Jess Armstrong has brought back Ruby to clear a new mystery before the potential loss of life for those who she holds dear. Rather murky, but within a home of secrets what really happened. thank you Netgalley for inviting me in.

This is the second book in this delightful series.

I have thoroughly enjoyed both books in this series because:
1) Ruby Vaughn is a smart and thought independent heroine.
2) I love the contast in the backgrounds of her (1930s American heiress) and her love interest Ruan (Who is a Pellar which is kind of an English healer/witch). The tension between them is palpable.
3) great mystery- in this case a locked room mystery, involving a seance in a Scottish estate

I highly recommend this anyone who enjoys gothic mysteries with a dash of sexual tension.

Thank you to Netgalley and St, Martins Press for providing me an eARC of this book to read and review.

After having read this one and just now realizing it is the second in a series, I probably should have read the first one first. While this one does work as a stand alone, I still think reading the first would have helped with the history. The locked door elements of this one were great and I did not see the culprit coming. I felt like there were some pretty liberal mental jumps made without explanation that got confusing but I just went along for the ride and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The haunting/ seance elements were so good and I loved the ending! Can't wait to go read book 1!

When a séance goes wrong and a medium turns up dead, American heiress Ruby and her employer must clear their names. Their investigation leads them down a path of long-buried secrets and a desperate attempt to contact the dead, forcing Ruby to confront her own past and the occult forces at play.

This spooky, fun, atmospheric novel will appeal to readers of gothic and cozy mysteries alike. I love the characters, especially Ruby and Ruan. I liked how Mr. Owen was brought in as a more important character in this novel, compared to the first in the series. Who knew he harbored so many secrets?

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I love these characters. They are an absolute joy and I cannot wait to see their future adventures. I am invested in this slow burn romance between Ruby and Ruan soooo hey Book 3 when will you be released? My only complaint is I did get a bit confused at the end with the timing of the death of Mr Owen’s first wife and how that came to be. Overall great read and very entertaining.

I didn't know about Ruby Vaughn when I decided to read this, so I missed the first book. I want to go back and read it because I loved this book!! The characters, the mystery, the atmosphere, everything. I will say that the author did an excellent job of letting you know enough about the history from the previous book without diminishing the desire to read it. It's a rare thing these days. The excellent writing and the flow of the story and the character's relationships was perfect. I can't wait for the third book and see what mystery awaits Mr. Owen, Ruby, and Ruan. I also want to see what will happen between Ruby and Ruan.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for providing an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is the second book in the Ruby Vaughn series. Ruby is in her late 20’s and a disgraced American debutant. When she was 16, a wealthy (and secretly married) businessman compromised her in a very public way. The powerful man influences the press to make Ruby out as a temptress and he was a victim. Ruby’s family whisked her away to Britain to save them all embarrassment and the family’s place in society. Ruby drifts, serves as an ambulance driver during WWI and falls deeply in love with her friend Tamsyn who breaks Ruby’s heart by marring an Earl (See book #1 The Curse if Penrith Hall) and lives a very carefree life outside the boundaries of “polite society”. In this book, Ruby is, once again, unwittingly brought into a mystery by Mr. Owen’s who’s owns the antiquarian book store in Exeter where Ruby works and has become a father figure to her. Ruby believes that they are called to Manhurst Castle in Scotland to appraise some manuscripts but Mr. Owens know that they really are going to Scotland to see his former sister-in-law and attend a séance to hear from the spirit of his long disappeared first wife. A secret sex club, missing and possibly dead women, a man complicit in Ruby’s disgrace as a teenager shows up and a monstrous and powerful man is thwarted. There and MANY secrets in this book….some are explained and answered but most about the ongoing characters are not. Witches, unknown powers, who Ruby really is and will her very slow burn relationship with Ruan happen permeate the book and are hopefully answered in the next book in the series.

