I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. The obsessive qualities of the main character, Mina Murray, obviously stem from some sort of trauma, but we really won't find out until much later what happened to her. Even she has seemed to block out these events at first.

The first part of the book moves rather slowly, partially because it's very hard to figure out what is happening. I feel that this part dragged on too long, but when the book gets good, it gets REALLY good. In hindsight, I see why this part of the story was necessary and can appreciate that.

I loved the Welsh aspect of this classic story. While Mina and her mother don't seem to get along, they need to find that bond quickly so that Mina can help infiltrate the group that is taking teenage girls from the area and leaving them for dead.

It seemed like this book had the same constantly raining overtones like the movie The Crow had. My thick self has finally realized that it's due to the setting of the book, but it definitely elevates the story. This played right into my dark little heart and has been growing on me.

I also have to give kudos to the author for her naming convention. While it wasn't very obvious to me (of course, I could just be dense), I figured it out and greatly appreciated the nod to Bram Stoker.

And finally, the romance. I don't want to spoil anything but it is there, even if it is a subplot. I don't know why, but this may have been my favorite part of the whole book.

I'll admit that this book has been growing on me. If you had asked me right after I finished it, my review would not have been as favorable. But looking back, I'm glad I read it. I would recommend this book to fans of Gillian Flynn and Anne Rice (not to be too cliched).

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

"This is what happens to women"

A truly terrifying read, this modern-day, feminist-inspired take on Stoker’s Dracula is creepy, compelling, and absolutely the stuff that nightmares are made of. Heavily informed by Welsh folklore, this take has the centuries old ‘Sugnwr Gwaed’, the ‘Fampir”, lurking in his windswept Castle, supported by his crew of evil non-humans, and preying on vulnerable female innocents, in a perhaps even more frightening rendition than the original telling.

In this narrative, Dr Mina Murray, our first person POV narrator, is the main protagonist. Dr Mina is a psychiatrist, working to treat and support traumatized women. Mina, herself a troubled, obsessive soul leading a stark and lonely existence, fled her home in Wales a decade ago (under unknown circumstances) and has taken root in London, where she now practices at a psychiatric hospital.

Mina is a terrific character — dark and troubled with torturous past relationships deeply in need of untangling. With her fawn-like eyes, perpetually startled expression, and unruly brown hair,
Dr. Mina (nicknamed “Bambi”) is used to not being taken seriously by her male counterparts — as is definitely the case when she encounters a stream of anonymous, brutalized women and finds herself suspecting a sinister linkage between their horrifyingly similar symptoms.

When her childhood friend, Lucy, based in Wales, herself falls victim to these strange symptoms, Mina realizes she must take action. Ominously increasingly receptive to the dire warnings of her mother, Vanessa, (a "batty" Welsh witch whose concoctions and folklore were formerly dismissed by her science-loving daughter), it will soon become Mina’s horrifying mission to hunt down the “Master” in this otherworldly plot of diabolical proportions.

Amidst the terror, gore and bloodlust (with scenes that are really, truly spine-chilling), the author revisits themes, universally recognizable, acknowledging society’s breaking and preying upon our most helpless women, to unravel what becomes an intelligent and thoughtful take, — blending commentary, ancient myths and nightmares, and the tremulous awakening of nascent female power.

A wonderful read, this book is highly recommended for lovers of horror, folklore, and the just plain terrifying.

A great big thank you to #Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

*** four and a half shiny stars

DNF @ p104

This one was not for me. At this point in my reading life, I simple refuse to read any of the many ableist books available to me. I respect myself and not the lazy work of authors who don't understand disability.

Reading Notes:

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. At 25% completion, I had to look up the book description to help anchor me in the story, because I had no clue what was going on from the context. It's a hectic book and it's difficult to follow the thread through.

2. The author uses a lot of words that aren't quite right, like using "penumbra" in place of darkness or shadows. The connotation isn't quite right, as penumbra refers to the edge of shadow, where it separates from the light that borders it.

3. Ketamin is not a sedative and it's being safely used to treat many parients' depression that was historically treatment-resistant. Why is this author treating this medication with such disgust? And other such annoyances that boil down to ableism.

