There are two storylines to this novel, one with Anna in 1918, and the second with Carmen in 1941. In 1918, Miami was first being built up, invested in by many rich Northerners. Anna’s husband gifts her Marbrisa, an enormous flashy house built to impress. Anna is not enamored of the house, its lonely location, and the type of life her husband, Robert envisions for them. Carmen is mourning the death of her parents in Cuba, when in 1941, she moves to Marbrisa to be with her sister, Carolina. Two deaths that occurred in 1918 become an interest of Carolina’s until she also comes to a violent end. Who can Carmen trust? Are the deaths related? I enjoyed this Gothic style mystery but do enjoy the author’s previous novels about Cuba be Cubans more. I would still recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Chanel Cleeton is a new author for me, although I see she has written at least nine other novels. The description drew me to this book and I'm happy to say I enjoyed the read.

Description:
With the Great War finally behind them, thousands of civilians and business moguls alike flock to South Florida with their sights set on making a fortune. When wealthy industrialist Robert Barnes and his wife, Anna, build Marbrisa, a glamorous estate on Biscayne Bay, they become the toast of the newly burgeoning society. Anna and Robert appear to have it all, but in a town like Miami, appearances can be deceiving, and one scandal can change everything.

Years later following the tragic death of her parents in Havana, Carmen Acosta journeys to Marbrisa, the grand home of her estranged older sister, Carolina, and her husband, Asher Wyatt. On the surface, the gilded estate looks like paradise, but Carmen quickly learns that nothing at Marbrisa is as it seems. The house has a treacherous legacy, and Carmen’s own life is soon in jeopardy . . . unless she can unravel the secrets buried beneath the mansion’s facade and stop history from repeating itself.

My Thoughts:
This book has two timelines related to murders at the same house - Marbrisa. One is right after the Great War when people from the north came to Florida to build mansions and communities. The other is around 1940. The deaths at the house are mysterious and some said the house was haunted by Anna Barnes who disappeared from the house in the first timeline and was presumed dead. It was speculated she drowned in the bay. Some speculated that her husband killed her, but he was never charged. Her body was never found. When murders happened again in the 1940 timeline Anna Barnes and the haunting theory were brought up. There was an eerie feel to the house that everyone seemed to notice. I enjoyed this story and the mystery surrounding it. The characters were interesting and captivating. The plot was a slow burn. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good mystery.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group through Netgalley for an advance copy. Expected publication April 2, 2024.

The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton is historical fiction mystery novel that centers around the Marbrisa mansion in Miami. One of the timelines in the story follows the mansion as it was built in 1918 by Robert Barnes as a birthday gift for his wife Anna and the second timeline follows the mansion in 1941 after it has been purchased by Asher Wyatt and becomes his home and later his wife as well. Both timelines of the story have several unfortunate deaths that make the mansion not the paradise it seems!

I am a fan of both historical fiction and mystery novels, so I loved the combination of both of those in this book. I also enjoyed that the dual timelines in the story were both two different “past” times rather than the traditional past and present. I liked the pace of the book as it kept me reading and guessing. I did predict one of the end twists, but not until almost the end. Overall a very enjoyable read! I will definitely be adding Chanel Cleeton’s backlist to my TBR!

Told from dual POV, 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 built 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 1941, 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.

I received a gifted galley of THE HOUSE ON BISCAYNE BAY by Chanel Cleeton for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing and PRH Audio for the opportunity!

THE HOUSE ON BISCAYNE BAY is set across the backdrop of Florida. In the days after World War I, Robert and his wife Anna build a glamorous new estate on Biscayne Bay and Robert names it Marbrisa. While the home is magnificent and their social status rises to the top, this is not where Anna feels comfortable. They appear to have everything one could want, but when something tragic happens, the scandal has eyes on them for very different reasons.

In a second timeline we are following Carmen in the 1940s. After the death of her parents in Havana, 18 year old Carmen is left without much agency as she can’t get control over her own money until she turns 21. She has no options, but to come to stay with her estranged sister and brother-in-law at Marbrisa. Once again, there are secrets and danger at Marbrisa.

