Thank you Libro.fm / Dreamscape for the ALC and Minotaur Books, #partner for the advanced copy of The Curse of Penryth Hall in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Minotaur Books / Dreamscape Media
Published: December 5, 2023
Summary:
An atmospheric gothic mystery that beautifully brings the ancient Cornish countryside to life, Armstrong introduces heroine Ruby Vaughn in her Minotaur Books & Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning debut, The Curse of Penryth Hall.
After the Great War, American heiress Ruby Vaughn made a life for herself running a rare bookstore alongside her octogenarian employer and house mate in Exeter. She’s always avoided dwelling on the past, even before the war, but it always has a way of finding her. When Ruby is forced to deliver a box of books to a folk healer living deep in the Cornish countryside, she is brought back to the one place she swore she’d never return. A more sensible soul would have delivered the package and left without rehashing old wounds. But no one has ever accused Ruby of being sensible. Thus begins her visit to Penryth Hall.
A foreboding fortress, Penryth Hall is home to Ruby’s once dearest friend, Tamsyn, and her husband, Sir Edward Chenowyth. It’s an unsettling place, and after a more unsettling evening, Ruby is eager to depart. But her plans change when Penryth’s bells ring for the first time in thirty years. Edward is dead; he met a gruesome end in the orchard, and with his death brings whispers of a returned curse. It also brings Ruan Kivell, the person whose books brought her to Cornwall, the one the locals call a Pellar, the man they believe can break the curse. Ruby doesn’t believe in curses—or Pellars—but this is Cornwall and to these villagers the curse is anything but lore, and they believe it will soon claim its next victim: Tamsyn.
To protect her friend, Ruby must work alongside the Pellar to find out what really happened in the orchard that night.
My thoughts:
I read this one a while ago and realized that I never wrote my review…so I am fixing that now. This is the first book in Jess Armstrong’s Ruby Vaughn series and a debut at that. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked it up other than it was a gothic mystery and that alone had me intrigued.
I really enjoyed the kick-off of this series (and spoiler-alert — have enjoyed the rest of the books to date!!). I loved how atmospheric this one was and while a bit on the slower side, it still managed to pull me in. The idea of a curse totally had me hooked, as well as seeing Ruby revisiting a place she swore she never would again. Of course, a death – an ominous, gruesome one at that, keeps Ruby there longer than she wants. The villagers believe it’s the curse that has returned to Penryth Hall but Ruby doesn’t believe in curses and wants to prove them wrong.
This book is steeped in history, a little supernatural and a touch of romance. I found our main protagonist, Ruby, to be someone I could root for with her steadfast determination and her smarts. I also loved all the twists and turns this book took, some of which took me by surprise. I just know this will be a series I will enjoy!!
Audio thoughts:
This was fantastic on audio, with Emma Love doing an amazing job with the voices and accents. It was such a great listen.
Books in this series:
- The Curse of Penryth Hall
- The Secret of the Three Fates
- The Devil in Oxford
- The Lost Souls of Saint Oda’s
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