I COULD NOT put this down!

This was a very engaging read about a housewife in a typical Christian family in the 1950s. Loretta is struggling under the weight of depressive episodes, and the mundanity of her simple life. Not only does she carry the emotional weight of her family, she is inundated with strange visions. Haunted by the dead, she learns some key information in the case of a murdered young woman in her town.

Her husband Pete doesn’t believe her and wants her to be subservient, so she secretly turns to a parapsychologist, Dr. Curtis Hansen who helps her maneuver through her abilities. This was so freaking good!

The setting of this book really paints a picture. I knew what I was getting into when starting this book, but it was still horrifying! This book deals with a lot of religious trauma, abuse and suppression. The things that Loretta has to deal with in this book made me irate! But it was such a fun reading experience.

I highly recommend this intense psychological thriller.

Oh, I really loved the whole vintage feel of this one!

I would not want to be a woman in the 1950’s (okay, I’m also not white so I REALLY wouldn’t want to live then). Behind the pretty dresses and quiet streets, the author shows us the absolute horror of a woman dealing with a challenging marriage, the demands of fundamental religion, judgmental neighbors and a little supernatural issue. I’d implode!

Loretta is wonderful. I adored her and found myself worried for her and hoping she’d find her happy.

I wanted to punch Pete. Still do.

The story has some very dark parts, but Loretta herself is an absolutely delightful light in that darkness.

I read this at breakneck speed and was so sorry when it was over!

Loved this!

• ARC via Publisher

It took me a little while to get invested in this one, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. It's terrifying to think that the behavior exhibited by the male characters in the narrative is honestly no different today than it was in the 1950s in some households. I think there were a couple of small plotlines that really didn't advance the plot in meaningful ways (Mr. Davenport's tenure track; the structurally integrity of their house, etc.), and sometimes the main character was a little pathetic, but otherwise this was a decent read with a satisfying conclusion.

I received an arc of this text in exchange for an honest review.

What a Gothic delight! From the instant I started reading this book I was utterly engrossed. It’s a truly compelling and remarkably powerful read. I loved everything about it, from the 1950s setting, the supernatural elements to the diverse cast of characters.
I wholeheartedly recommend you grab a copy of your own!

This is a gothic thriller with paranormal elements. I was intrigued from the first page.

The characters, particularly the MC, were fully drawn and relateable. Set in the 1950s the MC struggles to deal with her newly found psychic abilities in the face of her husband's lack of acceptance and religious fervor.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. This is my honest review.

I really enjoyed this - the slow building horror of domestic violence and murder in a small town, balanced with a brilliant MC who has otherworldly abilities she is just trying to understand.
The setting of the 1950s worked so well to emphasise the claustrophobic nature of the abuse described, and highlighted the lack of control women had in those days.
There was an element of just going with the flow in terms of the plot, but I think that's necessary with any gothic suburban horror. Shades of Shirley Jackson (which the author notes at the end) which I loved.
Would highly recommend, and will be seeking out future works by the author!
9/10

This book had me hooked from the moment I picked it up. My first ARC read and I was blown away. It covered off so many sensitive subjects in a respectful way. I knew from early on who the killer would be in this book however it still managed to keep me hooked with lots of twists and turns in the story. I loved the setting in the 50’s and the characters were diverse especially given the time period. I feel as though the ending was right on point for what we wanted but felt rushed. How Pete was caught and what happened after needed a bit more time and care. Overall loved this book. The themes were handled delicately and with care but were portrayed well.

Loretta Davenport, a quiet 1950s housewife, begins having strange visions, which she readily attributes to the fever she’s just getting over—until one of her visions coincides with the murder of a local girl. Much to the dismay of her religious husband, Pete, Loretta seeks advice and finds support in parapsychologist, Dr. Hansen, who helps Loretta hone her gifts to connect with the beyond. Pete, seeing his obedient wife’s new abilities as a threat to his idyllic reputation, works to put an end to what he believes is the Devil’s work. Loretta must overcome a true evil in order to free the spirits who are haunting her.

Paulette Kennedy offers an American Gothic delight in The Devil & Mrs. Davenport by weaving a captivating tale that hits on the perfect combination of mystery/thriller, paranormal elements, domestic drama, and a touch of romance in such a delicate balance that worked really well. For me, I feel that sometimes bringing in elements like psychic abilities can sometimes feel hokey or like a cop-out, especially when there’s a whodunnit plot line, but Kennedy mastered these elements beautifully and made Loretta feel like a very believable character.

The story flowed well with good developed characters and captivating plot points. Beyond the plot line of solving the young woman’s murder, The Devil & Mrs. Davenport examined isolation and abuse within domestic relationships and the strength of the women that overcome them.

