I thought that this was a very good book. I really enjoyed it and it kept me entertained.
I just reviewed The Daughters of Block Island by Christa Carmen. #TheDaughtersofBlockIsland #NetGalley
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This was so unexpected. It was gothic. It was sad and creepy. I loved all the twists and the focus on the history of the house.
The house was the perfect setting for this book too,

I was giving this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book will be released on the 10th October 2023.

This story is about two sisters who did not know either existed. the story was told in two parts, the first part was from Blakes perspective on block island and the second part in Thalia's perspective. I thought it was a well done gothic story which transported you right into the story. There were a few things I that stopped me from getting into the story once we were in Thalia's perspective, and that was the way in which they flipped between the who did it and who is who in the story, to a point it because little predicatible

The way the book ended felt a little bit rushed and chaotic in my opinion especially from when it involved a character who was not in the story as much throughout the book.

I will definitely read a book by Christa Carmen again & I would recommend this book for people who love thrillers with haunted houses.

While I consider myself to be a mystery lover, it's difficult for me to find a mystery that I can truly enjoy. I am a stickler for details making sense, and if your red harrings, plot twists, and curve balls don't make any sense, not only am I going to be extremely annoyed, I'm probably never going to read another one of your books. Because of this, I typically stick to mystery's weird little sister, otherwise known as Urban Fantasy, where there's enough of everything else going on that I don't tend to notice as often if a plot hole slips through editing, or can be explained by ~*magic*~. That said, I noticed very few inconsistencies in this book, and those I did notice, while not directly addressed in the book, could be explained away fairly easily (a person in denial, someone misremembering something, etc.).

Due to my penchant for perfection in my mysteries, this is honestly the best praise I could give this book, but it still deserves quite a bit more.

Block Island, which feels like the true antagonist of the story with its neverending rain and dismal atmosphere, is well crafted and comes to life on the page. It is a tense, and intense, setting, inspiring anxiety and concern for our two sisters, and making it easy to see how someone who's so lost and alone could start to believe the unbelievable. Whether the island - or the villain - is the true antagonist, White Hall is the minion. The Igor... or maybe the Renfield would be a better fit. The assistant who's always willing to get their hands dirty, who keeps their masters' secrets at all costs, and who, sometimes, are even victims themselves.

Story-wise, I really have no complaints about this book. I didn't know what was going to happen, the ending felt honest and not contrived, and the characters and setting felt believable. There was a non-white character, and racism and microaggressions were acknowledged in-book. The main character(s) are non-hetero, and prejudice and bullying for that is also acknowledged in-book. That's not to say this book is a bastion of diversity, but it was a pleasant surprise, and even better to have the prejudices acknowledged without excusing them.

I love Thalia as the protagonist. I love that she's gay. Sadly, one of my few complaints is that I wish her and Laura's relationship had been played on more. Maybe the author would have treated a hetero relationship the same, but it just seems like a little more warmth, a bit more affection, could have gone a long way here in making for a believable couple. Instead, if not for Thalia's repeatedly asserting that Laura is her girlfriend, their relationship could just as easily be mistaken for roommates or friends.

Despite my complaints, I still rated this full stars. It may annoy anyone looking for an accurate portrayal of a non-straight relationship, but the mystery, the characters, and the overall story, were very enjoyable and well worth a read.

Thank you #NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Daughters of Block Island will be available October 9, 2023.

"In this ingenious and subversive twist on the classic gothic novel, the mysterious past of an island mansion lures two sisters into a spiderweb of scandal, secrets, and murder.

Two sisters, strangers since birth yet bound by family secrets, are caught up in a century-old mystery on an isolated island."

5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book is going places.

Part 1 follows Blake as she arrives to Block Island in search of her birth mother, and eventually ends in her murder (I promise that's not a spoiler, it's in the full synopsis).

Part 2 centers around Thalia, Blake's sister who is desperate to learn about Blake and what happened to her.

Christa Carmen's storytelling was outstanding. I read this in a day. Although I was able to guess what happened before Thalia did (it's a silent competition I have with the main characters 🤣), it didn't take away from the excitement of events happening. Everything was so descriptive, it was easy to visualize everything I was reading. If you're a fan of gothic thrillers, I urge you to read this book in October when it's published!

