Jane is rational and methodical. She prepares the perfect marriage of convenience for her and her soon-to-be husband, they agree to terms, she secures employment, and the ideal arrangement is ready to unfold. But a stormy night causes her to break her half of the agreement: she stays the night at her husband's country home, Lindridge Hall. She is swept up into her husbands terror and paranoia as, with each night, phantoms appear in the dark halls to track them down. Jane's rational mind scrambles to understand and survive, and against all expectations, she jumps headfirst into magical ritual to attempt to deliver them from death's hand.

This story had all the flavors of a gothic classic. The fear and suspense the characters were subjected to every night slowly grew in intensity until there was no choice but to race to the end, nearly praying for Jane to succeed. But in this story, death is not the end and magic is not a saviour. Here there is magic that thrives in a dark and twisted world, which wreaks dark and twisted ends of its own. It was masterfully written. The more Jane lost herself in sheer determination to redeem her and her husband, the less sure you were of where the story would end. And by the final page, I truly wanted to start the book over and see the story occur again. Not because I finally knew all the answers, but because I had more questions, and half-glimpses of what had been truly happening in Jane's story.

Caitlin Starling is definitely shaping up to be an other who can deftly weave between so many different genres and do it well. I absolutely adored The Luminous Dead and gothic horror is one of my favorite genres, so I went into this with high expectations. I was not disappointed! It's perhaps a little slow, but I didn't think that that took away from the overall effectiveness of the books. I loved the atmosphere, I loved Jane. This was a perfect spooky October read, and I cannot wait to see what else Starling puts out.

Based on the cover of this book and the description, I was anticipating a good gothic ghost story. What I got was a confusing narrative about black magic and spells and stuff involving math, which I hate. The black magic spells and math were way too complicated for me to follow. This book starts out strong and then falters halfway through when it gets lost with all the black magic spells. Utimately I just lost interest. Just not the story I was expecting and not the book for me. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I almost immediately DNFed this book because there's certain kinds of gore I absolutely cannot hang with and this book went there. I probably should have, because instead of going in the gothic direction I wanted it to go, it went more to a "time is a flat circle" kind of place that tries to pit math against magic in a way I also found unappealing.

Overly convoluted, muddled, and I found it difficult to relate to the main character. The lack of a time setting, something which I thought I would enjoy, also threw me off.

What started out as a fun, gothic horror novel devolved into... something? It's hard to review this book. This is certainly a ride, but it's a ride I didn't expect to go on. Caitlin Starling creates an amazing atmosphere to let her characters play around in, and I loved the introduction of the occult into the gothic trappings. Where this book went off the rails was went it went into borderline fantasy, adding nonsensical plot elements that ended up bogging the story down. By the end, I was racing through it, not out of a need to know what happens next, but to just get the whole affair over with. My expectations for this novel were high, and unfortunately, it was a miss for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an ARC.

Jane Shoringfield has done the calculations, and decided that the most secure path forward is this: a husband, in a marriage of convenience, who will allow her to remain independent and occupied with meaningful work.

Her first choice, the dashing but reclusive Dr. Augustine Lawrence, agrees to her proposal with only one condition: that she must never visit Lindridge Hall, his crumbling family manor outside of town.
Yet on their wedding night, an accident strands her at his door in a pitch-black rainstorm, and she finds him changed.
Jane knows something is deeply wrong at Lindridge Hall, and with the man she has so hastily bound her safety to.
Set in a dark-mirror version of post-war England, Caitlin Starling crafts a new kind of gothic horror.
This Crimson Peak-inspired story assembles, then upends, every expectation set in place by Shirley Jackson and Rebecca, and will leave readers shaken, desperate to begin again as soon as they are finished.

Don’t read this one alone at night!

A special thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this thriller in exchange for an honest review.

Although extremely well written, I struggled significantly with the pacing and overall execution of this book. I was extremely intrigued by the synopsis, it was a struggle for me to push through. I would definitely look to read another novel by this author in the future, unfortunately this one wasn’t my favourite.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to receive this ARC!

