Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First I just want to say that the idea of a gothic horror with a botany element had me drawn in from the beginning. While I found this book to be long winded and complex, it was a great read. I couldn’t recommend this book for readers looking for a fast, easy read to pass the time quickly, but for those of us looking for excellent writing of a complex class system with a heroine that pushes past social confinement, this is definitely recommended.

We cannot fathom or control the bridges between life and death, but there are signs and miracles that slip through, guiding us, giving us hope our bonds to loved ones are not broken.


*
The Parlour Game, the first book in Jennifer Renshaw’s new series The Corvidae Hauntings, is a highly engaging Gothic thriller you will have a hard time putting down. Tensions build on both the natural and supernatural planes as Ivy Granger follows the pull of the voices she has heard since she was a child. Her father’s threats of marriage or assulym along with the appearance of the spiritualist, Miss Earnshaw, at her mother’s funeral solidifies a search for an understanding of who she is. When she is finally able to escape to London, Miss Earnshaw has disappeared and all signs point to the powerful but cursed Blackham House. Infiltrating as a common servant with the hope of gaining information on Miss Earnshaw’s whereabouts, Ivy soon realizes that sinister forces, intent on destruction, are at work and she may be powerless, both supernaturally and as a women in that day and age, to stop it.

But you cannot hide from yourself. That is the path to self-destruction. It is necessary to embrace your differences. There is power in your gifts.”


For fans of Gothic thrillers, The Corvidae Hauntings looks to be a captivating new series. Packed full of dark settings, supernatural occurances and characters walking the line of sanity, The Parlour Game leads you on a suspenseful excursion into Victorian London for a murder mystery experience. Ivy’s struggles to overcome not only society’s expectations for a woman but the internal struggle to understand the voices that have plagued her her entire life are overlaid on the bigger picture of dark forces looking to gain a foothold in the human realm through willing or unwilling mortals. This combination results in a highly entertaining story that keeps you engaged on many levels from beginning to end.

Jennifer’s British sensibilities are the finishing touch on this classically English genre. Her writing flows perfectly with the content allowing the reader to get lost in the story. While The Parlour Game is part of a series, Ivy’s current struggles wrap up nicely by the end of the book and it is easily read as a stand alone. I look forward to seeing what comes next in this fight and with Ivy’s embracement of her supernatural gifts. “At that moment, I understand I am part of something bigger than me; together the women are stronger, as were my mother and aunt when the performed as one. Some men, like Victor Blackham and Frank, are afraid of the power women wield when they grow to their potential, when we are released from the confinement of social restrictions and political restraints.”

With thanks to the author, publishers BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

With her mother recently deceased and her father trying to marry her off to a local business man she hates, Ivy Granger meets a mysterious woman at her mother’s funeral who tells her she doesn’t belong in that life and hints that she needs to come and live with her in London to realise her true potential. Ivy takes the plunge and travels to visit the woman, only to find that she is a spiritualist medium who has recently disappeared without a trace after a seance she was conducting. Ivy is determined to find out what happened to her, and takes up a servant’s role in the hours she vanished from in order to get to the bottom of her disappearance.

I loved the premise of this book, and it started out quite strongly. However, I did find my interest waning a little as the story progressed at a slow pace, and seemed to grow quite complicated, and a little confusing. That being said, I thought the author did a wonderful job of building and sustaining a creepy, spooky atmosphere throughout her telling of this gothic mystery, without the need to make the story gory in any way.

“Death is only the beginning…”

When Ivy Granger’s mother passes away, she is left in a world where she doesn’t fit in. Misunderstood by her father, her two paths in life appear to be either marriage to a man who disgusts her, or admittance to an asylum. But when a stranger approaches her at her mother’s funeral, Ivy realized there are secrets in her family that could lead her to a different path.

Desperate to learn more, Ivy goes to London in hopes of finding the stranger, the world-renowned Miss Earnshaw, a spiritualist who has now gone missing. Her questions lead her to Blackham House, the last place Miss Earnshaw was seen and Ivy’s new employer. What Ivy discovers within the walls and gardens of Blackham House is more than she bargained for, and she may not escape the evil inside.

Set in the late 1800s, this story is full of all your favorite gothic elements: a creepy old house, mysterious ailments befalling the women within, and unsettling artifacts around every corner. The atmosphere is well written and you can feel the heaviness of the house and its inhabitants. Elements of botany and the nature of animals are woven throughout the story and drive Ivy’s search for answers. While the ultimate resolution to the story wasn’t my favorite, this could be an excellent choice for anyone interested in spiritualism, dark magic, and victorian gothic mysteries.

