More often than not, having a family legacy just sucks.

Samantha Harker and Dr. Helena Moriarty would know. It seems neither one can go hardly a day without someone commenting on how Sam reminds people of her mother and wondering if she inherited her mother’s channeling powers, and Helena is constantly under scrutiny and suspicion of being nothing more than her infinitely-mysterious criminal mastermind father’s pawn. Frankly, both are rather sick of it, even if neither of them knows it since they are barely passing acquaintances.

There is a case in Paris, and the victims are all men. Using that fact as a positive, Sam puts in a bid to be assigned to the case as a field agent. There’s something about this case that’s telling her it’s tied to her grandfather’s disappearance ten years prior. The issue is that Dr. Moriarty has already been assigned the case and doesn’t work with a partner anymore; However, Sam has some tricks up her sleeve that help convince Helena to bring her along. All Sam has to do now is do her job and survive it.

Strange Beasts is an extraordinarily good gaslamp fantasy-mystery with a paranormal edge and two LGBTQ main characters. Though being marketed as such, I personally wouldn’t call it a romantasy and it certainly isn’t gothic in nature or tone. (You can put all the Van Helsing and Harker and Moriarty in it you want, that doesn’t make a book gothic.) If anything, I’d almost consider this an urban fantasy, considering over 90% of the story takes place all over Paris.

The fantasy-mystery main plot of this book is definitely the best part of this book, for you cannot disentangle the two without unraveling the whole book. It’s impeccably plotted, using continuous twists, turns, red herrings, injections of new information or disinformation, various other fallacies, and leaning on different characters' weaknesses to produce shifts in the story and in the characters’ behaviors and actions. This book will keep you guessing all the way to the end.

The flaw I found in this book was that it felt slow for me. I felt like the pacing just didn’t match the energy the story warranted. I don’t know if it was just me and my penchant for faster-paced mysteries and thrillers or if others have had the same issue because I didn’t read reviews before starting. I just know I would’ve liked the story to have moved with a bit of a brisker pace.

I was provided a copy of this title by the publisher and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Fantasy/Historical Fantasy/LGBTQ Fantasy/Mystery/Paranormal Mystery

What a wild ride. I really enjoyed this book, especially the look at women in these times, the roles and expectations thrust upon them but also the way that these MCs stand their ground and find their way. Perfect gothic read for this time of year.
All of my thoughts of this reading experience can be found in my dedicated reading vlog where I read all four fall releases of Bindery.

This fantasy book combines familiar characters from the worlds of Sherlock Holmes and Dracula but the mystery itself is fresh and fascinating. Samantha Harker is the daughter of Dracula’s killer. Dr. Helena Moriarty is the daughter of Holmes’s infamous nemesis. Together, the women head to Paris to investigate a string of gruesome murders of bureaucratic men. But when demons from the past rear their heads, the mystery becomes even more convoluted. The women realize that their enemy is always one (or more) steps ahead, and they’ll have to outsmart a criminal mastermind to stop the killing spree.

This book has it all – layered characters, double-crossing, back stabbing, magic, mythical beings, love, hate…a dynamic tale that will leave the reader guessing to the end. A wonderful debut novel that deserves a read!

I requested this book because I was hoping for a bit of spooky monster vibes, especially with the gothic theming of the cover and title, AND holy smokes was I blown away by the story I got. I was so excited from page 1 to meet the character, Samantha Harker and the additional characters Hel Moriarty, Jakob Van Helsing, and others.

Along with some familiar-esque names, you are also going to encounter some classic monsters such as possible vampires, werewolves, grindylow, and others that go bump in the night. The atmosphere is definitely, supernatural sleuth on the foggy streets of Paris.

As Sam and Hel team up in a tenuous partnership, where neither fully trusts the other and they are both keeping a level of secrets which could probably help more than hurt the situation, they race along the streets of Paris trying to figure out what or who is killing men and more or less eating their hearts.

It's not so much an enemies to lovers but rather a partners to tentative romance situation, with trust issues. There is a lot of whodunit and supernatural creatures around every turn. I am so glad I requested this book and I really hope there is more in store for this duo. I think the mystery solving was well written and the world building was clever. What a phenomenal debut novel!

3.75⭐️
The description drew me right in with a Sherlock Holmes gender swapped combined with Dracula retelling. What could go wrong?

