I liked this. It takes place in New York City in 1899. A lot is changing in the city in that time period. Tillie and Lucy are from a well-to-do family in high society. While Lucy is “perfect” Tillie is a bit awkward. Lucy is slated to marry a most eligible bachelor when she turns up missing. On that same day Lucy goes missing, Tillie falls from her horse and breaks her collarbone.. When she wakes up she learns her sister was murdered by exsanguination and had two puncture marks in her neck as if she’d been bitten by a vampire. Tillie is distraught and determined to find Lucy’s killer. As she investigates she must deal with her growing drug addiction, her family’s lock down and her growing affection for a reporter. I liked the characters, however flawed, and was glad Tillie had a mind of her own and was determined to work to get what she wanted in life. Most of her friends were very shallow and I can see why she was drawn to live a different lifestyle. The plot was interesting and I had a hunch I knew who the killer was but was never sure. I only have two complaints. The description of New York at the time was very thin. The other complaint is that the author, like Tillie must really love studying the dictionary. There were so many unusual words, it was a little weird. A little editing might help with that. Otherwise, I liked the book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I love this book and im not usually a fan of Gothic novels but i as instantly intrigued in this book! a new take on the old vampire tales and narcotics usage. Tillie is my favorite and i could not have picked a better main character!
Kudos to Lydia Kang for sparking my interest in gothic novels! Definitely a must read book for everyone!

A great gothic thriller I couldn't put down. Great world building, setting and a fascinating cast of characters.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Gothic historical murder mystery with Victorian sensationalism to keep you turn page after page. I went into Opium and Absinthe thinking it might be a supernatural historical read and clicked the request button so fast, granted it is not but I am still glad I read it. We have a murdered woman drained of blood, an unreliable narrator, coupled with the Victorian era penchant for all things macabre and you get an engaging and gothic thriller. I highly recommend Opium and Absinthe to anyone who loves a dash of gothic to their mysteries.

Oh, my, what an unusual book. Set in gothic Victorian times in New York City 1899, it focuses on eighteen-year-old Tillie Pembroke whose older sister Lucy has been killed, drained of blood, and left with two puncture wounds on her neck. Tillie immediately is sure her sister has been murdered by a vampire and sets out to prove it. Before her sister’s death she is injured in a riding accident and is given laudanum and opium for the pain. This was common for the times for wealthy women to receive drugs for various ailments and in the process of the book the drug use increases. For some strange reason I kept having the recurring thought that I was glad I came from poor, hardworking people who just worked through their issues by forging ahead sans drugs.

There are so many characters in this book that I didn’t know who to suspect. Several new people come into her life to assist her on her quest for justice which made me immediately suspicious. The story became tedious at times especially around her escalating drug use, but I was impressed with her tenacity and dedication to the truth. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I gave this it 2 ½ stars rounded up to 3.

I was immediately drawn to the title and the cover of this novel at first glance. Reading the description had me hooked. This is set in the Victorian era, following Tillie into an investigation of her sister's murder at the hands of a "vampire". Tille is always reading and questioning, and her sister was her best friend and the one who kept her "in line", so to speak. After a fall from her horse, a broken collarbone leads Tillie to an opium addiction, which she also uses to ease her grief. This of course makes investigating so much more difficult.

This novel felt pretty slow to me. I did love the mystery, and the plot, despite feeling slow to me, did actually move along nicely. I think what did me in was the language and tone. I know it's meant to be Victorian, and usually this doesn't bother me. But I had to keep stopping to look up definitions, and sometimes I had to go on to Wikipedia to learn about some words because they had no definition. So that really took me out of the story, and so it took me much longer than usual to finish this novel.

All in all, I liked it, and I will be checking out her other work.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Tilly Pembroke has recently lost her beloved sister and from appearances it looks as though a vampire has killed her and drained her blood from her body. Tilly (after suffering injuries from a riding accident) has developed an addiction for opiates mainly Opium and Morphine and under a cloud of addiction she decides to hunt down her sisters killer herself since her family seem to have just accepted her murder and moved on.