I've always been a sucker for a good old-fashioned thriller with a haunted mansion and an overly creepy spirit gracing it's halls. I'm also a fan of stories that are just so spine-chilling that it is hard to keep reading at night or in the dark. Unfortunately this novel fell a little short on the creep factor, but it was an entertaining and quick read.

The story begins with Thalia receiving a letter and then quickly transitions to Blake, the estranged sister. I did feel the transition was awkward and much of Blake's story was tedious with overly verbose passages setting up the gothic horror setting. However, once the story diverts back to Thalia it progresses much more quickly, I liked her quick wit and more logical view of the situation. The investigation into White Hall and the Searles sisters was captivating, especially with the hidden tunnels and journals.

The ending was a bit of a let down. Maureen was too much of a minor character to play such a major role in the end. She is also not likeable from the beginning due to her treatment of Blake. The Martin, Michael, Monty back and forth was predictable and the epilogue was unnecessary.

"The Daughters of Block Island" by Christa Carmen is a great gothic novel with a twist. I love atmospheric gothic novels, and this book grabbed my attention. The book kicks off with a bang, a letter from a dead woman, the prologue does a great job of setting up the tone, and builds up to an explosive climax.

The book is written in the present tense, from the third POV, and follows two estranged sisters: Blake Bronson and Thalia Mills. The book is divided into two sections: the first section follows Blake, and the second section follows Thalia. Just as we grow attached to Black, something happens, and then we are whisked away to Thalia's story.

Blake Bronson didn't have an easy life. She is an orphan and former alcoholic on the mend who comes to Block Island to find her birth mother, finds she has a sister, and ends up entangled in her very own gothic tale that doesn't end well for her.

Thalia was also unaware of the existence of Blake. A letter from Blake brings her back to the island she left a while ago to find out what happens to Blake and to uncover the island's secrets. Dangers are afoot, and if she is not careful, she too may suffer the same fate as her sister.

I enjoyed the story very much. The author weaves a tangled web and what began as a seemingly simple tale, turned out to be much more. There are several threads running through the story, some going back 100 years, and they all intersect. I had my suspicions, but they didn't come close to the curve balls the author threw at us.

A long-buried secret, ghosts, a gothic feel, secret passageways, murders, crumbling castle - this book has everything a reader wants from such a tale. Everything is sketched in good detail. The surprising twists brought to mind the gothic tales of "Rebecca", "The Picture of Dorian Gray", and "Jane Eyre", to name a few. There are many references and name-dropping of popular books, such as Ann Radcliffe’s "The Mysteries of Udolpho", but as I read some of them, I didn't mind. The book wasn't as creepy as I thought it will be, which is a good thing, but was still loaded with surprises, dark twists, creepy moments, and shocking revelations that leave you breathless as you follow the heroine around the island. Be prepared to jump out of your skin!

The setting is beautifully constructed, and there's a solid cast of supporting characters. I could imagine myself on the island, the descriptions were so vivid. And to think the real history of the White Hall (yes, there was such a place according to the author) is just as scandalous as our tale.

The ending was definitely hold-your-breath drama, and I loved how the author tied up all the loose ends very neatly. I highly recommend the book to fans of gothic novels and anyone looking for an exhilarating emotional ride filled with suspense.

*Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley. I am normally not much into gothic stories but this one sucked me right in. I loved the multiple POV aspect of this story.bit really helped the story flow. The writing and characters were very well developed. The atmosphere was creepy and very descriptive and made me feel like I was in the story.

This is a really atmospheric darkly gothic book but I just couldn't get completely into it. Don't get me wrong this has loads of twists and turns, its beautiful written and transports you right to White Hall I just don't think it was right for me. I might give it another go at a later date but I think a lot of people will enjoy this, it has great writing and interesting premise and dynamic characters.

I didn't love this book. It wasn't poorly written, I just found I couldn't get into it. At one point I thought I had made great progress through the story only to discover that I wasn't even a third of the way through. When I found myself continuing to struggle, I finally skipped to the final chapters to see how it ended. I think I would have continued struggling had I not done so. It's not that bad, it just wasn't for me.

