I found this book on Netgalley and I had to read it. The plot sounded like a Sherlock Holmes novel. Tillie is a wonderful character. She’s smart and has a strong sense of what’s right but she’s also flawed. The book itself started as a slow burn but ramped up about halfway through. The novel involves addiction which can be a tricky subject to write about and hard to read about. But I think it was done in a tasteful and respectful way. Addiction was not glorified in anyway.

I thought I knew who the villain was. I was so completely sure I had figured it out. But the ending was a surprise to me. I had no idea. But looking back now I missed clues.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was a little long winded at times. But it made up for it by a good plot twist.

Synopsis: New York City, 1899. Tillie Pembroke’s sister lies dead, her body drained of blood and with two puncture wounds on her neck. Bram Stoker’s new novel, Dracula, has just been published, and Tillie’s imagination leaps to the impossible: the murderer is a vampire. But it can’t be—can it?

A ravenous reader and researcher, Tillie has something of an addiction to truth, and she won’t rest until she unravels the mystery of her sister’s death. Unfortunately, Tillie’s addicted to more than just truth; to ease the pain from a recent injury, she’s taking more and more laudanum…and some in her immediate circle are happy to keep her well supplied.

Tillie can’t bring herself to believe vampires exist. But with the hysteria surrounding her sister’s death, the continued vampiric slayings, and the opium swirling through her body, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for a girl who relies on facts and figures to know what’s real—or whether she can trust those closest to her.

As a lover of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, I was drawn in and addicted (pun very much intended) to the storyline. I found myself immersed in the mystery surrounding Lucy’s death, the time period and how Tillie works to stop a killer that is on the loose in Manhattan.

I’m a huge fan of historical details and descriptive writing, and Kang did an amazing job. I was swept back in time through the dialogue, setting and culture of Manhattan. There were many truly fascinating historical details that dove into the disparity between the rich and the poor during the late 19th century Manhattan, and I found myself swept up in the time period. The reader gets to dive into the life of a “newsie” (the poor) and the lives of those on “Millionaire Row” (richest of the rich). Kang brought these two different worlds together in a superb and entertaining fashion that helped the heroine, Tillie, solve a very unusual murder. I swear I was swept up visually into Tillie’s world as she traveled from the slums to the glittery lives of the rich.

The plotline and development of Tillie’s opium addiction follows with how so many women and men became addicted to the poppy after having a doctor subscribe it for medicinal purposes. I felt like I really knew all the characters in the story as I held my breath for them, cheered for them, or criticized their mistakes. Each character was very real and believable…Especially Tillie. Her character is flawed, but she doesn’t allow this to hinder her curiosity or drive to find the truth about her sister’s murder.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this story. As a teacher and librarian, I always have my nose in a book. Therefore, it takes a well-researched book full of captivating details to hold my attention so much so that I stay up late reading, and cannot wait to wake-up and dive back in, and Lang’s book did just that!

If you are looking into an epic historical fiction book with a hint of mystery, you will enjoy this well written book. You will get a glimpse into the lives and times of late 19th century Manhattan, the troubling diaspora (that are still troubling today), the role of women, opioids, and medicine.

As much as I wanted to like this book, it was just not for me. The story rambled and there were occurrences where it just really stretched one's ability to believe to the ultimate. I do like a good vampire story, but unfortunately, this was just not a very good one. Although, that cover is just stunning, too bad what was contained inside it just missed the mark.

So sad to say, no recommendation for this one.

I really enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down, I love a both where you just have to keep on reading

How topical is this! Is there really a vampire out there or is Tilly so addled by her opiate addiction that she's unable to form a coherent thought about her sister's death. Her sister was definitely killed but by who, or what? Kang has used Dracula to good advantage here. I wasn't sure when I started this that I would finish it but it hooked me in with the atmospherics of 1899 New York and a likable protagonist in Tilly, Good storytelling carried it though. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

I requested this book through NetGalley based on the beautiful cover and title. Considering my huge TBR pile and limited time to read, this was a gamble, but it turned out to be a very entertaining summer read.

I loved the setting--NYC in 1899--and I liked how the author tied in the Newsies and vampire themes. I'm not sure how accurately she captured the characters of the time, but I'll take it at face value. However, it's apparent that the author being a medical doctor allowed her to incorporate a lot of technical details, and that enriched the story and made it feel believable. Because I have a biomedical background, I was able to figure out what was going on pretty early in the story--but not WHO did it! She kept me guessing on that one til the end! So I'd say this was a very good mystery.

