A big thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for providing me with copy of this novel at no cost. I have recently fallen in love with gothic lit so this book came to me at the perfect time. I loved the medical aspect to the book. it made the world feel real. The writing was also beautiful and poetic. I enjoyed the blend of mystery, history, romance and paranormal. The book was a bit slow in the beginning but picked up for me after the first third. Overall I am glad I stuck with it. All in all it was a nice light read and while it wasn't the best i've read in the genre it provided me with some good escapism..

I’m obviously the outlier with this one, but this book did not work for me at all. I found the writing to be dull. There’s no rhythm to the prose and the story drags. I found the MC to be annoying, not sympathetic, and simply wanted the novel to be over. The reveal of the killer also made me roll my eyes. I had high hopes for this book, but sadly, for me, the best element is the gorgeous cover.

This book was a good historical mystery book. Although, there were some characters that were just weird and annoying. And Tillie was just too trusting in everyone. The newsies were my favourites, including Ian.

Opium and Absinthe was pitched as a vampire book to me, but it was more about the reality of addiction in the late 1800s. We follow Tillie, a flawed young lady, who is struggling not only with a traumatic injury but the grief of her sister. Throughout the novel we see how society fails Tillie again and again: The medical mishaps, the relationships and class issues, no one listening to her because she’s young and a woman, etc. I loved the backdrop of NYC, seeing it at night when it’s most alive. You can tell how much care and research went into the writing of this book. I think a teen reader who enjoyed the Stalking Jack the Ripper series would love Opium and Absinthe!

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author Lydia Kang for providing me with an ARC of this novel.

I really enjoyed this novel! This was the perfect mixture of everything you need to make a good book. I loved the historical fiction aspect of this, as well as the paranormal/Gothic feel. Seeing the various stages of addiction was also incredibly interesting. This was an awesome read and I look forward to reading more of the author’s work.

I was excited to read this story as it was in the realm of books I usually read (Historical Fiction/Mystery) but it intrigued me because I usually don't pick up books with vampire themes.
Overall this book is about Tilly, who breaks her arm, and has to take opioids to help her through her pain. Her sister is mysteriously killed which aides in Tillly needing to continue taking opioids for her emotional pain.

Although this book initially drew me in, for the first 50-60% I started getting annoyed that there wasn't any plot advancements due to Tilly's addiction and as a character she got "annoying" because of her focus only on getting high. Many of the other characters were annoying too as they were not acting as you would think after the death of Tilly's sister.

However, once Tilly got clean towards the end of the book, I really enjoyed it as the plot picked up, and I saw Tilly as a fierce, independent, and strong female character (which I LOVE). Many people said they were able to predict the killer, but I was surprised at the end. .

I gave this 3.5 stars overall. Its definitely worth a read to gather your own opinion of the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an E-Arc!

After Tillie Pembrooke's sister is found murdered in the New York streets in a method oddly reminiscent of vampires straight out of a novel, she must investigate the true cause of her death while struggling with the darker side of her family's affairs.

I loved Opium and Absinthe so much- it truly had just the right amount of every good thing including a spunky protagonist with no regard for society's expectations of her, a swoon-worthy romantic side-plot, and a thrilling mystery that kept me hooked right up until the last page. Tillie was an amazing protagonist who was extremely easy to relate to, and her character arc was completely satisfying. It was heartbreaking to see her slow descent into substance abuse, but conversely, that made her climb back to sobriety all that more empowering. The mystery driving the book was also well plotted, with plenty of hints sprinkled throughout the book that I unfortunately did not catch until the final reveal.

My one critique of the book is that the plot doesn't really pick up until the last third of the book. The beginning tended to drag a bit and was rather exposition-heavy.

Overall, a strong book I would love to recommend to friends.

Here we have the tale of Tillie in 1899 New York, who is trying to discover what happened the night her sister died and who was responsible for her murder. Set in the year when Bram Stoker's Dracula is capturing the world's imagination, could her death have been at the hands of a vampire? 🦇

A beautiful balance between Historical Fiction and paranormal myth, this is a delicately woven tale of knowledge and obsession, family and love, adventure and addiction.

I particularly enjoyed the detail around Tillie's relationship with Opium and her various stages of addiction, as well as the nod to the Newsies strike. This tale has some likeable (and not so likeable) characters and is definitely a fun read. Now I'm off to check out Lydia's back catalogue! 📚

4 delightful stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exhange for an honest review.
I have heard alot of great things about Lydia Kang and I jumped at the chance to read her latest book, Opium and Absinthe.
I thought this book was a fascinating, unique, highly addictive and very well written Gothic murder mystery.
I highly recommend this book if you like Bram Stoker's Dracula, murder mysteries and/or romance because this book has all of those elements in it.
I would definitely read another book by this author.

The main character of the story made it hard for me to even pursue reading further. I understood she had her quirks and did have times of being a complete airhead, however, she was sincerely hard to even like as a character. It was daunting trying to follow her narrative because of her actions and her way of thinking, her intelligence level reminded me of a five-year-old barely coming to terms that the world is bigger than the house she's been living in. So she decides to jump into everything face first and break all her bones...

