While this book is a short one (under 200 pages, I believe) it still packs a punch. We meet our characters as they go to perform a seance of sorts on a house that may or may not be haunted. Not that this is a spoiler, but yeah, it's haunted as hell.



During their time at the house, all kinds of weird things happen. Even weirder than being scared by unknown circumstances, is possibly falling in love while all this craziness is going on around you. If you want more info, sorry, you're gonna have to read the book.



Hawkins had a book come out earlier in the year, and between The Return and THoBG, she might be starting to become one of my favorite horror writers. She really seems to know her craft. I'm here for it.



The Haunting of Beatrix Greene comes out 10.28.2020, and you should ABSOLUTELY check it out.



5/5 Stars

The Haunting of Beatrix Greene is the perfect book to curl up with, now that the weather is turning cool and our minds turn to ghosts and goblins. It's a good example of a gothic ghost story, complete with a crumbling estate with a dark and tragic history, and a beautiful heroine who is called in to solve its mystery.

Beatrix Greene lives in Victorian-era England and is one of many spiritualists of the day. Distaining the flash and show that has been popular with other mediums, she's made her name by holding quiet and sober readings for her clients. She is approached by Dr. James Walker, a noted debunker of fraudulent mediums, to travel with him and his companions to spend one night in the manor house and give definitive proof as to whether the house is or is not haunted. However, when they arrive, the situation quickly becomes dire as Beatrix and her fellow ghost hunters discover that the house, and whatever is living in it, is not going to let them leave.

There are plenty of gothic ghost stories out there and fans of them expect certain things: the properly atmospheric haunted house, the evil in the past that made it that way, the heroine/hero who is pitched against the evil and the brave companions willing to give their lives to vanquish the evil and support the hero. This book has all of that but manages to still be fresh. I especially enjoy the well-known characters of the day who drop in to add color and the scene where the evil of the house is unleashed is especially harrowing (it might be a difficult read for the especially squeamish). The pacing of the book is good and as you reach the end of the story, you're practically breathless, which leads me to my only real criticism. I thought that the final scene in the house carried on a bit too long but that's a minor complaint.

Overall, I thought The Haunting of Beatrix Greene delivered on all its gothic promise. This is just part one and it ends on a satisfying note, making you want to find out what happens next. So, grab that cup of (insert favorite hot beverage here) and cozy up for a great scary read!

A masterfully written tale!
The Haunting of Beatrix Greene is an artfully interwoven masterwork of fantasy. The words are gripping with a never ending hint of suspense.
Any lover of the fantasy would love this book.

A masterpiece!

More Novella than novel. But a quick read on a Sunday is perfect. Set in the Gothic era of talking to the dead and conjuring spirits, Beatrix talks to departed loved ones for a fee. James thinks its a hoax but wants Beatrix to try. And then she learns what she pretended to do all along. A little spooky narrative for us along the way. I love that it read like episodes instead of chapters, it worked well for this short read. Short yes but everything you need is done well. Pace, character development, a little spook, a little fright, a little 'will they or won't they". Perfect time of year to read this also. I look forward to more by Rachel Hawkins. My only negative is i think she could tighten up her writing here and there.

I was given this e-copy by Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Beatrix Greene is surviving Victorian life by giving false psychic comfort to her fellow citizens. Until she meets James Walker. Mr. Walker is known for turning in frauds and con men, and Beatrix is suspicious when he offers her a job. Walker wishes for Beatrix and a few others to accompany him to Ashbury Manor, a place of horrific tragedy and potential ghostly sights. While there, it becomes clear that Mr. Walker is keeping secrets, and now their lives are in danger from a vengeful spirit. How is Beatrix supposed to survive this?

I enjoyed this novel. Instead of the traditional chapters, they are labeled as episodes. Which reminds me of my favorite haunted horror movie, Rose Red. It allows for a smoother transition, and a feeling of completion. The ending also provides the opportunity for another "season" or novel.

