This book is a full of mystery, ghosties and murder! Ill be honest it started out quite slow for me the first 45% of the book it was hard to keep reading but after that it started to flow better.. The characters are well written and the story does progress well and there is great character development. I will say I did not realize that this was the first book of a series and the ending left me quite unsettled and wanting a better wrap up or even a better cliff hanger.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-Arc in exchange for an honest review!

The pacing of the book seemed to be a combination of slow and fast. It was different but I could keep up with the story. This book may not be for all but I thought it was unique. 

I loved all the characters due to their quirks and how they make up the story. The shop owner was an interesting person. I will say since Hecate is the main character, I enjoyed her journey in seeing ghosts and learning all the things she did. She journey with books and the library was so fun to read. She was a lady of independence, thinking on her own, and having courage to deal with what came her way!

Psst...the griffin and the ghosts! I adored this aspect of the book a great deal.

The vibe of the book seemed to have religion considering the books are in church...it was almost like church and magic was to be combined in this story. It did give off some suspense vibes to me in small amounts. I will say I was hoping for a little bit more but hopefully the next book will have it along with questions answered! 

Psst..the cover is amazing!

If you like any of Paula Brackston's works, you will want to add this one to read next.

Full of mystery, and darkness and fantasy, there are ghosts, a mystical map, ancient texts with strange powers, and dark forces at work! Place all of this in the setting of a library full of medieval texts inside of a gothic cathedral, and you have absolute magic!

I loved this story, and the main character was so intriguing!

The downfalls of the story: Hecate's father was far too easily accepting of the bizarre things that were happening to his daughter. Yes, yes, I know...there was a prophecy, and he was expecting mystical adventures. But I still felt like his character lacked depth. I actually felt that many characters in the book were just a little too easily convinced of the mystical character of the unexplainable. It didn't feel like the skepticism that is common to our human nature was found in any of the characters.

I would have also loved a LOT more backstory on the shop owner who cuts keys for Hecate...you'll have to read it to see what I mean. There was a lot of meat there that I felt was just glossed over!

In all, and enjoyable read that I will be happy to recommend to my teenage daughter after the July release.

Content synopsis: no language, no spice! Perfect to hand off to a teen who loves fantasy!

I recieved an arc of this book from #netgalley , all opinions are my own!

As always, Paula Brackston delivers a mesmerizing story. Hecate is a strong, fascinating protagonist. The reader follows her as she searches for answers regarding strange happenings with a crypt. While she is constantly thwarted, she doesn’t give up and breaks societal norms as a woman not afraid to face down authority in her quest for the truth. This book is the start of a series and I will warn potential readers that you do not get answers at the end of the book, but I can guarantee you will have enjoyed the ride and eagerly look forward to the next installment. Thank you for the opportunity to read in advance!

I tried so hard to get into this book. I made it 36% in and gave up. I actually enjoy a little bit of magic thrown into a story and a little bit of stretch of the imagination. But this one just was too slow for me. Then looking at reviews and it ends up unresolved, I couldn’t keep slogging through. Which is a shame, because I love the premise.

Hecate Cavendish finally has gotten her dream job- working in the Cathedral library. What she never expected was her ability to see and commune with ghosts! When there is a murder in the Cathedral, she feels there is something more sinister at foot than just mortal mayhem.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saint Martin's Press for the ARC copy of this book. My opinions are my own, and not clouded by this gift.

I am a fan of historical fiction who dabbles in some fantasy titles. I loved the historical references in this book, and the details of Hecate's life as a strong "modern" woman of her time. I liked that the magical references, while definitely magical seemed plausible on some level. I was disappointed in the ending, as I felt like even though it is the first book in a series, that too many questions were left unanswered. I would have liked the book to have some sort of an ending tying up at least one open question. For that reason, to be more satisfying, I hope that the second book comes out at the same time or very close in time to the first book and hopefully helps to tie up some loose ends.

The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish was an interesting story with a historical setting about a young woman bearing the name of Hekate. The whole book felt very cozy, the heroine met with little resistance for about 90% of the book. As an avid reader of high fantasy at first, I was put off by this but then I found it refreshing, not to be stressed at every single turn of events. Not to say that it does not have a turn of events. It certainly does. I enjoyed the descriptions of historical buildings, museums, and libraries. All in all, this was a happy read (maybe too happy at times), some of the events did not seem to fit with the overall cozy tone which left me a bit off-kilter. I would recommend it for a low-stakes but entertaining read, especially if one likes a mixture of witchy vibes and traditional religion.

First, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not what I expected. It's a weird combination of a Hallmark movie and The Exorcist by the end. It's more of a light, comfort read than the complex magic story I was hoping for, which is fine - if you like light, magical Hallmark-type stories, this is probably just for you! There is some cool magic that I haven't seen in a story before, particularly with the Mappa Mundi., which is a magical map which comes to life under certain influences. I enjoyed the descriptions of the peacefulness of working in the library, and I liked Hecate's fascination with history, books, and archeological things. Her "modern" use of the bike and the assorted wardrobe adjustments it required were interesting details too. I'm a sucker for a historical setting, and the author clearly did her research.

That being said, unfortunately, a lot of the plot was of the telling, not showing variety. The characters, aside from the main character, are pretty one note - the nagging mother, the supportive dad, the fun-loving best friend, the sickly brother who is always sweet despite his illness. This is also a story where the main character claims to not want to marry, but then spends a large portion of the book thinking about various potential suitors, so take that plot point with a large grain of salt. I also felt the pacing was odd. Hecate seems to only work at the library for a few days before she is suddenly best friends with all the ghosts and frustrated that she's not being given access to the most prized books in the collection. I actually scrolled back thinking I'd missed a chapter or two because the shift seemed to happen so fast, but I hadn't. We also get introduced to most of the ghosts' powers and histories abruptly when it's suddenly convenient to the plot (to prove her abilities to communicate with the dead to another character, for example). I'd have preferred it if we learned the ghosts' backgrounds and powers more organically, or via conversations so that we could see Hecate's relationships with them develop. Overall, I found the book to be an ok read, but I didn't get invested enough to continue with the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this ARC!

I DNF'd this book at 30%. I found the pacing of the book to be incredibly slow and it did not keep my interest. The concept of this book is very interesting and I would consider giving it another chance in the future. It just wasn't for me at this moment.

"Never apologize for curiosity. The quest for knowledge is always to be encouraged."

Having read and loved "The witch's daughter" earlier this year, I was excited to read this first book in a new series from Paula Brackston.
This book introduced me to the cute beauty of auricula primroses and 'auricula theatres'. Seriously, you need to google that one!
I really enjoyed reading this book. The plot and the writing style propelled me along so that I was invested in the characters and what was happening.
I loved Hecate; I loved the relationship between Hecate and her father; and I loved the mythology and how it was used in the plot.

I hate the crappy ending and the shitty title: Instead of ending at the big battle or concluding the book in a satisfying way, we get a boring 'called to the principal's office' style scene where Hecate has to defend herself. And then the book just stops. As the ending is currently written in the ARC I read, I have no interest in reading the rest of the series. The way the book ends leaves me with the larger overall questions (who is summoning the spirits and why) but the dumb ending leaves me with no interest in finding out the answers.
As for the title, "The haunting of Hecate Cavendish" is 100% wrong and pathetic for this book. This title implies that Hecate is weak/frightened/haunted by the spirits involved in the plot when she is the complete opposite. Hecate is a smart, independent female main character and I'm offended that the publisher's creative minds couldn't come up with a better-fitting title.

I'm still very grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me access to the eARC!

As a hardcore Paula Brackston fan, I have to say this story was much different than her other books, but that doesn't mean I loved it any less. It read more of a detective/mystery novel than her typical stories, but I still enjoyed it. The ending felt a little rushed, but I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. While reading it, I reminded me of Luanne G Smith's Ravenspell series. I did love following Hecate and how the Goddess related to her life. I don't have much to say that won't be a spoiler, so I'm just going to say, definitely put this book on your TBR!

I had a good experience reading this story. It is a historical, paranormal mystery following a young woman called Hecate Cavendish. Hecate has just been hired as a library assistant at the very old and mysterious library at the local church, and everything at the library is not as it immediately seems.

While this book is quite slow paced and took a while to pick up, I thought that the story was overall very well done. The characters were realistic and likable. I enjoyed Hecate’s courage, passion, and independence in a time when these traits were not looked upon favorable in women. I enjoyed the relationships she had as well, such as with her father, the vicar, and the various spirits of the church. I liked that this wasn’t a story where everyone just assumed the main character was insane or looking for attention by claiming to see and interact with the paranormal; that was a refreshing change.

