Book Review

Book Review: THE MESMERIST by Caroline Woods

| Jessica Crawford

The Mesmerist by Caroline Woods is a 336 page standalone novel published by Doubleday in 2024.

Genre:

Historical Fiction, Mystery

Opening Line:

The poor young woman, the one everyone would take to calling the “ghost girl”, or worse, in a matter of weeks, found her way to the Bethany Home for Unwed Mothers by walking the railroad tracks.

My Thoughts:

The Mesmerist is historical fiction based on a real place in Minneapolis, The Bethany Home for Unwed Mothers, as well as on a true crime story that transpired in the area in 1894.

One night a newcomer arrives at Bethany Home seeking sanctuary, a traumatized young woman who, judging by her dress, worked as a “sporting woman” in a brothel. She does not seem to speak, but she does come with a suspiciously large amount of money on her person.

Abby Mendenhall doesn’t expect her charges at the Home to provide their real names, but she can’t help but wonder who the newcomer, given the appellation Faith, is—especially as it becomes clear there are people looking for her and stories of dead madams and prostitutes begin to circulate. The other inmates in the Home begin to speculate that Faith is a notorious mesmerist, and they keep their distance from her, spooked.

May is a woman whose one year at Bethany Home is almost at end, but she plans on getting herself a proposal from a gentleman before she is forced to choose between returning to grueling work in harsh conditions or else a brothel. She has set her sights on Hal, and when she meets his friends, she realizes that Faith also had crossed paths with them, in her life “before”. But what is the connection, exactly?

I enjoyed the vibes of this late nineteenth century, “Gilded Age” story, spending time among the philanthropic society ladies and unfortunate sporting women, in the parlors where various facets of spiritualism were having their heyday as entertainment. The chapters alternate among Faith, May, and Abby. The mysterious elements of the story were rather good. Sure, I gave the book some side-eye when characters convince themselves they acted against their will because someone with a magnetic personality (i.e. a mesmerist) suggested they do so. And there were some parts I would have liked to have delved into a little deeper. But the experience of reading the story was quite to my liking overall. 4.75 stars!

Bookshop

Goodreads

Bookstagram

Book Review: DEAREST by Jacquie Walters

| Jessica Crawford

Dearest by Jacquie Walters is a 304 page novel published by Mulholland Books (Hachette) in 2024.

Genre:

Horror

Opening Line:

When Flora wakes, her mouth is so dry that the inside of her cheeks are stuck to her teeth.

My Thoughts:

Flora’s military husband is deployed when she gives birth to their first child, Iris. By the time the baby is three weeks old, Flora is suffering from infected nipples on top of the sleep deprivation and the concerns about her fitness as a mother – she could really use some help. Somewhat desperate, she reaches out to her mother, who she hasn’t spoken with in four years. Jody shows up to help, but will Flora regret it?

This book started out really strong for me. Much of this horror novel is spent wondering, “Is there something nefarious going on, or is it postpartum psychosis?” Toward the end things went off the rails a bit, and though I still overall enjoyed it, I wasn’t completely satisfied with all of our answers. At one point burning the birth tusk was a bad thing we didn’t want to happen, why all of a sudden is it our goal? That is just one question I was left with, but overall I’d say this was still a 4.5 star read for me.

I listened to this on audio, and it’s narrated by the author herself. She has a nice voice and doesn’t do cringey things with it when speaking the dialogue of different characters, BUT the way she chose to say some things was really odd to me. Like, the parts of character’s lines she chose to emphasize, where she paused a bit too long – if I had read those lines of dialogue they would have come across perfect for the situation, but the way she chose to read them aloud was how no one would actually speak.

Book Review: A NEW LEASE ON DEATH by Olivia Blacke

| Jessica Crawford

A New Lease on Death by Olivia Blacke is a 336 page novel, the first in a planned series called Supernatural Mysteries.

Genre:

Mystery, Paranormal, Cozy

Opening Line:

I didn’t know how long I sat cross-legged in the snow, waiting for the dead man crumples on the ground in front of my building to wake up.

Synopsis:

In this darkly funny supernatural mystery about an unlikely crime-solving duo that launches a commercial, unique, and genre-blending series, death is only the beginning.

Ruby Young’s new Boston apartment comes with all the usual perks. Windows facing the brick wall of the next-door building. Heat that barely works. A malfunctioning buzzer. Noisy neighbors. A dead body on the sidewalk outside. And of course, a ghost.