A big theme was that of addiction. It is crazy how easily people seemed to be able to get their hands on opium and heroin, even a young girl like Tillie (again, I'm not fact-checking). Although I do not doubt the cravings and withdrawals were well researched medically, the overwhelming amount of time spent describing Tillie's drug use was a bit of negative for me (but given the title of the book, maybe I should've expected that...)

Overall, a good read that I would not hesitate to recommend to mystery fans.

A gothic mystery with a heroine who manages to fight the strictures of her class and time.

The author interweaves Stoker 's Dracula which adds to the gothic overtones.

Additionally, she tackles the topic of addiction and various narcotic tinctures were used to keep women in their place.

I found the main character, Tillie, quite empathetic as she fights to stop acquiescing to familial and societal demands and find her own footing.

I am appreciative of the free ARC copy. I am leaving my honest review and recommend this book as a well written read.

When a book involves narcotics and a serial killer a la Coppola's Dracula making headlines in New York City in 1899, it is alluring. When it is written by Lydia Kang, and there is guarantee of a well researched atmospheric thriller, it is irresistible.

Rated 3.5 stars*

I enjoyed Opium and Absinthe by Lydia Kang. At first I wasn’t very invested in the story or sure where it was going, but for some reason I had trouble putting the book down. Tillie is a very determined and inquisitive protagonist. While I never could quite decide how I felt about her it was hard not to root for Tillie on her quest for answers and justice for her sister.

Intertwining Dracula’s publication with the story was a fun and interesting addition. The mystery is well constructed and while I wasn’t sure how some plot aspects had a purpose at the time, it all tied together.

I will be picking up more of Lydia Kang’s books in the future.

This book may be a great choice for fans of The Stalking Jack the Ripper series as well as The Alienist TV series (I can’t speak to the books as I have yet to read them.)

*My rating was rounded up because I had a hard time putting the book down.

The first few pages of this novel drew me in and wouldn't let go. I liked Tillie, she lives in a world where women are meant to go to parties, socialise and marry. But she spends the party in the host's library. She has a passion for knowledge and enjoys reading the dictionary.

I had a brilliant first impression of this book, I loved the unique similes that the author used "her heart was quivering like a cold chicken jelly" and I was intrigued by the mystery. Tillie's sister is murdered by what looks like a vampire and she's determined to find out what happened, since nobody else seems to be bothered. Oddly.

Tillie's  grandmother is a formidable lady, she is very harsh on Tillie and at one point refuses her to leave the house for her safety. Tillie feels trapped but not just in the house, in this life all planned out for her. Since her sister's death they want her to  fit neatly into her sisters role. She tries to figure out what happened to her sister, meeting people who can help along the way.

The authors love of Dracula is shown by the quotes at the beginning of each chapter and the novel features in the story. So if you haven't read it, expect spoilers. This was perfect: Tillie is reading the novel and asking questions, she researches the science behind vampires and tries to figure out if the killer is really a vampire. I don't think I've ever read a vampire book or seen a film/series that looks at the science, that looks at how their teeth would have to be or how they could drink blood from two tiny holes, leaving only small puncture wounds. Very interesting and a refreshing change. 

All the while I wonder if it's really a vampire, or if someone she knows is to blame. I couldn't figure it out, as the story progresses and Tillie tries to unravel the mystery, putting herself in danger and risking the anger of her family, I was riveted. And I didn't guess the culprit in the end. But I enjoyed every moment of it. 

 It was interesting to read Tillie's story, showing the attitudes to women during this time. And how she easily became addicted to opiates after an injury. Also her enthusiasm for writing made me remember myself when I getting into writing for the first time.

There is one glaring error in this book where the author keeps referring to the millennium being in 1900. Strange how this wasn't corrected, not sure if it has been in the final proof as I read an ARC. But it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story.

I loved everything about this book: the facts, the story, the characters. It's a riveting, historical mystery that you won't be able to put down.

This was a fantastic read! I've always been a fan of the gothic genre, and vampire novels in particular, which made this an enticing read from beginning to end. Gripping and exciting from start to finish, I found myself eagerly turning the pages and devoured the entire book in less than two days. I can't wait to see what else this author comes up with in the future.

I was very pleasantly surprised by Lydia Kang’s new novel. Everything about it was fresh. Tillie Penbroke is the average awkward younger sister of a beautiful paragon of NY society, but Tillie loves her and is loved by her. They don’t have contempt, but they do have secrets. The real story begins when Lily is found bruised, drugged, and exsanguinated after being missing for three days. Two of which, Tillie is in a state of laudanum induced unconsciousness.