Thank you to @netgalley and Jennifer Renshaw for the opportunity to read and review a copy of this book!

The Parlour Game is a well written historical magical fantasy and new series opener by Jennifer Renshaw. Released 31st Aug 2022, it's 411 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

This is an atmospheric gothic mystery with magic and spiritualism and more mundane criminal elements. The characters are subtly and (mostly) believably rendered, and the plotting is above average. I never found myself yanked out of my suspension of disbelief by clunky dialogue, and my interest didn't wander. In fact despite the length of the book (400+ pages), I finished it in one sitting.

This is an indie published work, and as such, it could have benefited from a more enthusiastic/thorough editing process; but it is perfectly readable in the ARC formats sent out for review. One thing which the author does exceedingly well is capturing a creeping dread and gloomy tension. There's no overt reliance on jump-scares, but it constantly feels as though something's going to happen.

The author does a good job summoning up the atmosphere of late Victorian London including the gloom and fog and mystery. There are plot threads which are not resolved in this book; the author has confirmed a sequel, so they'll presumably be addressed in the follow up book(s).

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This was very immersive. I both felt like I was there and that this took place in a world that didn't exist. I loved the spiritualism woven into the story, mixed with the accuracy of the details from the time period.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

After sitting on this review for a bit, I'm going to bump my rating down from 3 stars to 2. The premise and first few chapters of this book were promising, but it seems like the author got stuck and just threw a bunch of disjointed ideas together in order to finish it. By the end of the book I was so confused by the lack of logic in the main character's actions that I had a hard time following the plot in the final few scenes. There was so much build up just for everything to fall apart in the end. Even if there's a sequel to resolve the cliffhanger, I don't think the story is salvageable.

After meeting a mysterious woman at her mother's funeral, Ivy takes up a domestic post in the Blackhams' home, determined to discover more about herself and her mother's past.

The same woman reappears at a party, where things take a nasty turn and it seems the house is the last place Ivy should be.Is she determined enough to keep digging for the truth?

I thoroughly enjoyed this gothic tale, particularly its vividly described setting. A bit of a slow burn, but the pace really heats up on the later stages.

Thanks to the author, BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

I gravitate toward dark and gothic books, and that is what drew me to The Parlour Game. The protagonist, Ivy Granger, leads a sheltered life in the country studying botany with her beloved mother. She has a strained, almost nonexistent relationship with her father, half-brother, and overbearing aunt. She has also been haunted by voices and shadows since childhood, which her mother has helped keep at bay. But when her mother dies, Ivy’s father forces her to choose between marriage to a brutish man or committal to an asylum…and the voices and shadows return. At her mother’s funeral, she is approached by the beautiful and mysterious Miss Earnshaw who claims to have known Ivy’s mother. She offers Ivy a home and the chance to continue her botanical studies in London. Initially, Ivy is stunned to learn her mother had a life in London before marriage to her father, but when her situation becomes desperate, she steals away to seek refuge with Miss Earnshaw.

Upon arrival in London, Ivy learns that Miss Earnshaw is a spiritualist and has disappeared. She was last seen conducting a seance in the foreboding Blackham House, home to the seriously creepy and dysfunctional Blackham family. Determined to find out what happened to Miss Earnshaw, Ivy goes undercover as a servant to the Blackham family and is plunged into a dark and dangerous world.

The sinister atmosphere in the book is dialed up to 11. Blackham House is incredibly creepy, and the author does an amazing job of setting the scene. I could picture each room of the house in all its horrifying detail. Toward the end of the book, there is one specific part of the house that mirrored a childhood nightmare of mine, and it seriously freaked me out.

I did find myself occasionally getting annoyed with Ivy due to her sheltered and naive nature. The pace is very slow, and it often feels like Ivy isn’t making any progress. But in the last quarter of the book all hell breaks loose. The ending is satisfying, but leaves the door cracked for book 2.

While I am a big fan of the dark and gothic, I don’t like straight-up horror, especially anything gory. For me, this book hit the right spot….it delivered on the foreboding, while never crossing the line into horror. I rated it 4-stars, and I look forward to the next installment.

Thanks to Net Galley and BooksGoSociall for this ARC edition.

“𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘪𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 – 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨.”

✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

I didn’t know quite what to expect from this book, but it was brilliantly fast paced with shocks around every corner. This book covers the synopsis within the first quarter which is brilliant because you don’t know what to expect from then on, and the title gives nothing away but perfectly matches the storyline. I love that it was set in the past because I feel like historical thrillers give a more gothic feel just because of the era itself, and it helps that they can’t telephone and just say “err help me, I’m in a haunted house”, if you get what I mean?

This was a really captivating read. I wasn’t completely invested in Ivy as a character, I just couldn’t connect to her much except towards the end, however it was page-turning and I didn’t want to put it down. I think I am, however, invested in the series and I’m looking forward to more of Ivy and Miss Earnshaw, and maybe even Bancroft! The plot twists were unbelievable but the last chapter had me completely gobsmacked, I think Jennifer Renshaw has a hand for building the tension!

I think going into this book, as a reader, you need to believe that there is a possibility of a bridge between life and death connecting both sides, and that there are miracles and signs that may ‘slip’ through.

Thank you to Jennifer for the gifted copy of your book! Recommend to any gothic fiction lover!

𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐲.

I fully expected to love this book but it ended up being a "just okay" read in the end. The magical realism and spirituality aspects were interesting. The premise and the plot are solid. here were some plot lines that sort of got lost in the story - for example, the love for botany that Ivy's mother passed on to her was lost part-way through the book. However, the pacing was off - the book dragged until the last few chapters, which felt very rushed. This would have been less problematic if there weren't so many confusing plots and loose threads.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

When a stranger at her mother's funeral reveals to Ivy that there is more to her life than she knew and to escape a n unacceptable marriage, she accepts the offer of visiting Miss Earnshaw.
A wonderfully written novel complete with interesting characters that both captivate and draw the reader in. There is also excellent scene setting, depicting Victorian London, complete with a spooky haunted house.
Well worth the read.

I may be an outlier here but I didn't enjoy it. It was shelved under Historical Fiction and Mystery & Thrillers and I feel it should have been shelved under horror and paranormal / supernatural, both genres I don't really enjoy.
I had reservations on many things: the uneven pace, the main character, the plausibility of some parts (before it went all supernatural obviously), the horror parts that felt cliches to me and did not manage to frighten me, the unclear genre and the scattered plot...
I still finished it because I kept hoping it would steer back into the historical mystery genre, but when I understood it was only the 1st volume of a trilogy I should have dropped it. Not for me.

What did I just read?

For Ivy's description as a botonist, I would have thought it would play a more substantial role in the story. Instead it felt more like an afterthought that kept getting reminded to us as a parting note. "Oh by the way, remember she likes plants!"

Additionally, her character was infuriating at times. I think she was meant to be mid-20s? I could be misremembering but her behaviour was really that of a 15-16 year old. Maybe that was to highlight her sheltered life but it also made her remarkably irritating.

On the whole with Ivy it felt like there was too much going on around her. It would have been enough to have her in a spooky house looking for information about her mother and Miss Earnshaw. Instead we also get a cult, sacrifices, surprise family history and connections (not the way you're expecting) and ancient Egyptian scripts. Which all came as a weird series of "huh?" when I was reading.

To add to that feeling of "huh?", the murder bits that came up a few times. Obviously important enough to mention more than once so I expected something to happen with that. It may well do in later books but I can't exactly say I'm bursting with excitement to read on and find out.

It felt like there were a lot of ideas put into this book and not really settled into one. If you want a spooky book with some suspenseful scenes that has everything but the kitchen sink, this might be right up your street. It's certainly not a badly written book but the structure and plot points could have been hammered out more smoothly.

I'm absolutely not saying "don't read it" but I would say I don't think I'll pick this up again or follow the story further.

An utterly compelling novel that once begun is very difficult to walk away from, in fact, I read this book until the early hours of the morning! The story has all the ingredients that one would expect from a gothic horror book, but the author has really done her research on the historical aspects of this book as well, which made the story rather spine-tinglingly realistic. Likewise, I thought the characters came across as very real in the telling.

There are some darker themes explored in this book, and I was really pleased to see that the author had put a trigger warning notice at the end of the blurb - I wish more authors did this - so I was prepared for what I was going to read about which meant there were no nasty surprises, although there is plenty of suspense and tension throughout this novel.

I thought this book was brilliant and it is one that I have no hesitation in recommending. I will certainly be looking out for more books from this very talented author.

*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.