Rating: DNF @ p104
Recommend? No
Finished: Nov 26 '24
Format: Digital arc, NetGalley, Libby

Thank you to the author Dawn Curtagich, publishers Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of THE MADNESS. I found an accessible digital copy on Libby. All views are mine.

This gothic, psychological horror has me enthralled from beginning to end, fully entertained and itching for more. Well developed characters mixed with a beautiful twist on a classic was absolutely a recipe for love from me. I actually did not remember what this one was about, going into it, but that made it so much better when encountering this powerful story filled with strong women and cliffhangers galore. One of my favorite reads of the year and I want to get my hands on the physical copy as soon as I can.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest rate and review!

This was, wow...Dawn Kurtagich, I see you and appreciate you. This book is my tastes to an absolute tee. Have you ever read a book and thought, 'this author and I share a brain', because that's what I'm thinking right now.

I didn't even realize this was an actual Dracula reimagining. As one of my favorite novels of all time, I love to see how current authors spin a tale influenced by that story. Kurtagich absolutely nailed it!

I highly recommend the audio format, should you have access to it. It's narrated by one of my favorite narrators of all time, Imogen Church, and her inflection lends itself perfectly to this narrative.

This story is everything you would expect from the cover. It's haunting, atmospheric and gripping. What you may not expect is how modern it is, as well as how impactful the character's arcs become. I can't believe it's taken me so long to pick up a novel by Kurtagich, but I'll tell you what, I won't be waiting long until I pick up more. If they're this good, I may have a new favorite author on my hands.

Thank you to the publisher, Graydon House, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This will definitely be on my Most Surprising List of 2024!!

Creepy, atmospheric, and binge-able, this novel set on the coast of Wales is a scary story of amnesia occurring in women. Or is it something move evil and ancient?

I was on the edge of my seat reading this gothic horror novel. I highly recommend it.

The Madness by Dawn Kurtagich
.
Mina is a psychiatrist who is called to treat a Jane Doe who was found walking around naked. She is unable to tell her who she is or where she lives. Mina’s old friend Lucy emails that she is unwell. When Mina meets with her, she realizes that Lucy’s symptoms are in a way similar to her Jane Doe.
.
What I liked:
-I forgot everything I had heard about this book so I sort of went into it blind. I was not expecting it to go where it went and I’m not mad about it.
-Such a dark and moody read.
-I kind of loved Mina’s mom and also the hacker friend we meet. They were awesome.
-I loved all of the connections in this story. Everything happened for a reason.
.
4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 I am happy to report that this book exceeded my expectations!

Thank you to Grayson House for the ARC! This was an interesting premise, but I myself couldn’t connect with the book. I just may not have been the right reader for thus story.

3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mina Murray has a life that is calculated and controlled, and one that she curated by leaving her past entirely behind. Until now, when her old friend Lucy unexpectedly reaches out asking for Mina's help. Putting their complicated past out of her mind, Mina heads to Wales, leaving behind her psychiatric practice in London along with the comfort of her calming daily routine. Strangely, she finds Lucy is sick with the same symptoms of a patient she was treating just before leaving London, and on her quest to find answers to cure her dearest friend, she finds more than she ever thought possible behind this mysterious illness. Multiple missing women and girls, untreatable illness on a fast track to despair, and a past she can no longer run from all come to a head in her home town of Wales leading her into a web of secrets and terrible ancient truths. Along with a group of women, who have their own personal ties to these incidences, Mina pieces together what is really going moving closer to the person responsible for this cyclical horror. The only question is at the end of her search will it be a person she finds, or a monster?

I really like the atmosphere of this story; the settings were beautifully written and well described. I also did enjoy Mina's journey throughout this story and the way she is able to overcome a lot of her own challenges while helping others. It was uplifting to see the ways she was able to heal an old wound once she was sort of forced to bring it to light in order to move forward. I also felt the relationships to be believable and genuine.

However, the plot lacked in some ways because I was able to determine some key moments way ahead of the fact so when they were revealed to me as a reader I just wasn't shocked. I felt more like "yeah, duh?" I also feel like certain points dragged for me. I remember thinking I wasn't all that excited to get back to the story, I just kinda was ready to be done at about 50-60%. No real major complaints, I just wanted more. And I'm not sure I really like this representation of a traditional monster. It just needed more oompf? IDK.

