A beautifully gritty, dark gothic thriller. This is a fantastic gripping mysterious tale of magic, betrayal and intrigue.

The author has given us a firey, witty and highly intelligent protagonist, who knows what she wants and lets nothing stand in her way.
The narrative takes many twists and turns along the way. You find yourself consumed within each chapter late into the morning hours.

Brilliantly construed world with deeply captivating characters. A must for any lover of gothic and romantic thrillers.

I just reviewed Fyneshade by Kate Griffin. #Fyneshade #NetGalley

Inspired by 'The Turn of The Screw' by Henry James, this novel tell the story of Marta. She has become the new governess at Fyneshade (a gothic manor house with creepy paintings, dark corridors and many secret passageways) to Grace, a little girl who has severe learning difficulties. On the outside, she is kind and dedicated to the care the teaching of Grace but we come to learn that Marta is not as doting of a guardian to her young charge that would be expected. What I really enjoyed about this was that her bloodthirsty and manipulative personality is known only to us, the readers. It was fascinating to read how she cons the other staff at Fyneshade and I loved her inner monologue since her actions and thoughts didn't match at all.

In keeping with a typical gothic novel, there is a supernatural element that is extremely intriguing. Marta, having learnt the skills from her recently deceased 'Grandmere', is a witch - or at least something very similar. I enjoyed how her powers manifested and that they also weren't the sole focus of this story.

If you enjoy gothic novels then this is definitely one to pick up, its engrossing and the ending was brilliant. Five stars because I found it so difficult to put down!

A very satisfying, creepy gothic tale of avarice, envy and witchcraft. Marta is sent to Fyneshade to be a governess to Grace but plans instead to marry the widowed father. Events spiral out of control, Grace is a strange child, the widower is nowhere to be seen and his son and heir is weak and unlikeable. Marta plots and plans and connives and the story twists and turns along with her. Not my usual genre but this novel pulled me in and I enjoyed the ride.

The day her grandmother dies, Marta learns she is to become a governess to the daughter of William Pritchard at his estate, Fyneshade. Upon arrival, Marta is out to gain any advantages she can, looking down on her charge and sneaking around the house to try to wrench as much control as possible. Pritchard is nowhere to be found, though. Eventually his heir shows up and soon Marta is trying to wrangle her way into becoming the future mistress of the estate.

Although this begins much like many gothic novels, it is not a romance, although there is quite a bit of suspense along the way. Marta is not at all likeable, conniving her way at every turn. She's also quite curious and seeks answers to some basic questions. Where is the father and master of the estate? Why is son and heir, Vaughan,, forbidden to enter the house? Of course, she mostly wants to gain the advantage of the connection with Vaughan so that she can be set for life. This is despite the warnings from staff who know him most. We spend the entire book finding out those secrets and finding out how everyone fares in the end. It's a truly twisty tale of secrets that is sure to entertain any lover of gothic novels.

Overall, this was a very satisfying read that that turns the gothic novel on its head just a bit. I give this four solid stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Viper for this free advanced reader copy. I have provided my feedback voluntarily.

If walls could talk.

Martha, or Marta as she is called by her recently departed French Grandmere (Grandmother) has accepted a position as Governess, in a large house in Derbyshire.
The village boys used to call her Grandmere a witch. Grandmere died before she could teach Marta all she knew.
Marta finds her new position isn’t quite what she was expecting. There is mystery and things to find out about this house and its dark secrets.
The story and its various characters are told through Marta. I was intrigued with her ways, but did not like her at all.
Sly, calculating and self centred., with a derogatory, critical and disrespectful attitude.
If walls could talk!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

First of all - how gorgeous is that cover?!
An exciting and interesting gothic tale of an isolated mansion and its inhabitants. I really enjoyed this book and finished it fast as I couldn’t put it down!
Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publishers for this ARC.

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Fyneshade
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Kate Griffin
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Historical Horror
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 18th May 2023
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 21st April 2023
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.25/5

”A heart cannot break–that is a tale for cow-eyed virgins–but it can rot.”

Fyneshade is inspired by The Turn of The Screw by Henry James. I’ve never read it myself, but that didn’t matter to me, I was immersed regardless.

This historical gothic horror ticked all my boxes: creepy, involved a huge manor, held more secrets and shadows than sun and smiles.

Fyneshade follows a governess, Marta, who is our main character. We soon learn that she is incredibly manipulative and is also half-witch, half-kleptomaniac. Whilst Marta is certainly questionable, it’s her strange little charge, Grace, who I wondered about the most. I was equally horrified at how Marta treated Grace and yet mystified enough to want to get the answers out of her myself. Thankfully, Marta doesn’t have to rely on the unpredictable girl since she has her witchcraft to fall back on.

