The Death of Jane Lawrence is the gothic horror you crave when the others are just a bit too gentle. This dark, fantastic tale of blood and ghosts is best read without too many preconceptions; readers need to make their own decisions about reality in this tale. Shadows and dark magic abound, and it's deliciously frightful.

The premise of this book was intriguing and I really wanted to like it, but ultimately I found it disappointing. At the beginning I was quite interested to find out what was going on with Augustine, the house, Elodie, etc. Then once a certain event happened, the pace slowed down considerably and I just got bored with all of the extreme detail that went into the rest of the story. I would have liked the motivations of the characters to be fleshed out more. I was also a bit confused with the world. It took place in a sort of alternate history/universe, but the background was only alluded to, never fully explained, and I don't think it ultimately made a difference to the story. The ending was quite unique and will probably be loved by a lot of readers, but it wasn't enough to make up for the other issues for me.

Characteristics:
Pace: medium paced
Moods: tense, mysterious
Plot or Character-Driven: a bit of a mix
Strong Character Development: sort of complicated
Loveable Characters: not really
Diverse Cast: no
Flaws of the Main Characters a Center Focus: not really

Overview:
Jane Shoringfield is a very mathematically, logically-brained single woman in need of a husband. Left as an orphan in the aftermath of war, she's been living out her days with a kind, elderly couple who have decided to make a move to a different city. Jane would become more of a burden if she were to make the move, so instead settles her mind to find herself a husband, marriage being strictly a business transaction, nothing more. Enter Mr. Augustine Lawrence, a talented surgeon with a bit of a hazy past but a willing candidate. His only request is that they keep their nights separate: him at his home at Lindridge Hall, and Jane in a room above the surgery. Things, of course, quickly diverge from the plan and after staying one night at Lawrence's home, Jane realizes things are very wrong and the man she married is entirely not himself but a shell of a man, paranoid and haunted.

My Thoughts:
This book was advertised as a mix of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell meets Crimson Peak meets Mexican Gothic, and the author, Caitlin Starling, was nominated for a Brom Stoker award. The overall description of the story and other promotional blurbs really hooked me in quickly; they said absolutely everything they needed to in order for me to believe this would be another favorite for the year. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell as well as Mexican Gothic have both been two favorites. I was hopeful that The Death of Jane Lawrence would join their ranks, but it fell a little bit short for me. While I did enjoy it overall, it was missing that special something that leaves me raving and adding a new book to the "favorites" shelf.

What I Enjoyed:
- I loved the classic "something is not right here" vibes that it gave.
- There are definitely a lot of eerie things happening within Lindridge Hall that the reader doesn't fully understand or come to realize until we get more towards the end. As a note, these eerie things aren't creepy enough to leave you wishing you'd read the book only during the day time.
- I enjoyed the little elements of magic that were incorporated.
- I also appreciated the historical elements that were embedded (at one point Augustine and Jane, respectively, use cocaine in order to stay awake and sharpen their focus; another doctor friend of Augustine's visits who seems to have an interesting history with asylums and those suffering from "madness").

What I Didn't Love:
- The magical aspect fell short for me. While I was glad it was incorporated, it felt like it wasn't fully fleshed out to its full potential. There were mathematical elements that were very entwined with the magic system and I didn't find it to work as well as I would've hoped.
- Jane, being incredibly mathematically-focused (always crunching numbers it seemed like), brought a level of logic to the story, which was fine and great to have a main female character who was entirely rational, but, again, the mathematical aspects seemed to take up a bit more of the stage than I would've liked, though the author incorporated it within the magical system, so all of it was very tangled up together.
- The entire story is told from Jane's point of view, and while I wanted to like her, she just wasn't that likeable. I didn't dislike her, but I didn't really love her either.
- There was a bit of a sort of twist at the end that wasn't as well explained as it could've been and there seemed to be some plot holes that were left a bit open.
- In order for it to be anywhere in the realm of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, it would've needed to be twice as long, the magical system significantly more developed, a bit more humor and fun, eclectic characters, and even some other points of view to add more layers of complexity. I went in with really high expectations I think because of the blurbs with all the right words, but it fell a bit short.

