Another hit from Chanel. Loved how the house was a character with its gothic element. I loved the dual story line. Very accurate depictions of south Florida. Even down to the way it rains.

Another successful Chanel Cleeton read! She seriously does not disappoint. From the rich setting details, to the complex characters and their relational dynamics, to the dual timeline and mystery adding suspense to the story, this was such a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed both timelines and the mysteries + how they were interwoven, and I thought Cleeton did a great job bringing history to life through her fictitious story. While the ending was a bit different from what I hoped, I still loved this book overall and highly recommend it!

Chanel Cleeton is an auto buy author for me. This is now the 7th book I’ve read by her, and I appreciate the new direction she has taken with her newest, The House on Biscayne Bay. Check out the full synopsis on the second slide.

While Cleeton has proved herself to be the queen of historical fiction romance, her past two books dabbled more in the historical fiction/mystery genre. In The House of Biscayne Bay, there is also a gothic theme permeating the storytelling which was thoroughly enjoyable!

The Miami setting felt reminiscent of her older work. However, using the doomed house Marbrisa, Cleeton shows the dark side of opulence. In this case during the time period of World War 1 in the States. Have I mentioned the screaming peacocks and dead alligators at Marbrisa? For readers who love a creepy house, The House on Biscayne Bay delivers!

In terms of the production of the audiobook, the narration by Caroline Hewitt and Frankie Corzo gave both main characters depth and empathy. Both narrators gave clear, distinct, performances making both timelines equally addicting to listen to!

Atmospheric, reminiscent of classic gothic tales like Rebecca and Wuthering Heights, with all the traits of a traditional gothic: big isolated house, creepy overgrown grounds, characters who seem to pop up out of no where, a young innocent heroine, an aloof older man (I loved a good gothic when I was in high school - Victoria Holt was a fave). There is a dual timeline, one set in the glamorous time following World War I, and the other on the eve of World War II. Will appeal to fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia as well as those who enjoy gothic fiction.

Chanel Cleeton once again balances emotion, mystery, and history to create another unputdownable novel.

The House on Biscayne Bay opens after the Great War ends and people are flocking to the South hoping to make a fortune. Southern Florida sees the worst of it, and Anna’s husband wants to have the showiest house in the area. Marbrisa is built on a large estate abutting Biscayne Bay. The house is a beautiful spectacle, but Anna doesn’t feel very comfortable there. Her anxiety manifests when several deaths are tied to the house.

Years later, Carmen arrives at Marbrisa after the loss of her parents. The culture shock of the home compared to what her life was like in Havana overtakes her. If only Carolina would reach out, welcome her, make her feel comfortable in this home. Strange things have been happening lately including murdered animals and a weird “friend” of Carolina’s husband lurking around. Are events of the past repeating themselves?
The book is a page-turner. Switching from past to present, tension builds up because you want to know what happened next. But Cleeton makes you just invested the other time period. So, then you want to know what happens to them. Each time period leaves you wanting while answering the previous question. Not only that but she keeps you on your toes: just when you think it’s peacocks screaming, it ends up being a person and vice versa.
While Cuba isn’t a huge focus like in earlier novels, it is still represented. Carmen and Carolina are from Havana. Their bringing there and family dynamics are an important part of who they are. It is a part of them.
This gothic mystery makes Marbrisa a character all her own. I wish she would have had a little more room to breathe. I wanted more exploration of the house and its secrets. I need more meaningfulness in the house itself. But this is my only critique of this novel.
I would absolutely recommend The House on Biscayne Bay, Like The Cuban Heiress, Cleeton shows she can create meaningful and enjoyable tales without The Perez Family. She’s no one-trick pony.

THE HOUSE ON BISCAYNE BAY by Chanel Cleeton is a stand alone, adult, historical, mystery thriller focusing on the Maribrisa, a grand mansion in Miami built as a birthday gift by a man for his much younger wife.

Told from dual first person perspectives, and dual time lines (Anna -1918, Carmen-1941) THE HOUSE ON BISCAYNE BAY focuses on deaths or perceived murders of the women of Maribrisa. In 1918, Robert Barnes, tired of New York society, moved his beloved wife to Miami, Florida where he gifted her with one of the most magnificent homes to be build in Florida but from the outset all was not as it appeared to be as cracks in the marriage began to reveal a disheartening reality.

