Rating: 2.5

I really liked the first half but it went downhill from there. I feel like it lost its plot and focused on too many things (most of which didn't really matter). It was also obvious to me who the murderer was. The characters were either boring or upsetting or, in Jame's case, both. The Dracula aspect was a little too heavy-handed for me. I feel like if the author took out a few unnecessary things and focused on the murder, it would have been a lot better.

A brillian, lush gothic novel for the decade. Opium and Absinthe is a wonderful tale of when a book hits a little too close to home. Tillie is a smart and engaging character who’s devotion to finding out the truth for her sister is admirable. I adored the mystery of it all and the twists around every corner

While Tillie is recuperating from a freshly broken collarbone, her sister Lucy's exsanguinated body is found in downtown Manhattan with an empty bottle of absinthe next to her. Numbing her physical and mental pain with laudanum, Tillie now lives in a drug-induced stupor, all but dragging herself to the wake. Yet it only takes one look at the strange puncture marks on dear Lucy's neck to set her into action, even if she has to go against her own family to find the truth, and with it, her sister's murderer.

Was it truly a vampire, or a copycat killer finding inspiration in Bram Stoker's newly released novel Dracula? Was Lucy's engagement perhaps not as happy as everyone wanted to think? And where has her maid vanished to? Going to increasingly desperate lengths to supply herself with the much-needed painkillers to make it through the day, Tillie becomes an expert liar - and investigative journalist.

I love a good historical mystery, but a historical mystery written by a medical professional who knows what they're about is even better. I can't stress how much of a difference it makes, but the treatments, symptoms, and medical conventions in turn-of-the-century New York as described in Opium and Absinthe are as accurate as it gets. Tillie's descend into opium addiction is as fascinating as it is horrifying to witness, started by a mere doctor's prescription - a topic more important to write on now than ever, during the USA's current opioid crisis. Kang describes her heroine's illness thoughtfully and with much feeling, yet without romanticizing it.

I'm still not sure how I feel about Tillie as a character... Her initial social awkwardness and idiosyncrasies at first gave me the impression that she was crudely coded as someone on the autism spectrum. For example, there are plenty of times she wonders about questions like "If I eat sponge cake, is it going to absorb the tremendous amount of liquor I am about to consume to find out?" Her favourite pastime is looking up words in a dictionary, and she can generally be described as an heiress with her head in the clouds. But as Tillie develops into a self-determined, no-bullshit type of lady during the course of the novel, there are scarcely any mentions of these peculiar interests anymore, so I'm not sure after all.

Tillie also holds onto the possibility of an actual vampire existing in Manhattan for a large portion of the novel... But I can't say that the mystery itself was boring, despite enough hints to lead the reader in a specific direction and showing just how messed up New York's upper class in 1899 must have been. I can say that I felt thoroughly transported into the crime setting and era at any time of the story, and was delighted to realize that there are some loose connections to one of Lydia Kang's previous novels, The Impossible Girl, as a treat for the fans!

If you enjoyed watching or reading The Alienist (and you are desperately awaiting the second season to be released on Netflix one of these days), but would like even more feminism in the plot to spice things up, I suggest that you start reading Opium and Absinthe now, to get in the mood!

This was a super fun read! I did figure out who the killer was, but it wasn't until well through the book, and it just didn't bother me I enjoyed reading this so much. The characters were brought to life really well and the multiple historical events were expertly pieced together to make for a great read.

Lydia Kang isn’t just an author, she is also a real life doctor and her medical knowledge is highly evident in all her stories. She also has a bit of a twisted, dark heart which embraces the weird, the gruesome, and the horrific. This combination makes her an auto-buy author for me. I’ve loved every book I’ve read of hers and I honestly don’t even bother reading the blurbs, I just have grabby hands no matter what the subject. I have to say I was a bit surprised to see this was about a possible vampire as I don’t think that Kang’s books usually veer into the supernatural. This one kept me guessing the entire time, wondering if it could truly be a vampire or just a creatively evil person. When the killer’s identity was revealed I was surprised and the explanation was imaginative and unexpected. I am completely content with the ending but I do admit that I would love to read the further adventures of Tillie and the newsies. I can just imagine what they might get up to next chasing down a story!

