“Men are entirely too quick to call a woman mad or monstrous just because she can do something they can’t.”

Strange Beasts was a fun read with a great story, a fair share of blood and violence, and really enjoyable FMCs. I really enjoyed the ties to Sherlock, nods to classic monster villains like werewolves and vampires, and the banter between Hel and Sam kept the dialogue engaging and relatable.

There were sometimes that the minor magic felt a bit unfounded. There could have been a little more backstory to help the reader more fully understand and believe the magic involved, but overall, I really enjoyed this story, and will definitely be reading any future books from Susan J. Morris.

Thank you to NetGalley, Inky Phoenix Press, and Susan J. Morris for allowing me the opportunity to review this digital ARC of Strange Beasts.

This book was a bit too much aesthetic over plot, sadly. The cover is gorgeous, and the world the writer creates feels real and pretty as well, its just that nothing really happens in it, and when something does its quite predictable. The romance was also very sudden, no build up or tension, just slam! Sad, because the description was so hard up my alley!

This story had such strong and alluring beginnings for a book that ended up being all fluff and no substance. The immersive historical setting has a way of drawing you into the story, and it felt like Susan J. Morris left no stone unturned whether that be fashion, places, and people. Unfortunately, it feels as if all, dare I say too much, of the energy devoted to this book was placed into the ambiance.

Sam's naive librarian schtick was amusing and entertaining at first, but gradually became grating and beyond frustrating. Her refusal to lie to complete strange men, her commitment to never telling a fib even to protect herself or Hel, somehow never spat out any dire consequences, feeling like the character's flaws had little to no stakes. Plus, her treatment of Heathcliff the rat was abysmal, the way these characters gave this creature a name and then locked him up and tortured him as a research subject was abhorrent.

The plot itself was fairly predictable, which unfortunately resulted in the story feeling overly dragged out longer than there was a story; frankly I feel this book could've been 1/4 shorter to the same effect. So many of the words on the pages were dedicated to creating the setting/atmosphere, that the simplistic plot gets diluted out to tiny tendrils of tidbits barely holding together the story. The "romance", if you can even call it that, element of the story was nonexistent; there was no tension, chemistry, nor hint of romance between Hel and Sam for a vast majority of the book, and once the romance happens, it feels completely random, dropped into the story to immersion-breaking effect.

Overall a massive miss of a book for me, with the last 20% of the book having me constantly questioning "well what was the point of XYZ then?" (with XYZ a shoe-in for: Van Helsing, Sam's grandfather, the police officer's "love interest", among so many other things). This is not a book I would recommend, but I suppose others might find merit in overly flowery historical "sapphic" stories.

I loved this book from the start. With nods to Dracula and Sherlock Holmes, I was hooked from the start. Add in two female sleuths - both with their their own storied histories -- and this is a great read.

With mixes of gothic horror, historical fantasy, and mystery, this is a super fun read!

I love a good who-dun-it murder mystery and this one hit the spot! Add in a little bit of sapphic romance to sweeten it up between our two investigator FMCs to make things more entertaining. I love Sam and Her together- thing were a bit terse at first and towards the end, but they clicked together and work SO well. As much as I enjoyed the slow burn romance between the two of them, the brutal murders and discovering with them who did it was enthralling to read. I wish there was more on Hel's family, as there was, and still is, so much potential on following the trail to them. Although it did take a couple chapters to get a feel for the world and the monsters in it, but it was a quick and enthralling read. I hope Morris decides to come back to this world because there's so much potential for more!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Well, this novel was fun enough. I liked the idea more than the execution, because the plot moves way too fast and doesn’t allow for any meaningful development for the characters OR story.

Unfortunately, it’s just too fast paced—scenes just ram into each other. There was little conversation between the two main characters. Anytime it seemed like they were about to have a heart to heart they end up running into the next action scene, which killed me because I liked the idea of these two forming a relationship. Because of the lack of dialogue and character development, the romance was completely unbelievable as neither woman seemed interested in the other. In fact, the main character was more interested in literally every other available man she comes into contact with. I had to keep checking the book synopsis to make sure this was actually supposed to be sapphic.

I’m not very familiar with the monster hunting genre, so I’m unsure if a lot of the information that was glossed over I should have context clues from other reading or if things were just rushed in their explanation. The main mystery ends on a weak cliffhanger, which left me more disappointed than excited for the next installment.

There’s a great story here, if there was time given to develop the characters and their relationship.

3.5 stars - Samantha Harker, daughter of Johnathan and Mina Harker, is a researcher for the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena. Usually she's buried in the library working to assist the Society's many field agents, but this time she's managed to talk her way on to a case. Teaming up with Dr. Helena Moriarty, the daughter of the infamous professor, Sam sets off for Paris to investigate a recent string of gruesome murders. Though Sam quickly finds she might be a bit out of her league in the world of field work, she's not as useless as some might think, for much like her mother before her, Sam is a channel and can see into the minds of the monsters they're hunting.