A twisty Gothic boom withats full of atmosphere. I do recommend the Death of Jane Lawrence. But why...? My Best friend, in real life, is named Jane Lawrence and just so happened to go to school with the author and I spent the entirety of this book trying to figure out the slight my Jane did to warrant a whole book to get this. I'm sure it wasn't intentional. I bet they never met, but this Gothic tale that doesn't have any ties to modern society has a real life tie made it a laugh riot for me.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately this wasn't my cup of tea. It was an empowering storyline with twists and turns and a strong independent female character. However, I felt like readers were expecting a gothic ghost story of sorts and unfortunately this book wasn't that. I appreciated the spooky elements the author tried to incorporate in the book but it just ultimately didn't live up to the expectations of a spooky gothic read.

Thank you to @stmartinspress for the ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts…
Creepy. So reading this just before bed was not a good idea. There were a couple of scary moments in this gothic horror novel. It definitely had that gothic vibe of dark history, large neglected house, mysterious characters, ill-fated marriage, blood and ghostly beings. The writing was quite haunting.
3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book.

This book seems to provoke quite bipolar reactions from its readers. Many people are loving this novel; however, I'm sorry to say that I'm on the other side of the spectrum. This one did not work for me.

First, the good. I like the beginning. The start of the tale intrigued me. I liked the protagonist and her intention to be independent. I was interested in the relationship between her and her new husband, and I was into the Gothic set up of the spooky estate that her husband owned and had to retire to each evening--without her. I also was curious about the alternate world-building Starling presented and was anxious to see how she would use this trope. And the first haunting at Lindridge Hall was great--I thought this was going to be a fantastic ride.

Then around 25% of the way in, it all went sideways. I think this was still supposed to be a ghost story, sort of, but it was more about magic--maybe about how magic and the supernatural are the same? I'm not sure. I started to get lost with what the focus was supposed to be and couldn't get back on track. I would even have appreciated a good unreliable narrator tale, if the story would have ended up there, but it didn't. I don't think. I actually don't know.

The other thing that was a let down was the alternate world set up. At first, I thought this presented lots of opportunities; however, ultimately, it just felt like one more different topic trying to be shoved into this tale. I don't know why we had to be in this alternate world since nothing much came of it (is it because in this world, people were still willing to believe in magic? To harness it? And therefore it was "real"? Again, I don't know. It didn't resonate with me.) In addition, I was really thrown off by some of the contradictions in this parallel England. On the one hand, it feels much like a post-WWI landscape; on the other hand, it seems firmly set in the late Victorian era. Was technology advanced to the point of major bombings taking place in England from countries afar or was this the time period directly before that turning point when society still did not have cars, planes, or electricity? Because it can't be both--and yeah, I get it: Starling is CREATING this world so she can make the rules. But these rules didn't make sense. (And since this is my major time period for my academic work--the long 19th century--it really jarred me.) Or, was this a place where women were more equalitarian with work and education? Or did Jane Lawrence need to marry a man in order to stay in her home when her guardians leave?

I really don't like to be contrary here, especially when I can see that many people are loving this book. I can only say that if you're interested in this novel because of the Gothic tropes and the throwbacks to earlier Gothic novels (like Rebecca or Jane Eyre), then be aware that this is something very different. Be aware, too, that this is fantasy more than Gothic. (And while I have read some great genre mash-ups lately, I wouldn't say this one hits all the marks of genre-busting.) Maybe it was because of my lack of interest, but I found the narrative to become increasingly tedious and silly. I'm giving it a 2nd star because of the novel's early promise, but this was huge miss for me.

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling is a horror novel about Jane Shoringfield, who decides that she needs a marriage of convenience with doctor Augustine Lawrence. He agrees to this proposal, but tells her she cannot stay at his family manor Lindridge Hall. One night, she has no choice but to stay there, and some very strange things happen. This is a very well-written gothic horror novel set in post-war England; and while it was a little scary at times, I still had to know what was actually going on in the manor. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I was a bit disappointed with this book. It started off so strong and I was intrigued to see where Jane's story would take us. Once things happen to Augustine, I found the story to go quickly downhill. I think Caitlin is a talented writer, and the atmospheric vibes in this were great! I look forward to seeing what she writes next.

Well folks, I had such great expectations of this book. The blurb states that readers will want to begin again after the last page was turned. I cannot imagine a scenario in which I would ever read this again.

Although the first third of the novel was very enthralling, with the gothic atmosphere and historical medical scenes, once the book moved to Lindridge Hall, I quickly began to lose interest. The scenes turned to the fantastical, with magic spells, strange occurrences, and plot devices which seemed almost a drug-fueled delirium.

I was okay with the alternate England. I was okay with the haunted house, but when it came to the fantastical meanderings of Jane's mind while in the house, the blood and the gore of her newfound reality, I found myself skimming toward the end.

