In The Secret of the Three Fates, Jess Armstrong reintroduces readers to Ruby Vaughn, the plucky American heiress who solved a string of supernatural murders in The Curse of Penryth Hall. Armstrong’s newest installment in her mystery series finds Ruby visiting Manhurst Castle with her octogenarian employer, Mr. Owens, to appraise and acquire illuminated manuscripts for their bookshop. Ruby soon finds out that Mr. Owens has brought her to the borders of Scotland under false pretenses. He has always had a keen interest in the occult, and when he hears The Three Fates, a trio of mediums who claim they can speak with the dead, will be at Manhurst Castle for a séance, he hopes to get in contact with his son who passed away during the Great War. When one of the fates is found murdered, Ruby must solve the crime to clear her name and the name of Mr. Owens, and she encounters plenty of supernatural and human secrets along the way.

Jess Armstrong’s new story also reintroduces readers to Ruan Kivell, the Pellar who helped Ruby solve her first case in Cornwall. Like Mr. Owens, whose wife mysteriously disappeared many years ago, and Ruby, who was the object of a great social scandal, Ruan has secrets, and details from his past are slowly revealed throughout the novel. The romantic tension that ignited in The Curse of Penryth Hall is elevated to a sizzle in The Secret of the Three Fates as Ruan and Ruby navigate a world filled with danger.

Armstrong’s main characters are the backbone of her writing; Ruby, Ruan, and Mr. Owens are interesting and compassionate people who possess both gifts and flaws. Although readers will be titillated by the twists and turns of the mystery at the heart of the novel, it is the characters who will stay with them long after the mysteries have been solved.

I loved both The Curse of Penryth Hall and The Secret of the Three Fates, and I can’t wait to read the next installment in the series which will no doubt delve even more deeply into the relationships between Ruby, Ruan, and Mr. Owens. Each novel in the Ruby Vaughn mystery series also explores the folkloric beliefs and superstitions of remote locations like Cornwall and Scotland, and the Gothic settings will sweep readers away on a journey through early 20th century Britain. Jess Armstrong’s writing is perfect for those who love historical fiction, murder mystery, and a touch of occult magic.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.

I greatly enjoyed the first book in this series, The Curse of Penryth Hall, and seen the second book available. I had to read it. It certainly does not disappoint. If you love, Gothic themes, Scottish castles, mysteries, and secrets galore, you are going to really enjoy this book.

You don’t have to have read the first book in the series, but I guarantee you we’re gonna want to go back and read it after this.

While I enjoyed Jess Armstrong’s second Gothic mystery featuring Ruby Vaughn, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read her award-winning debut, The Curse of Penryth Hall. If you’re interested in The Secret of the Three Fates, I’d suggest you start with the first in the series.

After Ruby Vaughn’s parents packed her off to Europe when she was a young disgraced debutante, and she lost her entire family in the sinking of the Lusitania, she became an ambulance driver during the war. Now, she runs a bookshop in Exeter, England, but it’s her octogenarian mentor’s name on the bookstore. Mr. Owen sent her to Cornwall once, on an errand that turned deadly. Now, once again, the pair are off on a trip to Scotland. While Ruby thinks they’re to look at illuminated manuscripts, it turns out Mr. Owen wants to communicate with his long-dead son at a seance conducted by three mediums, known as the Three Fates.

Even after her dealings in Cornwall, Ruby is unwilling to acknowledge the occult. But, the group may have actually called up a ghost that night, and the seance is followed by the death of one of the mediums. Unfortunately, Ruby finds the woman, and tries to save her, but it’s too late. Now, she’s a suspect in the woman’s murder.

Owen’s past from forty years earlier is slowly revealed, along with part of Ruby’s own story. But, ghosts and mediums, a White Witch, and Ruan Kiwell shake everything Ruby believes. She met Ruan in Cornwall, and she has an unusual connection to the Pendar, a folk healer and witch. He can read her thoughts, and she’s attracted to him in a way that seems to come from the past. The White Witch warns her, but also acknowledges that their connection is too deep for her to destroy.