This truly interesting, entertaining, and slightly sickening novel is told through an usually aloof tone which is one of the most compelling reasons I was captivated in the first place.

I wish the ending was more impactful, the main character really brought out the bloodthirsty part of me and whilst the resolution fanned the flames of that bloodthirstiness, I was hoping for something more explosive.

—Kayleigh🤍
@ Welsh Book Fairy🧚‍♀️✨

On the subject of judging books by their covers... feel free to do so with this one: 'Fyneshade' by @kateagriffin - out next month.

This is a full house for any players of modern Gothic bingo: eerie house, moody moorland, wild weather, unquiet spirits, and buttoned up Victorian facades hiding scandalous family secrets &c &c…

Our narrator is Marta: a proud outsider, who thinks she knows it all and sneers down her beautiful nose at the ordinary people who look at her with suspicion. Shunted off to darkest Derbyshire to be a governess, Marta finds herself at Fyneshade Manor. From the start, it’s clear that something is not quite right… by the end, it’s obvious that several things are very wrong. It’s a house full of hidden treasures and hidden dangers, of clocks and keys, of bribes, threats and deception… and Marta means to make herself mistress of it all.

Marta is not a nice person. But she is a compelling story teller: not just to us, but to the Fyneshade servants, to the child in her charge, even to herself? She seems to have the vanity and moral fibre (and deep insecurities) of Eustacia Vye in Hardy’s ‘Return of the Native’ and, like Eustacia, schemes towards to the social advancement she feels is her destiny. Whether you love her or loath her, you want to know what happens to her.

In terms of atmosphere, it errs more towards sumptuous than subtle, but that’s not to say it’s without a few glorious little twists. It reminded me of Daphne Du Maurier, particularly ‘Rebecca’, and comparisons have also been made with ‘Jane Eyre’. Its most direct literary progenitor is, however, Henry James’s ‘Turn of the Screw’ - from which the opening quote is drawn.

It’s not without cheesy moments, but - like the Derbyshire fruitcake Fyneshade’s housekeeper is so fond of - this type of Gothic works well with a hunk of crumbling cheddar.

Fyneshade is published by @viper.books on 18 May. Big thanks to Viper and @netgalley for the advanced Kindle copy.

A deliciously, dark gothic tale which I found impossible to put down. Powerful, richly descriptive with strong characters. Wonderful storytelling. Constantly holding my breath and tapping my kindle like a demented wood pecker. I loved the main character Marta. He'll hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Loved it!!!!!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC to review..

This was a beautiful book. Beautifully designed, front cover and also so well written. I really enjoyed this more than I thought I would, even if it wasn’t my usual read.

This gothic story draws on our familiarity with ‘governess novels’, such as ‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘The Turn of the Screw’', though it is also a gripping read in its own right. It has all the ingredients: an isolated mansion, “more like a fortress than a house”, often cut off by bad weather; an absent master; a troubled young child needing education and guidance; mysterious servants; and gloomy candle-lit corridors, leading to remote wings hiding secrets.
Encouraged her awareness of her French aristocratic heritage and her own good looks to have a sense of privilege, the narrator Marta (don’t call her ‘Martha’!) feels entitled to the best: “I knew I was born to feel the finest cloth next to my skin”.
Left alone by the death of her grandmother, she is an inconvenience to her remaining relatives, who distrust her obvious sexuality. When forced to take up the post of governess to a little girl (who surely has Down’s syndrome?) in a far-off county, she is determined to turn this unengaging prospect into an opportunity to acquire Fyneshade and all that goes with it for herself.
Devious and calculating, some of Marta’s machinations are so blatant, such as putting on displays of affection for her young charge for the benefit of the housekeeper, that they provoke shocked laughter. It’s surprisingly satirical at times, and Marta often reminded me of Becky Sharpe in ‘Vanity Fair’, though sometimes I was on edge, wondering how far her ennui with looking after little Grace would take her.
She sometimes seems quite sociopathic, the consummate anti-heroine; we both fear her and root for her! At a time when the average woman had few prospects and were chiefly considered to be ‘grow-bags’, we cannot but admire her ambition and enterprise. How unfortunate that she falls in with a schemer even more ruthless than she is.
As you can guess, I adored this book and will look out for others by Kate Griffin. Having raced through the novel first time for the story, now, knowing how it ends, I am rereading more thoughtfully and picking up on the clues, such as the red hair of an early squeeze, as to what happens ultimately ‘in the end’.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. I will happily post on Amazon once reviewing is open.

