The Madness
Dawn Kurtagich
4.25⭐️

Pub Date: 8/27/2024
Narrator: Imogen Church

I did not expect this at all! I thought this was gonna be one of those psychological thrillers. And it is! But there's so much more. I went in blind and I recommend everyone to do the same. What a surprise. For fans of Lore and gothic vibes, this one is for you. Without giving away anything of the main plot, I will just say that the characters were straight up interesting right away. It revolves around the women more so and they're all pretty badass. The FMC, the patients, the best friend and more. They were all flawed, real, relatable. They do deal with mental health stemming from their trauma. It was so expertly written that it actually hurt when I was reading this. No wonder they had "the madness". It kept me at the edge of my seat and kept me guessing. I want to say more but I don't want to give anything away. This has an amazing horror plot with concepts of self love, healing and found family.


Thank you HTP @htp_hive and Netgalley for a gifted e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I appreciate the copy very much! Unfortunately I got kinda lost when it got to vampires. I didn't realize it was that level of fantasy-ish. It just didn't work for me.

Sorry didn't realise this book had vampires and ghosts and was more paranormal which just isn't my thing. I did not finish this book.

This book was not at all what I expected and I loved that! I think you need to be a fan of what the book was about to love it but if you are then I believe you would like this book. It had me curious and intrigued and wanting to know the answers as much as the characters. It had this dark and mysterious vibe throughout the whole book and reminded me of some movies. I thought this book was going to go in one direction and it ended up in a completely other direction that I did not see coming and I loved it.

This was such a great book! I really liked the medical mystery aspect combined with coming back home and the Welsh lore that goes along with it. There was a lot of suspense throughout the entire novel, right up until the very end. The characters were relatable and likable, and the references to trauma and how everyone handles it differently was done well. The writing was fantastic, and I learned a lot of new vocabulary. Definitely recommend this book!!

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book is about a woman who is a doctor who takes care of mentally sick people. When a woman comes in without knowing who she is and other concerning symptoms, she tries to find out what happened to her. She also gets an email from her old best friend and she is having similar symptoms. Mina has to figure out what is going on in order to save her best friend and this mystery woman.

I enjoyed this book! I think the writing was good and the characters were well developed. There were a lot of different layers to this book but they were all easy to follow and not confusing. I liked that Mina was flawed as a character but she was still likeable and a good character to follow.

I liked the little bits of mixed media sprinkled in as well. I think it added to the story. I think the different perspectives were a nice touch as well.

It was not quite a five star for me but I still really enjoyed it!

Dawn Kurtagich’s The Madness is a chilling psychological thriller that masterfully explores the thin line between reality and madness. Kurtagich’s atmospheric writing and well-drawn characters create a hauntingly immersive experience, leaving readers questioning what is real and what is imagined. The suspense is palpable, and the emotional depth of the characters elevates the story beyond a typical thriller. This is a must-read for fans of psychological horror and twisty, mind-bending plots.

The Madness by Dawn Kurtagich is a chilling and atmospheric psychological thriller that expertly blends suspense with supernatural horror. The story follows Mina Murray, a psychiatric practitioner who is unexpectedly pulled back into her past when she receives an email from her estranged best friend, Lucy. The email sets off a series of events that leads Mina to return to the windswept shores of Wales, where she is forced to confront not only the haunting mysteries surrounding Lucy’s strange illness, but also her own deeply buried secrets.

The tension in The Madness builds slowly, as Mina's investigation into Lucy’s symptoms uncovers a web of secrets, disappearances, and a dark, malevolent force lurking at the heart of it all. Kurtagich’s writing is immersive, with rich, atmospheric descriptions that perfectly evoke the eerie setting of Wales and the creeping sense of dread that intensifies as Mina digs deeper. The novel's pacing is tight, keeping readers on edge as they try to unravel the mystery alongside Mina.

What makes this book particularly compelling is its exploration of both psychological and supernatural horror. As Mina uncovers ancient, terrifying truths, the line between reality and madness begins to blur. The sinister presence that haunts the characters is both terrifying and enigmatic, keeping readers guessing about whether the danger is rooted in the supernatural or something even darker.

Kurtagich also skillfully weaves in themes of friendship, guilt, and self-discovery, making the stakes personal for the characters. Mina's journey is not just about saving Lucy, but also about confronting her own hidden traumas and the monstrous forces that have shaped her life.

The Madness is a gripping, unsettling read that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers with a supernatural twist. Kurtagich masterfully crafts a tale of horror, mystery, and self-confrontation, creating a story that will stay with readers long after the final page.

This is a retelling (reinterpretation?) of Dracula. The story centers on Mina and Lucy but Jonathan Harper, Dr Sewall, the gangs all here. Mina is a psychologist looking into cases of missing women while trying to diagnose the disease Lucy is wasting away from. It’s pretty clear to anyone familiar with Dracula but this is an entertaining read. Come for the vampires but stay for the girl power and Scottish take on the a modern misogynistic blood sucker.

A sharp Dracula retelling filled with feminine rage, folklore, and women reclaiming their power.

When accomplished Psychologist, Mina Murray receives an email from her estranged best friend asking for help, she does the unthinkable and returns to the small town she fled years ago after a brutal attack.

Once home she's forced to contend with a strange sickness on her friend, memories she'd rather stay buried, the life she left behind, and a sprawling web of secrets that goes back decades.

To find the truth, Mina will have to face what made her flee all those years ago, and dig deep into herself to unravel all of it.