Paulette Kennedy has so much to offer within this read.

Loretta is a housewife to a tyrant Pete. Pete is very religious. Loretta starts seeing things and speaking with the dead. Pete doesn't believe in her gifts and wants to keep Loretta under his thumb.
I liked this book, it has a bit of a mystery to go along with the story of Loretta. I don't want to say too much. This is a slow burn but the ending really picks up.

I chose this on the strength of the title and cover and I was NOT disappointed. This is a really gripping read. I was rooting for Loretta, a 1959’s housewife trapped in a controlling marriage who discovers she has psychic abilities, from the very start, and the twists and turns the story takes are both unexpected and strangely plausible.

Have you ever had someone tell you to "pray about it" or that if you "really believed in God you wouldn't be depressed"? I have experienced that myself on numerous occasions, and this novel centers around the life and struggles of a woman who has to find her way amidst newly discovered psychic abilities and mental health difficulties despite the religious pushback she gets from her husband.

After a brief illness and the murder of a local girl, Loretta Davenport begins to communicate with the dead. Her husband, Pete, a professor at a religious college, dismisses her visions as those of someone who is insane or in league with the devil. Loretta begins seeing a psychologist who happens to be investigating the possibility of parapsychological phenomena, and Pete becomes increasingly concerned for his wife's spiritual well-being. As the story progresses, she begins to realize that her home may not be the safest place for herself and her children.

This novel is set in the mid-1950s, which was a time when men controlled what women were and were not allowed to do. Loretta's day-to-day life, as described by the author, gives the reader a glimpse of the struggles she faced as a married woman. Her husband had control of her entire life, and the laws of the time supported his right to control her life.

Anyone who plans to read this novel should be aware of some of the ideas that might be triggering--mental abuse, brief instance of non-consensual sexual actions, religious abuse/trauma, and the treatment of mental health patients in the 1950s.

While I thought the novel moved a little slowly at first, I found it hard to put down once things started rolling. I found myself easily engrossed in Loretta’s life and even saw a little of myself in her. My heart broke numerous times over the course of the novel, but I found the ending satisfying. I would easily recommend this novel to anyone who is a fan of Paulette Kennedy’s writing or to anyone who is interested in the daily struggles of women in 1950s America.

I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Compelling, unique, and powerful! I loved everything about this novel from the ghostly elements to the thriller storyline to the fascinating and important dive into the life of a housewife in the 1950's. Very entertaining and it left me thinking. Highly recommend!

I'd selected this book purely on a skim read of the synopsis where it mentioned the subtle horrors of the 1950s America, Murder and Spirits of the Dead. I've not really read any supernatural / thriller / drama style books before but I really enjoyed this one, albiet I'm not sure whether the tension came from my own anxious reading style. To be honest I also really liked the cover too...

Of course as Paulette discloses there are mentions of era-specific terminology and events which she released a trigger warning for so be mindful if any of that isn't for you. Having said that, I did have major rage against Pete throughout the entire thing which is props to Kennedy's writing about men in the 1950's (or some if you read the book).

(Maybe spoilers) The ending did feel like it came to a close really quickly but I was almost grateful that it was wrapped up in a way you would hope. Another thing is there's a brief mention about Charlotte and Lucas having the same gift and I kind of hoped that was discussed a bit more, or about Lucas' drawings.

Overall I really enjoyed it, great pace and characters too!

Thank you to Netgallery, the Publisher and the Author for this free advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

LOVEDDDDD this book so much. I had been in a reading slump, chose a read now book, had zero expectations from it and was absolutely blown away. I read it in a day and stayed up late to finish it. That hasn't happened in forever. I loved the Mrs Davenport having ESP and solving murders, it had just the right amount of suspense that kept me turning my kindle pages. I really wish this one came out sooner so I could tell everyone to read it ASAP.

The only thing I didn't like: In the first few pages there was some racism as there was some negative chatter about "colored" people. Maybe that was just to show Phyllis was an unlikable character, but that could have been done in other ways. Especially within the first few pages of the book, it almost was a turn off.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Devil and Mrs Davenport" and all opinions expressed are my own. This was definitely a different type of story for sure. I found the story interesting, seeing the challenges that women faced in the 1950s. I just liked the whole story and how it developed.

Terrific book! Kennedy expertly weaves historical fiction with metaphysical thriller to deliver a propulsive, riveting, genre-bending novel. THE DEVIL AND MRS. DAVENPORT explores the very real challenges many women in the 1950s faced to find their own voices, the sometimes-overwhelming power of religion, and the tragic state of mental health treatment in the era. Combine all that with a sprinkle of parapsychological magic, a dash of romance, and a sympathetic heroine I was rooting for from the very first page, and you have an unputdownable read sure to be a big hit. I devoured it in a day and was sad to see it end. Bravo!

