1937. When her young protégé is killed in suspicious circumstances, celebrated photojournalist Hettie Turner is wracked with guilt. Desperate to escape her grief, she travels to the distant Hill House to help with an unusual request. Arriving at the ancestral home of the Mandevilles, Hettie finds a family struggling to accept the passing of the head of the household, Sir Charles Mandeville. Hettie is enlisted to catalogue the eclectic collection of antiquities amassed by Sir Charles when he explored the world as a young man. Independent by nature, Hettie is surprised to find herself turning to the family’s groom, the handsome ex-soldier Rhys Lewis, for help.

The longer she stays at Hill House, the more it gets under Hettie’s skin. From the graceful sweep of the central staircase to the soft rustle of pages in the old library – Hettie becomes fascinated by the history of the Mandevilles. Sir Charles was secretive about parts of his collection but, ever the pragmatist, Hettie dismisses the legend that a cursed object is responsible for the many tragedies that have befallen the family. But as Hettie delves deeper into her work, increasingly unsettling experiences occur around her, causing secrets formed in the frozen wilderness of Canada six decades earlier to unravel.

I really enjoyed this. I haven't read the others in the series, and this was fine for me as a standalone. I loved that the house itself felt like its own character. It definitely gave this book a different flavor for me. Interesting story - I haven't read anything quite like it! I would definitely recommend this if it sounds interesting to you! 4⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

Like book 1 in the series, we have a dual timeline giving a greater insight to the Mandeville family and its history. Hettie becomes the latest outsider to help them and they, her. Loved the introduction of Stella, the cat. Plenty of unexplained goings on to keep the reader page turning.

Thanks to Netgalley /Storm for the ARC to review.

Thank you Storm Publishing and NetGalley for letting me review this book.

This has been the best immersed historical dual timeline mystery, I have ever read. I felt like I was in the book in both April 1876 and February 1937. I did not see the twists coming especially at the end! This was such a wonderful book, I need to read more from this author! I thought about going to bed and woke up excited to read it in the morning. This book was brilliant, and for any historical thriller fans out there, this book is for you! So many secrets, mysteries, twists, etc. Just brilliant! I didn't want the book to end. I could read books like this, every day.

I wish every author could write like this. Phenomenal! I more than highly recommend this book!

I could not finish this ARC. I got 40% in and was just completely bogged down. Author was too overly descriptive and story not advancing at all.

The story follows Hettie, a photographer visiting Mandeville to capture images of antiques in a cottage with a hidden past. While the premise had potential, the execution left much to be desired.

The pacing was slow, with the narrative bogged down by overly detailed descriptions. There’s a fine line between painting a vivid picture and overloading the reader with unnecessary details. For example, I didn’t need to know every step of how someone folded a cloth or moved a kettle. These moments made the story feel like it was dragging and distracted from the main plot.

Another issue was the repetitive use of past perfect tense. Sentences like “she had done this, she had done that” were constant and made the prose feel clunky. This stylistic choice disrupted the flow of the story and pulled me out of the experience more often than I would have liked.

The romance between Hettie and Rhys also didn’t add much to the story. It felt unnatural, with little chemistry between the two characters. The narrative would have been stronger if they had remained friends working together to uncover the cottage’s secrets, rather than forcing a romance that didn’t fit.

Hatshepsut, aka Hettie, is given a chance to put her phtography skills to work by Edward Mandeville. She is tasked with cataloging Sir. Charles Mandeville's extensive collection from his worldly travels. However, odd things start to happen at Hill House and Hettie isn't sure if it is just ghosts from the past, like her friend Saul, or if there really is a Mandeville Curse and she just happens to be caught in between it.

Thank you Netgalley and  Storm Publishing for this very intriguing ARC.

This was a fascinating story with lots of disparate threads which all eventually come together. lots of interesting and well described characters that bring the story to life. Great read!

The Mandeville Curse is a captivating blend of mystery, history, and emotion set across dual timelines in 1876 and 1937. This is the fourth book in Callie Langridge’s Mandeville Mystery series, but it reads well as a standalone novel while offering added depth for those familiar with earlier entries.

The story follows Hettie Turner, a photojournalist grappling with guilt and grief after the untimely death of a young protégé. At the urging of her family, she accepts an assignment to catalog the antiques of Hill House, an ancestral home steeped in history and intrigue. As Hettie delves into her task, she uncovers long-buried secrets linked to Sir Charles Mandeville’s travels in North America in 1876, including a chilling curse said to haunt the family.