Following along with my favorite movie is also the villain. It isn't a person, like in Scooby Doo. Instead this is a house that is imbued with such history that it physically generates some kind of presence. It's a beautiful balance of science and magic.

My only issue are the varying relationships. I wish Harry had been more brotherly toward Beatrix, but he lacked luster. The developing relationship between James and Beatrix, also, felt fast and cliché. Again, the ending provides an opportunity for more in another novel, but I wish it had flowed better.

I rate this 4 out of 5 stars, and will continue to follow the 3 authors who wrote this collaboration.

To be honest, I really was not sure what to expect from this book. This was an Exquisite Corpse style book, with each chapter written in "rounds" by three different fantasy and YA romance authors - Rachel Hawkins, Ash Parsons, and Vicky Alvear Shectar.

Set in Victorian England, Beatrix Greene, a spiritual medium, is invited to an abandoned mansion with a grisly history to prove herself. She is accompanied by an American photographer, the owner of the mansion with a secret past, and a famous author. Things unravel as soon as they reach the mansion, and the story takes quite a wandering path through horror.

I found this book to be quite well done and properly spooky. It pays most obvious homage to Shirley Jackson's "Haunting of Hill House" (one of my all time favorite reads), but tosses in some gruesome horror scenes and some passionate moments.

This is the book that spooky October deserves and that readers yearning for creep without laborious tomes can grab and read in one dark evening.

This is a perfect book for the upcoming Autumn season. It’s spooky and gothic, but wasn’t entirely Gory or scary like some gothic or horror novels can be. I enjoyed that it was short and felt as if I was sitting down to listen to a classic ghost story around the fire.
If you are looking for a completely original plot line this might not be your match, but if you are looking for a fast moderately sinister book with Shirley Jackson vibes...then sit back and enjoy.

That was a Haunting alright! The story was a bit more gruesome than I expected but undeniably compelling. I read it in one sitting and I loved, loved the characters. Beatrix is a magificent woman and I would love to have more stories with her and James.
I cannot deny that this is a story about woman empowerment and the undeniable falling of patriarchy, in a subtle way. It became more apparent in the end that this is not just a simple story about a strong woman in a man's world.
The Haunting of Beatrix Greene is undeniably enchanting!!!

I enjoyed this book so so much! First, I read this book in one day - it is a fast-paced, easy read. But I am struck by how unique this book is. First, having different authors write the different chapters is such a fun idea, but it still flowed as a cohesive piece and story. Next, it was the perfect blend of thriller, horror, romance, and historical fiction - there was truly something for every reader and I think that kept the story exciting and fresh.

Lastly, it was just an excellent read - perfect for the cozy (and spooky) fall vibes so many people are looking for right now! I was engaged in the stories, in the cast of characters, and in finding out what was afoot with the house, the history, and Lord Ashbury.

This is just the perfect fall, spooky read for lovers of any genre!

I was looking for the perfect little starter to my spooky October reading and boy, did I find it!

The mood? Victorian England.....and a spiritual medium (Beatrix Greene), who isnt quite the medium she pretends to be, takes on a challenge from a career skeptic (the handsome James) to prove to him that ghosts exist.

The challenge? Accompanied by a writer, photographer and a friend for morale support, they are to spend the night in a spooky Victorian mansion where a massacre of mother and son have taken place.
So do they exist? What will they discover? Are all of their team who they say they are? Who will get out alive? All I will say is "DON'T GO DOWN TO THE BASESMENT!"

I loved this book, it had classic haunted house vibes and moved at a satisfyingly fast pace.