The audiobook was really well done. I enjoyed the narration and it was an easy listen.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

(4.8)
I was really looking forward to reading this after enjoying ‘And the Trees Crept In’ by this author. I’m so glad I ended up reading this.
For those that don’t know, this is a re imagining of Dracula set in modern day London and Wales. In it we follow Mina Murray as she is pulled back to the life she left behind. Mina receives an email from her friend Lucy asking for help with a mysterious illness she is suffering from. The symptoms seem to be similar to a patient that Mina is currently treating. Mina then tries to find out what is wrong with Lucy and discovers that her illness might be connected to a greater, ancient evil.

So, long story short, I absolutely loved this book. It breathed new life into a story that many are familiar with. However, you don’t really need to know the story of Dracula to enjoy this. I’ve been reading a lot of vampire books lately and the way the author chose to portray vampires still managed to felt interesting and new. That is a feat in itself.
In The Madness, the way the vampires operate in the modern world unnerved me. I love that the author found a way to make vampires frightening again.

This was a layered story that was about more than just vampires, though. This novel touched on themes of abuse, strained mother/ daughter relationships, overcoming trauma, etc.

As much as I loved that the story felt updated, it still kept the essence of the original. By that I mean that I could see how the original characters transformed into the new ones in this novel. I really just want to say how much I appreciate that the author kept true to the characters in the original story. I loved how Mina, Lucy, Johnathan, and Quincy were portrayed. Dr. Seward’s character was well done, although at times he seemed a bit exaggerated. Arthur’s character was not my favorite. I understand that certain changes had to be made to make the story work though. I think for the most part all of the changes worked well in the story.

The Madness also managed to surprise me in some places, which I loved. One particular plot point was like a punch in the gut. Very painful but so so well done. I’ll leave the details for readers to discover for themselves. The ending, in my opinion, was just right. I hope that maybe in the future we can revisit these characters, not because the story needs a sequel. Really just because I loved the characters.


This book is for those who love the story of Dracula and want to see a modernized version. Even if you’ve never read the original, I’d recommend this book. This is for anyone who loves stories about perseverance, overcoming trauma, or those that want a feminist take on Dracula. I’m looking forward to reading this author’s backlist and any futures books they write.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House, and the author for providing me with an ARC for review.

The Madness is a book that is a little hard to classify, with definite gothic horror vibes, as well as female detective overtones and a little witchcraft and even some romance thrown in. I really enjoyed it, and thought it was a great, quick read for spooky season.

The main character, Mina, was a great flawed character; her OCD was extreme and made me wonder how she could function in her role as a psychiatrist working with women in dire circumstances. Her friendship with Lucy made me laugh as they reunited and giggled over long lost memories.

I am not a fan of gory horror novels, and while this one had a few parts that made me cringe, they were thankfully brief and the book was fairly easy for a weakling like me to stomach. The creep factor is strong, though, and it affected my sleep for a night or two! I truly enjoyed the duality of Welsh folk lore and modern criminality that was so well-woven in this novel. Read this book if you enjoy vampire novels or gothic horror with a band of strong, interesting female protaganists.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Press for the digital copy of he Madness by Dawn Kurtagich. The opinions in this review are my own.

"Beware what waits in the shadows…"
The Madness was a great read for the Halloween season!
This was a page turner from beginning to end and it was written well. I loved that this was set in London and Wales, but I especially loved that the story has Welsh folklore in it. All of the characters are amazing in this and it was a great retelling that you do not want to miss. Overall, I highly enjoyed this read and would recommend it to any reader who loves horror. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this read in exchange of my honest review of The Madness by Dawn Kurtagich.

This is a fantastic horror novel! It has loads of atmosphere and creepy moments! I would highly recommend this! Special Thank You to Dawn Kurtagich, Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of The Madness by Dawn Kurtagich. This psychological thriller is haunting and unsettling, filled with twists that kept me guessing. Kurtagich’s writing is dark and atmospheric, perfectly capturing the eerie and claustrophobic setting. The story unravels through fragmented narratives and unreliable characters, which added to the sense of confusion and tension. However, at times, the plot became a bit hard to follow, and the pacing felt uneven. While the atmosphere was immersive, the complexity of the storyline occasionally detracted from the emotional impact. Overall, The Madness is a chilling read for fans of psychological horror, though it requires patience to fully grasp its layered narrative.