I found the setting of the 19th century opioid crisis really interesting and obviously quite relevant today. Tillie was naturally a hot mess but once addiction gets it hooks in her life evolves into a never ending, never satisfied quest for more and stronger drugs. She was so strong willed and ambitious and to watch her succumb to addiction was difficult. There were parts where I was legitimately terrified for her because of her loss of control while high. Her decision making became so focused on the drugs that this otherwise very intelligent woman made some pretty atrocious and dangerous choices. It was fascinating to watch how easy it was for her to get hooked and how many of the people around her, including doctors, enabled and even encouraged it in order to keep her docile and subdued. I felt a lot of anger and frustration with Tillie but a lot of empathy too. What a terrible situation and all too easy for any one of us to fall into.

I would say that this is a mostly light book that deals with some deep, deep issues. There was a ton of humour and some adorable little newsies who I could not have loved more. Any darkness was mitigated by the vampire hunting (it makes me smile just to write that phrase.) If you are looking for a smart, feminist romp through 19th century New York with high society women, a few street urchins, and maybe a vampire then buckle up and give this one a go.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.

I must admit that I was a bit prejudiced against this book at the beginning. It is far too different from the crime books I am used to read. The time that it is placed, the culture, the characters. It could not prove me more wrong! It might start a bit slow and dull but Kang surely knows how to weave a plot and totally bound you to it.

Unlike most of crime books I recently read, I did not figure out the end which has contributed to the build up of suspense and tension. The unexpected twists of the plot are so talented captured and the characters are quite likeable. Over all, I really enjoyed this book and found it very well written.

First thing first, the cover on this one is GORGEOUS. I love it!

Okay, so onto the book...this was a fun read. Well written. Likable and itriguing charcaters. An autmospheric and interesting setting. A mystery that kept me guessing until the end. Just an enjoyable read overall. I'd love to see more books featuring these charcaters!

I downloaded the book but didn't get to read it before it disappeared from my account. This never happened to me before..

This was an easy and fun read, but I wasn't as interested in it as I could be. I really liked the aspect of the opium and how addiction was viewed in the 1800s. It could be seen as commentary on today's opiate crisis; how people defend their addiction as medical necessity. I really enjoyed the quotes from the classic Dracula book and it made me want to read that. I think this was a unique and fresh book. I haven't read many historical fictions that have a vampire or monster background as well.

A fast paced, mystery, sleuth, possibly vampiric, gothic novel. I read through this one pretty quickly and enjoyed the world created complete with intense patriarchal structure and substance abuse. Though at the time the substances were over the counter and pushed heavily by certain males to control. I was having a hard time figuring out who did it, since they all seemed like they were hiding secrets though some secrets ended up not being as nefarious as murder. I enjoyed Tillie's coming into her own rather clumsily through her fog of opiod abuse due to a extremely horrible bone break to her clavicle. This kind of addiction is common even now. The inner workings of the effects of drugs are fascinating as she tried to parse out fact from fiction in her sisters death. We weren't sure who to trust and who was shining her on to get to her money since she was the sole heiress to her family's fortune and to her Grandmama's chagrin she was a complete bluestocking. Her goals to have an occupation and become a journalist were not encouraged, except by one.

I recommend this to those who enjoy a fun mystery through gothic England with intrigue and speculation around vampires. This may not be for you if you are triggered by substance abuse involving opium, heroin, morphine, alcohol... they apparently sold heroin in tablets in the beginning. Those poor hysterical women needed to be controlled. I am so happy I live right now I would def be in a womans asylum for speaking my mind, profanity, etc.

By the way my favorite quarantine drink has been the Monkey Gland cocktail which is orange juice, grenadine and a splash of absinthe #stgeorgespirits #stgeorgespiritsabsinthe And I found my grandmothers cocktail book with another absinthe cocktail. Enjoy!

Favorite Quote - Words to Live by - Thanks Ian - “Don’t give up before you try. Defeat is particularly lethal early on in any journey; don’t let it be your compass.”

This was everything I had hoped Stalking Jack the Ripper would be. I loved this. Our heroine is ballsy and smart. Our hero is kind and sarcastic. King doesn’t shy away from talking about the liberal use of narcotics in Edwardian/Victorian society. The mystery is compelling and the murder isn’t too obvious. I love all things set in New York and it’s even better when they’re set in Old New York. I can’t wait for the next adventure. If you’re looking for a dark cozy mystery look no further.

*Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Victorian mystery. Dracula. Jack the Ripper vibes. Gothic themes. This book had all the elements for a good book that I knew I could enjoy. And it didn’t disappoint.

