Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Haunting of Beatrix Greene was the perfect book to kick off Halloween week! It had everything a spooky book should – ghosts, séances, a medium, and a creepy manor. The release date is impeccably timed for All Hallows’ Eve and left me feeling chilled to the bone.
Goodreads Synopsis:
Beatrix Greene has made a name for herself in Victorian England as a reputable spiritual medium, but she’s a fraud: even she knows ghosts aren’t real. But when she’s offered a lucrative job by James Walker – a scientist notorious for discrediting pretenders like her – Beatrix takes the risk of a lifetime. If her séance at the infamously haunted Ashbury Manor fools hi, she will finally have true financial freedom. If she fails, her secret will become her public shame.
But James has his own dark secrets, and he believes only a true medium can put them to rest. When Beatrix’s séance awakens her real gift – and with it, a vengeful spirit – James finds that the answers he seeks are more dangerous than he could have imagined. Together, with a group of supernatural sleuths, Beatrix and James race to settle the ghost’s unrest before it strikes – or else they might not make it out of the haunted manor alive.
Review:
I wasn’t sure how this book was structured when I first received my advance copy from Netgalley. All I saw was that I had Episode 1, which made me think it was a short story. However, when I started reading I realized that each episode was its own chapter. This means that Volume 1 has a total of nine episodes. I thought this format was a great way to structure this type of story. Also, each episode was the ideal length and made for easy stopping points, which I didn’t really need because I read in two sittings! I’m hoping that this means a Volume 2 is forthcoming.
Let’s talk scare factor! I was surprised at how creeped out I was while reading this book. I read the first half at night and all I will say is that after I went to bed, every creak in my house had me peering into the dark. Nothing in the book is a jump scare, but it was more of an eerie, spine-tingling feel. I always find ghosts and spirits to be creepier than slasher type storylines and this book was full of the former.
I absolutely adored the protagonist, Beatrix Greene. She is a strong female lead and it was fun witnessing her find her true capabilities and power. Beatrix is spunky and certainly ahead of her time in her quest to be independent and financially stable. The authors did a great job conveying her confidence in her abilities and drive to protect those around her. I am very curious to see where the future takes Beatrix.
I really enjoyed the other characters in the book. James Walker initially came across judgmental and uppity, but he grew on me very quickly. We discover that he has his own demons that have tormented him since boyhood and this really endeared him to me. Harry, Beatrix’s oldest friend, provided some much needed comedic relief. In a story that is mostly dark and horrifying it was nice to have jolly Haz around to lighten the mood. His youthfulness and unwavering support for Beatrix was heartwarming. I despised Stanhope from the moment he appeared in the story. Showing up uninvited made me instantly question his motives and loyalty to James. He was a disgusting and disturbing character and he was never redeemed. Amanda Reynolds was the greatest sidekick for Beatrix. They immediately shared a kinship that every girl needs when approaching a situation with unknown dangers. I loved her stereotypical American can do attitude and how brave she was throughout the book.
It’s hard to go into much more about The Haunting of Beatrix Greene without spoiling anything. It is a very quick read and one that I highly recommend for this Halloween season. If you love ghosts and haunted houses you should definitely pick this one up!
Thank you Netgalley and Serial Box for my advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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