Edyth Foster does not favor traditional female pursuits and instead, chooses to fence, cycle, and get into all sorts of unintended mischief. When greed for her fortune overcomes her uncle, her eccentricities seem to support his claim of madness, and she ends up in Blackwell Island’s lunatic asylum. When everything she does reinforces her “diagnosis,” how can she ever hope to get out?

Historical stories set in an asylum are maddening, to say the least. Edyth has little reason to hope from within the walls of her prison—faced with endless threats, abuse, and “treatments”—yet she never gives up. With intrepid reporter Nellie Bly at her side, dashing fencing instructor Raoul Banebridge at work on the outside, and a necessary reminder of her faith, she is never as alone as she feels.

With all the complications of Edyth’s experience, Grace Hitchcock’s The Gray Chamber proves to be quite the suspenseful (and romantic) read. I will admit that the cheesy-sounding dialogue lessen my enjoyment a tad, but the overall stress of the situation still kept me enthralled from beginning to end. I look forward to reading more True Colors novels as they release.

I think Grace Hitchcock has matured even more as a writer in this book.
She tackles two difficult topics -- asylum treatment in general but also women's treatment in them-- with grace and honesty. On such a difficult topic, there needs to be more than entertainment to keep you turning the pages, and Hitchcock has delivered a thoughtful book on that.

The second book I’ve read in this series. Very readable And a real page turner!
I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is fictional but loosely based on a real asylum in New York in the 1800s. The story is centered around Edith who lost her parents at a young age. She is 24 now and lives with her uncle, she's different - her clothes are different and she is learning fencing!

In a bid to take Edith's heritage, her uncle commits her to this asylum, you can guess what happens next. Asylums at this time were basically torture houses and Edith did not fare out very well.

I know these things happened, but, reading a book like this opens your eyes to the awful things people were subjected to. Think American Horror Story!

If you like horror filled gruesome stories, then this book will float your boat.

What an amazing story! I love it when a book becomes an immersive escape. The subject of the story grabbed me, but the character development and the story line kept me enthralled until the very end. So glad I took a chance on a new author - well worth it.

Loved this interesting mystery!
I loved the last book I read by Grace Hitchcock "The White city" and this one definitely follows along the same lines of greatness :) I loved the main characters, and I thought them to be very relatable characters with some fun quirks. I enjoyed the flow of the story, the mystery of it, and the heart stopping suspense :) It will definitely go down as one of my favorites.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the great characters, funny moments, and superb suspense. I highly recommend this book!
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.

I really struggled with this book. I didn't care for either of the main characters, so that made it a hard book to read. I found their actions annoying and their attraction to each other a little unbelievable. I thought the book was well researched, so I enjoyed the parts about the insane asylum, however, it took a while for the story to get set up to get the protagonist in there. Once she was a patient, she just drove me crazy (pardon the pun). She seemed to go out of her way to make the staff mad at her so she would get a beating. I'll admit to skimming a lot. I can't say I would really recommend this one.

I received a free copy of this book fro review from Netgalley.

This book is a fiction based on strange but true history story. Edyth and her trust fund from her late father has been under the watch of her uncle since her father died. She has taken care of her uncle and aunt in her home. Now that the trust is about to be turned over to her in a few months, her uncle has a different plan by having her committed to an asylum and keeping all the money and assets for himself. Edyth makes friends with a few women in the asylum and learns about trust, faith and what real love is.



I would recommend this to anyone that wants a heartwarming, dramatic and page turner read. The cover of this book is dark and gray (as the name of the book), but very misleading from message of the pages inside. If I had seen this book in the store I wouldn't have picked up to read because the cover made me think it was a dark and depressing story, but not that at all! This book is a great suspenseful read, with love, friendship, faith and GOD. What a wonderful read that will leave you wanting your friends to read and get a great message from beginning to end. Reading this book will leave you cheering for Edyth and wanting her to have peace, love and faith through her trials and tribulations. So glad I was able to review this book, because if I had judged by the cover, I would have missed a wonderful story... can't wait to read the next one by Grace.... The blue cloak!!.....



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, "Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.

Too dark for me to enjoy though this is likely a good read for crime solver readers, suspense lovers, and true crime readers.

I enjoyed this book and learning more about the way innocent and sane women were committed, just because their relative or husband found it to be beneficial to their status and financial gains in the 1880s. I liked the relationship of Edyth and Bane. I am sure there were very few women who were fencing during that time, so I enjoyed that storyline. I also enjoyed the subcharacters And how they interacted, especially those at Blackwell Island.

I liked how this tied in with The White City as we now learn a little background of Jude’s beginnings as a detective. Although I did not catch it until the epilogue. I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to more from Ms. Hitchcock.

If you like history and psychology this ones for you! Based on real events, this historical crime fiction novel set in the 1800s follows Edyth Foster to Blackwells Island, an insane asylum outside NYC. Once there she meets Nellie Brown (aka Nellie Bly, the reporter who broke the story of mistreatment, abuse, and neglect in the institution and started a wave of change in mental health care).