I speed through this book!!! I really enjoyed how descriptive it was and the author made you feel like you were there at White Hall. I enjoy atmospheric books, and this has a lot of it. There were many twists and turns that kept me engaged and wanting to read just one more page. Anyone who enjoys a good gothic novel would enjoy this book. I would highly recommend this book once it is published. Thank you NetGalley for granting me access to the ARC.

This book made me feel like I stepped off boat and was staying in White Hall. This story transports you to Block Island in a creepy- spooky house, with twists and turns that will leave you at the edge of your seat

Blake travels to White Hall searching for the mother who gave her up for adoption. She’s struggling with sobriety and is involved in a criminal trial for an accident she caused while under the influence. She learns she has a sister, Thalia, and attempts to uncover the mystery around her birth, who her father is and where she belongs.
Thalia returns to the island shortly after Blake’s death to confront her mother and uncover the truth behind what really happened to her sister.

This book contained many features I’m a fan of: creepy setting, descriptive writing, complex characters, strong females, possible ghosts and mystery. The story unfolds in a way that leaves you guessing, but doesn’t get too complex or predicable. I enjoyed that the author tied in comparisons and connections to other gothic novels and the “rules.” This element adds to the reasoning behind the actions of both Blake and Thalia.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC. I enjoyed how fast paced the story was and was eager to find out who was behind Blake’s murder. I preferred Thalia’s POV to Blake’s. I struggled with the overt references to other gothic novels - I understand the author was influenced by her love for those stories but felt the references could have been more subtle and not as frequent. Overall, I believe readers will enjoy this novel.

Blake is trying to find out where she came from after growing up in foster care, an alcoholic and drug addict she has made mistakes, one that could land her in jail even. She finds her original birth certificate and heads to Block Island to meet her mother and things go wrong, very wrong.

Thalia hasn’t been home to Block Island in 10 years, a successful lawyer. She receives a mysterious letter and decides now is the time to return home.

Told from two different points of view this is an un-putdownable dark mystery that I enjoyed very much. I am very likely to suggest this book to people who like the same type of story.

Could not put this one down! It checks all the boxes for a creepy, spooky vibe. The author was going for a gothic vibe(think Rebecca or The Haunting of Hill House) and she NAILED it!

Old mansion that may or may not be haunted✅
Murder✅
Island only accessible by ferry so you can't leave if the weather is bad(spoiler: the weather is always bad⛈️)✅
Suspicious characters✅
Past and present ties together✅
Unreliable narrator (I cannot thank the author enough for having a character who is struggling with sobriety but is written in such a respectful way)✅
Secrets galore✅

Fast pacing and fantastic writing helped me fly through this one! I absolutely recommend.

Thank you @netgalley and Thomas & Mercer @amazonpublishing for the ARC

Let’s just say I slept with the lights on while reading this..and after. It’s creepy for sure, but oh so intriguing. While I was afraid to turn the page, I was also unable to put it down. This is a MUST read for Halloween!

Gothic, creepy, atmospheric. Great read for people who are into gothic, murder and solving mysteries.

A great gothic read. I loved the twists and turns throughout the story. This book definitely gives all the best spooky and eerie vibes.

This is a gothic murder mystery set on--surprise--Block Island off the coast of Rhode Island. The setting of Block Island in the winter is a character in itself--isolated, beaten by the rain, and filled with secrets. In a nutshell, Thalia returns to the island where she grew up after receiving a letter from a woman, Blake, who claim she is Thalia's sister. When Thalia learns of a mystery at a historic home on Block Island, she seeks to find the answers at the spooky house. There's a lot going on in this book, and the author does a great job with descriptions of the gothic mansion and of all the suspects Thalia encounters. The character of Thalia is very well drawn, and how she deals with the murder as well as with her own feelings about returning to Block Island makes for a very compelling story. This book is very creepy--probably a bit too creepy for me, even though I like a good gothic story--but if you have a high creepy tolerance this book could be a good fit for you!