This was written really well! Renshaw did a great job writing the setting and laying down the atmosphere. It was creepy and mysterious.

At times the book did feel a little long while at the same time the ending felt very rushed.

I enjoyed this gothic historical mystery and look forward to the sequel.

The Parlour Game, by Jennifer Renshaw
Published: 22nd October
Rating: 5/5
I have an incredible weakness for gothic tales of the supernatural, and so I jumped at the chance to get my hands on this early copy. The cover art is simply majestic, and I was utterly transfixed from the first page. Ivy Granger is an amateur botanist, living in 1873. After her mother’s passing, a strange woman approaches her at the funeral, and warns her that she is in imminent danger. She must go to her home in London immediately, and learn the secrets that her mother kept from her. Upon arriving at the woman’s home, she finds that the woman is missing, and has not seen since holding a séance at a noble’s house nearby. Ivy infiltrates the noble house as a servant, and seeks to uncover what happened to the mystery woman. Renshaw’s writing is exquisite. Her descriptions of the home are breath-taking, and she really captures the tragedy of the Blackham women. It is a true tale of intrigue, and is deliciously peppered with the supernatural and the occult. I loved the vast array of intriguing and eccentric characters too. It is a brilliant work of fiction, and I am surprised that Jennifer Renshaw is so unknown. She is a wonderful talent.

Thank you to Anne for my invitation to the tour and to Jennifer for my copy of the book in return for a fair and honest review.

The story begins with Ivy Granger at her mother’s funeral. At the graveside a woman approachs her said she knew her mother. She asks Ivy to come and visit her at her home in London. When she asks her father about the woman he tells her to stay away from her that she is not to be trusted and that her mother did not know her. Ivy’s father is arranging a marriage for her with a man who repulses her she begs him to re consider but he will not, so she takes drastic action.

The second thread of the book is set at the home of Blackham House, which is lived in by The Blackham family. This is a house of many secrets and a party that is held by the Master and Mistress has shocking consequences which Ivy finds herself linked with.

This is a really engrossing story I was totally invested in Ivy’s story and the level of suspense builds as the book progresses. I really liked Ivy as a character, she is fiesty and unphased by the unpredictability of her situation and even embraces it.

The Blackham House is a great gothic setting, mystery, grief and sadness ooze from it’s walls. The eerie collection of stuffed animals and birds that the family have acquired over the years add to the tale.

A fantastic read which kept me reading late into the night. If you like a creepy gothic tale this is one for you perfect for this time of year !

5 stars *****

Thank you, NetGalley and Random Things Tours, for the chance to read and review The Parlour Game by Jennifer Renshaw.

The Parlour Game is a historical paranormal thriller set in London in the 1800s. It's the first book in The Corvidae Hauntings series and is Jennifer Renshaw's debut novel. It's 411 pages long and is independently published. It is also available on kindle unlimited or for $3.99.

The Parlour Game is a perfect October read. It's spooky and gripping and makes you feel like something is watching you while you lay in bed. Of course, it has flaws, but overall it's a good read, and I wouldn't protest if asked to read part 2. I know that sounds lukewarm, but I don't read spooky things, so if I'm open to reading a part 2, that's a big deal for me!

I think the blurb tells us a lot about what will happen in the book, so if you need a summary, you should just head on there. I will say that Renshaw is excellent at describing a haunting; there are moments you're just as confused as Ivy and wondering if this is real or isn't. The thing with the siblings at the end was a bit overdramatic from my point of view. I think that last bit with the mask had me wondering if the haunting was real or if everyone was just completely losing their minds.

There are also moments when Ivy is far too stupid and naive, but in those, I do remember that she is an incredibly sheltered young woman. I'd love to have something from her parents, especially her father's point of view, in the next book. This could be in the form of a flashback because the story of how the parents became a thing could be super interesting.

Amateur botanist Ivy Granger turns to medium, Miss Earnshaw, after the death of Ivy’s mother in hopes of discovering the truth about her own life that her mother has apparently hidden from her her whole life. Iv’s dreams and visions have had her wondering if she is mentally ill so she hold hope that Miss Earnshaw will be able to help her. But upon arriving at the medium’s home, Ivy learns that the woman has disappeared. Ivy takes a job as a maid at the house, hoping to uncover Earnshaw’s fate and her own. This Victorian Gothic is well written, but needs some editing to correct spelling and grammatical errors and a few references that are not appropriate given the books time period