Ok a few things can go wrong but over all the book kept my attention and was intriguing. So I want to thank Bindery Books for the eARC for free so I can leave my honest opinion of the book.

I’ll mention that I listened to this book very fast as it got approved on publication day and I want to get them up generally before that day but I’m not a witch or wizard so here we are a day late.

One thing I’ll say is that while it takes place in the early 1900’s and there are mentions of things in line with that time frame, it still read like a modern book. For those that like historical fiction it may not fly with them. But for me would isn’t running to grab the next Kristin Hannah, it was not only fine for me but a positive!

I enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes references which I picked up on more readily than the Dracula ones but that’s probably due to my personal familiarity.

As I think about books I have changed my criteria the more I write and have added in the aspect of whether I would read the author again in deciding to round up or down. In this case I absolutely would give them another try!

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

TL;DR Review: Sherlock Holmes meets the League of Extraordinary Gentlewomen. A gothic mystery that sucks you in, with marvelous characters that keep you coming back for more.

Full Review:
Step aside Watson and Holmes; the age of Harker and Moriarty has dawned!
Strange Beasts brings everything I loved about the Sherlock Holmes mysteries (including my old favorite villain, Dr. Moriarty himself) and adds a dash of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The result is something truly spectacular and enjoyable.
Samantha Harker, daughter of Jonathan and Mina Harker, has grown up knowing about and, eventually, wanting to help eradicate monsters. She has joined The Society, a British organization that hunts down, captures, and kills monsters around the globe. She does it to carry on her parents’ legacy, but also hoping she will one day be able to find her grandfather, who vanished mysteriously and left only a sequence of numbers as a message.
When that exact same sequence pops up on the graffiti of a snarling wolf painted over a corpse clearly killed by some monster, Sam ventures out of the safety of her library and into the field to find clues. Her partner is none other than Dr. Moriarty—Dr. Helena Moriarty, daughter to the infamous villain himself.
From their first meeting, we’re treated to a series of deductions that could have been ripped straight out of a Sherlock Holmes novel (this is very much a compliment!), but also the addition of some magic and mysticism that promises fascinating developments as the story evolves.
Together, the two of them set off for Paris to begin their investigation into the mysterious and grisly murders. And inevitably, things go very, very wrong!
I won’t spoil the mystery for you, but suffice it to say, it combines both the Sherlock Holmes-style bizarre-but-real and all the extraordinary arcane and supernatural elements of stories like Dracula, Dorian Gray, and the very first fantasy books ever penned.
The setting is fascinating, too—the story takes place in the glitz and glamor of Paris in the early 1900s, with all the cultural quirks and foibles that characterized that era.
But it’s the characters that make this story truly sing.
Sam Harker is hiding a secret: she is a channel who can see visions from anything she touches that is imprinted with strong memories, such as a blood-covered jewel or a murder victim’s lifeless hand. This secret would get her banned from The Society and hunted down, so she has guarded it carefully. Yet as she’s working with Dr. Moriarty—or Hel—she tries to talk herself around to lowering her guards and trusting her companion. Even though Hel has done nothing (or very little) to earn it, Sam’s optimistic nature makes her want to try it anyways. And when she does, it’s just the thing to break through the walls Hel has built around herself as a defense mechanism against the world that sees her as nothing more than the daughter of Europe’s most notorious villain.
Hel’s story is incredibly fascinating, giving us a Sherlock Holmes character but with all the psychological issues that would stem from being raised by Dr. Moriarty. Sam is just the thing that will bring her out of her shell—albeit very, very slowly.
I loved every minute of this book—from the colorful setting to the fascinating Sherlock Holmes-esque mystery to the development of the characters’ relationship—and can’t wait to be back for more in future installments!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

3.4 stars
A solid supernatural mystery.

The author does a good job of setting up and unravelling the mystery. Not gonna lie, I got a little lost at times, but that may be a me problem, as I don't read mystery novels often.

The world-building is quickly and easily established. Whenever new information about the setting is revealed, it is done so in a way that flows easily with the narrative, without infodumping.

One major problem for me was the romance, or lack thereof. There is basically zero romantic tension between the two leads, so the when they kiss it comes out of nowhere. I appreciate their dynamic, and I was rooting for them from the start, but neither of them express any attraction to each other at all.