On the outside Opium and Absinthe is about Tillie, a young heiress whose sister Lucy is killed by a ‘vampire’ and begins an investigation to find Lucy’s killer. Deeper into it, this book is about grief, drug addiction, loss of control, and female independence at the turn of the millennium. When I first picked up this book I thought it was going to lean towards a supernatural story with vampire murders, but instead it wasn’t so much about the vampires, but a story of love, loss and grief set to the backdrop of the Victorian Gothic.

Following a riding accident and the loss of her sister, Tillie begins taking doctor prescribed opium. The portrayal of her drug addiction throughout the novel was one of the most interesting parts for me. I felt it set this story apart from other Victorian mystery novels and gave the reader a new perspective into a very real problem during this time period. This addiction was a very defining character arc for Tillie and Kang’s exploration of grief and loss and its impact on addiction was really interesting to read. It added a deeper level to the characters, relationships, and the world of this novel. It wasn’t just your average amateur sleuths hunting down Dracula.

The story was a slow burn, but I was okay with that. Kang weaved together multiple plot lines and characters that all came together in a faster paced and satisfying ending. As I read, this book became less about the mystery and vampires and more about Tillie’s personal journey to independence and the truth while fighting her addictions and a world that doesn’t want her to be free.

As a lover of mystery, I loved spending the novel asking ‘who dunnit?’. While I did guess the murderer, there were still parts of the ending that were surprising and the way it all came together was very well done. Kang does a good job at the art of misdirection of making you think it’s going to go one way and it takes a completely different turn.

I did have a couple problems with this book. The first was that it read like a YA novel. It wasn’t until I finished the novel and started doing more research into it for this review that I realized it has been marketed as an adult Historical Mystery novel. I'm not sure if it was the writing style, the age of the characters, or the fact that it reminded me of Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco that gave it YA vibes for me. I think I just expected it to read darker than it did. The book had lots of adult themes and it felt like they were handled in a way more fitting for teens than adults.

The second was the world building. While I can tell that Kang did her research and the world is historically accurate, it still fell a bit flat for me. The story is set during the Gilded Age in New York City in 1899. Kang’s description of this felt very light and sometimes I forgot we were even in New York. For a book set in such a vibrant and gritty historical setting I wanted to feel immersed in that world and instead I felt like this book could have taken place during any Victorian time or place. The one part I think she did very well was her description of the ‘newsies’. Her portrayal of the children selling papers to make a living is intricate and the way she uses them in the plot is very interesting as well. The kids were actually some of my favourite characters and they only showed up a couple times.

I highly recommend this story to anyone who is a fan of the Victorian era, mystery, and historical fiction. It weaves together multiple genres and has a fresh take on all of them. It tackles many topics, including drug addiction, gender expectations, class issue, grief, and much more. It’s more than just a murder mystery about vampires, and will be hard to put down once you start.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. I was given the opportunity to read this book in advanced by Netgalley and when I started reading I wasn't sure I would like it, given that it's a little different then what I usually read. But I'm so glad I kept reading because I found the story to be one that was amazing to read. The story takes place at the beginning of the 1900's in NY where women were supposed to get married, have babies, and be complacent. But Tillie is anything but. When her sister is found murdered she takes it upon herself to learn the truth. Her journey takes her to learn all she can about vampires and to the streets of NY where she meets Ian, a newspaper guy who becomes her partner in her investigation. I found that the author did a great job of using enough description that I could picture the dresses, the setting, and the social relationships but without being so wordy that I got bored. I highly recommend this book and am very glad I read it.

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to preread this book.

This was a tough book for me to get through. I really wanted to love it. Not only is the cover stunning, but the premise is right up my alley: a Victorian murder mystery about vampires and absinthe. I was thinking Sherlock Holmes meets Dracula. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

I found Opium and Absinthe to be very slow, so much so that I almost didn’t finish it, and I really disliked the main character, Tillie. For me to enjoy a book, I have to care about the main character. If not, it is all over. That was what happened here. I really didn’t care about her, at all, even as her addiction took control.

I also felt this read more like a YA than a Historical Literary Fiction novel. That wasn’t a problem for me, I love YA, it just surprised me. All in all, it wasn’t a terrible book, just meh. For that, I gave it 2.5 stars but rounded it up to 3 stars for the gorgeous cover.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this Victorian historical mystery. Tillie Pembroke, is not your typical Victorian female, she is downright shocking sometimes, with her consumption of drugs. Tillie, spends much of the books in an inebriated state of mystery.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to review this arc.