Fast forward to 1942, businessman Asher Wyatt and his wife Carolina, the new owners of the refurbished Maribrisa home, find themselves with an unexpected houseguest in the guise of Carolina’s younger sister, following the tragic drowning of both of their parents. Similar to the 1918 timeline, Maribrisa holds too many deadly secrets, and when Carmen begins to investigate the truth, suspicion and rumors begin to spiral out of control when death and destruction, murder and infidelity mirror one another in two different timelines.

THE HOUSE ON BISCAYNE BAY is a story set in a gothic mansion, a mansion that keeps its’ secrets buried deep within the walls. Jealousy and envy, secrets and lies, infidelity and obsession blur as the investigation takes a twist no one expected. The premise is intriguing and enthralling; the characters are edgy, broken and struggling. Not everyone will get their happily ever after, and those that will, reveal a surprising and impassioned love.



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Fans of Chanel Cleeton and a good old-fashioned gothic, atmospheric mystery will want to be sure to add The House on Biscayne to their reading list!

Unlike Cleeton's other stories that focus heavily on Cuban life and culture, this one is very focused on the haunting estate of Marbrisa in Biscayne Bay, Florida. It follows two women - Anna, whose husband built Marbrisa after the Great War as a birthday gift to her, and Carmen, from Havana, whose parents died suddenly and has gone to live with her sister and brother-in-law in the renovated Marbrisa estate. But tragedy is all around and nothing is quite as it seems.

Cleeton's descriptive writing brings Marbrisa to life in both eras. It's easy to visualize the glamourous party at Marbrisa, post WW I, and the ultimate decline of the estate. I loved both Anna and Carmen's timelines but probably enjoyed Anna's a bit more when the glitz and glamour begin to falter. Both stories are populated with other compelling side characters like the housekeeper from both timelines and an intriguing detective from Carmen's timeline. This is a bit of a slow-burn mystery, and at times the pacing faltered a bit for me, but I loved the ending, especially for Anna. I did guess the twist in Carmen's timeline, but it was still a satisfying conclusion.

I absolutely love Chanel Cleeton. The House on Biscayne Bay she brings her signature style to Miami in the early 1900s. Told in dual timelines, with murder and mystery, this was an entertaining, gripping and fascinating story. I was completely transported to the era.

The narration was fantastic and I beliebe it was even better because of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the e-ARC. I was so excited to receive a review copy as Chanel Cleeton is one of my must-buy authors.
I knew I had to read this book when Chanel first posted about it on Instagram about a dual-timeline gothic mystery as her next book. I will keep this review spoiler-free.

The House on Biscayne Bay follows the original owners of a grand palatial mansion called Marbrisa near Miami, Florida in 1918. It also follows the newest owners of the house in the 1940's. What happened between the two owners and the infamy of the house unfolds in a masterful sweeping novel which I could not put down.

The description alone had me immersed within Marbrisa's cursed walls. The character development was very well done, and I felt for everyone tied to the house.

There were a lot of twists and turns I did not see coming until the end. I adore Cleeton's writing, and this was such a fun departure for her. A solid 4 stars. I would love to see a short story or novella from this book at some point.

I love Chanel Cleeton’s novels. She has a way with descriptions and building settings that transport the reader back in history. Cleeton’s books are atmospheric and gripping historical fiction that keep readers coming back for each new book. The story in The House in Biscayne Bay is told in two timelines and takes place in historic Miami, a departure from her acclaimed series set in Cuba.

“I cannot for the life of me imagine why anyone would want to live in Florida.”

It’s 1918 and the Great War has just ended. Anna Barnes discovers that her husband Robert purchased land and plans to build a mansion as a birthday gift to her. Anna doesn’t know what to think about south Florida, she has always lived in New York. She doesn’t care about a mansion, and she doesn’t like the heat, the ocean, or the animals in Florida. With the help of architect Michael Harrison, Robert moves forward with is plans to build the largest, grandest house in Miami with a view of Biscayne Bay. They call it Marbrisa.

It's 1941 and Carmen is an eighteen year-old who lost her parents three weeks earlier in a boating accident during a terrible storm. Her parents willed her brother-in-law Asher Wyatt to manage her inheritance, so Carmen travels to Miami to visit her sister Carolina and her husband Asher. Not long after arriving at Marbrisa, Carmen can feel bad energy surrounding the sprawling estate. People working at Marbrisa speak of a curse in the mansion and a ghost named Anna. The house has a tragic history that hangs over it like a shadow.

I’d describe this book as gothic historical fiction. Like any good gothic, Marbrisa is as unsettling as it is grand. It’s a huge, opulent mansion, but it seems unhappy and eventually, haunted. Rumors, gossip, ghosts, mysterious deaths, and scandal plague Marbrisa, and the reader will feel as though they are standing in the mansion themselves, peeking over their shoulder.