Gothic mysteries are usually centered on a distant and strange house, and there are several that fit the bill in The Secret of The Fates. Manfort Castle, Lord Harwick’s estate, and property on an island all serve as eerie settings in this story.

While The Secret of the Three Fates is wrapped up, there are still secrets in Ruby’s own past. Who is she, and how is Mr. Owen connected to Ruby’s dead mother? And, the relationship between Ruby and Ruan remains unresolved. If I’d read The Curse of Penryth Hall, I would have had the background needed to read this one, but there are still secrets to uncover in the next book.

Ruby and Mr. Owen are once again drawn into a murder mystery from the comfort of their Essex Bookshop. Having received a mysterious letter inviting him to a seance in Scotland, Mr. Owen is determined to go and speak with the spirit of his departed son, Ben. Ruby, skeptical as ever in the spirit realm decides that poor old Mr. Owen is being taken for a ride and goes along to protect her elderly benefactor. But when the "faked" seance turns out to be an actual channel to a possibly evil spirit and the young seers begin to end up missing/murdered, Ruby sets out to find out the truth of what happened over 40 years ago starting with the death of Mr. Owen's young wife. What she finds puts them all in danger.
If you enjoyed "The Curse of Penryth Hall", you'll love meeting some of the same characters again as well as enjoy the banter between characters who have yet to proclaim the love they share one another.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fantastic sequel to The Curse of Penryth Hall. This story starts with Ruby and Mr. Owen at Manhurst Castle to obtain rare manuscripts, but soon it is revealed Mr. Owen’s has once again tricked Ruby and they are actually there to attend a seance. After the seance one of the psychics is found dead and then the mystery begins to unfold, along with the secrets of Mr. Owen’s past that he has been hiding.

I really enjoyed being back in Ruby's world and getting more information about her and Mr. Owen’s past, it was interesting to see both of them confront parts of their past that they were running from. I also loved how Ruan being involved in the story forced Ruby to confront her feelings for him. The mystery was also very intriguing, there were several female characters that I did have trouble keeping straight, but the resolution was very satisfying.

This was solid follow up and if you enjoyed The Curse Penryth Hall, you would enjoy this as well.

Overall, this was an entertaining read. I did get a bit tired of all of the secrets everyone was keeping from one another. Just have a freaking conversation already! The will they, won’t they with Ruan and Ruby was also getting tedious. I think this book could have used some editing and could have been shorter. Not all of the details were necessary and all of the subplots became a bit cumbersome. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

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”. I 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.

Ruby, Mr Owen and Ruan are all back for this exciting sequel to The Curse of Penryrh Hall.
Mr Owen gets Ruby to attend a seance at Manhurst Castle were many secrets are revealed. Someone dies and Ruby is determined to find out who did it. Mr. Owen, Ruby and Ruan's lives are on the line..
Very intriguing story which kept me guessing. I loved this sequel and all the surprises that came with it. I hope Jess Armstrong writes a third novel.

The Secret of the Three Fates
By Jess Armstrong

After having read and enjoyed "The Curse of Penryth Hall", I looked forward to this, the 2nd in the Ruby Vaughn series. I have to say I was not disappointed. The same cast of characters – Ruby, with her scandalous past; Mr. Owen, her secretive and curmugeonly mentor; Hecate, the witch; and Ruan Kivell, the Pellar – but with a new and different plot line.

This is a classic "whodunit". Lies and omissions abound, women are being murdered. Who or what is behind all this? In a story where virtually no one is who you think they are, the author keeps you guessing right up to the end.

And the best thing about this book is that it definitely indicates that there will be at least a 3rd book in the series!

This book is a second in the series starring Ruby Vaughn and Mr. Owen. Mr. Owen receives an invitation to a seance to be held in the Scottish Border. Mr. Owen desperately wants to speak once more to his deceased wife along with finding out what his deceased son wants to warn him about. The seance is being hosted by three mediums called The Three Fates. One by one the mediums are being murdered and Ruby and Mr. Owen quickly become the prime suspects and someone or something is determined to stop them from discovering the real killer.

