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.

I wouldn't say that historical fiction is an apt genre for this book, but it was still a fantastic read! Initially, I thought the mixing of literary characters and figures from different time periods would be too much of a melting pot, but it ended up being just the right amount of crossing over, along with new material. The characters are relatable and the plot has great twists and turns that kept me guessing. It is, at the end of the day, a kind of "whodunnit" piece, but definitely stands out thanks to the unique premise and masterful writing. I'm really hoping there is a sequel!

a fabulous historical fiction with gothic vibes and strong female leads! what's not to love! loved the paris setting and atmosphere.

I read this and sat a few days on it to gather my thoughts. I’ve decided that as a stand-alone book, it’s okay. However, as the beginning of a series, it’s great. I was left wanting to know more about the characters and their relationship. The mystery itself was relatively easy to follow, I just wish I saw more growth with the characters and with each other

Samantha 'Sam' Harker wants to get out of research and into the field, but to do so she must work with the dangerous Dr Helena Moriarty, the daughter of Sherlock Holmes' nemesis.

As they investigate a monster killing men in Paris ,both are keeping secrets....

Really interesting world building going on. We have the Holmes stuff, Dracula, and the monster hunters Sam and Hel work for. It's also written well in a modern style, thankfully. It is primarily a supernatural mystery novel, and if you were expecting a romance you'd be disappointed.

This was a gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to keep an eye out for more from this author.

Okay I loved it. I'm such a sucker for anything Sherlock Holmes and Dracula. This was so well written and just adored the characters

I rated this book 5 stars because I loved every single second of it. Such a unique story and fabulous characters. Everyone please read this asap.

I always enjoy a good monster story! I love all the different monsters and lore behind them, intertwined with the overarching mystery. I felt both the Sherlock Holmes and Dracula influences, and it does a good job of paying homage to them. The characters were compelling with lots of twists and turns. The dynamic between Sam and Hel was definitely a highlight and I enjoyed how their relationship slowly progressed. The author did a great job of making this monster-ridden, bloody Paris feel very real. All in all, a highly enjoyable read.