I enjoyed reading this book.

The plot was intriguing and I found that it kept me interested the whole way through.

The characters were great and I found that they drew me into the book.

Thank you for letting me review it.

I loved it! What a great read. A classic gothic tale set is a country house where the master Sir William Pritchard isn’t in evidence, his son Vaughan is banned from the house, his daughter Grace has Down syndrome and the servants are all unattractive, that is until Marta arrives. Marta was a brilliant protagonist, I disliked her intensely but was completely entranced by her. She is a dark and dangerous character, with knowledge of herbs and plants passed on by her grandmere, and a wicked seductress who has an agenda.

Briefly, after the death of her grandmere Marta gets a position as governess to the daughter of the master of Fyneshade. But Marta has a plan and her actions are all aimed towards what she believes to be her destiny; to be mistress of Fyneshade. Her life at Fyneshade is boring, a pupil who cannot learn, servants who mostly ignore her and nothing to do that is until the errant son and heir returns.

I was glued to this book from start to finish. Every character was brilliantly portrayed and the only one I found at all likeable was the housekeeper. A dark gothic property full of appropriately dark and dangerous characters, all only interested in their own needs and desires. An intensely satisfying read with a shocking climax and enthralling authors notes at the end that has set me off to a new read - no spoilers.

This proved to be an entertaining dark story of ambition and deceit. A magic foretelling of a future marriage doesn’t turn out as expected. Thank you to Serpent’s Tail/Viper/Profile books publishers and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

After the death of Marta's Grandmere her prospects look bleak when she is given the post of governess at Fyneshade. Marta, however, is confident that riches are just round the corner if she she can seduce the master of the house but at Fyneshade nothing is as it seems.

It is a classic gothic novel; a house in the middle of nowhere, filled with secrets and a confident anti-heroine at its centre. Marta is a fantastic main character. You can't help admiring her confidence despite the terrible things she does. Sometimes authors back away from making their main characters too unlikable. There is usually a justification or a softening of some elements of their character. There is none of that in Fyneshade and I found that hugely enjoyable.

The twist in the final page was sublime and made me want to go back and read it again. It also made me want to re-read something else but that would be a spoiler. ...

An atmospheric gothic tale set in an isolated house in Derbyshire. Marta arrives at Fyneshade to take up her post as governess to Grace but finds herself in a situation she was not expecting. Grace has learning difficulties, the housekeeper is keeping secrets from her and none of the servants will talk to her. Full of curiosity Marta explores and digs deep into the secrets of the house. Meeting the estranged son of the house, she starts on a path that she believes will lead to a future of wealth and luxury.
I loved Kate Griffin's previous Kitty Peck novels. They were full of action with interesting characters. This book is nothing like the previous books. The main protagonist, Marta is a despicable and manipulative character; the other characters were never fully developed . The action revolves around Marta's plotting and schemes, which I found a little slow moving at times.
If you are a fan of Henry James's The Turning of the Screw, you will love this book, but for me it never really engaged me.

Deliciously dark and devious! Marta arrives at Fyneshade as the new Governess for Grace, a little girl with limited speech whom the household dotes on. However the household seem to take against Marta from the beginning, and there is more to the house than first meets the eye..

The mysterious master of the house, Sir William Pritchard is very frail and elderly but there's no sign of him at Fyneshade, and his son, Vaughan is banished from the house and forced to live in the stables.

Marta is very much only interested in herself and advancing her own interests - this is a fresh new take on a gothic novel with a governess and a grand house and I loved it! Anyone who crosses Marta soon lives to regret it and using the power of the full moon Marta enacts her revenge.

I was on the edge of my seat through this, but didn't want it to end. Just brilliant. 4.5/5.

An evocative gothic thriller with a challenging heroine. Marta had been a willing student at the knee of her beloved Grandmere and on her death she is whisked away to a position as a governess far from her remaining family and her lover Nathaniel. What follows is an engaging tale of spells, secrets and ruthlessness. @kateagriffin @netgalley #gothicthriller

This was a beautiful book. Beautifully designed, and also beautifully written.

I really like Gothic stories, and this was everything that I would expect a from a book in that genre. A powerful narrative with rich imagery. It was actually only when I reached the end of this story, that I realised why I had enjoyed it so much. If you're a fan of Gothic fiction, you will probably understand.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

I found this a slow start, but it soon evolved into a really excellent story. The characters were well drawn and believable, and the twists and turns of the plot kept the reader guessing right until the end. I must now go and read "The Turn of the Screw". Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review of the book.