So I’ll be sleeping with the lights on for awhile. This book is so good and creepy. It’s absolutely perfect for Fall and Halloween. It’s a quick read but it is quite intense. It’s nonstop action and you will not be able to put it down.
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It’s set in Victorian England and Beatrix Greene is young woman working as a medium/spiritualist in London. She is unmarried and her parents died when she was young. She does pretty well for herself financially and that was not an easy thing for women alone at that time. She meets a man, a doctor, that works to expose fraudulent mediums. Dr. James Walker offers her a large sum of money to accompany him along with a few others he’s recruited to have a seance in a country manner that is reportedly haunted. James’s intent is to determine if it is actually haunted. Beatrix is hesitant to accept. If he exposes her as a fraud then she will lose her livelihood. She determines to pull it off no matter what and earn the exorbitant fee James is offering.
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The party of seance participants arrives at the estate and ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE. Truly never a dull moment. I throughly enjoyed this and am so in the mood for all things Fall. Bring on the pumpkin spice!

This book hooked me from the very beginning. I love the creepy setting. I would recommend if you like gothic horror.

I received a copy of this novel through net galley in exchange for an honest review.

I have not idea where this novel has been all of my life but I felt consumed by it. From the moment I started reading it until the very last page I was rooting for the main character Beatrix and her companions throughout the novel. I was shocked to see that this was a team effort written by three women, because during the entire duration of the novel I wouldn't have suspected that more than one person wrote it. It flowed together like a wonderful masterpiece and it left me longing for more. Each character was richly written, and left you falling in love with each and every one of them (minus one, but I won't point out why here).

The plot of the story left me breathless at points in time because I needed to know the outcome, and the way the authors blended together a love story with the mystery made this novel worth the read.

I need more in the story of Beatrix Greene and her exploits in the supernatural, and I need it now.

Highly recommend.

Color me surprised! This little book was satisfyingly gruesome, albeit only in one section.

The plot is simple enough—a small group goes to inspect a haunted house. It moves at a brisk pace and left no room for boredom.

It’s a tad too cutesy for me though. The romance ended up being more in the foreground than I expected, and our heroine had a nice light up moment a la the Beast in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast where she was all golden light and shiny and beautiful. I wanted more of Stanhope being gouged in the pit and less happy feel-good moments.

Overall though I enjoyed it and would be happy to read more in this same vein.

In 1800s London, a young woman making her way as a medium crosses paths with a scientist who specializes in debunking spiritualists. Confident in her ability to outsmart any scientific tests put her way, and longing for the independence and stability of the reward on offer, Beatrix Greene accepts James Walker's invitation to join an investigation of Ashbury house, site of a grisly crime and rumored to be haunted. When the real, and malevolent spirits of the house respond to the seance, Beatrix and James must defeat the spirits--or join them.

There is so much potential in this plot hook! I love the concept! Beatrix Greene is the daughter of stage actors, using her acting abilities and her own empathy and intuition to succeed as a medium. James Walker is a scientist, seeking answers behind the facade of Ashbury House. The supporting cast is interesting, and cameos from well-known historical figures are fun. The setting is an appropriately gothic haunted manor, and the fake-psychic/medium to oh-shit-its-ghosts is just ... so, so fun. And the "Episode One" in the title promises the start of a potentially long and satisfying historical mystery/horror series.

Unfortunately, all that potential just never really pans out. If I were to settle one word upon this book. It would be "rushed." With less than 200 pages in the book, there simply isn't room for all these great concepts to be fully realized. The supporting cast, comprising a lecherous lordling, a happy-go-lucky actor, and a gender-role-flouting American photographer, never really seem to develop much farther than their descriptions. Big reveals, like Beatrix not actually being a medium, come and go with little of the drama such revelations should engender.

What the book does well is give us great bones of both a horror and a mystery story. The writing is episodic, with each episode written by one of the three authors. Despite this format, they are able to keep an incredibly consistent tone throughout the book. Beatrix is a great protagonist. She is interesting and imperfect and has room to grow and change. And the ending certainly does leave space open for future installments.

So read the book, it's fun and engaging, but it will leave you wishing for more. Hopefully there are more books to come for this series, I would love to see what Beatrix can get up to when we can stop, take a breath, and watch the authors take the time to really build up their atmosphere and plot.

