A Gothic mystery thick with slow-burn tension and an atmosphere both lush and oppressive. Delivers all the tropes you expect, but some delicious subversions as well.

Thank you Netgalley, Katie Lumsden, and publishers for gifting me a copy of The Secrets of Hartwood Hall in return for my honest opinion.

3/5 stars

Margaret Lennox is recently widowed and running away from her past, she takes a governess position taking watching over watching an only child at an isolated country house. Once there, strange things started to happen that she can't figure out. Between the gossip around the town, an abandoned wing of the house, and strange servants there is something that isn't right. Margaret finds a partner in Paul, but what happens when her past starts to catch up with her?

To my knowledge, I have never read a Gothic mystery before. So when I saw this which also includes historical fiction I figure it was a good place to start! So as you can see from the stars this wasn't a big hit for me. Was it good, yes, would I reread it no. (I will also admit I and a big cozy mystery fan so that could also be a reason why I didn't connect with this book.)

This is a well-written book, that I enjoyed the plot of. The pacing was wonderful for the first half of the book, the middle was very slow to me and then the ending was so quick. For me, it was just too much I wish she had continued with the pace that she had at the beginning. I will also say that there was a lot that was happening at once. A lot of the smaller mysteries could have been left out when it came to plot building and getting to the solution.

I didn't really connect and enjoy Margaret as a character. Some of her decision had me raising my eyebrows wondering what she was thinking. I didn't like her and I felt like she didn't really like herself either.

If you are a fan of gothic mysteries this might be an enjoyable read for you, but for me, I didn't find it enjoyable.

Such a fun gothic mystery! I loved the characters and the setting so much, it really is love letter to the genre and the stories that came before, while still feeling new in its own ways as well.

The cover of this book perfectly evokes it content and mood. I really like it.

Anyone who has read Jane Eyre will recognize some of the tropes of this story. While Jane’s story is unique, this title offers a lot of fun to those who enjoy Victorian Era inspired stories. I was also reminded of some of Mary Stewart’s books, especially Nine Coaches Waiting because of the governess.

First time author Katie Lumsden does a very good job of placing the reader in the time period and in that deserted manor house setting beloved by Gothic writers. Mrs. Eversham lives in this home with her son Louis. She hires Mrs. Lennox to be her son’s tutor. Off Mrs. Lennox goes traveling with her own backstory and secrets.

She arrives to a place that is in a rather bleak locale and has a number of servants including a gardener whom readers will want to watch. Some of the staff is frightened about occurrences that may be happening in the East Wing, the only area of the house that (of course) is off limits to Mrs. Lennox.

I found this story to be a lot of fun and would repeatedly promise myself “just one more chapter” before going on to do things that were calling for my attention. I liked the plot and the characters as well as the settings. It will be enjoyed by those who like historical fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Penguin Group/Dutton for this title. All opinions are my own.

You’ll know the pattern: in Victorian England, a young woman without prospects travels to a large, remote mansion to become governess for a family with a mysterious history. Servants and local villagers whisper about ghostly sightings late at night. Our heroine falls for a handsome man, but can he be trusted?

All this holds true. But the heroine of Katie Lumsden’s debut, The Secrets of Hartwood Hall, set in 1850s Somerset, isn’t a wide-eyed innocent but a 29-year-old widow, and this isn’t her first posting. Margaret Lennox had worked as a governess before wedding a clergyman who died three years into their marriage. Their union was unhappy. Margaret admits in an aside, “… but it was not as though I had ever been a good wife” – one among several hints of scandal in her past. She’s also deaf in one ear, which has made her search for a new job a challenge.

Margaret’s employer is also atypical: Mrs. Eversham, herself a widow, travels to London often on business. Margaret is directed to never let her pupil, 10-year-old Louis Eversham, out of her sight, and her mistress panics after learning Margaret took Louis, a curious and lonely child, to church in the village. Why?

To write in this subgenre, authors must know the tropes: when to incorporate them, how to invert them, and Lumsden does both very well. The novel presents an enticing mix of familiarity and the unexpected, all encased in a well-rendered Victorian milieu. As a governess, Margaret occupies an uneasy social space between servant and family member and searches for an understanding ear. She finds that – and more – in the arms of gardener Paul Carter, who adores Hartwood Hall and reassures her that there’s nothing to be frightened of. She wonders how he can possibly know that. The abandoned east wing sure sounds creepy, though, and Margaret gets a sense she’s being watched.