Another occult mystery with Ruan and Ruby this time to protect Owen. This book was as exciting as book 1 with plenty of red herrings and an unexpected villian, The romance moves along quite a bit but still ends in kind of a cliffhanger. Cannot wait to read book 3.

She’s a magnet for danger

Ruby Vaughn is not your typical American heiress abroad. She was sent to Britain by her family when her reputation was ruined by the man she thought, as a naive and sheltered young lady can, she loved. When the next person to whom she gave her heart rejected her and her whole family perished aboard the Lusitania she was devastated and alone, but began to heal when she met and was brought under the wing of the odd Mr. Owen. He shared his home with her, gave her a job seeking out the unique books which interest him and became a fatherly figure to her. Since many of the books which Mr. Owen pursues have a touch of the occult about them, Ruby is never sure into what circumstances her forays might bring her….the last, covered in the the preceding book in this series The Curse of Penryth Hall, brought her to a small village in Cornwall where Ruby became entangled with a rural healer named Ruan Kivell, reestablished contact with the old friend who rejected her, crossed paths with the local witch and found herself surrounded by fearsome legends and murder. Now Mr. Owen has brought her to a castle in the Scottish Borders, supposedly to examine and possibly purchase some manuscripts. Instead she finds that they will be attending a séance conducted by a trio of mediums. Mr. Owen is acting erratically, the owner of the castle bears an uncanny resemblance to a major figure in her earlier disgrace, both Ruan and the White Witch appear, and mediums start dying….and the local police consider Ruby their prime suspect. Ruby is a sensible young woman of the 1920’s and absolutely does not believe in ghosts or in people who claim they can summon the dead….but she may need to rethink those positions. She will also need to combine forces with Ruan and the White Witch among others to find out why Mr. Owen and the other guests were summoned to this gathering, what is happening to the mediums, and why….and come to terms both with painful aspects of her past and the lies told to her by people whom she thought she could trust. If, that is, she can live long enough to unravel the mystery.
As heroines go Ruby is clever but impulsive, loyal to those she calls friend but fearful of allowing people too close to her, and not afraid to live life on her own terms. Her reputation as a virtuous woman was long ago shredded (albeit unfairly), and as she has sufficient financial means to create a life for herself outside the norms she acts in ways that some find exasperating and others just find scandalous. In this second book in the series, Ruby discovers that Mr. Owen has not been completely forthcoming with her about his past. She also struggles with the unusual bond that binds her to Ruan and their attraction to one another (upon which she feels it is unwise to act), and she finds herself having to face a part of her past that she has been unwilling to confront. Ruan, for his part, is equally attracted to and infuriated by the headstrong Ruby, who exposes herself to unnecessary risks and rebuffs his attempts to protect her. A Christie-esque mystery interwoven with elements of gothic stories and the supernatural keeps the reader guessing for quite a while, with plenty of possible villains in both the mortal and supernatural realms, and there are plot twists along the way to keep the game afoot. Readers of the first Ruby Vaughn novel as well as those of authors like Celeste Connally, Julia Kelly and Michelle Chouinard will enjoy this tale of past sins, heartbreak, loss and loyalty. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for allowing me early access to this engaging read.

Ruby Vaughn is back, and this time she finds herself
entangled in a murder seances, witches, secret societies and the reappearance of people from the past. Ruby will do anything for Mr. Owen - often to her detriment- but this time he may have gone too far. Forcing Ruby to attend a mysterious seance that seems all too really for her liking, thrusts Ruby into the heart of a murder investigation when one of the mediums ends up dead. With the help of Ryan Kivell, the pellar secrets are revealed and Ruby may not live to solve the crime.

The Secret of the Three Fates is the second book in the historical mystery series Ruby Vaughn by Jess Armstrong. I loved the first book, and I couldn't wait to get my hot little hands on this one. I admit I was a bit anxious when I started this book, as I've been burned before - I've read a new author's first book, or the first one in a series and loved it, only to read the next volume and find myself terribly disappointed. Thank goodness that didn't happen here; this was an excellent gothic mystery, surpassing my expectations. I really liked the characters in book one, but now I absolutely love them! This is officially one of my favorite series now.