The mystery elements in the story were fascinating, and kept me hooked throughout. I will say that I did not like the ending very much, as it felt very rushed and left a lot of questions. I know this is the first installment in a series, however, so the next book will likely make up for this.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot. Thank you NetGalley for the copy. 4/5 stars.

I loved this book. I'm excited it's going to be a series! I've read the first couple of novels quite a few years back and will need to go back to those I have missed!

This was a fun and interesting read! The author did a spectacular job of world building and the characters had so much depth! If you enjoy stories about libraries, magic, fantasy, and the supernatural than this book is for you! Based on the story, I do believe this will be a series instead of a standalone!

This is a compelling story about a young girl, Hecate, who works in a cathedral library. There are things that happen while at this job that teach Hecate secrets about herself, as well as some horrifying things going on within their community. Only she is able to confront said things, along with help from some special friends along the way. This thrilling mystery book was really well written. The style in which the author writes is extremely detailed and has an old-timey feel to it which matches perfectly with the 1800s setting and time period of the book. I really enjoyed the storyline and felt drawn to Hecate herself as a character. I related to her in many ways and it’s always nice to see a girl heroine!! I also really like the cover of the book. Judging it by that, I definitely would have picked it up at a bookstore! I am under the impression that this book will have a sequel or series according to a hint in the acknowledgment section at the end which is really exciting to me!! There were some aspects left unsolved and I am really excited to hear how it will play out.

Thank you to Netgalley for a kindle edition of The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston.
This does not impact my review.

I am already familiar with and enjoy this author’s other work. This one really hits it out of the park! I love the medieval setting, the nod to mythology that runs through the story and develops with magical alacrity (pun intended). The characters themselves are well developed and suspense is upheld right through the climactic ending … a sequel is hopefully in the works! Great story, I will be buying a physical copy to reread at my leisure.

3 stars
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the ARC of this book. I enjoyed the premise of this book but for me it was slow going and the paragraphs were far too long(sometimes a whole page) just a pet peeve my brain has. I know it was historical fiction/fantasy and set in the 1800's which that's kind of the style but this one just didn't hook me in right away. The Hecate was a great and well built up character though. I didn't realize this was the start of a series until towards the end. Not sure it I will read the next or not at this time.

Brackston creates an excellent character in Hecate Cavendish as someone spirited, likable, and independent. She's singular in her ambitions and habits compared to usual Victorian constraints, but her character still works well within the story and the society. I loved that her father was supportive and invested in her special abilities. One of my coworkers loves Brackston and as I described this to her, with the witchy boots and hitched skirts, the fair array of potential suitors, and the temperment of the main character, she said it hit all the hallmarks. This may sound strange, but the costuming of the main character stands out as clear and makes her easy to envisage and the rest of the cast round out the picture well.

The plot was overall interesting, with more fantasy than what I expected (ghosts are one thing, to my mind, and griffins flying out of maps another). The ending left me a lot of questions, as the threat that was at one moment quite immediate seems to evaporate so that we can tie off this book until the next one comes out. I might be alone in loving what becomes of Hecate's suitor which I found compelling and well done (and given her abilities, there is great dramatic potential here for future books).

This felt like a real change from the other books I’ve read by Paula Brackston. .I found it tedious, most of the way through the book - when the pace picked up in the last 20% or less, I came to the less than satisfying ending, and found that it was the first book in a series.

While I realize the mores of the 1800 required a more tedious pace, and Hecate at least had a father that didn’t hold her to that pace, I simply didn’t enjoy the repeated descriptions, and the slower pace.

Three stars because I still like Paula Brackston. I won’t be doing a written review on Goodreads or Amazon.

I want to thank the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my review.

This is the first in a series, but I have zero interest in continuing the story. There was so much included that didn’t have anything to do with the story. And it’s slow. 50 pages in and still no haunting? I almost gave up.

As others have said, the story ends abruptly. Most series are written as self contained novels in case a reader picks up in the middle. This one ends weirdly with no explanation for the events.

I realize it was an ARC, but not sure if these mistakes will get caught. Hecate mentions having the apothecary belt before she’s actually given it by her father.
And towards the end the word “toothsome” is used incorrectly. Maybe the author meant “toothy?”