Set in and underneath the streets of Paris at the turn of the century, Strange Beasts was a wonderfully entertaining tale of mystery, murder, and monsters. Initially filled with suspicion and secrets, it was fun to watch Sam and Hel's relationship change as the story progressed, as well as learn why each woman chose to pursue this case. Although currently a standalone, it's clear this is a world made for more adventures, and I would not be surprised, or sad, to see a sequel in the future.

I really liked the idea of the novel but some things were just a bit too rushed for me. It felt very convenient how fast Hel and Sam could get to different places and while I was looking forward to their romance it didn’t feel that believable to me. I could see the signs from Hel’s side but it felt like Sam just flirted with everyone who gave her any attention. I think both characters would have profited from working through their various problems a bit more. The mystery itself was fun but the pacing was off in my opinion. Unfortunately, not a book for me but seeing the other reviews I’m glad that so many people enjoyed it.

I was in a reading slump and DNF'd about 4 books and when I started this one I knew I finally found one that I would finish!

I LOVE old school European stories especially when monsters are involved.

Here we have a fun twist of Dracula and Sherlock Holmes.
We follow Sam Harker who is the daughter of the woman who killed Dracula, but it may have come at a cost. We also have Hel who is the daughter of Moriarty, the nemesis of Sherlock Holmes.
They must come together to find out what monster is behind the gruesome murders popping up in Paris and neighboring towns.

I love the world building and the MCs.
I do wish the relationships in the book were a little more developed and the ending left me feeling like there should have been more.

But overall I really enjoyed this read.

This book was so much better than I could have even expected from the already interesting description. The cover is absolutely stunning and the writing is just as great. I want to read more from this author in the future and definitely need to grab a physical copy! Such a lovely read. Absolutely loves the characters and story line.

Samantha Harker has a secret skill and a strong sense of smell. She uses both of these to win herself the position of partner to Dr. Helena Moriarity so that she can chase a clue that appears at the murders happening in Paris. The two must work together to solve the mystery, and there are a lot of complications--including Hel's inability to trust anyone.

The mystery-solving itself is solid. There are great twists and turns, lots of red herrings, and much breathless adventure. The motivations of all the characters involved was excellent. If this had been only a mystery novel, I'd have been happy. And, I'll probably keep reading this series because the paranormal mystery bit was good. Morris sets up an interesting overarching dynamic that I think will pay off.

But, I was promised lesbian paranormal beast hunters. I found Sam to have a distinct lack of emotional interiority beyond the singular worry of her secret. There's no pining, no will-she-won't-she, no heat at all. The clothing is described beautifully for the reader, but no one in-novel ever seems to have a reaction to all that clinging fabric except the men. There's honestly more chemistry (albeit toxic) between Van Helsing's son and Sam than any other duo. I understand that Hel has trust issues; I don't mind a slow burn. But there wasn't any smoke to signal a banked fire. A scene where Hel patches up a wounded Sam is bland and dull, and I could see the places where it could have been so much more. There wasn't even any witty banter, and that made paying attention to the intricacies of the mystery diffcult for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inky Phoenix Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

2.5. Dracula and Sherlock Holmes are literally my favorite classics, so a story featuring the daughters of Jonathan Harker from the former and Professor Moriarty from the latter sounded amazing. Throw in a mystery, action set in early 20th century Paris, and a little romance, and it seemed like the recipe for a perfect book. Unfortunately, the whole thing fell flat for my taste. I mean, the book isn't bad, but other than the great creative idea, I don't really have much to praise it for.

The worldbuilding is quite poor, and the reader has to figure out most of its rules. It's not really clear what the attitude towards magical monsters and creatures is in this world, or what the unit the heroines work in actually does. I won't hide the fact that not understanding why British field agents would solve a criminal case in France lowered the stakes for me.

Added to this was the rather mediocre portrayal of the characters, who seemed very one-dimensional, with their actions poorly motivated. For example, I don't understand the plot imperative of making Jakob Van Helsing a negative character. Maybe it would have worked if it had influenced the deepening of the relationship between the heroines, but unfortunately it was not the case. The chemistry between Helena and Sam was practically nil; at one point I forgot that there was supposed to be a romance between them at all, as Sam seemed much more interested in every man she met during the investigation.

Speaking of the crime mystery itself, on a plot level it was the strongest and most interesting part of the book, but unfortunately, somewhere around the middle, I was pushing myself to continue because I didn't feel any connection with the characters or the story at all.

Overall, the book is based on a great idea, but lacks a lot in terms of execution. I hope we'll see a sequel that gives readers a chance to get to know the characters, their relationships, and their actions better.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

First and foremost, the fact that this is a debut novel is astounding to me. Susan J. Morris, you are very talented indeed! Fans of slow burn romance are absolutely going to eat this up, as well as anyone that enjoys a good "whodunit" mystery! I seriously loved Sam and Hels so much, I'm seriously hoping we will see much more of them in the future. Again, kudos to the author on such interesting and fun debut novel!

Love love love love. 

The main characters were lovely, the vibe came across perfectly and the mystery kept me on my toes until the very end.

Even though there wasn't that much romance it felt real and I hope there will be a sequel to further explore the romance and Hel's story.