Overall, I DID still enjoy this book and entirely think it's a great one to add to your TBR if you enjoy the eerie vibes of Daphne du Maurier's works along with some of the weirdness that Mexican Gothic provided. If you're a big fan of Susanna Clarke and Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, set the bar a little lower and you won't be too disappointed.

This novel left me speechless. This story haunted my dreams in the form of nightmares. It brought me in the mindset of The Haunting of Hill House. I was genuinely scared but could not put this book down. I do not read much in the way of horror just because I scare easily and reading a book and conjuring the scene in your mind is far scarier than watching it on television. So, if the author wanted to frighten its readers while composing a fantastic story, I would say she had done exactly what she set out to do.

Jane wanted a marriage of convenience, one that could be benefit her and her partner. She complied a list and the good of doctor of her town made the cut. The doctor had no intentions of marrying but Jane was persistent and very convincing and explained it as a business arrangement rather than a marriage and the doctor agreed. The fact that she is beautiful, hard working and not afraid to get her hands dirty also help persuade the doctor. The only thing he asked her is that she never visit Lindridge hall.

Unfortunately, because of circumstances beyond either one of their control Jane winds up at Lindridge Hall the night of their marriage and from there all hell breaks lose and crazy things start to happen. Jane could never imagine that she would not be able to cipher what real and what is illusion and the deeper she gets into the halls of Lindridge the more traumatic and unsettling her life will become.

This tale of gothic horror takes you on a ride you will not soon forget. You will be turning the pages as fast as you can go devouring every word. I highly recommend this amazing read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital review copy in exchange for my honest review.

I didn't expect the ending to this book. I received as an ARC from Netgalley. As a lover of gothic fiction and horror, this book ticked every box and then some. The worldbuilding of the town isn't very solid. It takes places it what seems like an alternate Europe with Jane wanting to marry a man who fits her list of requirements. And she finds such a man in Dr. Augustine Lawrence. He has a rule of his own, she is never to stay at his familiy's old home, Lindridge Hall. A storm upends that and sets the story in motion.

I put down other books to finish this. It is my first book by the author and I loved it. The third act got a bit slow but not without reason. We watch as Jane dives deeper and deeper into darkness and things she may not be able to control. I read as quickly as I could to find out if she would be okay, to find out just how it would end. I couldn't have predicted it. In fact, the prediction I had for it was thankfully wrong.

I do wish the cast had been better described. There were no real descriptions of the characters in a way that gives a clear picture. At the end of the book, I have no solid idea what anyone looks like. It's why I can't give it five stars. I want to know what the characters look like. I want to know if they look like me or my friends and family.

I was so excited to get an ARC for this. I don’t remember exactly what “most anticipated” list I saw it in, but it sounded great and the cover is gorgeous. It’s not really what I thought it was going to be, but it’s super good! I didn’t really feel like it was too Crimson Peaky like some other reviewers. I think it’s just that basically every gothic horror story kind of follows the same ghost/mystery format. It takes a pretty wild occult left turn a third of the way in and definitely distinguishes itself from the pack. It’s fun. It’s about a surgeon, so it’s pretty gruesome. That’s a plus for me, but just a heads up for the squeamish. I’m not super crazy about the ending, to be honest. It gets kind of hard to follow the Christopher Nolany logic and circle speak, but the journey up to that point is pretty great, so I’d still recommend it.

Jane lives in a time when it is difficult to be an unmarried woman so she proposes to a local doctor explaining their marriage can be a business arrangement and they will live separately. After their wedding, the rain makes the roads impassable and Jane stays the night at Augustine's house. Odd things happen in Lindridge Hall and Augustine seems like a different man there. After going through his financial records and meeting some of his college friends, Jane tries to figure out who the mysterious Elodie is and what is haunting the house. I felt a little lost in the beginning and wanted more background about the time period and location. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a book to fill the void after watching Crimson Peak, look no further. THE DEATH OF JANE LAWRENCE is a brutal, mind-bending tale, and had me on the edge of my seat wanting to find out what the heck was going on. The second half of the book was a little hard for me because the mathematical and ritual stuff kind of went over my head, but the final revelation had me going “oh, I guess I have to read this book again now that I know x.” (But not in a bad way, hence the 5 stars!) All in all, a solid read for fans of gothic horror. This book hurt me in my feelings and I enjoyed every second of it,