I knew right from the first few pages that I liked Tillie’s character. She’s a young heiress in NYC high society, but she doesn’t quite fit in — she’s awkward and clumsy, and prefers research and learning to gossip and parties. Within the first few pages, she experiences a traumatic fall from a horse and breaks her collarbone.

While she’s recovering from her injury, Tillie manages to get herself mixed up in all kinds of drama. She quickly becomes addicted to the laudanum the doctor gives her, discovers that her sister was murdered, and starts reading the newest book hitting the shelves — Bram Stoker’s Dracula. When another body turns up, and the police aren’t doing much to solve these crimes, Tillie decides to take matters into her own hands.

Tillie is smart and brave, and there’s definitely something about a historical fiction where a young woman bucks societal expectations that always appeals to me. It was hard not to root for Tillie, even as she spiraled further into addiction. I think it is an especially important (and timely) issue to address, as our society faces the fact that addiction isn’t something that just happens to [insert specific group here]. While the story takes place in 1899, it is hard to find someone today who can’t put a face to addiction. Most of us personally know someone who has struggled with addiction, or have dealt with it ourselves. Many of us have lost a loved one. Even back then, high society ladies like Tillie had addictions. I love that the author didn’t shy away from that.

There’s definitely a strong gothic mystery theme throughout the book, and I couldn’t ever guess the twist. Just when I thought I had my finger on whodunit, something else would happen and I realized that my assumption was all wrong. No one was quite who they seemed, but the story developed well, and I was hooked right from the start.

One thing that I especially appreciated was the positive representation of the Jewish character, Ian (and to a lesser degree, his cousin). Ian was represented really well as a Jewish diaspora character. The use of Yiddish was accurate, well-done, and interspersed in the text in natural conversation. I grew up in a home where both of my parents spoke Yiddish fluently, and would randomly drop Yiddish terms and phrases into conversation, just like Ian did.

Tillie was a woman ahead of her times, and I really enjoyed seeing her journey throughout the book. The mystery held my attention and I couldn’t wait to figure out who was behind the murders. Even the supernatural element and the overlapping elements with Dracula were done really well. Overall, this book was a hidden gem, and I highly recommend it. So get out there and give it a read!

Having been a horror fan since I was a kid and having read an annotated version of Dracula when I was a teen, I’ve always been drawn to books about Vlad the Impaler and Elizabeth Bathory. So when I came across Opium and Absinthe by Lydia Kang, I was intrigued.

While the novel does weave in quotes from Dracula and the victims do have bite marks on their necks and all of their blood is missing, that’s where most of the on the surface similarities end. But the main themes in Dracula (besides good vs. evil) are addiction, dependency, and loss of control which are also the themes in Opium and Absinthe. From reading the synopsis I thought the novel was going to lean more towards the supernatural, but this was actually a pretty heavy read at times and definitely a slow burn.

Kang delves into addiction during the turn of the century and how it was another way to control women who were starting to question their places in society in a much more outspoken way than previous decades. Tillie starts taking opium for her riding injury, but begins taking more to deaden not only the physical pain, but the emotional pain of losing her sister. And then there are other people in her circle who want to keep her addicted for reasons of their own too.

There are times when the book didn’t exactly drag on, but with Tillie so out of it or sleeping because of the drugs, the story wasn’t as fast paced as some mysteries. At first I was going to skim to get to the mystery, but Kang entwines all of the aspects so well that I found myself wanting to read even the slower parts because they really were essential to the story. Besides a great portrayal of addiction, Lang also incorporates historical events and places during the turn of the century. And I did not see the final reveal coming which turned out to be a bit twisted.

Looking over the other titles that Kang has written it appears that a strong female protagonist is what she writes about, and if they are as good as Opium and Absinthe I will be super happy. A couple of the titles that I’m going to read (eventually!) are The Impossible Girl and A Beautiful Poison.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review
Tillie has always been the one that drew the frowns of her mother and grandmother and her sister Lucy was always the one that done the right thing and brought smiles to everyone’s faces. The Lucy was found dead with two puncture marks on her neck and no blood left in her body. Were vampires real and is that what really killed Lucy. The same day Lucy went missing Tillie fell off her horse and broke her collarbone. This started her spiral with addiction not only to drugs but also to find out once and for all what killed her sister.
With the help of Ian Tillie conducts research about vampires as well as looking at other murders in the city that were similar to her sisters. Her grandmother and mother all but lock her in the house that they say is to protect her but Tillie is resourceful and finds a way to meet Ian regularly so that they can continue their research. And the results were a surprise to everyone.
This was a great story not only about murder but also about the way women were restricted with their lives and how hard it was to be independent and live the lives they wanted to.
I found that the story was at times a bit slow going and I became frustrated at the behaviours and attitudes of some of the characters but that did not take away from the enjoyment of reading this book.