The story felt very real and all the problems adressed in it were handled well in my opinion. I'd really recommend this book to readers of dark fantasy or mystery books.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

thank you to netgalley for the eARC.

historical fiction is often a toss up for me. some times i really enjoy it and other times i just can’t get into it, but i really liked this one.

i normally warm up to the mysterious characters more quickly compared to their optimistic partners, but i was drawn to sam from the first page. i think her being a channel made her really interesting that had me questioning how she’d play her role while keeping it hidden from a very intelligent character whose job is a famous detective. it was really nice to see hel be met with her match even if she didn’t realize it at first.

the tone felt very sherlock holmes. not sure about dracula as i’ve never read the book, but the mystery of it all was very present throughout the whole book.

i love slow burn romances, they might be my favorite, but i think the romance was lacking. when there was a moment between them, i forgot there was meant to be a romance between them. i don’t think it harmed the story overall as it was very strong on its own, but i think the build up between sam and hel could’ve been better.

one thing i really loved was that hel’s flaws weren’t all resolved by the end. she made gradual growth and by the end, she acknowledged that she wasn’t what sam could want and needed more time to better herself. i really enjoyed that aspect since i don’t see it often.

the ending let it open for a second book, and i believe there will be one, but i actually like the ending enough for it to be the end of them. though i did really enjoy sam and hel, i’m not sure if i would want more of them. maybe i need some time to really sit with the book, but i’m unsure if i’d come back for the next.

This was good, but not great. There were so many aspects of the premise that drew me to this: the magical world, gothic atmosphere, a mystery, and sapphic romance. In the execution they were done okay, but could be better. Mainly I wanted more, I wanted it to feel atmospheric, I wanted more world building, I wanted more of a connection between the two leads. I think with a little more tweaking this could have been really great. I do think there are some people that are going to love this, and I’m definitely intrigued to see what this author will do next.

ARC provided by NetGalley

A story where the world of Dracula meets the world of Sherlock Holmes, set in Paris at the dawn of the twentieth century and make it a supernatural murder mystery? Well, yes, you got me!

Following Sam Harker and Dr. Helen Moriarty on this adventure was a wild ride through 'monster' infested Paris, hunting down in the famous catacombs all while trying to solve the puzzle of several impossible seeming murders.

I adored the way Sam and Hel had to work to find a basis and trust in their partnership and how each of them has their own gifts and how they make the perfectly imperfect team. The slow burn between them is wonderfully balanced and when they finally open up more to each other it is beautiful.
I also loved how scents played a big part in the murder mystery and how Morris described them.

What I would have liked more of was actually Sam's childhood friend and later rival Jakob Van Helsing. He was an intriguing antagonist in the scenes he was in and how dare he get such a fun design to just be almost criminally underused in the overall story?

In the end though Strange Beasts is a great book, the writing is amazing and the characters shine. Even the side characters were written well and with some of them you might wish to see more of.

Thank you to Susan J. Morris, Broken Bindery and NetGalley for this eARC!
#StrangeBeasts #NetGalley

This was EVERYTHING.

I’ve never been one for mysteries as I tend to find them too predictable and makes the overall experience… boring. Here, I completely forgot that there was something I should even be looking for! The atmosphere, the characters, the book as a whole creates it’s own pace and secrets where I found myself not wanting to solve the mistery myself but rather watch Sam and Dr. Moriarty do it.

The underlying topics like class struggle and misoginy made it all feel more real and round even tho we are talking about monsters.

I can’t wait to have it on my shelves (and make my friends buy it) when it comes out!

Strange Beasts follows Dr. Helen Moriarty, daughter of the infamous Conan Doyle's villain, and Samantha Harker, humble librarian for the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena. Together, they investigate on a series of murders implying werewolves and Parisian high society.

Although the story is entertaining and easy to read, I couldn't get past the characters' clichee construction : the shy librarian taking up her first challenge and struggling for self-esteem, the experienced and tough detective that reveals some cracks in her armor, the jealous and zealous ex-friend who tries everything in his power to stop their progression, the nicest chivalrous encounter that happens to hide darkest secrets.

Dracula meets Sherlock Holmes meets fierce, independent women, meets a gothic Parisian atmosphere in the early 1900s, meets Fantastic Beasts, meets murder mystery... AND it's sapphic? Yes. Sign me up. Take my money. Put my name on the roster.

I thoroughly enjoyed Strange Beasts!

The world building, though minimal, was easy to understand. This is a world where monsters and/or paranormal beings exist and are known.

I loved watching Sam and Hel's relationship blossom. To me it felt authentic, and I am very much looking forward to seeing it develop further in a sequel.

I very much want to give this five stars, however I have a small gripe: throughout the book, there is French dialogue without translation and as I don't speak French, this was mildly irritating! My choices were either Google translate it as I went or just push through and assume it wasn't super important. I went with the latter most of the time, and while I don't feel I missed a whole lot, I would have liked to know what they were saying.

This was well written, well researched, and well plotted. Highly recommend. 4.5 stars.