This book is fantastic! I love gothic historical fiction and this book didn't let me down! The book opens your eyes to early medicine, early vaccinations, opiates and pain relief and how addictions can become severe very quickly and just as quickly get out of hand, murder, mystery, family history, family skeletons and friendship all in one book.

I look forward to reading more from Lydia Kang.

“Opium and Absinthe” follows a young woman’s encounters with both substances as she attempts to track down her sister’s seemingly supernatural killer in 1899 New York City.

As the title suggests, drug usage plays a major role in this book’s plot. Sexual assault also factors into the story. Reader discretion might be advised.

Tillie Pembroke, the protagonist of “Opium and Absinthe,” is a young high-society lady. Painfully aware that she is ill-suited for and unhappy in her expected role, she longs to escape the confines of her station in order to educate herself in and write about the wider world. Tillie’s character seems likely to appeal to readers who have also struggled with being socially awkward, trying to navigate new situations when coming from a sheltered background or limited life experience, or being “book smart” but bad at understanding people.

As Tillie pursues the truth about her sister’s murder, she must confront the darkness in both her circle and society at large. Though vampires do enter the picture, the focus remains on human horrors, such as how much harm people are willing to inflict on others and why.

Lydia Kang, the author of “Opium and Absinthe,” populates Tillie’s entire quest to discover her sister’s killer with rich details. I’m not well-versed enough in U.S. history to say if Kang’s portrait of 1899 New York City is accurate or not, but it certainly gives the impression that Kang researched her subject matter. If Kang’s descriptions of Tillie’s world are indeed accurate, they present a compelling window into that time period. If not, Tillie’s world is still a well-developed, fascinating one to visit. I found Kang’s descriptions of what her characters eat and wear over the course of the story particularly well-written and intriguing, but there are plenty of other details on offer for readers who do not share those interests.

I found the development of the murder mystery in “Opium and Absinthe” surprising, but I don’t regularly read mysteries, and when I do, I am terrible at figuring them out and am content to go along for the ride on the literary sleuth’s investigation rather than try to solve the case myself. I’m not sure if a seasoned fan more invested in following the clues would find this mystery satisfying or not.

Overall, based on this story’s young main character who spends much of the narrative working on asserting herself and deciding who and what she truly wants in her life, I would recommend this book to fans of young adult and/or romance fiction. Based on this story’s detailed descriptions of New York City life and real medical practices in 1899, I would also recommend this book to fans of historical fiction and to readers interested in medical history. Based on this story’s consideration of sexism, wealth enjoyed at the expense of the poor, and opioid overprescription and addiction, I might recommend this book to readers interested in current issues as well.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing access to a copy of this book for an honest review!

I loved this book. It was very interesting and kept me sucked in throughout. The story wrapped up nicely, and I loved the mc.

The ARC of this book was kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley.
First of all, can we talk about this gorgeous cover quickly? It's a stunner and it perfectly reflects the theme of the book. This novel had me hooked from the first paragraph, the writing style was wonderfully poetic in scenes and harsh and gritty in others, Kang was able to perfectly balance the mix of these. The mystery kept me enthralled, just when I thought I had figured it out another plot twist was thrown at me and I was left as clueless and interested as before. I especially enjoyed how the secondary characters progressed throughout, their development was realistic and I loved the small scenes we got with them. I've become of a fan of Kang's writing after finishing this and I'll be reading more of her works in the future.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for providing my the book in exchange for a honest review.