"Even if she be not harmed, her heart may fail her in so much and so many horrors; and here after she may suffer-both in waking, from her nerves, and in sleep, from her dreams."
-Van Helsing

"It was a strange thing to be awake within a nightmare".

Tillie Pembroke had an inquisitive mind asking endless questions, although, in the New York of 1899, eighteen year old Tillie was being evaluated by the yardstick of "marital and societal utility". Lucy, her older sister "...would buffer Tillie from their family's disappointment when she made occasional gaffes in public". "It was nearly the turn of the century, a lady could speak for herself sometimes", thought Tillie. Lucy, twenty-one years old, was "the very image of a Gibson Girl", soon to marry well-connected James Cutter. Back-to back shattering events changed everything. A horseback riding accident. Tillie broke her clavicle and was immediately given laudanum..."a soporific cloud settled over her mind"...oppressive pain...morphine followed.

"Get your WORLD for a penny", a Newsie cried. Headline- Vampire Strikes Manhattan, Kills Lady Near Museum...Woman Found Dead in Shadow of Metropolitan Museum of Art...Vampire-like Punctures Found on Neck....Empty Absinthe Bottle Found with Body...Victim Last Seen Wearing a Lilac Silk Dress....Cause of Death: Exsanguination. No blood found at the scene. Oh no! It was Lucy! Bram Stoker's Dracula had just been published. Lucy's death seemingly imitated Count Dracula's lust for blood. Tillie was determined to get her hands on a copy of Dracula...ASAP!

"I cannot live without my Lucy...Tillie drank her medicine...More. Another dose. I cannot be awake...Numbness would do...and so opioid addiction began. In moments of clarity, Tillie questioned...why would Lucy walk unaccompanied to the museum? Lucy seldom imbibed, why absinthe? Newsie Ian Metzger had a "keen interest" in murders. Both Ian and Tillie had the same burning curiosity over Lucy's death "...a dark, deep hole that begged to be filled with reasons and facts". How would Tillie circumvent the restrictions that kept her locked at home except for sanctioned social events? Was Lucy's death a vampiric killing? Count Dracula had feasted on the blood of a "Lucy". Two Lucys dead, hmm. Two bite marks on the neck, four inches apart...not a drop of blood on or near the victim. If not a Dracula-like murder, what other theories might exist?

"Opium and Absinthe" by Lydia Kang is a gothic mystery with amateur sleuths, Tillie and Ian as investigators. While there are enablers who keep Tillie supplied with opiates, she finds ways, albeit while sometimes in a fog, to dole out just desserts, some literal, others edible, as she tries to unravel the truth. This riveting tome stagnated a bit midway with too much emphasis on opioids. It picked up speed unmasking characters with dubious agendas then barreled to a surprising and satisfying conclusion. A mystery lover's delight.

Thank you Lake Union Publishing and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

This was a difficult read, and for the very real slew of addictions and other issues we have facing our society today. It was hard to read because we're in Tillie's head and we see her making these choices, and we disagree...and yet.

A gruesome set of murders come to light in the historical scene of the early 1900s Manhattan. It's a different feel, we're in the new old world, amongst the wealthy, and are laden with all the drama of a young woman of the time (Mathilda or Tillie). She comes to depend on a young reporter of sorts, all the while suffering from grief and abuse from her grandmother and others surrounding her. The story of her father is shrouded in mystery (even toward the end of the book) and her sister's grim demise evokes feelings of grief, guilt, as well as confusion. Tillie is just dealing with a lot.

There seems to several mysteries embedded within each other that readers may enjoy guessing at, however much of the story is told from a point of view that's heavy under a cloud of drugs: opium, morphine, and heroine. If you're not able to handle that, then you may want to look elsewhere for a murder mystery.

I appreciate that the author presents several resources and hotline information in the author's note and recognizes the social climate of the current time.

Tw: drugs, drug abuse and addictions, sexual abuse (non-graphic), emotional abuse.