With so many secrets pervading all the characters’ lives, there are revelations aplenty, all brought forth at the appropriate time. My only complaint deals with one aspect of the ending, although I did understand why the author chose that route.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books. It’s weird and funny and has one of the strangest endings of all time. I like how SOHH plays with that structure. We have the secret in the attic, the burning house, the governess. It even has the sexuality conversation most miss in the historical text.

The main criticism of Jane Eyre is that she marries Rochester in the end. I see what this book is doing… trying to create a more reasonable ending than the original source. Some say Jane should not have married. She should have left Rochester (I don’t fully agree, but Rochester was a terrible person so there is merit in this argument).

SOHH allows the main character to leave her love interest to live an independent life like many think Jane Eyre should have. The problem is… Paul was such a good person. So kind and gentle and giving. Had Margaret just opened up to him, I’m certain Paul would have gladly been married to a working woman. The book suffers from a lack of communication. He would not have been threatened by her choice to provide for herself. I think the book attempts to say that in the Victorian era, women are property no matter how kind their husbands are… but if two women could plausibly raise two children together, and one of them be an author… surely it is plausible for Paul and Margaret to be together. I cried for him. Margaret’s choice to leave him, to literally rip his entire life out from under him, made me dislike her greatly. It ended up ruining the whole experience for me. Before this issue, the book was definitely fun.

While this one was written in the modern day, it gave me a slight Jane Eyre feel. It read almost like it could have been written in the heyday of the Gothic novel.

As she was writing her debut book, Lumsden admits to having been influenced by JANE EYRE. It also appears that she found inspiration in LADY CHATTERLY'S LOVER, although she does not specifically admit to it. Her gothic novel, THE SECRETS OF HARTWOOD HALL, captures the Victorian feel of both of those books while taking the reader in a slightly different direction.

Margaret Lennox is a young widow, glad to be free of a overbearing and cruel husband, when she takes a position as governess to ten-year-old Louis in a purportedly haunted old house deep in the countryside. There are secrets at Hartwood Hall, just as there are secrets in Margaret's past. Louis lives in a crumbling isolated mansion with his mother, Mrs. Eversham, and surprisingly few servants. Margaret has free range in Hartwood Hall, except one wing where she is told never to go. The servants speak of ghosts and shadowy goings on, and Mrs. Eversham disappears on sudden trips frequently. Margaret vascillates between fear and curiosity as she faces threats from both inside and outside of the Hall.

As she is assimilated into the life of the Hall, becoming ever more essential to both Louis and Mrs. Eversham, she meets and becomes involved with the handsome young gardener, Paul. As Lumsden moves the book into the romance realm, many steamy scenes take place between Paul and Margaret as they progress from longing glances to something quite a bit more. Paul, a very kind and devoted young man, serves as a major source of comfort and support for Margaret throughout the escalating events at the Hall.

The first half of the book, which is a set up for the relatively high velocity action in the latter half, drags at times but does give us a sense of the characters involved. At almost the halfway point, a chapter ends with the words, "And then, ten days later, everything changed." And, thankfully, the pace of the book accelerates as we move toward its conclusion…so much so that it seems a bit rushed. Major events take place, new characters are introduced, and Margaret's and Hartwood Hall's secrets are revealed.

I found the book to be a somewhat pale reflection of its influences. Some of this is due to characterization issues. Margaret's relationship with Paul, while impassioned enough, doesn't fit well with the way she treats him in the end. New characters allow the story to move in directions that don't fit with the set up during the first half. The ghost aspect of the book is too handily resolved through plot contrivances. But the ending does ask u to examine unusual Victorian relationships from a perspective much more modern.

This book is not gothic horror; it's more gothic romance with a bit of social commentary thrown in. It harkens back to the classic Victorian novels, but with a modern sensibility. The writing is fine, although not remarkable, and some may figure out the mystery of the secrets early on. The book creates a world in which it is fun to spend a few hours.

Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton for a gifted copy of The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden. All opinions are my own.

Margaret Lennox is a young widow who accepts a position as a governess. The lady who hires her lives in a mysterious house set away from the town. Mrs. Eversham is also the talk of the town. No one wants to work for her because they fear the woods and the house.

