Kennedy, Paulette

Shirley Jackson fans will appreciate this novel with a distinct vintage vibe; readers of gothic and supernatural titles will be drawn in by the book’s feminist empowerment narrative.

Billed as a gothic romantic thriller, this debut novel does have all of those elements, but unfortunately, the dialogue often feels too modern for the historical setting while main character Eliza occasionally seems unintentionally contradictory. A more solid historical setting and fully fleshed-out characters would better support the supernatural elements and the many revelations of the story.