Strange Beasts is the story of Sam, the daughter of a vampire hunter from Dracula, and Helena (Hel) who's the daughter of Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes novels. It explores their journey as they investigate a paranormal mystery for their work at what's essentially (as I understood) the paranormal FBI (which is basically a monster hunting team).

I loved the concept of this novel so much- I'm a Holmes lover (as is any mystery reader) and (having gone through a brief gothic classic phase) love Dracula. I was a bit shocked upon starting the novel because there really was not much worldbuilding, so readers were kind of thrown in head-first and expected to know how this new world worked. I loved the exploration of Helena's history with her dad/brother, but I do wish there was more elements of both the original Holmes books and Dracula. The mystery was quite fun, and while I did see it coming it took me a little bit with all of the false starts in the book. All in all... I think it was an amazing concept, but a little underdeveloped.

A mixture of Who Dunnit and horror/ fantasy, the concept of Strange Beasts really appealed to me. I can see this striking a chord with fans of Supernatural, but for me, the Sherlockian references felt a little half-baked, and the pacing slowed in the middle. Still, great to see a women-led crime novel, and the scent descriptions were particularly well-written. This is best for someone who likes a quieter, more character-driven fantasy. Not thrilling or scary per se, but enjoyable for the right reader.

Thank you to The Bindery team and to NetGalley for this ARC! This review contains spoilers.

FINALLY a good horror/mystery/crime book! With a good narrator! Interesting characters! And where it wasn't clear who was the villain from the start!
I really liked this book and read it in three days. The setting of Paris, the catacombs, everything weaved together was so satisfying to read. Needless to say, I need book two. I am begging. I want to know what Hel and Sam will get up to in Ireland. Will they meet Hel's family? Will they kiss again? I have to say, I didn't give the book 5 stars because to me the romance between Hel and Sam felt like it wasn't fleshed out the way it should have been. What I mean with that is that from the comments Hel makes (e.g. when she says something along the lines of Cyprien won't be able to resist her in that dress, she looks good etc.) one can clearly see that she likes her. Sam on the other hand never really mentions being attracted to her. That felt a bit off to me. I would have liked for Sam to give little indications (before the kiss) that she was indeed also interested in Hel, romantically. But ah, nevertheless, I enjoyed this story so much!

HONESTLY, THIS DELIVERED EVERYTHING WE WERE PROMISED FROM THE SYNOPSIS AND I ATE THE FUCK OUTTA IT. like good lorddd, a must read for enjoyers of horror/thrillers and lesbians 10/10.

<i>Strange Beasts</i> is everything you could want from a murder mystery. It leaves you guessing again and again, leading you to think you've figured the puzzle out, only to divert your expectations entirely. Aside from that, it immerses you in a perfectly gothic, almost whimsical world of mythical creatures and catacombs and potions. This is the type of book you forget you're even reading, because it's just that good.

Don't even get me started on the slow burn sapphic romance. That one kiss was not enough for me. Give me a second book please!!!!

I think i liked this? The description selling this as Sherlock Holmes meets fantastic beasts is definitely accurate, and as a perfume lover i loved how the elements of that were woven into the plot. However, i kept getting lost in the dialogue and losing the thread i was meant to follow. I felt the author went overboard with trying to trick us in regards to who deserved our attention. Overall a fairly quick read but the tie up at the end wasn’t as satisfying as i would have liked for it to be due to the confusion and muddling in the middle. The pacing was also pretty off-too many characters i didn’t care about and didn’t want to remember.

A truly beautiful story that takes place in a equally as beautiful world. This is a great gothic mystery that takes place a world in which all of your favorite monster stories and classic English literature characters are real. Think the Van Helsing movie, but much less campy and a little more serious. It was so atmospheric and all of the decisions--from the lore of the werewolves and various other creatures, to setting the story in early 20th-century France, to Sam's fantastical abilities--created a very beautiful and uncanny world.