I enjoyed both storylines but I really connected with Anna’s. I actually think moving to Florida would be my greatest nightmare, especially without central air conditioning! Swampy air, deadly animals, and strange critters—not to mention the heat! Of course that is what made it a perfect setting for this story. Carmen and Anna are nothing alike, but the reader gets the strong inference that Carmen’s estranged sister Carolina is experiencing the same thing that Anna did, and that their stories may tragically follow the same path. Carmen is a foil to Carolina and Anna—she isn’t pulled in by whatever is happening at Marbrisa, which may make her the only person who can help.

The story twists along and has some unexpected curve balls. I wanted to understand what was going on at Marbrisa, and I wasn’t disappointed with the reveal! The lush grounds surrounding Marbrisa added to the allure. It felt like the sort of place that drew you in but took your soul (not to be dramatic). This is the story of two women, but at it’s core this is a story of the house, Marbrisa. Can houses have a personality? If so, Marbrisa has one and it has a flare for the dramatic and the macabre. It also seems to only truly reveal itself to women…there’s a lot to unpack in that statement!

A gripping gothic mystery set in the first half of the twentieth century—The House on Biscayne Bay is Cleeton’s best work yet.

Thank you Berkley Publishing and Penguin Random House for my copy. Opinions are entirely my own.

✨ Review ✨ The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton

Thanks to Berkley, PRH Audio and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This is my first book by Cleeton and I loved the "horror light" vibes. Spooky giant house, mysterious deaths (of humans and alligators etc), and fascinating historic Miami setting all made this an interesting read.

There are two POVS - Anna moves to Miami just after WWI when her husband surprises with a grand house on Biscayne Bay. Anna's reluctant to leave NYC and concerned at what this expenditure most be costing them, but her husband is delighted for the chance to profit from the country's new interest in Florida...until a mysterious death happens during a party.

In 1941, Carmen leaves Cuba after the death of her parents for the same house where her older sister and her husband live. Mysterious things continue to happen and she begins to try to figure out what's happening.

I liked the sense of mystery but could have used a little more spookiness/horror and/or more history in the historical fiction. The context of the growth of Florida and investments after WWI was really interesting, and I'd have loved to have learn more, and the same with Carmen's connection to Cuba.

Overall, this would make a great thrillery/mystery/horror-ish beach read to take with you on vacation!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)
Genre: historical fiction, mystery/thriller/horror
Setting: Miami, Florida
Pub Date: April 2, 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ spooky houses and murders without too much spookiness or gore
⭕️ historical mysteries
⭕️ dual POV/timeline historical fiction
⭕️ alligators, peacocks, palm trees, and ocean views

I love many things about this book, namely the way she incorporated glitz and glamor into a gothic. We so often see old, decaying environments, but Cleeton showed that isolation and mystery can also be opulent and beautiful. I also loved how Cuban characters were centered, while also not being what the story was about. Characters should be able to exist like this in stories without having to perform what white American readers think a culture should look like. As a Latina myself, this was important to me. I will absolutely recommend this book.

As a daughter to 2 Cuban immigrants and a Florida native, I’m obsessed with Chanel Cleeton as an author. Chanel ALWAYS nails it for me and this book definitely did not change that. I loved the dual timeline and POV, and they made the book 1000x more exciting and interesting for me. The writing made me feel like I was there and I could picture everything so clearly in my head. Another 5 star read from Chanel Cleeton!

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I've found a new author for me. Though she has written a few books I've not read any until now. This book was great. Part history, thriller, mystery, love story, and a touch gothic.

I enjoyed this book from the very start.

You meet Anna shortly after her husband brings her to Biscayne Bay to show her a mansion he's building for her. Marbrisa is it's name. For her birthday. Not exactly what she wanted but she doesn't say much. It's like he is obsessed with it. Making sure everything is perfect. From the house itself to the things inside. He hired Michael Harrison as the architect. It's the first big project Michael has and he puts his whole into it. The setting if shortly after the Great War. It's 1918 and this couple are madly in love. Or are they? Could one be hiding a few secrets?

When you meet Carmen she is new to the US. She's come to Florida, to Marbrisa, to live with her sister and brother in law after the death of her and Carolina's parents in Cuba. Carmen is only 18 and is a bit afraid of what is in store for her. Her and her sister have not seen each other in a few years. Things don't seem right to Carmen. Her sister is a bit aloof. Like she doesn't want Carmen there. Things seem strained between Carolina and her husband Asher.