Most of this story was an eye opening and trippy as the characters themselves. We watch the main character, Tillie, spiral out of control with grief and drugs, dealing with the loss of her sister and her uncontrollable addiction. Her inner monologue during these drug induced haze are brillant and insane at times. Almost everyone around is a horrible shallow human being that should really look at themselves closely and stop telling her how to live her life. I really enjoyed when the charactered rebelled against her family and went out on her own to solve the mystery and live her own life her own way. My only gripe is :
This story's description of Gothic Victorian era portrayed it as having a high level of grandeur, but Opium and Absinthe missed the mark towards the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

I am obsessed with vampires so the description of this book grabbed me right away. Opium and Absinthe is a beautifully written Victorian murder mystery. Lydia Kang's descriptive writing brought the time period to life, particularly the New York City setting. I really loved the newsies element as well as the references to Bram Stoker's Dracula scattered throughout the book. I found myself frustrated with Tillie's actions at times because they were so dangerous. However, her character growth from the beginning to the end of the story was substantial and I wound up really liking her. Her newsie friend, Ian, was my favorite and I loved how his way of speaking added so much dimension to his character. This book is a complete escape into Victorian era New York City and I really enjoyed being immersed in that world for a little while. I did not figure things out so it was fun to travel along this mystery with Tillie and Ian, wondering which characters were hiding secrets. There were so many little stories thrown in with the main murder mystery and that added depth to the characters. I would definitely recommend this for your TBR this summer.

Plot Synopsis:
It's 1899 in New York City and Tillie Pembroke's sister Lucy has been found dead with two small puncture wounds in her neck. The papers are saying it was a vampire attack but Tillie vows to figure out who murdered her sister. She has always had an inquisitive and curious mind, much to her family's chagrin, so it's only natural for her to research this idea. As she speaks to various experts about the possibility of a vampire attack as well as other alternatives, she becomes fully immersed in this case.

At the same time, Tillie is growing increasingly dependent on the laudanum she's been given for an arm injury. She has people in her life who are all too willing to help her get more and more of it. Her sister's fiancé, James, is suddenly interested in her. She starts friendships with Ian, the newsie, and her doctor's son Tom and the family's new security guard makes Tillie nervous. More deaths follow the same pattern until Tillie doesn't know who she can trust. Unfortunately, trusting the wrong person could be deadly. Will Tillie solve the case before it's too late?

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

It’s 1899 and Tillie Pembroke’s life is about to get turned upside down. Born into the New York wealthy upper class, Tillie has had a pretty sheltered life. It all changes the day she falls from her horse and breaks her collarbone - the same day her older sister goes missing. When she’s found, she’s been killed with the only marks on her body look to be a vampire bite. When the investigation seems to be going no where, Tillie makes an unlikely friend and accomplice to solve the mystery of who, or what, killer her sister.

This book pulled me in and kept moving. I thought I had gotten it figured out but kept me guessing.

Opium and Absinthe was the perfect summer, beach-side novel for me! I was already lured by the beautiful book cover even before I begun reading. The story was well paced and had the right amount of suspense and misleads to keep you guessing, but not overly so. I loved how detailed and insightful Lydia Kang was about Tillie's addiction. All the characters were well developed and none of them were annoying (even the bad ones!). I look forward to reading more novels by Lydia Kang!


Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

OPIUM AND ABSINTHE blends Gilded Age New York with vampires, family secrets, and a touch of romance in this fantastic murder mystery.

Our main character is Tillie, a young woman reeling after the death of her sister and breaking her collarbone in a horseback riding accident. As she tries to solve her sister's murder, she becomes more and more dependant on opium. Tillie was fantastic as the protagonist—curious and smart and quirky in a way I haven't seen before in a historical mystery. Her journey with addiction was also incredibly well done, without sensationalism or judgment from the author. I was rooting for her to solve the murder (is it vampires, or someone hoping to pass the blame to a vampire?) and to find romance with the love interest, an easy-going newsie named Ian whom I also loved. Another fun bit is the incorporation of pop culture from the time—Bram Stoker's Dracula and the journalist Nellie Bly both make an appearance.