I absolutely loved this so much that I read the whole book in one day … Gripping , exciting, full of suspense… lots of twists and turns along the way… The best book I have read in a long, long time . Loved it!

Summary: Loretta Davenport has visions which disorient and disturb her. As the wife of a Pentecostal professor at a strictly religious Bible school in 1950s America, she walks the line of the dutiful wife and mother of two. But all is not well in the Davenport household. Pete Davenport does not accept Loretta’s psychic abilities, and his authoritarian, controlling nature clashes with Loretta’s desire for more independence and autonomy. When the clarity of Loretta’s vision brings authorities directly to the burial site of a missing girl, Pete fears for his pious image and career ambitions. As tensions between Loretta and Pete come to a head, Loretta must decide who to trust and whether to listen to the spirits clamoring for her attention.

Thoughts: In this novel, Paulette Kennedy truly captures and conveys the restrictive social norms and patriarchal establishment of the 1950s. A young woman born and raised in modern society would hardly believe that just seventy years ago, women had virtually no independence or power. It was almost impossible to divorce or leave a miserable marriage, and a woman had no right to the children she had birthed and raised practically on her own. Loretta’s struggle is indeed heart-wrenching; and it is a testament to the author’s skill that I could feel such venomous hatred for a fictional character like Pete Davenport. Also frightening and surreal is the accurate depiction of the barbaric practices of psychiatric institutions during that period. The conclusion provides blessed relief for the emotional rollercoaster and the ending is more than satisfying. Well done, Paulette!

4-4.5*

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for a DRC of The Devil and Mrs. Davenport (released March 2024) in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

CW domestic and emotional abuse, marital r*pe, abortion

Missouri in 1955 and Loretta Davenport is stuck in her claustrophobic life as a housewife and mother however, following the disappearance of a teenage girl she starts having visions and ghostly visitations which opens up her world and opens her eyes to the life she is being forced to live by her controlling and domineering husband.

This was a tough but absorbing and intriguing read. A suburban, gothic, paranormal thriller that touches on multiple difficult subjects, most notably the lack of agency of women during that time period and their forced reliance on the men in their lives. In the case of Loretta this results in horrific experiences and being forced to ultimately live a life of deceit in order to try and avoid the violent wrath of her controlling, alcoholic husband, Pete.

I really enjoyed the multiple genres that this book touched on. It's historical fiction but also a domestic thriller, a paranormal thriller and a political thriller all tied up together and the mix works. The paranormal elements don't feel out of place and combined with the other elements really make you question throughout who is The Devil that Mrs Davenport has to face and there is no one right answer because of all the issues we, as readers, are made to face throughout the course of the book.

Readers of Daphne du Maurier I think will like the style of this book. It's a gothic world transplanted to US 1950s suburbia with a determined lead character who is a victim of the circumstances she is stuck in (that of being under the thumb of a deeply patriarchal society), but who wants to change that and live a better and more fulfilling life to then pass that on to her children. It's wonderful to see her grow throughout this book and see her character flourish as she grows in confidence, step by step, supported to the end by a small group who she has to keep hidden but who allow her to be the person she wants and should be.

The murders that are touched on in this book are the catalyst for events rather than being the full driving force. This isn't a murder mystery per say but the touches of it do lead to a very satisfying conclusion but it is a rocky road to get there and makes for tough reading at times.

I think this one will sit with me for a while and I think I will need to come back to again in the future to be able to truly appreciate the more nuanced elements related to societal commentary that the author is making.

I WISH we could do .5 and .75 for ratings, because I give this a 3.75 (not a 3!).

Loretta has visions and knows things about people. And it's the 1950s. And that isn't cool - especially if your husband is a professor at the local Bible college.

But perhaps Pete isn't all he makes out to be.

Part thriller, part subtle political commentary on the historical treatment of women, The Devil and Mrs. Davenport engages on many levels. Driven by the unsolved murder of two young women in Myrtle Grove, and the desire to escape her claustrophobic life, Loretta sets out to emancipate both herself and the souls of the lost.

Loretta has visions and knows things about people. And it's the 1950s. And that isn't cool - especially if your husband is a professor at the local Bible college.

But perhaps Pete isn't all he makes out to be.

Part thriller, part subtle political commentary on the historical treatment of women, The Devil and Mrs. Davenport engages on many levels. Driven by the unsolved murder of two young women in Myrtle Grove, and the desire to escape her claustrophobic life, Loretta sets out to emancipate both herself and the souls of the lost.