I have really enjoyed Chanel Cleeton’s books in the past, so I was looking forward to this one. I really enjoyed both Anna and Carmen as characters. Both are a bit trapped in ways in a society where women aren’t given as much freedom to make their own choices, but both still had a lot of agency and pushed back against expectations.

I enjoyed the Marbrisa setting and the way the author developed the atmosphere around the place in both timelines. The connections between the women’s lives and the things that were happening felt really well done. I enjoyed the mystery element also and didn’t see all of the reveals coming which is always nice!

THE HOUSE ON BISCAYNE BAY is a great read for the historical fiction fans.

The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton was a mystery that made you believe in ghosts, new money and the secrets people keep. This wasn't my favorite by this author. I was never fully vested in the characters or storyline. I feel bad about this because I've really liked all of Cleeton's earlier books.

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

The House in Biscayne Bay is a dual time-period story which begins in 1918. The construction of Marbrisa was a gift to Anna, a time of healing after the Great War. Jumping to 1940 there is yet again tragedy. Marbrisa is more than a house, but a mansion set to impress the locals.

I have read a number of books by this author that usually have a Cuba setting while there is history in Cuba the setting is Miami Beach with it tropical landscape and lifestyle of the well-to-do.

This was enjoyable read as one time period connects to the other. I was captivated with the mystery and what connected these two places. The Gothic feel from both era's was felt with the sinister house and its secrets. While I anticipated the ending it was an entertaining read.

My thanks to Berkley (via NetGalley) for a digital arc exchange for a honest review

Thanks to Berkley for the copy of this book!

Chanel Cleeton is one of my go-to historical fiction authors, and this book was a little different than all her others. She goes a little more toward the mystery genre with this gothic historical novel, and I'm here for it! It reminded me a bit of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, but with less horror.

In this book, a weathy industrialist, Robert, and his wife Anna move from New York to South Florida after the Great War to build a beautiful house on Biscayne Bay. Years later, Carmen travels to the same home to find out that there is a more sinister history (and present) to the estate than it seems.

The mystery and dual timelines worked really well in this novel, and Chanel's Cuban connections still stand strong in the plotline of this novel. Although it is a bit darker than her other books, I still think it's perfect for historical fiction lovers who don't normally read the mystery genre - it's not so scary!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The House on Biscayne Bay is an intriguing pivot for Chanel Cleeton from her previous Cuban-set historicals, pivoting instead to Gothic horror. While this is somewhat new territory for Cleeton, she once again crafts a multilayered dual timeline narrative, with the legacy of one informing the other.
Cleeton has always been great at capturing setting, and she does this to excellent effect here. The titular house, Marbrisa, and its environs are captured in all its atmospheric detail, and I was easily transported to this eerie house with all its purported ghosts and mysterious deaths.
Of the two protagonists, I found Anna the more compelling, being a rather tragic figure in an unhappy marriage, trapped in a beautiful house that makes her unhappy. I found Carmen rather bland by comparison, especially when her sister, Carolina, was clearly that timeline’s analogue for Anna. But having Carmen as a foil for both dynamic women also works, as it makes sense for her to unravel it all in the end.
The story had some great twists and turns, and I really liked how things all tied together by the end…especially there being a big twist where Anna was concerned by the end, which brought everything full-circle in a nice way.
This was an engaging read, and I hope Chanel Cleeton writes more books in this vein in the future. I’d recommend this if you’re looking for a multi-timeline historical Gothic horror.

Short synopsis: A mansion named Marbrisa on Briscayne Bay in Florida built by the wealthy Robert and Anna Barnes fraught with unexplained deaths, now years later Carmen joins her sister Carolina at Marbrisa after the death of their parents.

My thoughts: Cleeton has a great way of writing an atmospheric location. It’s very easy to imagine the scenery as the characters are seeing it. And the gothic mysterious mansion in flourishing Florida was such a fun setting.