Since Cordelia Graves died in her apartment a few months ago, she’s kept up her residency, despite being bored out of her (non-tangible) skull and frustrated by her new roommate. When her across-the-hall neighbor, Jake Macintyre, is shot and killed in an apparent mugging gone wrong outside their building, Cordelia is convinced there’s more to it and is determined to bring his killer to justice.

Unfortunately, Cordelia, being dead herself, can’t solve the mystery alone. She has to enlist the help of the obnoxiously perky, living tenant of her apartment. Ruby is twenty, annoying, and has never met a houseplant she couldn’t kill. But she also can do everything Cordelia can’t, from interviewing suspects to researching Jake on the library computers that go up in a puff of smoke if Cordelia gets too close. The roommates form an unlikely friendship as they get closer to the truth about Jake’s death…and maybe other dangerous secrets as well.

My Thoughts:

This book features a murder mystery investigation by an unlikely duo: the ghost of recently deceased Cordelia Graves, and Ruby, the twenty year old who moved into her apartment after her death.

The writing was decent and there were fun elements to the story, but the pacing was not ideal. After the murder being investigated occurs and the initial evidence collected, there is zero advancement in this regard until very near to the end. What there is instead is learning a lot about Cordelia’s life before she ghosted, which was fine and relevant to the overall arc of the series, but also a whole lot of repeating the same information already provided over and over again. The characters comment on how strange it is that a mugger would not take their victim’s nice phone again and again, and I think the job duties of the front desk position at software startup TrendCelerate were listed for us at least three times. Cordelia’s limitations and bonus abilities as a ghost are also revisited many times, going over the same information. The attempted red herrings were not super successful either.

Overall I was mostly able to enjoy this paranormal story for it’s fun and quirky elements, but as a mystery it didn’t work as well as it might.

That being said, it definitely has its charms, and if the description tickles your fancy at all I do think you could consider giving it a shot yourself.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Bookshop.org

Goodreads

Bookstagram

Book Review: SO THIRSTY by Rachel Harrison

| Jessica Crawford

So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison is a 304 page standalone novel published by Berkley in 2024.

Genre

Horror, Paranormal

Opening Line

Sunlight severs me from sleep.

My Thoughts

Sloane and Naomi have been friends for a long time despite their differences. Naomi likes to live in the moment, to do what feels good, consequences be damned. Sloane prefers to be practical and cautious, and likes the comfort bred from familiarity. The two stay at a Finger Lakes resort for a long weekend to celebrate Sloane’s 36th birthday when things take a wild turn at a party with an eclectic group of mysterious strangers. Will they continue sticking to the paths they’ve each chosen for themselves now that “lifelong” might very well mean eternity? Can their friendship survive now that their new circumstances have changed everything?

I really enjoy Harrison’s writing – I find her work so eminently readable. And so for a good portion of this book, I thought it might wind up being a 5 star read for me. But over time, I got so annoyed with both Sloane and Naomi. There were times when they were both just the worst. (Sloane would be into staying in the cottage wrapped up in cozy robes and enjoying some girl talk for her birthday, but Naomi plans a surprise for her – dragging her along to a big sexy party at the house of the guy she just met at the bar the night before, and then has the audacity to be all like, “Try being more grateful, I did this for you!” No, girl, you did not.) And while I was into the romance bit, it was definitely too “insta” for my liking.

There was a lot here about living a meaningful life versus settling, the trepidation of approaching middle age, vampires and blood lust, but mostly it was about friendship during a time of crisis. The story didn’t quite take it home for me, but I (mostly) enjoyed the ride, and look forward to reading more of this author’s work.

🔥🔥🔥🔥 This book includes some descriptions of group sex, although from the viewpoint of a bystander

🔪🔪 There is definitely some violent and gruesome content in this vampire novel, although nothing that made this reader uncomfortable

Bookshop.org

Goodreads

Bookstagram

Book Review: HYDE by Craig Russell

| Jessica Crawford

Hyde by Craig Russell is a 352 page standalone novel published in 2021.

Genre:

Mystery, Historical Fiction, Horror, Retelling/Reimagining

Opening Line:

He looked at his friend and wondered how he still lived.

My Thoughts:

Ancient Celtic mythology, ritualistic murder, Scottish nationalism, the duality of human nature!

This story is a reimagining of Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. The conceit is that in the prologue, Stevenson is looking for inspiration to write a story about the duality of human nature, and his friend Captain Edward Hyde says, “Boy, do I have just the thing!” and proceeds to tell him his own story.