The book wraps up for the most part, but the ending is left ambiguous, possibly for a sequel? There are definitely things to be expanded upon, so if a sequel happens, I would look forward to that.

4 stars
——————

I’m struggling to come up with words to describe how good this book is. I’ve never needed a second book quite this badly.

The concept of this book is so unique in such a cool way. This intersection of Sherlock Holmes via Moriarty’s daughter, and Dracula, through his killer’s daughter, this sprinkling of mythical and magical beings. It was gothic, it was atmospheric. The plot was interesting and engaging. I never quite knew where it was going at any point. And while I did sort of suspect the ending, I second-guessed it to the very end.

What this book lacked was sufficient world building. You get thrown into this alternate storyline of a world, with all these new beings and rules, but there is never quite enough background on this world to fully understand what is going on. A lot of important informational background is thrown out there but never fully explored. It made the story a little hard to follow. Which took away from the sheer potential of this one for me. I still had a great time with it, but a little more space to explore could have made this a 5 star read for me.

The characters in this are really cool and pretty well explored. I loved the idea of using Moriarty’s daughter as a key player. Hel is just as intelligent, just as much a mastermind, but her own unique individual. Contrasting her bookwork Sam was such a good choice. I loved them as individual characters, especially how well each character’s background is established and explored. Hel’s issues with her dad, Sam’s ability and its origins. I also loved their chemistry together. I liked the concept of their romance, but wish it had been explored more.

I’m so excited to see what is in store for Sam and Hel on their next adventure.

Sam belongs in a library doing research, yet she finds herself in the field with an agent who is notorious for having assistants killed in the field. Will Sam be able to survive Hel?

This was such a cozy yet gothic story about two women trying to solve a case with cool and interesting monsters. The slow burn also slow burned for me, I loved the plot as much as the romance, which is exactly what I look for in any kind of fantasy romance. I hope this continues as a series, I'd love to be a part of more of their adventures

Rating: 4.5 stars

This was such an engaging and enthralling read. The novel has an atmospheric setting, taking place in the streets of Paris in the 1900s when women were frowned upon for taking on engaging or "dangerous" roles. The gothic atmosphere and the almost forbidden aspect of not only their professions but also their soft and budding romance added to the intrigue.

"Strange Beasts" stands out from other historical fiction novels. It didn't feel repetitive, nor was it too complicated to read and understand (as many mystery-related historical fiction novels can be).

This book is worth picking up.

Thank you to the publisher Bindery Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will say that I was loving this book at first. The setting and the vibes were what I was expecting and I loved it. The Main characters were interesting and I liked that there was a little intrigue. Also the premise, mystery with the children of moriarty and Mina harker and make it gay, sounded so good. So nothing awful happened, i started to find the characters annoying, Hel being secretive and sam being annoyed but also keeping things back really grated on me. There was also absolutely no chemistry between them, i was expecting some banter, or some tension, or flirtation but there’s nothing nearly halfway in. Also the story started falling flat, it set everything up well and then it just fell off, I got bored and I just didn’t want to pick it back up. I have waited for the motivation to come back for 2 days and i’m still not feeling it, and if I try to push through I will slump. Maybe it’s not the right style for me or maybe just not the right time

Strange Beasts is a beautiful gothic mystery twist on classic horror tales with the lightest touch of sapphic slow-burn romance. As someone who doesn't gravitate towards mystery, this book had me engaged from the start. The nods to Dracula and Sherlock Holmes were interesting without alienating readers less familiar with those stories. I greatly enjoyed the evolution of Sam and Hel's relationship, particularly the banter between the two. The main mystery following the Beast had some interesting twists and turns, though I found myself more interested in Professor Moriarty and Hel's complicated family ties.
Hoping for a sequel to see both Sam and Hel's relationship progress and to further explore the Moriarty line.

The book is intriguing, mysterious and it has so many secrets and layers. But there is more than mystery and secrets. The characters are really good but each of them go through all kind of emotions. The investigation is spot on and loved the setting of Royal Society and Paris. As soon as secrets come out and mystery unveils, they must stop the killer. A monster who is on a quest to eradicate powerful men. I liked the bond between Hel and Sam. The characters of Dracula meets the characters inspired by Sherlock holmes’s This is a gothic fantasy. Go for it, if you like strong female leads, mystery, secrets and characters from Dracula and Sherlock Holmes.