This was a fun mystery that kept me engaged until the end pages, I just hoped for a little more suspense. Definitely read different than her other novels with the mystery element.

Read if you love:
- Gothic mansion settings
- Dual timelines and POV
- atmospheric settings
- Lavish parties and mysterious deaths

Wealth, secrets, betrayal, murder - The House on Biscayne Bay is another fantastic book by Chantel Cleeton. It’s a murder mystery where the house, Marbrisa, is just as much a character as the people themselves, if not more so. It was so atmospheric. There is just this pervasive sinister feeling throughout the story. I would say the book is more Gothic mystery than historical fiction, but the history of Miami is present.
This is one of my favorites by Ms. Cleeton.

“𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝑴𝒊𝒂𝒎𝒊, 𝒂 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒔. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆—𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚—𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒛𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒐𝒔𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒔.”

A house that held so many secrets past and present was seen once as a dream. This one is told in past and present dual POVs. In the past, Robert and Anna’s dream house in a hot spot location ended up as a dwelling of murder, deceptions and secrets. In the present, Carmen comes to live with her sister Carolina and her husband Asher after her parents’ death. Things seem weird especially when history seems to repeat itself and the secrets begin to resurrect.

This was so good. The historical fiction aspect as well as the mystery along side of it. We get the history of Miami and Biscayne Bay as well as the mystery/whodunnit. I loved the authors note at the end as the author explained how she intertwined some of the historical aspects of Miami and the atmospheric feel of South Florida! You can totally feel it as you read. It makes me definitely want to visit that area.

🎧The audiobook was very well done. Both of the narrator gave me the back in the day soap opera feeling while listening to it. Which was fitting with the times of this story. You know those The Young and the Restless/Days of Our Lives, or Dallas/Dynasty old school, melodramatic television days. I loved that. (I used to watch them!) That gave it that extra added touch for me. I even at one point (in my mind) heard the “dun, dun, dunnnn” music you hear in older mystery films or movies. And, just to put icing on the cake, the very end at the epilogue gives the last little twist!

this was really enjoyable historical fiction but also Gothic mystery. I loved the Miami setting and while the plot was pretty predictable and cliche, overall I found it very entertaining and atmospheric.

A gothic mystery that spans both world wars, The House on Biscayne Bay was a quick, atmospheric read. Like Manderley in Rebecca, Marbrisa's walls are full of secrets, and the house itself becomes a major character of the book. The dual timelines were equally intriguing, and the plot's pacing was spot on.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for access to this arc.

Thank you PRH Audio and Berkley for my gifted copies in exchange for an honest review. I’ve been a big fan of Chanel Cleeton’s books since I read Next Year In Havana. This has more mystery than romance but I couldn’t put it down!

The narration was fantastic and I loved the alternate timelines between Anna and Carmen. I was swept up in both women’s stories and couldn’t wait to find out what happened.

Both Anna and Carmen live at Marbrisa in Miami. Anna’s husband built the mansion for her but it’s quickly shrouded in tragedy when a women dies at a house party. Carmen comes to live with her sister at Marbrisa after her parents die. It’s obvious her sister’s marriage is strained and there are strange things happening. Both women must find out what’s happening before it’s too late.

The mystery was well done and kept me guessing throughout the whole book. I was very invested in both Carmen and Anna’s stories. It was a little creepy and suspenseful but not enough to make me want to put it down at night. Cleeton so masterfully crafted the setting at Marbrisa that you can picture the estate and all the surrounding gardens and animals that live there. Once I started this I didn’t want to put to down and read it in less than 24 hours. I alternated between the ebook and audiobook so I couldn’t sneak a few pages in here and there. This is a new favorite Chanel Cleeton book for me and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

I am in love with this book. A haunting gothic mansion, the crashing ocean, a mystery, and sporadic intense storms. All what you would expect from Miami in 1918. The Great War is in the past and wealth beyond your wildest dreams is on the horizon. Everyone in the north is heading to Florida, where land is cheap, the views are spectacular, and your wish is everyone's demand. If you have enough money that is. This carefully crafted dual timeline will weave an intricate story before your eyes. Everyone is a suspect, no one knows who is behind the murders or disappearances, they just know they lurk amongst the grounds.