This has really good characters and a solid mystery, but something failed to hook me. Maybe it just want the right time for me to read this. But I did enjoy the progressive ideas of our main character!

Ruby's back at it again! It's impossible not to root for her and there's always something around the corner

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!


** 3.5 stars rounded up (to 4 stars)

A lot of the issues I had from the first book were resolved more neatly in this one:

1.) The author did a good job at introducing the context behind certain scenarios or the significance of certain characters popping up and their relevance to the plot

2.) Ruan was no longer hot-and-cold with Ruby and he was able to very clearly articulate how he felt about her throughout the book. It was very heartwarming to read!

3.) The mystery was clearly stated from the beginning and it was a lot easier to follow


Overall, I enjoyed reading this book way more than the first and I cannot wait to see what Ruby and co. get up to in the next book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel to “The Curse of Penryth Hall.” We got to know more about Ruby, Mr. Owen, and our favorite Pellar, Ruan. I actually liked this installment even more than the first and I cannot wait for the next book! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Great follow up to the first! Ruby's story picked up right where you wanted it to and the storyline felt fresh instead of a recycled mystery novel. I appreciated the undercurrent of the initial plotline and that it ended on a soft cliffhanger, which left me ready for a third.

The Secret of the three Fates is a wonderful sequel to the Curse of Penryth Hall.
Ruby is back for a new adventure. Mr. Owen and Ruby are off to Manhurst Castle to acquire manuscripts. Low and behold they attend a mysterious séance Things go wrong. Secrets are revealed. Of course there is mystery and murder and mayhem. Guess who shows up? Yes Ruan is back.
This is a very well written novel that will keep you guessing what is going to happen next.
Don’t miss this next adventure of Ruby and Ruan.
A very enjoyable book.
Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this arc.

I'm totally hooked on the dynamic duo of the Bookwork and the Pellar. Please keep writing about them. I finished book one and immediately jumped into this book because I HAD to know more about the mysterious man and what it is to be a Pellar.

As far as sequels go, this one was a solid contender that had a good ratio of carrying over elements from the first book and holding its own in this new adventure. While I feel that the romance bit of the story was a bit loosely written and not as nuanced as it could be, it bears the same blunt, obvious, traditional nature of a mystery novel such as this one. I do feel that the character of Ruby is relatable, but on the whole, I think that the series thus far follows a pretty standard set of tropes (think Poirot). Still an enjoyable read and had me tapping through pages at a consistent pace.

When I learned that the sequel for "The Curse of Penryth Hall" was available, I knew I wanted to read it. "The Secret of the Three Fates" by Jess Armstrong continues the story of Ruby, Mr. Owen (Ruby's boss) and the mysterious and handsome Ruan.

For some unknown reason, Mr. Owen wants Ruby to attend a seance with him. This makes absolutely no sense to Ruby because she knows neither of them believe in such things.

It's not long before the corpses start piling up. Ruby and Ruan start by investigating a death that the locals are calling suicide, but really was murder.

The story moves quickly and it was fun to see Ruby and Ruan get to know each other better. The ending was satisfying-- not a frustrating cliffhanger.

Since "The Secret of the Three Fates" is the second book in a series, I would recommend reading "The Curse of Penryth Hall" first.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader's copy. This is my honest review.

I am excited that Ruby and Ruan are back together trying to solve this case. In the second book of the Ruby Vaughn series, Ruby is now at Manhurst Castle with Mr. Owen. It isn't long before the two of them are the main suspects in a murder. Ruby and Ruan must work together to uncover secrets that someone is determined to keep hidden. The gothic atmosphere in this historical mystery is nicely offset by Ruby and Mr. Owens's light verbal sparing. The mystery is well done and I was surprised by the ending. I am excited to see what these characters get up to next.

Thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.