There are many secrets in both couple's lives. Things that set in motion many events. Things are not always as they seem and in part things are exactly as they seem. This book will take you through two stories simultaneously. From a couple of chapters in one era to the next being the other era. You'll get to know these characters very well. Most of their secrets will come to light. A few surprises along the way. One I figured out but it sure didn't take away from this book.

I enjoyed this book so much and will be looking for more by this author. Well done.

Thank you @NetGalley, @ChanelCleeton, #Berkley, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five big stars and a very high recommendation. Grab it. Devour it as I did. It was a fast read for me.

I love everything Chanel Cleeton has written from her contemporary romance to her Cuban inspired historical fiction and was delighted to see her delve into a gothic, historical mystery with The House on Biscayne Bay. A suspenseful, atmospheric tale that held me captive from beginning to end.

After the Great War wealthy in 1918, businessmen and the rich moved to South Florida, and it was here along Biscayne Bay that wealthy industrialist Robert Barnes built Marbrisa, a glamorous estate for his wife Anna. The tale shares their rise and fall from the talk of the town to tragedy. We learn their tale before we meet the present owners, Carolina, and her husband, Asher Wyatt.

In 1941, after the tragic death of her parents in Havana, Carmen Acosta journeys to Marbrisa to live with her estranged sister Carolina and husband, Asher, who is in charge of her inheritance. From the start, there is a sense of foreboding and it only intensifies as we learn about the home’s tragic past and the unhappiness that lies within.

Cleeton pulled me into the story from the start, making me question characters’ motives, suspecting supernatural elements and wondering if the home itself is cursed. If you love a gothic mansion mystery, you’ll enjoy the author’s use of dual timelines and the ominous vibe of Marbrisa set against the beauty of Biscayne Bay.

I enjoyed the characters, particularly the detective and the inquisitive Carmen. The multiple murders, unusual foul play, accidents and fleeing staff will hold mystery lovers captive.

Cleeton is an auto-buy for this reader and I cannot wait to see what genre she tries next. If you write it, I will read it.

I was very excited to read this book after reading the synopsis, and it didn't let me down. I enjoyed this gothic historical fiction mystery. This was my 1st book by this author, and I can't wait to read more.

In 1918, after the Great War, people were flocking to South Florida. Robert and Anna Barnes are among those people. Robert has decided to build Marbrisa, a glamorous estate on Biscayne Bay. He says it's for Anna, but that's not what she wants. Marbrisa quickly becomes the talk of the town, and everyone wants to be invited there. But what's really going on with the couple behind closed doors?
In 1941, Carmen Acosta loses both her parents in a tragic accident and leaves Cuba to live with her older sister Carolina and brother-in-law Asher. They are the new owners of Marbrisa. Soon upon her arrival, she learns that her sister’s marriage is not all it's cracked up to be, and neither is the mansion. It has a dark legacy, and Carmen's life could be in jeopardy. Will she be able to uncover the truth before people start to die?

Told in dual timelines and dual POVs of Anna and Carmen, this book was intriguing. It was definitely a slow burn, but I loved the atomspheric setting of the gothic mansion. It was dark, eerie, and haunting. The author did a great job bringing it to life. The mysterious deaths kept me turning pages to find out who or what caused them. And I was definitely surprised by the ending. Who knew peacocks scream? Overall, this was an engrossing read, and I would recommend it.

This is a gripping dual-timeline mystery that unfolds at Marbrisa, a glamorous waterfront Florida estate steeped in scandal and tragedy.

In 1918, Anna's wealthy businessman husband Robert built Marbrisa for her as a 40th birthday gift. It wasn't her dream to leave New York, but Florida is starting to become a hot spot, and Robert wants to try to show off and increase his fortune there. However, tragedy occurs, and scandal isn't far behind. In 1941, Carmen moved from Cuba to Marbrisa after the death of her parents to live with her sister Carolina and brother-in-law Asher, the new owners of Marbrisa. Marbrisa sat empty for years until Asher became inexplicably drawn to it and its restoration. However, as unsettling events occur and history repeats at Marbrisa, Carmen becomes compelled to uncover the truth.

The gothic vibes, intriguing characters, period detail, and lushly opulent setting combine to create a fun blend of mystery and historical fiction. The world-building is excellent, and the book is chillingly atmospheric despite being set in sunny Miami. Marbrisa, the grand house with dark secrets, is a character in its own right. I enjoy Chanel Cleeton's books, especially her descriptive writing, vivid imagery, and strong female characters. She has a way of immersing you in the locations of her books and connecting you to her characters. Both timelines were compelling and woven together as all the hidden things came to light.