Langridge masterfully weaves the two timelines, drawing readers into the atmospheric settings of the Mandeville estate and the wild Canadian landscapes of Sir Charles’s explorations. The plot is rich with twists, eerie occurrences, and a touch of the supernatural, all balanced by the grounding presence of Hettie’s burgeoning romance with Rhys Lewis, a kind and enigmatic ex-soldier.

Hettie is a compelling protagonist—modern, independent, and relatable, even as she struggles with her past. Her resilience and determination to uncover the truth make her an inspiring figure. The side characters, including the steadfast Rhys and the ever-watchful Stella the cat, add charm and depth to the narrative.

The book’s pacing is steady, building suspense with each chapter while offering moments of reflection and emotional resonance. Langridge’s evocative descriptions of the Scottish Highlands and Hill House imbue the story with a gothic allure, while the mystery surrounding the curse keeps readers guessing until the very end.

Whether you’re a longtime fan of the series or a newcomer, The Mandeville Curse offers an engaging, atmospheric read with strong characters, a layered plot, and a satisfying conclusion. It’s a must-read for fans of historical mysteries and dual-timeline storytelling.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

The fourth book in this series, it features Hettie Turner, a photojournalist who has retreated into herself after the death of Saul, a 17 year old she had mentored, and whose death she felt responsible for. To try to help her through her problems, her family arrange for her to catalogue the collection of an old family friend, the late Sir Charles Mandeville.

I have really enjoyed this series so far. I like Hettie, a strong independent woman, who doesn’t bow to convention either in fashion or the way she leads her life, being direct and going for what she wants. The story is intriguing, set in the late 1930s, and also back to Sir Charles’ time as a young man exploring the world before he goes on to his career in the Army. Sometimes this can be a clunky way to write but this flows really well, in keeping with the previous books and the history of the Mandeville home and background. Although a standalone read, for me it’s better to have read the previous books, to work out how everyone is connected.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Hettie has been entrusted with cataloging the contents of an estate in the form of photographing the items. Photography is her forte and both her parents and the Hills family where the items are, feel this is the remedy to get Hettie out of her present state of mind - inertia, depression and overwhelming guilt over the cruel death of her protege.

Set in 1937 but going back to the time that Hettie’s own grandfather and Sir Charles were young men the story explains the close links between the families and the history of each person in the story. There is a lot to assimilate- the family dynamics, the loss of an inheritance, the resulting enmity and deaths that result and the danger for the present family members too in a way completely unthought of.

The romance between Rhys an ex soldier and now a groom at the estate, and Hettie is a slow build up and adds to the depth of this story. Hettie herself is a strong woman and is unusually modern and independent for the 1930s, most probably due to her slightly unconventional and modern upbringing.

The book is part of a series but does well as a stand alone.

An intense story about Hettie, a young woman photojournalist, who is struggling with the recent loss of a close friend and regrets about a past
relationship. There is a touch of the supernatural which is eventually explained via "flashbacks" about her godfather's trip to North America.

I like and admire Hettie, and find her assignment of cataloging and photographing his collection at Mandeville interesting, as well as her interactions with the current staff of Hill House. The author has done a good job describing all her troubled thoughts about the past and present, however some of the descriptions go beyond what I consider proper in a "cozy mystery" - however they are quite essential to the unfolding of the plot.

For most of the book I was feeling sorry for Hettie, but admired her tenacity in attempting to overcome her distress. The cat was a surprising help to her, as were the special friends she makes at the hall.

Unfortunately, the copy the publisher sent has an incredible number of errors in the text which were distracting. Hopefully all of them are caught before publication!

I haven’t read the first three, but I am wondering if I should and then try this one again. As, I don’t know how I feel about this work, overall. I enjoyed the two timelines, but I didn’t really connect with the characters, especially Hettie. Grief hits people in different ways, but she was just so “plain”. It felt like she was spending more time lamenting a lost love than the death of a friend.

I didn’t really understand why she was scared of the cottage as nothing really dramatic happened there. Maybe if the descriptions were more in-depth? I don’t know, it just seemed like the power of suggestion and overreaction.

Overall, I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars.