Ruby Vaughn, an American heiress, still hasn't entirely forgiven her octogenarian employer and housemate Mr. Owen for bringing the occult into their lives during her recent trip to Cornwall. Mr. Owen says that their current visit to Manhurst Castle in the Scottish Borders is simply an opportunity to buy illuminated manuscripts for their rare bookshop...so why is Ruby told there weren't any illuminated manuscripts when they get there?! She receives news of a séance to be held that very night, and now she's suspicious of the real reason they might be here. When the Great War ended, many families were desperate to say goodbye to their lost loved ones, and Mr. Owen was among them; he needec to say goodbye to his son, and he wanted Ruby by his side. When the séance, which was hosted by a trio of mediums calling themselves The Three Fates, goes awry, Mr. Owen's secrets begin to seep out, threatening to reveal a history that he has been running from for half his life. Ruby's well acquainted with that scenario. When Ruby finds one of the Three Fates murdered the night of the seance, she and Mr. Owen quickly become the prime suspects in her murder. To clear their names, Ruby requests the help of Ruan Kivell, the folk healer Pellar who helped her weeks before in Cornwall. As their investigation progresses, Ruby and Ruan realize someone is determined to prevent them from uncovering the truth about what happened to the dead medium.

The characters in this series are all compelling and extremely likable, particularly our three leads. Ruby Vaughn was banished to England after being caught in an indiscretion, then her family died when the Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat. Ruby has made a new home with Mr. Owen, an octogenarian who owns a rare book shop; they made a lovely family together with the housekeeper and a cat. In the previous book Mr. Owen sent Ruby to Cornwall, and she's finally recovered from that dangerous adventure. Now she thought they were going to purchase illuminated manuscripts in Scotland. She should have known better! When the medium was murdered, Ruby and Mr. Owen were immediately the top suspects. Mr. Owen confessed to the crime in order to spare Ruby, and she was angry and determined to get to the truth. Ruby is a stubborn woman, and she was determined to figure out who the murderer was so Mr. Owen could be free. She is a loyal friend, even though she doubted some of Mr. Owen's story. Then there's Ruan Kivell. ~Sigh~ I just adore that man! Ruby met Ruan when she delivered books to him in Cornwall, and they had quite the dangerous adventure!. Ruan is a Pellar, a folk healer and witch, and he had a deep connection with Ruby; he was able to hear her thoughts, which made him feel less alone. At Manhurst Castle he lost that ability, and both Ruan and Ruby missed that connection. He was determined to help Ruby with her investigation, and his healing powers came in handy, though they put him in danger. They had feelings for each other, but Ruby's reaction was to run in the other direction; she was brave, but was a chicken when it came to her feelings about the man. Last but not least was Mr. Owens. I found him to be a !ovable, eccentric man who treated Ruby as a beloved daughter. He may have hidden his secrets from her, but he felt he must, though it hurt Ruby. And boy, did that man have secrets! I promise I won't ruin that for you. The gothic mystery here was exciting and kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the mix of mystery and the occult; the atmosphere here was tangible and lent the occult edge. The supporting characters were all entertaining, as they all had secrets of their own. I had absolutely no idea who the killer was until it was revealed. I NEVER would have guessed it! The mystery was solved, but not everything else was. What will become of the relationship between Ruan and Ruby? Will she keep.running like she usually does? And what is this strange, new "otherness" about Ruby? I hate to have to wait another year to find out what's going on! The wait will be well worth it, I am sure.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

The Secret of the Three Fates is book two in the Ruby Vaughn mystery series by Jess Armstrong.
I absolutely loved book one The Curse of Penryth Hall.
And book two was even better!
An atmospheric gothic historical mystery that was captivating from the very beginning.
This was very well written and so much fun to read.
Armstrong's writing style is evocative, transporting readers to the Cornish countryside and immersing them in the unfolding drama.