I alternated between the book and the audiobook and enjoyed both. Caroline Hewitt narrates Anna, and Frankie Corzo narrates Carmen, and they are perfectly cast. Both bring the tension, fears, and emotions of their characters and the atmosphere of Marbrisa to life. They make this audiobook a bingeable listen.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the free book!

Wealthy industrialist, Robert Barnes and his wife, Anna are building a massive home in south Florida. Anna is not really enjoying how big their home is becoming. But, she is staying silent. It is what her husband wants. However, when there is a death off the wall around Biscayne Bay, secrets start to unfold.

Years later, Asher and his wife Carolina purchase this run down mansion with the goal of making it the showplace it was meant to be. But, Carolina ends up murdered and Asher is the main suspect.

Give me a house with a past and a possible ghost and I am here for it! I enjoyed this atmospheric setting! Add in the unsolved murders and the family history and you have a pretty dad-blamed good tale!

I enjoyed how this story unfolded. The different time periods that are parallel to each other really increased the mystery surrounding the house and the occupants.

Need a story which will captivate you…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Marbrisa, a glamorous mansion in Southern Florida, is the setting for this atmospheric historical mystery with gothic vibes. In dual timelines, we are introduced to two mysteries and two sets of characters (1918 and 1941) whom we follow in alternating chapters.

In 1918, Anna’s husband builds her a mansion in Florida as a birthday surprise. She’s not exactly thrilled or comfortable with the extravagance, the expense, or the wildlife, but she swallows her feelings and attempts to make the best of her new life. She is also unsettled by a death that has occurred on the property. However, she does enjoy the gardens and that’s where she spends her time and devotes her energy. The architect befriends her and makes sure the gardens are designed to meet her wishes.

In 1941, Carmen’s sister and brother-in-law are the new owners of the mansion. Because Carmen is young and has no means of supporting herself after her parents die, she plans to move from Cuba into the Florida mansion until she turns twenty-one and is entitled to her inheritance. Her sister has been estranged from the family for some time and the reception Carmen receives from her is chilly.

Both women are determined, brave, clever, and face danger.

There are unexplained deaths in both timelines that seem connected, and we are led to ponder the possibility of a hunted mansion. Carmen is intrigued by the death in 1918 and wonders if the two deaths two decades apart are connected in some way and if the circumstances from the past can shed light on the current death. She is determined to solve the mystery even though her own life may be in danger.

If you enjoy your histfic with generous sides of page-turning mystery and thriller, I think you’ll enjoy this story! From page one, Chanel Cleeton immerses us in this atmospheric story. There’s a lot to figure out as we contemplate the marriage and sibling relationships. Cleeton keeps us busy collecting clues and figuring out whom we can trust.

Content Consideration: murder, grief

Fans of Chanel Cleeton will definitely want to add this new release to their TBRs! Readers who love a side of mystery/thriller with their historical fiction will appreciate this author’s work. Those who love a Florida setting will find a lot to love in The House on Biscayne Bay. All the books I’ve read by Cleeton lend themselves to fabulous book club discussions.

Thanks #NetGalley @BerkleyPub #BerkleyBuddyReads for a complimentary e ARC of #TheHouseOnBiscayneBay upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Atmospheric and binge-worthy!!

Chanel Cleeton’s historical fiction novels always feature Cuban characters and an element of mystery. In The House on Biscayne Bay, the mystery takes on a more gothic tone, revolving around a lavish mansion called Marbrisa on Biscayne Bay. The story unfolds through dual timelines, one in 1918 and the other in 1940, where a mysterious murder occurs. Is the house haunted or cursed? Secrets lead to betrayals, or perhaps betrayals lead to secrets. Regardless, both paths lead to murder.

I paired the ebook with the audiobook. Caroline Hewitt and Frankie Corzo's performances as Anna and Carmen in the audiobook perfectly matched the atmospheric tone of the book. Terrific narration by both!

Quick Highlights:
✨Mystery- kept me guessing until the very end.
✨Gothic Mansion - feels like a character
✨Vivid imagery - sights and sounds of South Florida, lavish parties, and grandeur estates. I could envision all of it.
✨Amateur sleuths - Carmen is a true Nancy Drew.
✨Twisty endings - I was shocked at how this story ended. Loved it!!