Robert Barnes surprises his wife with the most extravagant birthday present possible, the gift of the mansion, Marbrisa. The setting is stunning. Set right at the edge of Biscayne Bay. It is impossibly large, over the top, and extravagant. Anne is a bit unsure of this move. She loves their smaller apartment in NYC, she feels like she is rattling around Marbrisa. Not only that, but the house also seems to be an entity of its own. There is a tension that mounts as soon as you step inside, a chill that runs down your back. There is something not quite right. The night of the all-important party when Robert hopes everyone will accept them into their circles. A woman ends up dead in the bay. Who is she? Why was she there, and the biggest question of all who killed her?

Marbrisa has been left vacant for years until Carmen Acosta's brother-in-law, Asher, buys it and brings it back to its former glory. Carmen's parents have both died tragically and she is left with just her sister, Carolina, for family. As she makes her way from Cuba to Miami, she cannot wait to see her sister once again. Upon her arrival Carolina is distant, she never sees her, the house seems to swallow everyone who enters. Carmen feels alone and adrift. When tragedy again strikes Marbrisa, Carmen is determined to figure out what is going on. As these two stories come exploding together. With an ending that kept on giving.

This is one of my favorite reads this year. It is atmospheric, ghostly, chilling, and will have you struggling to lift your eyes from the page. The descriptions put you right in the middle of the action. You can visualize the mansion, the exquisite gardens, and the lashing rains. Thank you to Chanel Cleeton and Berkley for this tantalizing read that I completely devoured.

Marbrisa really is the standout character here. Chanel Cleeton does the gothic mystery justice with the description of this grand house. Billed as historical fiction, this book read more like a mystery for me. Two timelines and perspectives- an early 40s married woman and an 18 year old girl—offer pieces to the overall plot that just makes for a great read. The timelines are only about 25 years apart, but so much happened in south Florida during that time, you almost think they are further apart. Probably the best book I’ve read this month!

The year is 1918, after the end of the Great War. As Anna Barnes approaches her 40th birthday, her adoring husband Richard surprises her with quite a gift. He is building a showcase mansion overlooking Biscayne Bay in the Miami area. His quest is to have his new waterfront estate rival that of nearby Vizcaya. It will be called Marbrisa. While Richard sees this as a way to showcase his wealth, Anna only sees problems ahead. And her fears are dead on. Years later in 1941, Asher Wyatt is the new owner of Marbrisa and lives there with his wife Carolina. After the death of her parents in Havana, her sister Carmen Acosta comes to live with them. Carmen quickly discovers that things are not quite right in the gothic mansion. Could the tragedy of the house's past be repeating itself?

Author Chanel Cleeton's The House on Biscayne Bay starts with Anna thinking to herself, "I cannot for the life of me imagine why anyone would want to live in Florida." Now that I live full time in South Florida (isn't that where New Yorkers are supposed to end up?) I knew I'd enjoy this book. So many of its grand mansions are long gone but how nice to be transported to a fictional estate and a timeline that pays homage to Florida history - the infamous Florida East Coast Railway, its land boom and subsequent bust including the effects of the 1926 Miami Hurricane, the Great Depression and the beginning of World War II. The gothic atmosphere enhances the chilling history of Marbrisa, which is the book's true main character. This was a quick read and it never got too heavy. You might even figure out some of the secrets that lie behind the pale stone behemoth of a house. It's an enjoyable read.

A fancy Florida house with a dark history and a dual timeline mystery full of intrigue, infidelity and family secrets all linked to a unique snake necklace. While this wasn't my favorite book by this author, it was great on audio narrated by Caroline Hewitt and Frankie Corzo and I really enjoyed the Florida setting. Perfect for fans of authors like Hester Fox. Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and @prhaudio for a complimentary digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!