Ruby Vaughn, the delightful main character from The Curse of Penryth Hall, is back! This time, instead of Cornwall, the action takes place in Scotland, at a remote manor house with a neighboring ruined castle. Mr. Owen got her to come with him under false pretenses (nope, no rare manuscripts to be had!) and she’s rather put out when she discovers they are actually there for a seance. Owen longs to speak to his son, Ben, who died in the Great War (World War I). The book takes place in October 1922, just a few months after the first book. The seance is run by THREE mediums (the titular “three fates”) and Owen’s secrets gradually come to life over the course of the book. But not before a murder or two, and Ruby and Owen becoming suspects! Luckily, Ruan, the “pellar” we met in the first book, arrives and helps Ruby with the investigation.

There were a lot of new characters introduced in this one, and I confess that I found it a bit difficult to keep them straight. (Maybe it would have been easier/clearer if I had been reading the story, but I mostly listened to the audio version.)

Lots of secrets gradually come to light, most of which involve Mr. Owen’s former life, including the story of his first wife, who disappeared many years ago. There are some disturbing events (from many years ago) that are revealed over the course of the book, and some of them could be upsetting to readers.

While this definitely could be read as a standalone, readers will enjoy it more if they’ve read the first book, The Curse of Penryth Hall. For one thing, they will understand Ruan much better that way. Ruby is a great character, feisty and non-traditional. We are starting to get hints about Ruby’s (late) mother, which I hope will be expanded in a future book. The ending left open the possibility of a third novel and I hope there is at least one more in this series!

The Secret of The Three Fates will appeal to readers of historical fiction who enjoy some paranormal/occult topics, and will definitely appeal to fans of “gothic” stories.

Emma Love narrates the audiobook and does a great job with all the characters and various accents.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I wasn’t thrilled with the overall plot of the novel. Basically, it comes down to the fact that I’ve read better historical mysteries. I was just underwhelmed with this one

This book had mystery, ghosts, mediums and seances, romance and family running throughout it. I read the first Ruby Vaughn mystery, but to be honest I don't remember much about it. I wish I had gone back and reviewed that one a bit. I do think this is a stand alone, but I was missing some of the history of the characters. I did love the main characters. Ruby was a little unconventional for her time.

This was definitely a good read. It kept me guessing what was going to happen and who was going to die next!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur books for the copy. All thoughts are my own.

American heiress Ruby Vaughn still hasn't entirely forgiven her octogenarian employer and housemate Mr. Owen for bringing the occult into their lives during her recent trip to Cornwall. He claims their journey to Manhurst Castle in the Scottish Borders is simply to appraise and acquire illuminated manuscripts for their rare books shop, however when Ruby discovers there are no manuscripts and receives news of a séance to be held that very night, she begins to grow suspicious about the true reason why they have come. - Description from Amazon

Loved the second book! There are recurring characters so it is best to read the first book before this one. Séances, murder, mystery and lies. This story has all of them. It started off a little slow, thankfully the story picks up and by the middle it is full speed ahead. I really hope there are more books coming for this series, I am enjoying it very much. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Jess Armstrong’s The Curse of Penryth Hall was a nice murder mystery wrapped in gothic clothing, and it was clear at the end that more was coming. I was happy to read this second book featuring Ruby Vaughn. (And the end of this indicates there will be yet more to come!)

Ruby Vaughn, an orphaned American heiress who’s in her late twenties, lives with and works for an octogenarian rare bookseller, Mr. Owen. They have a companionable relationship, with them bantering and poking at each other a bit like family.

In the first book, Mr. Owen sent Ruby to the Cornish countryside to deliver a trunk of books to a folk healer, Ruan Kivell. She learned Ruan is a Pellar, someone who can use some particular kinds of magic.

In The Secret of the Three Fates, Mr. Owen takes Ruby to Manhurst Castle in Scotland, supposedly to pick up some illuminated manuscripts. But right away, she finds out any manuscripts are long gone, so it’s a mystery why the two of them are on this trip.