Thanks to the publisher and Author

This atmospheric Gothic mystery is spooky, moody, and beautifully written, immersing readers in the eerie catacombs of early 20th-century Paris. While the compelling story could have used more character development, I loved the author’s writing style and will definitely explore more of their work.

I am DESPERATE for this to have a sequel holy shit. Everything is perfect, the worldbuilding, the romance, the mystery, the atmosphere, the warm heart of it all. I actually genuinely forgot I was reading a retelling of several stories because the text itself is so rich and immersive. Fantastic, 10 stars, plz write a million of these.

I want to start off by saying that It was the cover for me with this book. I had no idea what i was getting myself into with this book. I know after getting into this book. I now know this won’t be the last book that I read from this author. This book did take me a little long to finish. I didn’t want this book to end or miss anything. I really enjoyed the world and the characters this author created. Omg I felt like I was there with Sam and Hel. Running around trying to figure out this beast thing. This book had me a couple of times where I thought I knew where this book was going. Nope what the heck in the twists and turns. Hel character had me wanting to scream at her couple of times. I loved Sam and how strong and wanting to find out about her grandfather. I enjoyed the channeling about Sam. Like I said earlier I loved this book and the characters. Highly recommend this book. There is a little love interest but I wont be spoiling it for future readers. This book does come out October 15, 2024 My reviews will be up everywhere. Thank you the author and netgalley for the opportunity to read such amazing book.

Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris is an unforgettable historical fantasy with a bit of magic and mystery.
I was completely immersed in this clever story which was executed brilliantly with some nerve-jittering suspense.
The rapid pace kept me turning the pages. Gripping and compelling I couldn’t put it down.

Thank You NetGalley and Bindery Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

A gender bent, sapphic, Sherlock Holmes and Dracula retelling with gothic and vibes and a moody atmosphere. This book helped clear my massive reading slump! It got me into the mood for all my Halloween themed stories. I cannot suggest this book enough if you're looking for action, romance, and moody vibes!

2.5/5
I was generously given the ability to read an ARC! Here is my honest review lol. I was immediately hooked by the premise.. Dracula, Sherlock, queer?! Sounds like a dream come true to me. The first I'll say third of the book is written wonderfully but then it seems to lose its charm? The writing style changes abruptly from very Stoker era to totally modern which threw me off horribly. I was hoping that this would become a new favourite of mine but it just wasn't really for me I suppose. The characters felt a bit bland to me and the slow burn isn't even just slow burn it doesn't necessarily even happen. The pair didn't have the chemistry I was hoping for in the slightest.
I feel as though this could've been fantastic if done a bit differently. The girl power-ness doesn't sit well with me when it's still at the core pleasing men to get by. Finding "female rage" in the last portion just left a bitter taste in my mouth. Female rage and girl power can be handled far better than this.
For a mystery this was almost Scooby Doo-ish to me as it was glaringly obvious who the culprit is. There were curveballs but those curveballs never made any sense anyhow.
I definitely feel like people who aren't expecting an overly queer or classic feel would love this! I'm unsure who this niche would be for but I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for something new.
I am interested to see if these characters will get their time to shine again later on because I think there's a lot of potential here if done differently.
Also Mina was girlboss in Dracula I feel like that was completely ignored here I am sorry. Mischaracterization of Mina Harker upsets me.

Strange Beasts written by Susan J. Morris is everything you want for this season. Gothic, historical, 20th century France, monster hunting, slow burn romance, sapphic, shall I go on? From the first page, we are instantly transported to a society of monster hunters located in London. We meet Samatha Harker, daughter of Dracula’s killer, who is desperate to become a field agent in order to solve the mystery of the disappearance of her grandfather. After some convincing and an unlikely partnership with Lady M, or Helena aka Hel Moriarty (whose father is said to have killed Sherlock Holmes), she gets to take her secrets out into the field and away from the protective walls of the library. Morris’s writing is so vivid and immersive; I struggled to put it down. In the world of Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, and Van Helsing, two women set out to solve a mysterious string of murders in the heart of Paris. Through an unexpected bond, secrets, a series of plot twists and turns through the catacombs of Paris, and beautifully written prose takes its readers on a monster hunting adventure of the ages. A resounding 5 stars!