4 stars-This is a modern retelling of Dracula. I enjoyed the way the author wrote this as a story about missing girls and how the main character Dr. Mina Murray worked to find the connection. Her vivid descriptions made the story come to life in my mind, and not gonna lie, the tryptophobia really creeped me out. Overall, this worked as both a thriller and a horror novel. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. All opinions are my own.

Mina Murray is a psychologist who works in London and deals with her own OCD issues stemming from an incident in her past. When she discovers that her long-lost best friend, Lucy, and one of her patients share the same strange symptoms. She returns home to Wales in an attempt to help Lucy and hopefully save her life.
This is where the book got interesting for me. I found the Welsh folklore and language fascinating and it added an atmosphere of mystery and dread that I relished. The story really held my interest up until the last quarter, where I found it to get a bit "out there". Overall, this brooding vampire take is perfect for the season, so eat it up!

I was really looking forward to reading this book for spooky season--a retelling of Dracula set in the present-day with Welsh folklore influences! The beginning drew me in with its dark, intriguing, and suspenseful tone. Mina is a psychologist who has worked hard to achieve success, yet the reader can tell she has definitely suffered through trauma in her life. When Mina hears from her former childhood best friend in desperate need of help, she decides to return home, not knowing that what ails her former friend is tied to the very thing that killed a former patient, as well as the evil force that her mother has been warning her about her whole life.

As I said, the beginning was great. The story moved very slowly however, but I was willing to go with it in the belief that the author was setting up this sense of looming dread and oppressive terror. But nothing really HAPPENED, and things got very repetitive. And so I eventually got a bit bored, waiting for the inevitable clash between Mina, her allies, and whatever evil was lurking and preying upon young girls. Then, at about 70% in, the book seemed to turn on a dime and took on a completely different tone, with the characters completely abandoning their throughlines and beliefs, and saying and doing things that did not at all sync up with who they had been up to that point in the book. The story changed from an ominous gothic horror into a fast-paced supernatural fantasy thriller. Then the action picked up AGAIN, and the pacing just went bananas. Things that should have been described in detail over several chapters--that lasted for months?--were related in the space of a few paragraphs. The climax and huge confrontation between Mina and "evil" felt completely rushed and therefore cheapened. And of course this left plot-holes galore.

If the book had stuck with one tone throughout the book--didn't have to be gothic horror, supernatural suspense would have been fine, too!-- then it would have been much better and felt much more organic. Overall, I just felt meh about the whole story. I was very disappointed with the last 25 to 30%, and was left very unsatisfied.

The first thing I'll say about this book is it reads so fast! I somehow devoured over 300 pages in one sitting without even realizing it. The chapters aren't super short but the writing style and pacing made this book fly by. And it was a good book! I have attempted to read Dawn Kurtagich's young adult books in the past but could never get into them. This one hooked me from the very beginning and I couldn't put it down. So much is going on constantly in this book to where I would get to the end of a chapter and not want to put it down. I wanted to keep reading to see what was going to happen next. It was definitely very gory at times and if you have trypophobia I would caution you against reading this. I was really surprised by how much I liked Mina's character. All of her issues she had really broke my heart, especially after finding out the reason behind them. Her relationships and her loneliness really got to me which is part of the reason I enjoyed the ending so much. And wow, what an ending it was. Actually the last 25% of this book is what truly blew me away and made it a 5 star read for me. It was twisty, shocking, heartbreaking, but also heart warming in a way. This was definitely one of the top vampire books I've read.

Many thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Grayson House for the gifted copy for my honest review!

Sorry I wasn’t able to finish it before publishing date. I will go back later and read. It really looks like a great book and the cover on it is amazing. I have never read this Arthur and look forward to reading it soon. It might be a great and amazing Halloween and smoky read. Thanks for giving me the book

Wow! What an enthralling, thrilling, and hauntingly beautiful read. Incredibly written, authentic characters, and a story that kept me guessing until the very end! Including an actual moment that made me audibly gasp! Highly highly recommend!