You guys - you need to read this book. It’s a gothic horror fan’s dream (or nightmare). Think of House of Leaves meets Frankenstein. It’s the real deal. I need to read more of this author’s books. The writing was exceptional. The first 2/3’s of the book = 4.5/5 stars. The last third was confusing and a touch too repetitive but it did not ruin the overall experience. This is the type of book you finish reading then talk about immediately with your horror-loving friends. Now I have to wait until October to get the physical copy and talk to someone about it!!! Do yourself a favor and put this on your tbr list...now.

The Death of Jane Lawrence is a puzzle of a book. You have Jane Shoringfield and Dr. Augstine Lawrence.
Jane Shoringfield who is an accountant yet it seems as if she is also a nurse. ( untrained ) She is a brainy women with a headful of numbers. Who wants to marry in a desperate kind of way. So an arrangement is made. However things start to turn into a mysterious way. Living in a world where magic seems impossible. Ghost stories don't exist, frayed nerves and surgery. Dr. Lawrence is a surgeon. Stick to reality here, on a scientific level.

The Character building and world building take a while. Character interaction is really tight woven. Feels a bit surfacey leaves me wanting more. It feels as if I'm constantly being lead on in a plot development then its being taken away. Like a puzzle that the reader has to solve. ( In a good way)

In a lot of ways it felt very psychological thriller and in parts it felt as if I was there and it was a living movie. When When its mentioned Bram Stoker it feels like Bram stoker visual description. ( Total plus)

This Arc was given to me by Netgalley in Exchange for an honest review. Publish date October 19 2021!

Double wow, I suspected a little mystery, maybe a little goth, based on the cover. That did not prepare me for the slice of Victorian Life, where crypts, marble slabs, myths and magic converge at Lindridge Hall. Our protagonist, Jane is perfectly cast as the logical young woman seeking a marriage of convenience. She thinks the Dr is the best choice and outlines her plan. At first he informs her, marriage is out of the question. However, based on her skills with his ledgers and assistance in the surgery, he decides that it might work. With qualifications that Jane quickly disregards.
She can only blame herself when she doesn't follow those agreements and boundaries she accepted with her husband to be. The wedding night is a sham and Jane finds herself in a horrifying world of images, secrets, magic and madness. Bloody and disheveled, will she survive her evenings in this creepy, decaying residence?
Of course we all know to stay out of the cellar, do not agree to allow yourself to be pulled into magic that you don't know the extent of, but Jane's not thinking because now she is in love with the creepy doctor and can't bear that there are secrets she's not privy to.
Augustine seems pretty pathetic to me, dishonesty seems to come naturally to him, or could his version of the truth be the real one? If he would just stop running away.
Yes, this has all the ingredients of a proper horror tale - blood, guts, pain, decaying mansion and metaphysics.
Don't read it alone at night or plan to stay up all night. Not really my cup of tea but I'm grateful to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Crimson Peak? Yes.
Gothic? Yes.
Intersteller? Yes. ... wait what.

Those are the three things that you should think of when reading this book. This book is a RIDE. A RIDE that I thoroughly enjoyed.

'The Death of Jane Lawrence' is an interesting title, and also focuses on the name of our protagonist? She dies? ... Yes and no. I can't go into any more detail and I really don't think any reviews should give away the plot dynamics of the book, because if done so it would ruin everything.

So, bare bones, the summary on GoodReads and the book flap (I assume when it gets one) is correct. Our protagonist, Jane, wants a marriage of convenience. She finds a good looking Doctor who turns out is not really wanting a marriage but he is so wow'ed by Jane's proposal, her beauty, and the fact that she is a damn good assistant in an operating room (when she has never worked as a nurse) is enough for him. His only request on his end of this marriage of convenience is that she never, ever lives or visits his manor on the outside of town.