Hyde is a police detective with epilepsy, suffering from absence seizures during which he “loses time” and cannot remember what he did or how he got to wherever he was when he comes to. As he investigates ritualistic murders in nineteenth century Edinburgh, he begins to fear what it is he gets up to when he’s not aware of his actions.

All of the keywords used to describe this book (atmospheric, haunting, Gothic) are ones that are usually homeruns for me. In theory it sounds like a good fit for me. But honestly the way this book was written had me kind of bored and flipping pages just to be done with it already. It was still good, but not great for this reader. 3.5 stars.

Bookshop.org

Goodreads

Bookstagram

Book Review: STRANGE BEASTS by Susan J. Morris

| Jessica Crawford

Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris is a 384 page novel published in 2024 by Bindery Books.

Genre:

Mystery, Gaslamp Fantasy

Opening Line:

Samantha Harker’s heels rang on the fine marble floors as she hurried past plaster reliefs of scenes torn from myth.

My Thoughts:

Are you interested in stories about government organizations dedicated to investigating supernatural phenomena? Are you curious what a partnership between the daughter of Mina and Jonathan Harker from Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the daughter of Professor Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes series would look like? Did you like the idea of the bookish researcher (with an academic and personal interest in the occult, like Ninth House) taking to the field like in the Emily Wilde books? The possibility of a quasi-religious/political group being behind horrific beastly attacks like in The Brotherhood of the Wolf? The scheming to trap a potential werewolf at the opera like in Gabriel Knight: The Beast Within? Do you appreciate queer representation in the books you read, with a gentle romance arc that takes a backseat to the adventurous and mysterious plot? Do you like your feminist rage to have actual, literal bite?

If you said yes to any of the above, then do I have a treat for you!

In 1903, Sam and Hel are agents of the London Field Office of The Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena. Ostensibly, the group hunts dangerous monsters of the paranormal variety. Our two heroines are sent to Paris to look into a spree of brutal murders thought to have been committed by some kind of Capital B Beast. Their investigation takes them to illicit salons, the catacombs, the opera, and many other places besides.

The two women must learn to trust one another, which does not come easy. Sam is used to keeping her ability as a channel secret, as most people believe this means she will inevitably fall under the sway of monsters and is therefore a danger herself. Conversely, everyone knows the identity of Hel’s father, but what they don’t know is that by making the choice to free herself from his influence, she guaranteed that he will always target people she gets close to.

My one complaint is that it seems like this book tried to be and do a little too much. There’s Sam channeling, false visions, a hidden rage, Jakob Van Helsing (son of Abraham) foiling her wherever she goes in a bid to save her from her own inexorable descent into monstrousness, the men in the Royal Society discounting the abilities of the women, personal agency, the question of monster versus victim, alchemy, religious and political motivations, the potential for Moriarty to be manipulating their investigation, covert ciphers, messages sent via bees…all on top the of the basic premise of uncovering who is responsible for the murders and stopping them.

(And one extremely niggling issue: I understand that “wills o’the wisp” is probably the proper plural form, but it still sounds off enough to kick me from the immersion in the story, and it is a term that gets used SO. MUCH.)

Even with being a bit extra, this is a 4.75 star book for me. I really liked the characters, the early twentieth century Paris setting, the paranormal elements, and the investigation into the Beast killings. It was a lot of fun, and I wasn’t bored for even a moment. It does leave the door open for another adventure to come. I will be keeping an eye on this author, and this publisher, for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bindery Books, and Inky Phoenix Press for the eARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

Bookshop.org

Goodreads

Bookstagram

Book Review: THE BOOK OF WITCHING by C. J. Cooke

| Jessica Crawford

The Book of Witching by C. J. Cooke is a 384 standalone novel published by Berkley in 2024.

Genre:

Horror, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Supernatural, Witchy

Opening Line:

It’s almost sunrise.

My Thoughts:

In sixteenth century Scotland, wife and mother Alison Balfour is a spaewife whose charms have helped her remote community with various ills and injuries many a time. But she must be careful, as it’s a time when the king has a mind for hunting out so-called witches and eradicating them. This part of the book is written in first person present tense.

In 2024, Clem’s daughter has been horrifically injured in a fire, a blaze that killed the young woman’s boyfriend, who was found with his hand’s bound. The third person who had been present at the time is missing. What were the three of them doing on such an isolated beach? How did the fire start? This part is in third person present tense.

This book answers these questions, and explains how these events 400 years apart are connected to one another via a black book of dark mysteries.