Opium and Absinthe was great for the long drive towards our vacation. It a relatively fast paced period mystery with a little paranormal thrown in. My only issue - addiction is a big part of the novel (no surprise, considering the title) and my patience with the "heroine", Tillie, got very thin by the end as she made choice after questionable choice as a result of her addiction.

Opium and absinthe is a really well written book. The idea behind it is fascinating for sure and unique.
The writing style is smooth and keeps you hooked, I’ve finished it all in one afternoon because I could not wait to know everything.
Although I guessed the reason behind the murders, the person who did them was unexpected; so that’s a bonus.
The only negative thing is that the beginning was a little slow.

3.4 stars

I can't not mention the gorgeous cover on this book :)

It's a Gothic murder mystery set in the 19th century New York. It was suspenseful from the beginning, very atmospheric, reflecting the time period.
It's an enjoyable, quick and fast-paced read. It was a perfect summer pick. I'd read from the author again.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for this copy.

This was an interesting story, filled with vampire lore, drug (and addiction) and love. It's set during a time when women need escorts and titles and money. They do not need to have their own mind. I was interested in the storyline and loved the flaws and unique pieces to each characters personalities. I found the mystery interesting but it was a round-about mystery, full of addiction and odd people not always looking for the best for the main character, Tillie. I liked how it all worked out, though, and I'm glad I stuck with it. Good ending.

I loved this Gothic murder mystery set in the 19th century New York. It was well researched and full of suspense. I was fully engrossed in it and read it in one sitting.

The pace and plot are good and keeps the reader on edge. Very well written. The language is simple as compared to the era in which it is set.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me an e ARC in exchange for my honest review.

P.s. that cover is gorgeous! I love it!

TW: murder, substance abuse, assault, death, attempted rape, mentions of rape

I was very excited to be reading this book because it sounded like everything I'd like and I have to say that Lydia Kang didn't disappoint me. It was a fast-paced read with interesting characters and an interesting plot. I have no personal experience with substance abuse so I cannot tell whether it was portrayed correctly, but considering the author's profession as an internal medicine physician, it seemed like an accurate portrayal. Throughout the story, you also always got the sense that the author did a thorough research of the late 19th century.
I didn't really expect to love this book as much as I did but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a joy to follow Tillie on her quest to find her sister's murderer and I kept guessing along with her who the murderer is. In the end, I was truly surprised about who the murderer was. I cannot wait to read the book a second time in order to see whether I can pick up on the clues then.

To begin with, this book is one of my favorite books thus far for 2020. I loved the story and how suspenseful the plot truly was. I felt like I was constantly on the edge of my seat wanting to know more. I genuinely couldn't put the book down and finished it in 2 days! I haven't done that in a month. If you haven't read this book or are on the fence about reading it, do yourself a favor and READ IT!

Loved reading the mesmerizing and amazing story. When Tillie's sister is found dead with two wounds on her neck, drained of all her blood, and smelling like absinthe, Tillie makes it her priority to discover who murdered her beloved sister, Lucy. Due to a recent injury, Tillie finds herself getting more and more addicted to opium, but still, Tillie needs to continue to do her research and find her sister's killer. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, full of mystery and suspense, and a must read historical novel.
I reviewed a copy of the book through NetGalley.

Thank you to @NetGalley for the ARC and opportunity to read this one!

Tillie (Mathilda) Pembroke is a determined, inquisitive, vibrantly independent young woman living in New York in 1899 when her life is turned upside down. She has a riding accident that breaks her collarbone and has her taking laudanum to help with the pain. The same day, her sister Lucy goes missing and is later found dead with 2 puncture marks on her neck and all of her blood drained from her body and a bottle of absinthe close by. Bram Stoker's "Dracula" has just been published and there is hysteria surrounding this death about the murderer being a Vampire.

Tillie is determined to find out exactly what happened to her sister and decides to investigate her the murder herself. She questions people who had seen Lucy in the hours leading up to her death and reads "Dracula" to find connections. Her addiction to the laudanum gets stronger and she starts taking more and more. She also takes morphine that sends her even higher and more foggy. Paranoia sets in as she no longer knows who she can trust and the hysteria and fear of a vampire on the loose does not help.

This novel is part gothic, part murder mystery, part coming of age (as Tillie continues to exert her independence through her determination to find out what happened to Lucy). It is a novel with a very interesting cast characters and you never know who to trust. There is heart pounding suspense and lots of mystery and intrigue. I really enjoyed it!

Thanks to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
CW: murder, substance abuse, death of a loved one, assault, mentions of rape (likely more, but I'm forgetting them at the moment)

This is a book that I very much wanted to love: gothic vibes, vampire speculation, a historical mystery. I think my two main issues were the protagonist, Tillie, and the pacing. YMMV but I'm now realizing that I have very little interest in and a low tolerance for the naive white heiress character. I can't fault the book for that, it's just not for me. That definitely made it harder for me to get invested in the main character. Ian, as her foil, was delightful and my favorite character by far. That was likely the point, but he definitely deserved better imo. The other issue for me was pacing. I was really into the mystery in the beginning; however by one third of the way through the book the pacing started to drag. There were certainly a lot of red herrings and the issue of Tillie as an unreliable narrator to contend with, but I had the "why " of the mystery worked out quite early on and the who wasn't far behind. This might be why I found the pacing so slow.

In the end, this is a well written mystery with an interesting perspective but it just didn't work for me personally.