Annoyed with Mr. Owen, Ruby soon learns there’s a séance taking place that night. And Mr. Owen has ties to at least one of the women (the Three Fates) acting as mediums. He also wants to speak to his son, who died in the Great War. His son doesn’t make an appearance, but a young woman who died under suspicious circumstances in the area certainly does.

That’s just the beginning of the turbulent week or so Ruby and Mr. Owen spend in the area. Right after the séance, one of the mediums is killed, and Mr. Owen’s connection to the area becomes apparent. Both he and Ruby become suspects in the murder, and while Ruby doesn’t think he could do something like that, she knows he’s keeping a lot of secrets that certainly connect to it.

Ruan Kivell comes up to Scotland, and Ruby asks him to help investigate all the goings-on and clear their names. Of course, digging up all this old dirt puts them in danger. And while Ruby has been fighting the pull she feels toward Ruan, she finds it more and more difficult.

I actually enjoyed The Secret of the Three Fates even more than the first. The mystery is solid, and it’s interesting to find out a lot about Mr. Owen and to be introduced to some little mysteries connected to Ruby. My interest is further piqued, and I’m curious to see what comes in the next in the series.

Ruby Vaughn is back, this time attending a seance in Scotland. Lots of secrets here, especially pertaining to Ruby’s employer, Mr. Owen. Great atmosphere, lots of interesting characters, and a perplexing mystery. When Ruan Kivell arrives to help, will Ruby stay focused on the investigation? A bit confusing for the first third, but it all came together in the end. Best to read the first book before this one, as there are several recurring characters. Looking forward to the next mystery, and finding out more about Ruby’s family, her past, and her emerging abilities.
I received a free copy via NetGalley, and this is my honest and voluntary review.

The Secret of the Three Fates may be the second book in the Ruby Vaughn Mystery Series by Jess Armstrong, but it is the first book that I have read. While the introduction to Ruby and her older employer Mr. Owens would have come in the first book, I had no problem understanding their working relationship.

Taking place after the Great War, Ruby and Mr. Owens become suspects in a séance medium’s death. Secrets long held begin to come to light. Help comes in the form of Ruan Kivell, who investigates alongside Ruby. I like these two characters together. A cozy mystery with an unusual character, Mr. Owens. He is not exactly the sleuth in the story, but he does seem to be the cause for Ruby to become one. An interesting historical cozy mystery.

*4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"There is nowhere on earth you can hide from the dead."

“I’m not sure I believe in ghosts.”
“Unfortunately, they believe in you."

“You are everywhere and everything to me, flooding my senses and I cannot understand it...this inexplicable thread between us and for this power you hold over me."

Oh my! With Book 2 of the Ruby Vaughn series, The Secret of the Three Fates, masterful bestselling author Jess Armstrong has created an alluring atmospheric gothic historical fiction mystery filled with goosebump gasps, startling reveals, and an infuriating slow burn romance that keeps the heart aflutter.

In 1920s England, American heiress Ruby Vaughn works for Mr. Owen's rare bookshop, which she secretly owns. In Book 1, The Curse of Penryth Hall, she's embroiled in the occult, witches and curses. She also meets Ruan, a Pellar--a healer, witch of sorts, and protector. He can read her thoughts giving her peace of mind to not speak her fears and truths out loud.

Surviving Penryth Hall barely prepares her for the Scottish castle where Mr Owen is lured by three "mediums," calling themselves The Three Fates. They promise him a seance to communicate with his dead son. Ruby is shocked when other attendees have a direct connection to her secret past.

Ruby discovers one of The Fates murdered and becomes the prime suspect. She's also in danger from the real killer. Luckily Ruan arrives but finds he's blocked from reading her thoughts.

Voice actress Emma Love once again is superb using her many vocal abilities to enhance this eerie mystery. It's no secret I adore this series and can't wait for Book 3, The Devil In Oxford.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.