3.5 Stars

A young heiress from an estate in the Alpine foothills has lived a sheltered life, as the youngest daughter in a European family that can be traced back 15 generations. Left to her own devices most of the time, she finds herself discovering family secrets that no twelve year old should uncover. As her grandfather notes her growing curiosity, he brings in a tutor to guide her education. But as more secrets are revealed and the questions of family succession come into play, she is mysteriously sent away to an all girls boarding school in the United States. Years pass with no contact from her family, and now in her 20s, she is ordered to return home, and face the unknown plans her family has set in place, to secure her role in the long line of their dynastic control.

Letters From the Dead is a well-written story of powerful families and the machinations of holding on to that power throughout each new generation. I enjoyed the mystery behind the FMCs family, and the doubts that her grandfather has for her father as the next in line as the family’s patriarch. It sets up a great storyline of family drama and intrigue, and brings some interesting questionable characters into the mix.

I was most invested in the relationship between the FMC and her grandfather. They had a heartwarming relationship, since she was mostly neglected by her parents, in a be seen and not heard household. While the family presents a polished front to the outside world, there are secrets and betrayals that makes the FMC a pawn among her family, without knowing fully what secrets are being kept from her.

While I did enjoy the book’s premise and following the life of the FMC, I did have some problems with the story. The FMC is twelve years old throughout 65% of the book, and I found that made it hard for me to stay connected to her as a character. From the situations she found herself in, I felt like her age progression should have taken place faster. Also, the book is set in the early 1990s, but because of the behavior, mannerisms, and speech of the family, it felt like the story was in the late 1800s, early 1900s. I just found myself having a hard time reconciling the setting, throughout the book.

I did enjoy the pacing of the latter part of the book, once the FMCs time at boarding school ended. This was a much longer read for me, at 11 days, and I think some shortening and editing of the first 65% would have made a big difference in the pacing and holding my interest in the story.

The book does end on a cliffhanger, and I am definitely interested to see where the story goes in the next book, now that the FMC has reached adulthood. If you love stories with family secrets, historical references, wealth and power, and a sense of mystery, then I would recommend reading Letters From the Dead.

It was good. But not for me really. I appreciate receiving this book nd I will look for more from this author. Thank you netglley

The premise behind this book is so interesting and got me really excited to read. However I left the book feeling a bit lost and kind of bored. There's a lot of extra history thrown in the story as well as longer stretches without any drama. I would consider this a genre bending read. There are parts of historical fiction, mystery, and family drama. I appreciate the advanced copy from Netgalley and Atria. I'm hopeful I can go back into this story when I'm I'm a different mood and try again. For now, it didn't hit the mark.

The novel follows a young girl, raised in the opulence of her family's sprawling Alpine estate, who is blissfully unaware of the dark forces that threaten her lineage. Her insatiable curiosity leads her to unearth a priceless text shrouded in mystery, one that threatens to unravel long-held secrets and ignite a battle for succession within her family.

When she is unexpectedly whisked away on a private jet to an elite all-girls boarding school in the United States, her life changes irrevocably. Fast forward a decade, and the protagonist, now in her twenties, faces a shocking turn of events: her bank accounts are frozen, and she is summoned back to her affluent but empty existence. As she grapples with the implications of her family’s plans, including an arranged marriage, the tension heightens when she begins to unearth the horrific act that led to her exile and confronts her most formidable foe—her own father.

The author deftly constructs a narrative rich in intrigue and emotion, drawing readers into the protagonist's world and capturing her evolution from a sheltered girl to a determined young woman seeking the truth. The shadowy nature of familial loyalty versus personal autonomy is explored through layers of betrayal and power dynamics, making for a compelling read.

A particularly poignant quote resonates deeply: “Sometimes, the greatest battles we face are not against the enemies outside, but against the loyalties that bind us within.” This line encapsulates the internal conflict of the protagonist as she navigates her family's expectations and her desire for independence.

With its well-paced storytelling and intricate character development, Letters from the Dead keeps readers engaged from beginning to end. The exploration of dark family secrets and the protagonist’s quest for self-identity create an emotionally charged atmosphere that lingers long after the final page is turned. Readers will find themselves eagerly anticipating the next installment of this thrilling saga, drawn in by the promise of revelations yet to come.

I’m afraid I didn’t finish this, merely flicked through to see how it ended. The underlying story was eerie and atmospheric but I found it got lost in the all the historical war knowledge the author injected into the book. It was very old fashioned and timeless. I just couldn’t connect with it at all. I have given it 3 stars because it was well written and I know others will enjoy the read.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Unfortunately, I like the idea of this book more than the actual book itself. It was beautifully written, and I loved all of the folklore and backstory that was involved in it, however, the story itself was lacking for me. Also, it took a really long time for me to even be interested in what I was reading.