After their wedding ceremony, and on the day of the wedding, she is accidentally taken to his house. Unfortunately for one another, they have fallen in love with each other. Unfortunately for her, an accident causes her not to be able to return to the city... CUE THE FREAKY SHIT GOING DOWN.

This is where the Crimson Peak vibe comes from. This is where ghosts with piercing red eyes, specters that defy normal ghost-like behavior (like leaving blood trails all over the house) start popping up and hey, our protagonist is freaked out... but this is no surprise to her husband. He seems to know about these ghosts and why they're here.

... And that's where I leave you. The Interstellar bit comes in from this point on, and if you are familiar with that film then you may have a hunch of where the story goes... but if you don't, well, by the end of the book it'll all make sense. All I can say is that I loved this book and I am just tickled that I was allowed to read it early. I am pretty sure the last third of the book will cause a lot of people to be confused. But as one character instructs Jane, you must open your mind and accept the possibilities.

I honestly feel that I couldn't provide a better synopsis then what's already been provided. This book is very very similar to Crimson Peak, or a Shirley Jackson story. Also let's not forget Mexican Gothic! It reminded me very strongly of that novel as well, almost too much if we're being honest. I also had some Flannery O'Connor vibes while reading it. They are a few interesting twists here and there that genuinely surprised me, Including a very well done ending. While this novel doesn't break the mold it was very enjoyable.

My sincere thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Caitlin Starling, and Net Galley for the chance to read this book.

And oh my, but how delightful this experience was. A darkly gothic novel reminiscent of Rebecca, Jane Eyre, or the film Crimson Peaks this story of a “business” marriage turned tragic romance pulled me in from the start. And I do mean the very start, this cover is magnificent!

Jane is a socially inept young woman whose mind is drawn more to numbers than it is to balls and frivolities. When her guardians are due to leave for another country, she draws up a plan to sustain herself in the best way she can think - arranging a marriage between herself and an eligible bachelor who will not expect her to perform wifely duties. Dr. Augustine Lawrence fits that bill rather nicely, and his need for an accountant further solidifies her suit. But when attraction rears up between them, Jane finds herself wondering about his mysterious ways. What was before a convenient plan to live apart, becomes a mystery to solve as he cannot spend a single night away from his crumbling estate. Furthermore, he forbids her from staying the night there herself.

What is he hiding, and will uncovering those mysteries bring them closer together or will it rupture the very fabric of reality that Jane relies upon?

The plot I described above doesn’t even take you to halfway through this book - it is the set up. I don’t want to give anything else away, it is too marvelous and twisted. Best to dive in mostly blind, like our girl Jane, and see what we shall find along the way.

I can’t wait to read more from Caitlin, I loved The Luminous Dead and now this gothic tale is one I’ll need to purchase a hard copy of as soon as I can. It was absolutely delicious 🤤.

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc ebook. This was quite the creepy ride for me. It was well-written but definitely gory. I do enjoy horror, but this was on the edge of too much for me. I was captivating and I would read more by this author!

WELL THAT WAS TERRIFYING. I'm pretty sure this book is going to give me nightmares for a few days. The story starts with Jane needing to marry before her adoptive parents leave town and before she reaches a spinster age. She proposes a business type marriage arrangement to the new town doctor and he is hesitant at first. Dr Lawrence eventually agrees to marry her as long as she lives above his office and he lives in his creepy family home. The one thing Jane must do is NEVER BE AT THE HOUSE AFTER SUNSET so Jane agrees even though that is obviously a terrible red flag. When a storm washes out the road forces her to stay overnight on their wedding night, the rest of the novel unravels as Jane spends more time in the house. With major Rebecca and Haunting of Hill House vibes, Jane and Dr Lawrence are haunted by their own grief, paranoia, and guilt. Do not read this book one before bed, there were a lot of chilling and gory moments. Perfect for the gothic horror fans who enjoyed Mexican Gothic and the Haunting of Hill House. Also this book cover is gorgeous.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for my ARC.