I absolutely loved The Secrets of Harwood Hall. It is so beautifully written. The mysterious and spooky atmosphere will make you feel like you are there in the house and in the woods with the characters. The main character is quite unique. Margaret is not predictable and definitely has an independent mind of her own.

This is a debut novel for Katie Lumsden. She also has an amazing YouTube channel, Books and Things. I'm looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

Historical Fiction
Release Date: February 28, 2023

I love a good historical mystery, and The Secrets of Hartwood Hall was amazing! I could not figure out the secret of Hartwood Hall, which kept those pages turning at record pace. With a cast of amazing characters, I wanted to love them all but did not know who to trust. The writing was excellent, and when the final twist was revealed I was pleasantly surprised! I would definitely recommend this book to fans of historical fiction and mystery!

I enjoyed the gothic vibes for the first half of this book but I feel like things fell apart in the second half. Margaret started out as a great character but her behaviors in the second half were not time period appropriate and really took away from the second half of the book.

If you grew up devouring Victoria Holt like I did, I think you will love this book, a compelling and atmospheric gothic mystery. Told in first person, this story follows a young widow named Margaret who has taken a position as a governess to a young child at a very isolated estate. I found most of the characters to be intriguing, harboring secrets for various reasons. The estate had a creepy, gothic feel to it that is assisted by the leeriness of the townspeople to associate with those who live and work there. The Hall has closed wings that are purportedly off limits, but eerie lights and sounds emit from them.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton for a copy provided for an honest review.

This is a gothic-style historical fiction - just my cup of tea and I couldn't wait to read it.

The book seems to be split into three parts. The first scene- and tone-setting with mysterious goings-on, and the last a tense faster paced conclusion trying to bring together loose ends. But the middle part I struggled with - the storyline seemed to stall here.

I was also not sold by a couple of the historical contextual points. Susan would not be literate enough (if at all) to be able to pull off some of the plot points. Also widespread handwashing with soap in homes was not done at this time - sorry for trying to turn this into a history lesson!

But there are some great parts I loved. We have deaf AND LGBT representation which is novel to see done well in historical fiction.

Although I don't think I can forgive how poor Paul was treated in the end.

A lovely gothic hist fic, which is very different to your usual "old haunted house" books.

Scheduled to post 3/21/23.

THE SECRETS OF HARTWOOD HALL is an incredibly atmospheric book that sets the tone from page one. A widow with a questionable past and a maybe suspicious death of her husband. A creepy old house with figures lurking in the shadows. Conspiring servants that promise to make life difficult. It's a lot for one person to handle, yet I think Margaret handles it quite well, all things considered. I'm not sure if I would have let Susan get away with the things she did, but social conventions and hierarchy in the household are things I don't have the best grasp on with this particular setting. 

I loved the underlying thrum of creepiness Lumsden created with the setting. That even despite a sunny day, there's almost something sinister and looming about Hartwood Hall, the people living in it, or the townspeople looking at it with fear. She mounted that well throughout the book, creating an ambiance of distrust with the reader, making them question whether Margaret is a reliable narrator or not. And as a reader, you honestly don't know until the very end of the book where everything comes to a head.

A part of me wants to say that Paul wasn't that necessary of a character, and that whole plotline wasn't very needed. At the same time, the emotional growth Margaret got out of it was integral to her character arc, and I'm not sure how else that specific growth could have been done. Granted, there wasn't much buildup to that pivotal moment when she has that awakening. It seemed sudden and not out of nowhere, but they weren't thoughts in Margaret's head until Paul forced them in there, which makes it seem kind of out of nowhere where that plotline went. At the same time, it's completely relatable, because I've found myself in certain relationships where one person thought waaaaaaayyyy beyond what I did and his ideals weren't in alignment with mine. It just wasn't a conversation we thought to have until that final moment. So with that in mind, it is a rather realistic moment.

LOL glad I could talk myself in a circle there!

I enjoyed what I was reading in THE SECRETS OF HARTWOOD HALL. The story had me hooked, and I wanted to know how everything was going to come to a head. Are there really ghosts in the manor, or is it something else? Something far more sinister? That absolutely kept me going. But also the evolution of Margaret. And the honest emotions of her, especially in regard to Susan. I liked how she wrestled with those. It lent realism to her situation and her emotional growth. 