This novel is exactly what I like! It's a little similar to Donna Tartt's The Secret History in the second half, but I prefer the first half which is at this bizarre estate of an extremely wealthy German/Austrian family. The way the main character has been brought up is like a 19th century princess even though it's the 1990s. The tension between her and her oldest brother, the sadistic and predatory Augustin, filled the novel with dread. I was quite interested in her parents and grandfather, a little less so in the professors who also live there. I've a weakness for arcane historical lore so I was in my element in that section. The Connecticut and New York chapters moved well and had some humor, especially when she fights back against boarding school bullies who have no idea what they are dealing with! I am happy to see this novel at a major publisher after being pounded to dust by domestic thrillers and World War II heroines. I would love to read the whole series.

Letters from the Dead is a Gothic style novel with ponderous prose, heavy on the family history of the female main character who isn't named, which I found incredibly frustrating and made her hard to have feelings about. I felt the author was trying to impress us with her knowledge of history and large words, rather than the story itself. I made it about halfway through and realized I just didn't care enough about anyone in the book to bother finishing it when I had so many potentially enjoyable books on my TBR to read. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I struggled with this book and found it to be boring, despite the promising premise. It centers on a young heiress who has never left her family’s estate, but is then exiled after seeing something she shouldn’t have seen. The story is told in the first person and we never actually get the protagonist’s name, which left me somewhat disconnected from her.

The first half (ish) of the book goes really deep into history with which I was not familiar- it felt like I was reading an assignment for school and I found it rather boring, though I did enjoy our protagonist’s dynamic with both her teacher and her grandfather. I didn’t really understand why she had to be sent away- what she saw didn’t really seem like a big deal. The book picks up pace when she is in New York but again, I felt like not much actually happened. Finally, I just didn’t understand the epilogue at all and feel like I clearly missed something that left me unsatisfied when I was finished.

Overall, while this is beautiful writing it was a little too deep into history and too light in action/suspense to work for me. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I began this book with a certain idea of how it would proceed. The blurb tends to create these thoughts, and I happen to rely on summaries or blurbs to guide my reading experience. In this case, I feel that said blurb described an entirely different book than what I read. The languid plot moved minutely from one event to the next, drawing out conversations and exposition to an extent even I could no longer comprehend. Often what happened was a sequence that took twenty or more pages could have been condensed to a page. This is not to say the book or writing are not of quality. It’s clear Valeri is well-versed on the topics covered in the book, and writes settings extremely well. Unfortunately this does not counteract entirely how the plot was extended such that the blurb did not accurately sum up what it entailed. It had immense potential, and I wish I could provide more positive feedback.

I couldn't put this book down. Intrigue, family politics and dynamics, and insanely rich and powerful family history is told in Letters from the Dead. If you like stories about insanely rich families with dark histories, this book is for you. The way the author wove the past in with the present as we read about events long ago is masterful. The tension and constant dread of the future hangs in the air and the atmosphere is heavy with anticipation of what's next.

✨Review✨

Letters from the Dead by Isabella Valeri

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

If you loved The Secret History- here is your next long-lasting obsession.

📖 You know those train scenes in the movies, where the lover is waving from the station while their counter part is on the train waving back. The train starts moving and then the person standing at the station left behind realizes they aren’t ready to say goodbye and starts chasing after the speeding train (to the best of their ability).

Well, the person left behind chasing a train as it speeds up, just trying to keep up. That’s me.

Our main character is off writing her next chapter, and I can’t see where she is headed yet. If you need me I’ll be sitting here at the train station waiting for the next train so I can catch up and see what’s she’s going to do next.

Not to be dramatic, but this may be one of the best books I have ever read in my entire life.
I finished this book and I began frantically flipping through the pages still searching for answers, clues, anything to go off. I re-read the book and I’m still searching. You’ll understand what I’m saying once you read this.

This book is going to be an award winner. It is one of the most well written books to exist. The words woven together in a timeless masterpiece full of mystery.

💬”This addictive debut novel takes us into an intoxicating world of old money, privilege, and family intrigue as a young heiress must return home from a decade-long exile to face the powerful enemies arrayed against her, including those within her own family.
For the first eleven years of her life, the precocious daughter of a great European family tracing its roots back more than fifteen generations, never set foot on land that her family didn’t own. Cloistered on a sprawling estate in the Alpine foothills, as the youngest sibling of her generation she has little knowledge of the dark forces gathering in the shadows to strike at her family. But, when her insatiable curiosity leads her to uncover a priceless text hidden hundreds of years before, she shines light into corners meant to be left in the dark and threatens to uncover secrets that could trigger an internecine battle for succession.
Then, with no warning or explanation, she is whisked away on a private jet and exiled to an elite but isolated all-girls boarding school in the United States. More than a decade later, now in her twenties, she finds her bank accounts abruptly frozen by her family. She is recalled from her affluent but empty existence abroad. Little does she know that her family has plans for her, including an arranged marriage. Worse, as she draws closer to discovering the horrific act that sent her into exile a decade before, and shadowy enemies close in on her family, she must face her most dangerous and powerful foe: her own father.”