I really liked Jane's character in the beginning of the book, but found her personality quite changed and distorted by the end.

Someone more versed in twisted horror and the historical fantasy genre will no doubt cherish this novel. However, I am not amongst their number. I found it to be a weird and confusing book which didn't live up to it's premise.

While I gave it my best effort this book was so far and beyond my metal capabilities. Picking it as a presumptive Gothic style mystery/thriller I was initially interested and almost captivated. The important word is “almost”. I could never completely wrap my head around the premise that an intelligent young woman throws out a marriage proposal of convenience to a man she has known for a nanosecond. Wrapped up in this bizarre arrangement, there is a decrepit familial mansion in an alternate country with very strange people coming and going, a very large pinch of magic and logical mental equations that gave me the mother of all headaches. Quite the witches brew.

Did I mention the Ghosts? I should have because a definitive point is made that they exist and are the “constant point in the puzzle.” There is a large creep factor, an amazing cover and an overlong descent into …. Could it be madness?

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy.

this was such a great gothic-horror novel, I really enjoyed the story and the characters. This was a really well done story.

Jane Shoringfield has decided that, in order to not burden her adoptive family, she will need to secure a marriage of convenience. After a series of calculations of the best man to offer this untraditional arrangement, she approaches doctor Augustine Lawrence. Despite his charm, he has maintained his life as a reclusive bachelor, so she assumes he would also benefit from an unobtrusive marriage. Augustine agrees, under one condition. She cannot stay the night at Lindridge Hall, his ancestral home. On the night of their wedding, a mudslide destroys Jane’s carriage, forcing her to call upon her husband’s home, where she quickly realises something is gravely wrong. This gorgeous slow-burn tale of gothic horror expertly wields gory surgical procedures, occult secrets, a descent into madness, and a haunted house filled with psychological terrors. It’s set in a secondary world resembling an amalgamation of British history that entwines Victorian-era atmosphere with the bloody history of the Blitz. This creates a setting that is eerily familiar yet intriguing in its differences. Jane Lawrence is a particularly compelling character. She is an autistic accountant who often comes across as uncaring but is surprised by her own burning passions. Navigating her experiences of strangeness adds to the gothic atmosphere of the book in the most delightful way. The later half of the book is full of disorientating twists that left my mind reeling (in a good way!). This book is one of my favourite reads of the year; fans of gothic horror and dark fantasy need to give this a go.

The Death of Jane Lawrence is a gothic novel teeming with ghosts, body horror, and unexpected twists, all leading up to a mind-bending conclusion. It is perfect for fans of The Haunting of Hill House, both the book and the show, or anyone who is looking for a book that will shock you to your core.

How well have some of your most anticipated reads this year help up against your expectations?

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling is a book I've been looking forward to since mid 2020, so I was pumped to receive an e-arc from @stmartinspress !

On one hand, The Death of Jane Lawrence delivers delicious atmosphere and pining within an interesting world that is at once familiar and foreign. On the other hand, I had a hard time getting into the story and characters.

I thought the set-up was well done, and drew me in quickly. We meet a determined Jane who doesn't want to be a burden to her adoptive family as they return to the previously war torn city of her youth from which she still carries trauma. She's never connected well with others, and a marriage of convenience, rather than love, is more her speed.

Dr. Augustine Lawrence is at the top of her list, and after careful prodding, Jane is able to convince him of the value of her proposed arrangement. But, feeling and lust already seek to ruin the careful emotionless plan Jane and Augustine have laid out on paper.

I loved the mutual pining that develops between the characters - marriages of convenience and political marriages are some of my favorite tropes.

But, soon the story began to lose me. As Jane finds herself staying at Augustine's estate, a place they agreed she would never venture, the horror elements pick up pace. But somehow, for me, that made the story start to drag and the interest I had in the characters began to wane.

The magic and all of its creepy effects were interesting enough, but the actions characters made and their motivations lacked clarity, and not in a fun descent into madness plotline kind of way. I couldn't engage with the decisions that Jane was making, and the things that made her character interesting (her analytical mind, her strong will, her independence) seemed to vanish. She was still stubborn and doggedly pursued the truth, but in a way I found a lot more annoying than before.

The last quarter started to pick up pace again and I was more engaged with the story, and I liked the open ending, but I still have mixed feelings about the book overall.