The pacing did slow a bit in the third act, and there were many suspects and plot threads to keep track of by the time you reach the book's climax. But everything is resolved in a very satisfying way that didn't leave me with any questions or feeling like any of the plot threads were dropped. I highly recommend this one if you like historical mysteries with fun pop culture references!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing Via NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3442593572

This was one of the most intoxicating reads I have picked up this year.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book did not initially come off as a mystery; when I began it, I thought it was going to be a commentary about mental health before it was labeled as such or on women succumbing to marriage as the only accomplishment they should have in their life. Since I did not expect a mystery, this book wrapped me in from the first mention of a vampire. It comments on drug abuse, toxic families, marriage, and love. This novel had more depth and intrigue than I could have ever imagined. I highly recommend this book to anyone who will read it.

Thank you for my copy of Opium and Absinthe.

First off the cover of this book is absolutely beautiful. I enjoy most books about vampires and this gothic mystery caught my attention from the beginning. I did find myself getting frustrated with the story line at times and felt it was drawn out. The ending was unexpected and keeps you guessing until the end.

Lydia Kang's historic mystery novel is so readable that I devoured it in a few days. The combination of narcotics, a mysterious Dracula-esque serial killer making headlines in New York City in 1899 is compelling. Top this off with how well-researched this novel was, making it so atmospheric that you feel like you have fallen into 1899 New York City.

The protagonist Tillie is a strong character who fights historic gender and class norms, whilst suffering with crippling grief and struggling with addiction.

I must say the first chapter didn't initially grab my attention and I was hoping it would get more interesting, and it definitely didn't disappoint. There were also so many unexpected twists, it kept me gripped until the very end.

Lydia tackles some important topics in this novel, from addiction and grief to poverty and societal issues like class, gender norms and much more.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes mysteries, combined with a strong female protagonist.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC of Opium and Absinthe!

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!

First of all, I must say that this cover is absolutely beautiful! I just couldn't ignore it. As soon as I saw it, I felt the urge to read the synopsis. I was very intrigued by the plot, wondering how it could be possible to find a connection between the events of the classic Dracula and these new characters.

Tillie Pembroke lost her older sister, Lucy. She was found dead, in a very peculiar way. There was no sign of blood, although she was clearly murdered.

The book "Dracula", by Bram Stoker, was published in that same year and introduced the universe of vampires to people's minds. After reading the story, Tillie identified some similarities between what had happened to her sister, and wondered, "What if vampires really exist? Who's this author? Where did he get this idea from?"

The Pembrokes are a rich family. It was always expected that the girls would marry and have children, but that was all. That was their fate. They weren't expected to be smart. The family members don't take anything Tillie says seriously. Even though she says she wants to continue investigating what happened to her sister, she often hears that "she needs to be strong and move on, because that's what women do".

Her great ally in this investigation is Ian Metzger, a young man who sells papers, who really likes her for her personality, and not for being a Pembroke.

I really enjoyed this reading! The author got my full attention. Although I was frustrated at times, I always thought, "I won't give up. I want to know how this is going to end. I need to know what happened to Lucy and the other victims too!". And the ending made sense to me, so... good book!

OPIUM AND ABSINTHE by Lydia Kang is a gothic novel set in the 1890’s around the time Bram Stoker’s Dracula was released. When her sister is found dead, drained of blood with two holes in her neck, Tillie is determined to find who killed her. Was it a vampire? With her own issues to deal with, plus the discouragement of her family and those surrounding her, Tillie faces an uphill battle. Luckily, she finds a friend and ally in Ian, a newsie and would-be journalist, who likes Tillie for herself and not who her family thinks she should be.
I enjoyed the plotline but had a bit of a difficult time with the writing and the characters. It was a harder for me to connect with Tillie, I wasn’t sure I liked her and her actions frustrated me at times. This one was good, but not necessarily for me, as I struggle with gothic novels.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
#OpiumandAbsinthe #LydiaKang #LakeUnionPublishing