Paranoia, misinformation, pseudoscience, addiction and plain-old feminine doubt propel the young lady into an ill-advised investigation into the murder of her sister and those who died under similar conditions and were left with similar vampire-like wounds. Tillie uses everyone and anyone as a source of information. She pays some, threatens others and even steals a bit. She is desperate from the moment she wakes to find her sister missing and travels under some degree of fog throughout.

What I enjoy most is how the atmosphere or local color of NY is amplified by Tillie’s drug use. So, I read her in two landscapes. Similarly, she is presented to us as a scientific mind, a woman of letters, an etymology nerd. And yet, she uses specious information from novels, quack doctors, hearsay, and the like. She jumps to conclusions based on no amount of logic. Worst of all, she lies. She lies to herself, friends, doctors, anyone. She is clearly unreliable as a narrator because she under the influence, but she’s so pathological she convinces herself of untruths.

It is the slippery slope on which Tillie rides that makes the true intent intractable. The novel is psychological. It’s suspenseful. It requires contemplation and demands irreverence.

There’s a moment where Tillie is upset by the waspish way her family is responding to grief. Her grandmother tells her that “no woman lives a life unscathed. We are broken and mended. Remade every time. We must. Or it destroys us.” While true and commendable, the assertion is as cold as Lily’s body. Tillie notes all of theses sensations around her not dispassionately before she realizes she hasn’t cried either. It’s bizarre. It’s also compelling. My overall enjoyment was not in the mystery or some great reveal. I enjoyed the precarious position of the truth-seeking, modernist individual who blazes her own path with the tension, chaos and desolation of the postmodern. It was like Prufrock smoked-out with Ginsberg while he wrote Howl before taking a cab to West Egg for a weekend with Jay Gatsby or maybe singing Puff the Magic Dragon in the choir at church on Easter Sunday. It’s all sacred and profane, innocent and vulgar, a veritable smorgasbord of oxymoronic imagery that I happened to find delicious.

This was beautifully written. It is a loose retelling/comparison of "Dracula." I found the pace to very simpler to the classic. I do think you can read this without reading "Dracula" yet part of the fun of this book is all the clues that refer to it. Lydia Kang did a lot of research about the time period, (1899) and how things were developing, such as medicine and the work forces. This was a consuming mystery and concern building for the characters as the story continues. It slowly grows on you and for me this will be memorable just like the classic.

Tillie Pembroke’s sister lies dead, her body drained of blood and with two puncture wounds on her neck. Bram Stoker’s new novel, "Dracula", has just been published, and Tillie’s imagination leaps to the impossible: the murderer is a vampire. But it can’t be—can it?

I think if I was in the right mood I would give this a higher star. I do plan to re-read this in the future. I am thinking of doing a combine re-reading of "Dracula" and a few other novels. Reading "Opium and Absinthe" with the classic would be a very interesting experience.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨Opium and Absinthe is utterly evocative. It only takes a few paragraphs of Lydia Kang's lush prose (and spot-on diction; anachronisms, whomst?) before you find yourself immersed in a city that is a character in its own right—

New York City, 1899: It's the turn of the century! High society is booming, even as the immigrants and working class struggle. Paperboys hawk wares, Italian men bang pianos on street corners. Horse-drawn carriages fill streets that've just begun to glow with electricity. Speakeasies and saloons belch opium smoke. Meanwhile, the moneyed elite luxuriate in Fifth Avenue mansions, tended to by French servants.

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Tillie's meek and clumsy, nothing like her beautiful and charming sister, Lucy. But when Lucy is murdered and all clues point to a vampire killer, Tillie's life shifts irrevocably. She throws herself into breaking free of her stifling birthright as a New York heiress. She chases leads and becomes an investigative journalist, addicted to knowing and learning everything about the world around her.

All the while, she discovers the only thing that dulls her pain, awkwardness, and grief is opium. And as she hunts her sister's killer, Tillie is consumed by an equally insatiable addiction—to morphine.

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My biggest issue with this book was that I couldn't connect with the characters. I didn't find any of them particularly likeable, which is fine, but the grievous sin was that I didn't find them compelling, either.

Tillie was spoiled and selfish and acted like SUCH a brat sometimes that I wanted to throttle her. The love interest was nice but kinda forgettable imo. Tillie's mom is a wet rag. Her grandmama piqued my interest (the old lady's a VIPER) but her backstory is never examined.

I also struggled to engage with the mystery—the hunch I had by page 20 was pretty much proven correct by the end, while the bulk of the story just felt like a series of red herrings that came outta left field and felt totally unnecessary and unconvincing? When we finally received explanations for why xyz occurred, it was PALTRY.

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CONCLUSION: Opium and Absinthe's mystery and characters weren't altogether convincing for me—but it IS redeemed by its beautifully vivid depictions of New York City's Gilded Age.