This retelling feels original and speaks to the time we're all living in. Filled with love, grief, and everything in between, it's an updated Dracula story where Mina takes center stage, and proves why she belonged there all along.

So it was giving Dracula as a mystery novel, but with so many twist. I have to say I loved this one! The folklore, the writing and everything inbetween kept me on the edge of my seat!

It was an amazing start but towards the middle the paced slowed down, it didn't keep my as interested. Amazing plot and story line but wish it was done a bit differently, a little more twists and faster pace. I'd love to read others by this author and see what else they have for us!

Thank you netgalley for this arc!

Never having read Dracula, the associations later pointed out to me flew right by me.
What did stand out was that this was a dark, gothic tale of the plight of a long deserted friend who contacts our main character who then returns home to be a friend again. This friend is besieged by physical symptoms that cannot be explained but Mina, our protagoninst has taken on the job.
But her return to support her ailing friend results in her facing her own demons and the reasons she left them all years ago. she becomes a stronger person as a result of her own reflection on her life.
A harrowing tale and entrance into the dark side.

Dawn Kurtagich’s The Madness is a chilling psychological thriller that will have you questioning what’s real and what’s in Violet’s head—because, frankly, the girl’s not sure either. After the tragic death of her twin brother, Violet is sent to live with her eccentric aunt in a creepy, isolated house. Cue the weird happenings, eerie atmosphere, and, of course, a creeping sense that maybe—just maybe—Violet is losing her mind.

The book is told from Violet’s perspective, which is both a strength and a weakness. On one hand, it’s a brilliantly unreliable narrative that makes everything feel like a terrifying fever dream. On the other, her confusion and spiraling thoughts can sometimes be a little... much. As Violet’s reality becomes more distorted, it’s hard to tell if the sinister things happening around her are real or just figments of her grief-stricken mind.

Kurtagich does a great job building tension, and the psychological depth of Violet’s character is captivating. The pacing is steady, though there are moments where the story drags a bit. Still, it’s a compelling, dark read with plenty of atmosphere and mystery. If you like books that mess with your perception of reality, The Madness is a solid, unsettling ride. Just don’t expect to come out with a clear answer. Or maybe that’s the point.

'The Madness' by Dawn Kurtagich is the best vampire novel of 2024. It brings and old familiar tale into a new light with modern twists. Modern gothic romance mystery horror - is that a genre? It is now.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Omar

The Madness is the retelling of the famous story of Dracula. Set in today’s era, we follow Mina Murray as she tries to understand the disappearance of women around the country while also trying to save her friend Lucy Holmswood from a strange illness.

Mina Murry ran from Tylluan, Wales when she was seventeen to London and never turned back. She cut most of her ties to her hometown except for her mother who she only talks to. Twelve years ago, something happened to Mina, it was so traumatic that the event left her scared physically and mentally, and now, even a decade after, she still needs to control her environment to keep herself sane. Now, Mina is a psychiatrist specialist in women traumas, she has private clients and also works with governmental cases. Mina is called to evaluate a woman, Renee, who was found naked, unconscious and delusional. Renee presents strange symptoms, she cannot stand the light, she talks to someone that is not there, she’s anemic, weak, and refuses to eat food and only wants to eat bugs. After her meeting with Renee, Mina receives an email from an old friend from Tylluan, Lucy Holmswood who is asking for help, she is losing chunks of time and has other anomalies that doctors don’t seem to know what may be.

Mina drops everything and decides to go back home to help her friend. But darkness is looming in the horizon, and many eyes are upon Mina as she tries to help these women.

The Madness has all the characters from the original Dracula story, but some of their stories are a bit different or their actions are more malicious. Mina’s mother is Vanessa Murray, she is called a witch by the townsfolk, but her character is one-half of the Van Helsing character from the Dracula story, while Helen Singers a researcher is the other part of the character. Both bring different aspects to the character of Van Helsing and help Mina solve the mystery. Other characters that show up are Arthur Holmwood, Lucy’s husband, Dr. John Seward who is a colleague of Mina, Quincey Morris a childhood friend of Mina and Lucy, and Jonathan Harker, Mina’s boyfriend that she left when she ran away from her hometown.

It was an interesting retelling of the Dracula story, given that it is set in modern times. The people that disappear due to the vampires, the majority being women, should have caused more interest in the news or be noticed by the general population. But as we go through the story, we learn how the vampires hunt these women and the lengths they take to keep their crimes hidden. Another thing that I noticed is that the main vampire is never given a name, they just call him “Master”.

While the story at first seems to be long, once you start getting into details the reading pace goes by very fast, and it can be finished in a couple of days if you get hooked and want to know how it ends.If you like and have seen the TV show Penny Dreadful or read the book The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the Madness brings back a thrilling combo sensation of an “imagine if these two were in the same universe”. The disappearance of women combined with the mysticism of battling vampires and other supernatural creatures is what makes the Madness a great retelling of the classic story.

A Retelling of Dracula, this was deliciously delightful! I love the modern take, much better reading thean the original lol

This one was not for me. found the middle of the story to somewhat lag, with some of the character interactions not really going anywhere in so far as the plot was concerned. It took me a really long tome to finish the book. It was hard to get into the plot of the story and want to continue reading. The plot was just sort of cobbled together with vague mythology and magical references that offered nothing substantial.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley.

I will take a feminist retelling of the Dracula story (heavy on the folklore) any day of the week. It’s interesting to read these interpretations of the inner lives of Mina and Lucy.

This one really had me guessing right until the end. I had started it and put it down for awhile to wrap my head around it, but when I picked it back up I was sucked back in