I have to say it took me longer than usual to read this. I felt like I trudged through the story, just waiting for something to happen. It was overly descriptive and wordy in my opinion. I don’t need a detailed description of how the mc put on her coat, how she buttoned it, then put on her gloves one by one before carefully wrapping her scarf around her neck. There was a lot more detail than that, but I paraphrased for you. I feel it was a neat story line, but getting to it just took entirely too long.

I didn’t realise when I read it but this is the 4th book in the Mandeville Mystery series but this read well as a standalone. A dual timeline story following Charles Mandeville in 1836 when he travelled to USA and Canada with two friends. In 1937 photojournalist Hettie Turner has travelled to Hill House, where she spent many happy childhood visits, to catalogue Sir Charles Mandeville’s collection of antiquities following his death.

Briefly, the antiquities are held in a cottage in the grounds of the Hall and Hattie is working from there. The cottage has the reputation of being cursed and some strange things do seem to happen there. Nettie turns to the groundskeeper Rhys Lewis for help but it seems that other members of staff know more than they are sharing.

Hettie is rather an unusual character. Quite independent for a woman in the 1930’s but has also a rather insular personality, keeping her thoughts and feelings to herself. Her grief has been getting the better of her and this trip was arranged in the hope of helping her overcome her anxiety. The plot is a bit creepy at times and had me wondering if there were paranormal goings on! It’s a good plot line with some twists and turns to keep you on the ball. I loved Stella the cat, an unusual ally but often there when a comforting companion was needed. An entertaining mystery with a gothic vibe. Very enjoyable.

I could not get into this book at all - it was way too slow for me. I kept waiting for something to happen and about 20% in, it went into my DNF pile. Life is too short to read books I don't enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️

This is the fourth book in the Mandeville series that I have read. This time it features Hatshepsut Turner, known as Hettie.
Hettie is a photojournalist, and a family friend of the Mandeville’s going way back through the generations.
After the demise of her friend and apprentice Saul, the Mandeville family ask Hettie to their home as a favour to do some photographic cataloging.
Will Hettie find the rest and peace she desperately needs there?

I enjoy reading the authors books very much, but this book to me seemed different from the others. There were some of the characters from previous books in it but the main characters from previous books weren’t and I missed them.
It was set in dual timelines as the books always are which appeals to me, especially the historical side.
The book can be read as a standalone.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. The story is told along 2 timelines, 1876 and 1937. Hettie a young woman is asked yo photograph the collection of antiquities and collections made by her Grandfather's friend Charles. She is an unusual character, who appears very forward for the times. She agrees to vomplete this work at Mandeville House, where she visited as a child with Henry, her grandfather. The earlier timeline tells the story from Charles account of his tour after university with Henry and Walter his friends. The story begins well, but I found that it developed to slowly for me.. The mysterious happening in the cottage are creepy, but not very interesting, until nearer the end when the explanation occurs. The ending moves the pace up again. Find I enjoy reading thus book? I'm not sure. Dome of the descriptions of the objects znd places were well written, but overall I felt let down.

I thought this book was a bit slow moving. It just seemed like it took forever for something to happen. It started off good and ended good but the middle was just blah. I do think it’s a good series.

Thank you Storm Publishing and NetGalley for letting me review this book.

This has been the best atmospheric historical dual timeline mystery I have ever read. I felt like I was in the book in both April 1876 and February 1937.

I did not see the twists coming especially at the end! This was such a wonderful book, I need to read more from this author! I thought about going to bed and woke up excited to read it in the morning.

This book was brilliant, and for any historical thriller fans out there, this book is for you! So many secrets, mysteries, twists, etc. Just brilliant!

The book is a wonderfully atmospheric read, full of mystery and intrigue. Set in 1937, it follows Hettie Turner, a photojournalist escaping her grief, as she gets caught up in the secrets of the Mandeville family estate. The setting is beautifully described, with Hill House feeling both grand and haunting, though the detailed descriptions can slow the story a bit at first.
Hettie is a likeable, practical character, and her growing bond with Rhys, the brooding groom, adds a nice touch of romance. The mystery builds slowly but becomes more gripping as eerie events unfold and long-hidden family secrets come to light.
If you enjoy historical mysteries with a gothic twist, this is definitely worth a read. It’s not fast-paced, but it’s rich with atmosphere and keeps you guessing until the end