, and I find this point to be key -- the story was not terribly creative. Is it better to finish and not remember or better to DNF with a note watch Masterpiece?

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. With a mix of ghosty possibilities and a crime to solve it was very entertaining.
I had a good chuckle at the authors witty sense of humor.
4 stars for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

I really enjoyed this novel! The main character is a strong woman who speaks her mind and enjoys delving into the truth. While she was delivering a box of old books in the Cornish countryside, she stops to visit her old friend at Penryth Hall. She ends up staying the night and a mystery ensues. The author did a good job surprising me in the whodunit and Ruby was a fun detective to follow. Thank you netgalley for the ARC to review!

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a solid three and a half stars. I don't think I would have picked it up if it wasn't for the cover and title. This was an engrossing book, once I got into it towards the end. It was too slow of a pacing for me, and there were moments where I felt like I needed more depth and details to really appreciate the story.

I picked this up based on it's synopsis and it was perfect for my current mood! Ruby Vaughn reminds me of Phryne Fisher only in England and with a slightly different back story. Ruby is an American heiress, orphaned, and running from her tragic past. She has settled in Devon with an elderly Scottish gentleman, helping him with his bookselling business. She has lived through WWI and being banished from home and presents as troubled and solving her problems with partying and drink. A trip to deliver books to Cornwall results in reuniting with an old friend, murders, a Pellar and many close escapes. I really loved reading this and hope it will be the start of more Ruby adventures!