A killer is on the loose in the late 1800's, and it looks like victims are bled and have puncture wounds in their necks. Could it be the work of a vampire, a creature described in the newly published book "Dracula"?

As a Dracula fan, and general vampire lover, this premise really snagged me. Unfortunately, it was not so much a paranormal mystery as it was a drawn out description of a young lady's struggle with opioid addiction.

The MC Tillie is supposed to be an intelligent headstrong and independent young lady, very much outside of the social norms of the day. She wants to investigate the deaths, while at the same time battling a drug addiction. However, she just ends up just making illogical decisions which place her in danger all the time, which was very frustrating for me.

The other characters seemed to be very one-dimensional/stereotypical of the times and societal norms and were not engaging or interesting.

For me, the majority of the book dwelled on Tillie's opioid use and not on the murder mystery. Although this type of addiction was a common occurance during this time period, I feel that too much time was spent describing this, and it slowed the story way down so it was difficult for me to stay engaged.

A fun historical medical murder mystery that was enjoyable despite not being what I thought it would be. With depictions of addiction alongside the difficulties of a woman who desperately wants to solve her sister's murder against her families wishes, it was a fascinating story.

Tillie is an upper-class woman who recently had a riding accident that broke her collarbone. She was given opium as a way to keep her relaxed as the bones healed. Waking up after the incident, she learns from a newspaper that her sister, Lucy, has been murdered by what appears to be a vampire. Her family don't seem to care, placing harsher restrictions on what Tillie can do. Tillie is desperate to solve her sister's murder as further victims lead to suspicions surrounding a serial killer. Unfortunately, she finds herself moving from opium, to morphine, to heroin in a desperate fight to keep her painful grief balanced with the need to investigate.

The major issue I had with the book was Tillie and how young her voice seemed. I was expecting a slightly more adult feel to it. Don't get me wrong, it does address serious content matter, but the naivety and childishness in how Tillie originally came across stumped me. As the novel progressed I did find myself putting this aside and enjoying the story, but it was a hurdle.

Tillie is described as being inquisitive and clever. She's constantly reading, asking questions and generally getting disapproving stares from people who don't think women need an education. She's exactly the character I usually like.

There's a sentence right at the beginning where she's wondering why, when cats have kittens, the milk doesn't just continuously pour out of them. I find it difficult to believe a woman who seems to know a great deal about science hasn't come across the idea of suction.

Other than that her family were insufferable which did add a lot of tension and I appreciated it. I want to understand more about the Grandma and why she was such a horrible character. There are hints to secrets in her past, but they're never fully developed.

Apart from this, I did enjoy the story and the setting. The historical atmosphere felt realistic and well done. I especially enjoyed when Tillie visited the working-class areas and interacted with people who weren't so posh.

The plot could have developed at a faster pace, but I was happy with where it went and the reveal of the murderer. I was on the right track but didn't get the answer completely right, which is always good from a mystery.

I'm glad to see a story that doesn't demonize addicts, and I thought it handled Tillie's use of drugs very well.

The ending also wrapped everything up nicely, especially considering the dark themes within the novel, I'm happy with how the book turned out.

Overall, I struggled to connect with the characters and story at the beginning. However, by the end, the story had managed to capture my attention. I'd recommend this to people who enjoy a good historical mystery.

I'm not super sure what I think about this book. Its meh leaning towards good.

The mystery aspect of the story wasn't anything special, typical misleading subplots but a lot of the resolutions I guessed.

The most interesting part about this book was the addiction. The main character, Tillie, injures herself in the opening scene of the book and becomes addicted to the opium she was given to mitigate the pain of her broken collar bone and we deal with her struggling with that addiction at a time where doctors didn't really understand addiction.

2.75 STARS (let’s round it up to 3 for Goodreads’ sake): I DNF’ed this one 22% of the way in. I wasn’t relating to the characters at all and didn’t find the mystery compelling. A lot of the characters fit tropes common to YA historical fiction: the bookworm/studious daughter, popular/pretty daughter, misfit love interest, strict maternal figure, etc. Although I was interested in the setting, I have read more interesting books about the Gilded Age. Even though I DNF’ed it, I am hesitant to give it one or two stars because I may have just caught this book at the wrong time. I would be interested in reading it again in case my tastes change.

Opium And Absinthe is a beautifully written.
A page turner that had me wanting more!
I couldn't wait to start this book when I seen that I was approved for the ARC from NatGalley!
Has some historical fiction crime genre in the mix.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher

This was a great piece of Victorian fiction with a paranormal twist mixed in. This book was easy to get lost in for the day. I definitely recommend this unique and beautifully written story.