The historical fiction aspect of this book is based off of a true story, but that doesn’t change the fact that the book world has been flooded with stories of women who dabble in natural remedies getting accused of witchcraft, and that portion alone does not do much of anything that these others haven’t done already (although the writing is certainly a step or two up from Weyward). But it was the current day part of the tale that I found myself most invested in. Learning along with Clem how exactly Erin and her friends wound up in that fire in Orkney, and how it related back to the events in the other part of the story, was what kept me turning pages.

This is a witchy mystery story that is part historical fiction, with an element of horror introduced by the black book that is definitely supernatural and won’t let itself be easily disposed of. There is some violence on the page (executions sixteenth century-style), and some descriptions of serious burn injuries. Any sex occurs off page, except for one scene in which it is glossed over quickly as you are told it happened without being subjected to any descriptors.

Bookshop.org

Goodreads

Bookstagram

Book Review: A GRIM REAPER’S GUIDE TO CATCHING A KILLER by Maxie Dara

| Jessica Crawford

A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer by Maxie Dara was published by Berkley in 2024, and is the first in the SCYTHE Mystery series, although this story works as a standalone.

Genre:

Mystery

Opening Line:

I tapped the address in my file with the lid of the pen I’d been chewing on.

My Thoughts

I took this delightful mystery in via audio (the narration was fantastic!)

Kathy works for a company called S.C.Y.T.H.E. as a collector–she goes to the scene of a death and transports the person’s soul to the appropriate location for processing into the afterlife. But the soul of 17 year old Conner convinces her he was murdered by someone in her organization. They must investigate what really happened and why it was covered up, all before Conner’s soul becomes fated to be stuck on Earth forever as a ghost. All this while 42 year old Kathy is going through a divorce and pregnant with her first child.

The mystery was all well and good, but it was the relationships that made this one so touching. Conner really felt a lack of love from his parents, and Kathy worries she will be a terrible parent. The two of them wind up helping each other out far beyond working together to save Conner from an eternity as a ghost. This found family aspect was so sweet!

The narrative style of this book is super amusing, and I let out some laughs here and there. The story definitely left me with some questions about details (what exactly does Kathy do at her cubicle in the office all day every day for a job as what amounts to a currier?) But it was sweet and funny enough that these things didn’t bother me overmuch. I really enjoyed this one!

🔥 No steamy content

🔪 No on-page violence or gruesome content

Bookshop.org

Goodreads

Bookstagram

Book Review: HOUSE OF FRANK by Kay Synclaire

| Jessica Crawford

House of Frank by Kay Synclaire is a standalone novel coming October 15th from Bindery Books.

Genre:

Cozy Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQIA+

Opening Line:

“Sing for me,” you whisper. “Please.”

My Thoughts:

3.5 stars for this is a cozy fantasy story with grieving as a major theme throughout, and an LGBTQIA+ romance.

Saika is a music witch mourning the death of her sister. Fiona made her promise to see that her ashes were planted at the arboretum at Ash Gardens, where they will grow into something beautiful. Even after she arrives at Ash Gardens, Saika finds she is not yet ready to part with her sister’s ashes, and she winds up staying on and helping out around the place. She gets to know the others employed there, including cherubs, an elf, a half-gargoyle, and a one-of-a-kind beast. It turns out they are all suffering their own losses, and develop relationships that allow them to help one another navigate through their grief.

This was nice story of love, loss, friendship, and healing. The range of characters was nice, although you only get to know a few of them beyond surface level. I wasn’t really feeling the romance between our two lovebirds, personally–their interactions with one another were more irritating than anything, in my opinion, but it made for a sweet story. This is a slower-paced character driven tale, and though it takes place in a fantasy world, we are only shown this one specific part of it at Ash Gardens (with one day trip into the city). Potential readers should also know the narration often veers into second person, as Saika addressing her departed sister. It’s not like the entire book is written in second person point of view, but some people may be turned off even by a portion of it being so.

Now if I may grumble a little bit – when Saika reads that a dragon laying eggs means it’s trying to start a family and explains this to others, and their response is, “I had no idea!’…what exactly was their understanding of how eggs work?! Also, this is another case of me being taken by surprise by the occasional F-word sprinkled throughout–cursing in books doesn’t bother me (as long as it’s not excessive), but was surprising in what otherwise seemed like such a wholesome story.

But overall this was a decent cozy, emotional yet hopeful read.

Thank you to Bindery Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

Bookshop.org

Goodreads

Bookstagram