I also really liked how Sam and Hel came from "famous" families and how those backgrounds created compelling personal journeys and mysteries for the two MCs. Without spoiling too much, it was really interesting to see how Morris approached the very different family lives of the two. Sam came from a family with a dark history, and while they were very loving and obviously cared deeply for Sam, they also coddled her too much, not allowing her to fully learn to control and explore her abilities, which ended up hurting her in the end. On the other hand, Hel came from a loveless family that used each other as pawns and only saw the value in each other if they were strong and intelligent. While this obviously emotionally stunted Hel, it did turn her into a very strong and independent woman. I also like how each family has their own mystery that's threaded throughout the book, but never overtakes the main plot, just enhances it. There definitely needs to be a sequel just to see how these storylines end.

My only complaint is that I just didn't really feel the romance. I do think Sam and Hel would be a great couple and compliment each other well, but throughout most of the book, it was completely platonic with almost no mention of interest on either side. There wasn't any romantic tension between the two since they were so focused on solving the case, which is obviously fine, but if I hadn't read the synopsis before reading the book, I don't think I would have even known that Sam was into women. It's a shame because the little romantic development that we did get towards the end was very well done and set the stage for a very sweet relationship.

While this was obviously a very serious story with some darker scenes, the book was also just fun. I really like when author's don't take their stories too seriously and just allow their characters to be human. This was a great read and I cannot wait to read more from Morris (especially if this ends up being a series to tie up all those loose ends).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Already desperate for a sequel. This book is very action-packed and you are thrown straight into it. I loved the characters and their relationships, loved how the author merged the fictional universes of Dracula and Sherlock Holmes and still added so much, loved the Belle Epoque Paris setting... I loved pretty much every single thing about this book. The fact that this is a debut is insane to me. It was so well crafted, extremely engaging, the pacing was perfect and the author nailed the slow-burn romance. The only reason why I'm not rating it 5 stars is because I found the ending predictable and knew the character was guilty (and the method they used) as soon as they were introduced.
4.75 stars

A nice paranormal mystery driven by the daughter of Mina Harker and the daughter of Moriarty !
Sam, a quiet girl, is used to work at the library and is not a field agent, and Hel is a badass heroin with a nefarious reputation. Both have secrets and are searching for more than the Beast who kills people in Paris. And yes, they will go to France to investigate and find the monster.
As a French girl, I really enjoyed the historical accuracy of the story and the french dialogues, always perfect - which is so rare ! (I must admit, I even learnt few things).
The slow burn romance was sweet and I'm really impatient to meet again Hel and Sam in book 2 !

League of extraordinary gentlemen meets Sherlock and homes.
I enjoyed it - would have preferred a touch more spice. Could perhaps be cut down a smidge.

DNF at 30%. The pacing, characters, and worldbuilding didn't immerse me enough by this point to make me want to keep reading. I enjoyed the setup and burgeoning relationship between Sam and Hel but the book isn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for a copy in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this! Who doesn't love a 1900s romantic whodunit with mystical creatures and Sherlock Holmes vibes? This book had everything. It was well written, and the storyline was beautiful as well as disturbing (up my alley, for sure).

Sam and Hels, two affiliates of the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomenon in London, are dispatched to Paris to solve a string of brutal murders. All of the victims are wealthy men yet no valuables have been taken. It is apparent that the culprit is not human, but what is it? Sam and Hels are both no stranger to mysterious phenomenon. Sam is hiding secrets of her own. Hels has a bad reputation - all of her previous partners have died in the field. Who or what is killing these men and why?

Sam and Hels were the perfect sleuthing duo. I enjoyed the slow burn romance throughout the book but the mystery of solving brutal murders was my favorite part.

Thank you to netgalley and Bindery books for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved loved loved this one. A mystery in the spirit of Sherlock Holmes with Dracula energy? Yes, please. The character development and slow burn romance were perfect. I want more Sam and Hel! Will be recommending to my friends., for sure.

Its dark and moody, which we all love! I didn't think I would like this in all honesty. Im not into anything remotely real world or taking place in an actual "world" I dont like renditions and I dont like vampires. Usually. lol I loved this! I was thinking about this book when I was not reading, and Ive been stalking the author for more! Thank you for allowing me a chance to read this beauty before the mass of the world.