📆Release date: May 2025

✨Read this if you like✨
🥀 Mystery
🥀 Thriller
🥀 Suspense
🥀 Old Money
🥀 Powerful Young Heiress
🥀 Estates
🥀 Travel
🥀 Family drama

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC! This was a cerebral read, and not something that I would be able to devour in one sitting. It was enjoyable and intellectual, with beautifully written prose and an intriguing look into the politics and power struggles of a dynastic family. There were definitely some slower points, and many historical facts that occasionally felt they bogged down the pace of the book. Things picked up in the second half, though I wish you learned more about the tomes, Augustin and Bastien as young adults, and the relationships of the family while she was in exile. Further, I understand that she had to choose, but I am disappointed that her ending is one which she fought so hard against. Overall, 3.75*

I believe that this book is one that needs to be taken in and truly digested- not a quick, subtle read by any means. The pacing can make it difficult to stay focused, but it being beautifully well written with intriguing concepts and characters made it so it was worth it. I can say I enjoyed it but I can see it being a very niche read in the end. Thank you for the opportunity

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Letters from the Dead.

Don't judge a book by its cover. That's a common saying.

it should also be 'don't judge a book by its title.'

That definitely applies here.

I was intrigued by the title and excited my request was approved. I'm always up for a debut novel and a suspenseful story.

Sadly, Letters from the Dead bored me to death.

Letters from the Dead should also be categorized as literary.

In my experience, when a book is dubbed 'literary' it means it's well written to the point of purple prose but painfully slow and boring.

I thought this was a mystery. It's not.

I thought it would be suspenseful. Nope.

I thought I would like the characters. Uh-huh.

Is this well written? Sure.

But it's not suspenseful or mysterious; its a history lesson, a lesson in affluence and wealth and family dynasties, none of which I care about.

I don't care about the uber wealthy and their mansions and their hoity-toity parties with the rich and politically connected.

There's also plenty of scenes of drinking, drugging, sleeping around, blah blah blah.

The typical shenanigans rich people do when they have too much money and nothing else/better to do.

Stuff happens but it's more like a sidebar to the history and political lessons and how the precocious daughter must use her wiles and intelligence to figure out what her family is hiding.

Which is what...exactly?

Not sure, since the ending is open=ended which I guess there's a sequel...which I won't read.

The first half of the narrative demonstrates the tutoring and tutelage of said daughter and her precarious relationships with her parents, her tumultuous relationships with her brothers, and her deep love she has for her grandfather.

I'm always confused about books like these.

What's the point?

Why should I care about this crazy wealthy family who lives and talks like they live in the 19th century and have more money than a small country?

Why should I care about their secrets and lust for power and glory and terrible deeds they have perpetrated?

Why should I care about the main character's grab for her own power and independence?

I don't like anyone; I'm indifferent to the main character.

She's smart and well educated but after slogging through the narrative, I still don't know her.

To be honest, I don't know much after trudging through all those words and quotes and Latin in the book.

I need a brain break.

Overall, "Letters from the Dead" is a captivating and atmospheric mystery novel that will appeal to fans of authors such as Agatha Christie, Ruth Ware, and Laura Purcell. If you're looking for a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing until the very end, look no further.

Lots of twists and turns. I really connected with the fmc. The pacing was really nice and it kept me engaged throughout the story.

Thank you netgalley for the arc.

This book is intriguing with lots of twists and turns, I didn't feel like it was resolved in the end. This was a good book but I can't say that it was one of my favorites. I did think that it was a bit slower paced than what I expected. I was interested in the complicated relationship with parents and the mystery of why she sent away and the book she found. However, things did start to get a little disjointed for me and while I was interested and engaged, I did struggle in some parts to keep going.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

I really enjoyed the descriptive writing and themes of this book, but would have personally preferred it to be more plot-driven.

Throughout history, monarchies and elite nobility have been constant sources of collective study and fascination. In this novel we follow a young girl as she learns of the complex inner workings and power struggles taking place within her aristocratic family. Her grandfather recognizes a burgeoning curiosity and intellect within her and takes a special interest in her education.

One frightful night she is yanked from her family’s estate, given a new identity, and sent away to a remote boarding school in the United States. With no contact or explanation for this abrupt departure, she accepts this fate and settles into her new identity and tutelage. Secrets, wealth, politics, and mystery surround her as she comes of age estranged from her clan and the only place she called home.

Despite the story’s potential, the plot was at times sluggish and in many ways felt vague and incomplete. I’m hoping there is more to come in this tale to fill in the areas that were missing.

I highly recommend this novel for fans of chunksters full of erudite historical references, secret societies, and old family intrigue.

I thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of Letters from the Dead for my unbiased evaluation.  4 stars