*ARC provided by publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Beatrix Greene is known for being a sweet and discreet spiritual medium, one who refuses to give in to cheap gimmicks to get her clients money. Instead, she relies on her empathy to help them feel more at peace with losing their loved ones. When she is invited to stay a night at a supposedly haunted mansion and prove or disprove ghosts' existence during a seance, she finds herself in over her head with both real life and the afterlife.

This book was the perfect way to start the early Halloween season, and a great way to spend the afternoon or evening. (I personally would follow it up with a couple of episodes of Penny Dreadful to add to the Victorian experience.) The story is a little predictable, but still a very fun read, and I knew I would be up late reading once I got to the last 100 pages. I highly recommend it for readers of the genre, as it doesn't disappoint.

This book is the classic haunted house with much more than it seems. Beatrix Greene makes her money as a medium, holding low key seances, and connecting people with their lost loved ones. Except she is a hoax. When she is approached by James Walker, a skeptic who wants to disprove all medians, she knows she should avoid his invitation to spend a night in a haunted house. His invitation, however, comes with quite a bit of money. What can go wrong?

So this book could hold its own with any of Darcy Coates. The writing was impeccable and I enjoyed the time it was set in. FOR ONCE, I did not get annoyed by the author's attempt to set it in a different period with a different lingo. Why? Because this was actually very well written and flowed. I enjoyed it, never once getting annoyed like I do with many other attempts. I also found the main character relatable and likable, even though her obvious bad qualities (a hoax for cash). In fact,

That all being said, I did not like how often it changed perspectives. I found it unnecessary and didn't add anything to the book. Otherwise, I will be on the look out for more by these authors.

Victorian-era London. Beatrix Greene has made a name for herself as a spiritual medium. Unlike other mediums, she foregoes theatrics and keeps her sessions understated while relying on her empathy and ability to read her clients. Then she meets Dr. James Walker, a man who has set out to disprove the mediums in London. But Dr. Walker has a proposition for Beatrix. Spend a night in a haunted manor, using her abilities to prove once and for all if the house is truly haunted. Beatrix accepts the offer and finds herself in a house with a long, dark history - and she soon realizes that the spirit world is real after all.

The story started off quite lighthearted, and I initially thought this was going to be "fluff" or something akin to a "cozy" read about ghosts. At times predictable, the story took a decidedly dark turn about halfway through. While I enjoyed the story overall, I felt that the development of the characters was a bit lacking. I would have liked more depth to Beatrix and James, and I feel that this shortcoming may be due in part to multiple authors. Three authors took turns writing the chapters, and I was afraid that this would result in a disjointed story. But the three women pull it off almost seamlessly.

This was a quick read and I find myself looking forward to the potential of more books about Beatrix given that the title says "episode 1."

I was provided an ARC by NetGalley-all opinions are my own.

This was such a fun read before Halloween! I loved the way it was written by multiple authors but they all did such a great job of converging their writing style into coherent characters. James and Beatrix are easy to fall in love with, Harry is a great comedic add in, and Amanda is a crisp clean character you'd want to be friends with and strive to be like. I never felt like the horror elements fell short throughout the episodes and that it was just the right blend of spooky. Honestly my only complaint is that it wasn't longer-I feel like the authors could have expanded even more on the world and provided additional scenes before reaching Ashbury. All that to say it was a great quick read!

She's a medium who's faking her way through readings (and doing a pretty good job of it). He's been outting other psychics as frauds all over London. Now he's asked Beatrix to conduct a seance at the haunted Ashbury Manor. She accepts the challenge and hopes to fake her way through it one more time. Little does she know......

I liked this little book! It was a very quick read and quite entertaining. I just wish there was more of it!

I was expecting it to be a little creepier than it turned out to be, but it definitely had some spooky moments.

I love the relationship between Beatrix and James and honestly I hope there is a more to come for them.

Thank you to #Netgalley and @serialboxpub for an advanced copy of The Haunting of Beatrix Greene.