The Death of Jane Lawrence is a chilling and deeply unsettling novel by Caitlin Starling. Set against the backdrop of an alternate post-war Britain, the book’s dreary ambience conjures a sense of impending doom. Jane is an orphan on the precipice of spinsterhood with a dwindling dowry. And she’s fiercely determined to find a husband.

Jane is not your typical paradigm of femininity. She’s more interested in crunching numbers and studying mathematics than raising children. Which is why enigmatic Augustine is her bachelor of choice. He’s a handsome surgeon with an unconventional lifestyle who reluctantly agrees to Jane’s business-like marriage arrangement.

But what appears to be the solution to all of Jane’s problems quickly devolves into a thing of nightmares. Augustine’s behavior grows more and more erratic and Jane soon realizes that all is not well at the ominous Lindridge Hall.

The Death of Jane Lawrence sucked me in from page one. I was immediately swept up in the captivating story, sinister atmosphere and mesmerizing dialogue. I found myself especially intrigued by the mystery man Jane had married who appeared to be harboring more than a few skeletons in his closet. As each layer was peeled back however, I became increasingly alarmed.

I am not an overly sensitive reader, nor am I a stranger to the horror genre, but I found the glorification of gore between these pages difficult to stomach. Unfortunately for me, this was only the beginning. The book grew progressively darker after that initial bloody scene. Despite myself, I was invested in the story and felt compelled to discover whether or not Jane would triumph in the face of seemingly insurmountable evil. Needless to say, I was absolutely shocked by the turn of events that ensued and I never could have predicted the way it all unfolded. My head is still spinning in the wake of that sucker-punch of an ending.

The Death of Jane Lawrence is a morbid and terrifying tale with a rain-soaked gothic atmosphere. This book is a perfect fit for readers who enjoy macabre horror featuring quirky characters, eerie occult undertones and a splash of the supernatural.

This book was nothing like I expected, although maybe I did not know what I was expecting honestly. I wanted horror and I definitely did get the horror from it and it delivered. Overall, I really enjoyed the book. The characters were wonderful and it was spooky and full of twists and turns. I loved Jane a lot. At the start of the book, I was hoping slightly that she was Ace, but I get why the romance needed to happen and I ended up enjoying it. The mental breakdown of the characters felt natural in a way that I have not read in other books. While I enjoyed the majority of the book, parts of it felt dense. I am not sure if that is due to the gothic nature of the book, but some of it felt like too much at times, breaking up the flow. It was information that was needed, so I do not know if there was a way to fix it to make it feel less dense. I think people are going to enjoy the book a lot and I will be picking up a hard copy for a re-read!

I received an ARC e-book of The Death of Jane Lawrence from NetGalley, but all opinions are my own.

I stepped outside of my comfort zone for this book and for the most part I thought it was an enjoyable read. If you're a fan of books like The Haunting of Hill House then you will enjoy this read. I loved the spookiness of this book and I found that's really where the author excelled. The twists and turns of this book kept me guessing until the last 5 chapters.

The things I didn't like were the romance and the main character's obsession's with math. I felt that the romance was rushed and the level of attachment didn't really make sense between the two characters. Though in most gothic books I've read the romance does tend to be rushed, this one just didn't click for me. Also, while the math did come in handy with the main plot, I just wish it wasn't as heavy handed of a plot device. Maybe, I just don't like math :). I would definitely recommend this book to fans of gothic horror.

I'll admit I didn't really read the blurb, I wanted it based solely on that gorgeous cover, so I didn't have a lot of expectation going in. I have read Starlings work before, and found it easy and enjoyable, and figured I was in for more of the same.
I was wrong.
From the first sentence, I was enthralled. We meet Jane, an accountant with a plan, a plan to stay in her village by marrying the local doctor, not for love, but for business. It's all very sensible and beneficial to both parties, but as with all plans, something goes awry. In this case, love gets in the way, and what happens from there is where the book gets really engrossing.
The characters are fully fledged, leaping from the page with their owns dreams, hopes and fears. The buildings, especially Lindridge Hall, the doctors family home, bring with them a whiff of gothic horror and paganism. Chalk full of oddities, medical procedures, mathematical logic and fear, this book keeps you reading long after the sun has set and you know you should it put it down.