I read this and and thought I must have hallucinated because it was exactly like a sapphic fanfictionish fantasy that I wished existed but obviously never would. The femme daughter of Mina Harker and the butch daughter of Professor Moriarty team up to solve a string of supernatural murders? They start to fall in love? It looks like the start of a Holmes-Watson style fantasy series?

And, most importantly...IT'S FUN!! A great old-fashioned murder mystery but with magical beasts and will-o'-wisps and feminine rage. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I loved Sam, wanted more of Hel's thoughts and feelings, and am ravenous for the sequel and more of the Moriarty crime family. The only reason I would dock a star is because I think this debut set up the sequel a little too much (like the scene with Hel's brother didn't go anywhere, just introduced him as an important character in the future), but whatever, it worked on me, I want a sequel now. I give the star back for enjoying myself so much.

Also just the image of the son of Van Helsing walking around in jingling cowboy boots and thinking he's the hottest thing in Europe was 10/10

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting little supernatural mystery. An urban fantasy whodunit set in 1900s Paris featuring descendents of the characters from Dracula and the tales of Sherlock Holmes.

The mystery hit a good balance between not being extremely obvious very early on and still giving the reader enough clues to piece it together before the protagonists might as the story goes on, if they were paying attention.

The mystery was inventive and the story made interesting use of folklore. 1900s Paris was both a atmospheric backdrop as well as a deeply important aspect of the story the book tells.

My only real issue is that the story felt a little too exposition heavy in the first part, with every interaction initially having several breaks to deliver exposition. This does get better as the plot gets moving and the book settles into a smooth pace.

Samantha and Helena were pretty enjoyable characters to follow and their burgeoning relationship is cute, though perhaps a little too subtle beyond the exposition. It'll be interesting to see where it goes.

Overall, Strange Beasts is an entertaining work of urban fantasy that borrows from some classics to deliver a intricate and well written mystery. If you enjoy Holmesian mysteries with a supernatural twist, I'd highly recommend picking this up.

This one really shocked me how much I liked it, loved loved loved the Dracula & Sherlock influence!!

Great monster story and look forward to more from this author in the future.

Strange Beasts is a fitting title for Susan J. Morris’s debut novel. It is indeed strange because I hadn't encountered anything like it before, and it is a beast of a story that gripped me from the first page by the throat and didn't let go until the end.

I won’t delve too much into the plot because this book is an experience everyone should have without any prior knowledge. But I must mention the atmosphere and the characters. The vibes of gothic Paris were masterfully done, so much so that the setting almost manifested itself on the pages as I was reading. This is perfectly complemented by Sam and Hel, an incredible duo who were fierce enough to be awe-inspiring, yet vulnerable enough to be relatable.

Susan J. Morris’s debut is a witty, intelligently written story that will both dazzle the reader and give them chills. It’s one of those stories that will reinvigorate your love for fiction by reminding you that there are still talented authors out there who can offer something new and unique.

So this book very much struct me as a fantastic beasts and Sherlock Holmes smashed together.

There's plenty blood and gore!

I wouldn't say this has a title of a vampire book as there's very little actual vampire action which I was sad about as it seemed promised.

In a sentence this book is a who dunnit with beasts and a slow burn love story!

4*

The premise of this book is so fun. I love fiction-mashups and taking women from two such similar worlds grabbed me immediately!

Sadly, the execution didn't go the distance for me. I pushed on, but kept getting thrown out of the story until I realized I was just getting frustrated rather than enjoying myself.

The characters don't seem quite real, and nobody speaks like an actual human. Van Helsing's son is an abusive asshole for no apparent reason - most of the men in this book appear to be condescending Victorian stereotypes.

I wanted to engage with Sam and Hel's relationship but it just wasn't there. They didn't gel at all for me (why is Sam is obsessed with how Hel speaks?), and the undercurrent of Imminent Betrayal Only Not was very heavy-handed.

A small pre-publication issue: I think the ARC could also do with another editorial pass. There's a lot of continuity errors and repetition, to the point where I wanted to shake Sam and tell her 'Yes, I KNOW.'

This could've been great, and I'm sure others will enjoy it. But I couldn't finish, I'm so sorry.