I loved the attention to detail about the treatment of the patients and the way the author incorporated bits of history. I gave it four stars because while I liked the romantic element, I thought the relationship moved too fast and was unbelievable. I would have liked to see a better backstory there.

Thanks to the NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

It’s absolutely crazy to know this is based on things that really happened. I picked this book up and read it straight through in 2.5 hours because I could not put it down. If you like true crime stories you need to pick up the books in this series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

What a book. Different to what I normally read for a historical fiction. It definitely has some very dark moments and to think this is based on truth - wow.
I really enjoyed reading the books. Loved the characters. A couple of areas read a little slow for me, but overall a great book.
Thank you for the opportunity for me to read something a bit different.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It started slow and was hard for me to get into. A fourth of the way into the book, it picked up and held my attention better throughout the rest of the book. The wrap up took about 20% of the book, but I really liked it.

I found the information about the insane asylum on Blackwell’s Island to be fascinating. I anticipated more interaction with and information about Nellie Bly and was a bit disappointed by the minor role she played. Still, it sent me to the Internet to learn more about her and Blackwell’s Island, which is the mark of a successful historical novel for me.

*received a free copy from netgalley for honest review* Ive read two of the other book in this series and really liked them! I love historical books so give me a historical mystery that's a page turner and ill love it! and I did lol

Loved this book! What’s crazy is that this really did happen, and back in the day eccentric people could be perceived as being insane just because they’re different. I also loved the love story between Bane and Edyth, they are both so loveable and are a great match.

This book kept me up reading past midnight three nights in a row and then sadly it was finished. It kept me in suspense the entire time I was reading and I probably would have read it in less sittings if I had more time and needed less sleep! The Gray Chamber features the 24 year old eccentric Edyth Foster who is not afraid to be different from other women of New York City as she rides her velocipede around town and takes fencing lessons with her best friend Raoul Banebridge (Bane). Edyth's eccentricity has never really worked to her advantage with fitting into society. However, Edyth has never really worried about being different because she is very wealthy and loves her independence. Unfortunately, her Uncle Boris who has been taking care of Edyth since her parents' death has recently married a selfish and greedy woman who helps Boris see that there is a major loophole in Edyth's father's will. If Edyth is declared mad and committed to an asylum, the family's fortune will go to Uncle Boris. Before Edyth knows it, she is suddenly thrust from her home, against her will, and taken to a women's lunatic asylum on Blackwell Island, NY. Will she have to stay in this place of horrors for the rest of her life or will her dear friend Bane see through Uncle Boris' deceit and find her before it's too late?

What an exciting way to learn about the real women's lunatic asylum on Blackwell Island! I always love reading books that have strong willed woman in them and this book fits the bill. I also loved seeing how Edyth's friendship blossoms with Bane and how he stops at nothing to rescue her. I've learned so many things about true crime from the True Colors series published by Barbour Publishing. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Thank you Barbour Publishing for giving me a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts expressed in this review are my honest opinions of the book.

As a fan a fan of historical true crime, historical issues surrounding asylums and romance. This ticked all the boxes.
Eydth is a strong protagonist that changes from a high society miss to a women who finds her inner strength.The friends to lovers romance is well woven into the story,the villains' motives are well understood and the heros come into their own.The inclusion of Nellie Bly is the cherry on top.

This is a christian historical novel that fans of medical history,true crime and romances that make a difference will enjoy, The religion is comes from the characters rather than being inserted into the story.

I cannot get enough of this series! Every single story is full of captivating characters, eerie situations (yes they creep me out a little!), suspense, and amazement. The Gray Chamber is no exception to that. Hitchcock had my attention from the very first line, and didn’t lose it until the end.

Edyth was such an interesting character. I loved her attitude about things. I mean, in the very beginning scene she is riding her velocipede (which I did look up by the way because I wanted to see a picture of it), not caring what the world thinks of her, or if society might look at her in disgust. That’s just how she wants to travel and therefore that’s how it’s going to be! Honestly, as the story started to unfold of her being forced to the asylum, I liked her even more. She was strong, courageous, and not willing to back down. I love strong heroines like that.

The inclusion of Nellie Bly was a fantastic idea, and really brought the story to life even more! And Nellie wasn’t there to steal the show, which I have to admit I was a little worried about. But no, the focus remained on Edyth and the truth she was trying to uncover. And honestly, Hitchcock made me feel as if I was right there along the journey. I love it when an author is able to include you in the story. It just adds to the whole experience!

Hitchcock has written a brilliant story here, one that readers will find themselves devouring in one sitting. I cannot wait to see what comes next in this fantastic series! I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a wild ride! Edyth was a feisty heroine with a great story. The fencing society was such an interesting group of allies for her, and the asylum was described so well. What a horrifying time in our recent history! I enjoyed this story very much.