I don't want to say much else because it may spoil things, but I liked the ending. It wrapped up in a very satisfying way that had me on board with every character in the story. It's a good book, and I think it would do well as a read on an overcast, rainy day or a fall evening when the wind is blowing and the leaves are rustling. Get that extra-sensory mood in there as well.

4

As responses to Gothic fiction go, The Secrets of Hartwood Hall is a massive success. It's atmospheric and eerie, well-paced and richly textured in its plot, characters, and setting. It also passes my one specific litmus test for books of this genre, though that's a spoiler - but suffice to say, the conclusion is satisfying on multiple levels. It's just a thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish, and, speaking as someone who grew up rereading Jane Eyre a few times a year, I couldn't get enough.

Thank you to the publisher for the advance review copy.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I've never been a big fan of Jane Eyre, so if I had known The Secrets of Hartwood Hall was a story in the same vein I never would've requested it. Luckily I didn't know, and while I struggled initially, I ended up really enjoying this book.

It takes a little too long to get into any of the interesting parts of The Secrets of Hartwood Hall. It feels like the direction of the narrative was a little lost at first, but Lumsden found the thread eventually and pulled everything together. There were some pleasant surprises, and while I figured out parts of the reveal at the end, there were some definite happy miscalculations on my part.

I’d recommend The Secrets of Hartwood Hall for a Jane Eyre Victorian gothic atmosphere with a more modern twist, despite the historical setting.

I enjoyed this book though it did take me a little while to get into and finish reading. I liked the setting of the novel and how it felt eerie. I liked the story and found the characters interesting and I was surprised by the twist. This was well written if at times a little slow. I want to thank NetGalley andPENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked everything about this book. The gothic setting of the possibly haunted house. Everyone who obviously had secrets and kept them close. This book sucked me in so fast as we followed Margaret to her knew job as Governess at Hartwood Hall and learned right along with her, everything that was and wasn't real.

Every character came off the page in bright atmospheric color and I could see everything as it happened. I fell in love with Louis as Margaret did and freaked out with her when she thought she saw something in the dark. I felt her anxiety when she couldn't hear on her left and my feelings for Paul completely clouded my judgment at it did hers.

This book is all about secrets so I won't give those away. I will say a few had me happy though there was strife among them. But one thing that happens towards the end leaves me feeling colder than a blackmailer in their grave. For me it changes the way I felt about Margaret and feels really off to the character I just spend 300+ pages with.

At the end of it all, this was an outstanding debut and I will definitely read more from the author.

An excellent Victorian Gothic that is the perfect blend of cozy and creepy.

I was impressed by how much atmosphere Lumsden was able to create in this relatively short book, where the sense of place is tremendously good whether you’re talking about the feel of the Victorian Era or Hartwood Hall itself.

More impressive still is that in addition to creating a delightful gothic setting, the story also boasts some
complexity and evolution that sets it apart from others in the Neo Victorian Gothic subgenre, even if the bones of the story are essentially the usual suspects.

The characters are secondary to the above aspects of the story, so they aren’t as fully realized as the house, but that’s fine with me for this sort of book. I liked the protagonist as well as the relationship that developed between her and the family even if I didn’t really get the appeal of the dopey gardener.

There are a few fun twists toward the end that create some excitement as the story comes to its conclusion, and I loved the found family aspect of the narrative that ultimately informs Margaret’s fate.

I received an ARC in exchange for this novel for my honest thought. All opinions are my own.

Genre: Historical Fiction, Gothic
Horror level: Mild
Representation: LGBTQ

I grew up reading gothic fiction. So I was ready to love everything about this book, and I enjoyed a lot but not everything.

The great stuff:
- The mansion has all the spooky vibes!
- There's a mystery.
- Potential ghost sightings.
- Possible hauntings.
- The era with typical class distinctions (not that class distinctions are great but appropriate for the time period)
- A governess
- Dreams

Modern sensibilities:
- Some characters vacillate between what would have been expected of them in that era and more modern sensibilities.
- Some of the relationships had a modern tone to them.
- The characters are reading Jane Eyre! So fun!

What was missing?
- There was no Byronic hero!!! (I really wanted someone to be brooding more.)
- The "innocent" female (generally virginal) trope was missing. I was okay with that.

This one is probably 3 stars for me. But that may have been because I had an expectation in mind.

Happy reading!