(The Corvidae Hauntings)
By Jennifer Renshaw
DEATH IS ONLY THE BEGINNING... a dark gothic tale for fans of The Clockwork Girl and The Woman in Black.
London, 1873.
Ivy Granger, an amateur botanist, is plagued by disturbing dreams and faceless whispers. Misunderstood by her father, she fears for her sanity - threatened with the asylum or worse, the hands of the man she loathes.
But a stranger at her mother’s funeral reveals Ivy’s world has been a lie and she could have a different life, for she is capable of so much more...
Miss Earnshaw, London’s most renowned spiritualist, is Ivy’s only hope of revealing what secrets her mother took to the grave and discovering her true purpose.
Ivy’s journey for knowledge takes her to Blackham House, a building haunted by a terrible past - full of macabre artefacts and ancient studies of the supernatural. But behind closed doors, the Blackhams collect more than relics alone, and Ivy will soon find herself at the centre of a conspiracy spanning generations and a hidden evil waiting to be unleashed.
Can Ivy survive in a world where women must play their part or risk being silenced?
This book explores Victorian themes of death, violence, suicide, addiction, abuse, and mental health.
Review
An utterly compelling novel that once begun is very difficult to walk away from, in fact, I read this book until the early hours of the morning! The story has all the ingredients that one would expect from a gothic horror book, but the author has really done her research on the historical aspects of this book as well, which made the story rather spine-tinglingly realistic. Likewise, I thought the characters came across as very real in the telling.
There are some darker themes explored in this book, and I was really pleased to see that the author had put a trigger warning notice at the end of the blurb - I wish more authors did this - so I was prepared for what I was going to read about which meant there were no nasty surprises, although there is plenty of suspense and tension throughout this novel.
I thought this book was brilliant and it is one that I have no hesitation in recommending. I will certainly be looking out for more books from this very talented author.
Jennifer Renshaw grew up in Sussex, England, and is a former analyst. She has always been fascinated by history and enjoys a gothic mystery. She now lives in Denmark with her family and two portly cats.
Find out more at www.jenniferrenshaw.com
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