The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston (ebook)
OVERVIEW
This is the first book that I have read by Paula Brackston. Most of her earlier books are about witches which makes the comparison to Alice Hoffman. But I don't see the comparison at all.
This book is a gothic mystery set in Victorian England. It is a hard book to qualify as it has mysterious beasts, paranormal activity, Greek mythology, and some romance. Due to the paranormal subject matter, it may be a book that only some enjoy or are interested in reading.
OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars
Writing: 4.0 stars
The novel has dense, deep, and detailed writing which goes along with the Victorian period. It was a meaty novel with unfamiliar British terms and it took me a few chapters to get into it. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to more books in this series.
Character development: 4.5 stars
The primary character is Hecate (assistant librarian at the Hereford Cathedral). Hecate is a very unusual woman who works outside the home during the rigid Victorian social class time. I adore the Hecate character and cannot wait to see what she will do in the rest of this series!
The secondary characters are Edward (Hecate's father and former archaeologist), Beatrice (Hecate's mother), Charlie (Hecate's brother), and other friends of the family and people working at the cathedral.
The tertiary characters are paranormal activity characters. They play a huge role in the storyline and the mystery.
Storyline: 4.5 stars
The storyline begins with Hecate working as the assistant librarian when paranormal activity begins and she confides in her father for guidance and advice. An other-worldly event occurs at the cathedral and then the mystery needs solving (I have to be careful not to give anything away).
The main location was Herefordshire, England.
Memorable/Informative: 4.5 stars
This novel is about preserving our memories through books and how almost anything can be learned through libraries.
This novel was also the book that broke my reading slump. It was my first book read in almost a month.
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Gorgeous.
Book title: 4.5 stars
Excellent.
STRONG recommend
BOOK INFORMATION
NetGalley ARC (ebook)
The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston
352 pages
St. Martin's Press
Release date of 07/23/2024
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
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