There's much to parse in this British contemporary/Edwardian Ghostly mystery. The Narrator, a former academic, now a freelance genealogist, carries a trunk load of baggage from childhood and adolescence. She's currently staying in a Renovated Edwardian Asylum while working through the Asylum archives for the Development corporation. It's also the area of London in which she grew up, and the penthouse resident is her bestie while growing up.

Additionally, she is contracted by a San Francisco resident to uncover the mysteries of one of the gentlewoman inmates. There's enough Supernatural Interference to keep the cauldron boiling, which in turn creates danger and potential fatality. Caution: the unraveling of the Asylum narrative reveals some very ugly facts, disturbing to some (many) readers. The reading is not as fast-paced as I would have hoped, as discovering the truths from 1907 is spaced out through journal entries, and our Narrator is constantly involved in her own past drama.


Content warning: child abuse.

"The Haunting of Abney Heights" by Cat Thomas is a captivating journey into the shadows of the past, blending elements of a quirky Gothic tale with a multi-layered murder mystery.
As Meg returns to London, her new residence, a former asylum, becomes an unsettling backdrop for confronting both the ghosts of the building and those from her own troubled history. The narrative takes an intriguing turn as Meg delves into the mysterious deaths of asylum patients, uncovering a world of steampunk spiritualism, genteel gay romance, and radical therapies from the Edwardian era.
Cat Thomas weaves a tale that goes beyond conventional ghost stories, presenting a narrative rich in atmosphere and historical depth. The exploration of the asylum's liberal façade reveals a darker truth, raising questions about the patients' deaths and the malevolent secrets lurking within.
The novel cleverly incorporates a coded document, leading Meg on a journey that not only exposes the asylum's secrets but also unravels shocking truths about her own life. The author skillfully navigates between the present and the dark Edwardian past, creating an immersive experience for the reader.
The characters are well-crafted, and Meg's unraveling reality adds a layer of psychological suspense to the story. The author's use of British spelling and terminology enhances the authenticity of the setting.
"Fans of Laura Purcell, Diane Setterfield, Bridget Collins, and Stacey Halls" will find themselves enchanted by Cat Thomas's unique storytelling. "The Haunting of Abney Heights" is not just a ghost story but a compelling exploration of secrets, mysteries, and the lingering echoes of the past.
*I extend my gratitude to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing an advance copy of this hauntingly atmospheric book.*

A fascinating mystery with intriguing twists and turns throughout. While the unveiling did not entirely work for me, I was hooked until the last page.

The Haunting of Abney Heights is more than a novel, it is carefully researched and written using historical facts. The first thing you need to do is break the code. When this is achieved you can find out about blackmail and murder through diaries and journals. A well written book with sinister undertones and we find out who in fact is the ‘delicate’ woman.

I absolutely loved this novel.
Such a great story with defined characters and a great plot.
What drew me in the most was how fleshed out the characters were
The writing style was fluid and relateable.
The cover was fascinating as well.
A reviting read overall
Definitely recommend adding this to your TBR!

YUP, quite late with my review but hey, spooky season it is and I had to get it done before another year passed by.

So, once again my favorite genres all around, mystery, dual timeline, haunted house ahem, not just a house, an asylum that too, and a central protagonist who has her own past shadows to fight against. I did plunge in with lots of high expectations. NOPE, I wouldn’t say I was cheated or I didn’t enjoy the story but I and my horror-craving soul wanted a more gothicky atmospheric vibe.

Meghan is an archivist and geneologist and is tasked by a client Betty to look into the history of Abney Heights and learn more about an aunt Ella who had died suspiciously while being treated there. The present day story has Meg and her Scooby gang trying to piece together the events that led to the death of Ella and also another patient Lucy who died on the same day. The author uses journal entries by Ella in coded format which is then decoded by Meg and diary and other technical presentations by the doctor to build the suspense of the deaths of the two women.

As the story alternates between the events in the past and the present, the readers are given a peak into the life of the women in that era and also the societal pressures that govern them. Cat Thomas introduces numerous characters in both timelines who are pretty interesting and adds some spice to the story. The mystery that gets unraveled was surprising, didn’t see that angle of the plot coming into play and I loved how the author used that and added the stunning jaw dropping twist with Meg’s past and finally, the supernatural element which I was looking forward to.

The Haunting Of Abney Heights serves rightly as a dual timeline mystery but readers chasing ghosts or horror vibes are gonna be disappointed. Most of the story unfolds thru diaries so a significant part feels like reading textbooks and the lack of dialogues did get a tad boring for me. In all, a solid historical fiction mystery.

Many thanks to Net Galley, BooksGoSocial and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

A very slow paced mystery. It was not able to hold my attention well until the last 10% if the book. And that last 10% was very captivating and unexpected, but just not enough to garner more than 2 stars for me.

he Haunting of Abney Heights is a dark and twisty mystery novel set in a former asylum in London. The story follows Meg, a young woman who is investigating the mysterious deaths of two asylum patients. As she delves deeper into the asylum's past, she begins to uncover a dark and disturbing truth.

The book is a mix of historical fiction, mystery, and supernatural suspense. The author does a great job of creating a creepy and atmospheric setting, and the characters are well-developed and sympathetic. The mystery is suspenseful and well-plotted, and the ending is satisfying and unexpected.

I would recommend The Haunting of Abney Heights to fans of Laura Purcell, Diane Setterfield, and Bridget Collins. It is a well-written and enjoyable read that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Here are some of the things that I liked about the book:

The setting was creepy and atmospheric. I could picture the old asylum in my mind and feel the sense of dread that Meg was experiencing.
The characters were well-developed and sympathetic. I rooted for Meg as she tried to uncover the truth about the asylum's dark past.
The mystery was suspenseful and well-plotted. I was kept guessing until the very end.
The ending was satisfying and unexpected. I didn't see it coming!
Overall, I thought The Haunting of Abney Heights was a well-written and enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it to fans of historical fiction, mystery, and supernatural suspense.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC. I absolutely devoured this one in one sitting. Will definitely look forward to more from the author.

This a great introduction to this author if you're a fan of Brit humor and a good cup of tea! I'm not British, but I definitely found this witty and I enjoyed the humor in it quite a bit. I also really loved that we had some representation for the LGBTQIA+ community and thought that was a nice touch!

I'm also a sucker for a ghost story so this was perfectly up my alley. I'd recommend this one to anyone whose looking for a paranormalish mystery!

When Meg returns to London, she confronts her troubled past, haunted by the unsettling atmosphere of her former asylum accommodation. Investigating mysterious deaths, she uncovers an Edwardian world of steampunk spirituality, gay romance, and dark secrets. As her grip on reality slips, Meg must decipher codes and survive a damaging journey to unravel the asylum's final puzzle.

This novel intertwines mental health treatment and persecution of sexual orientation in a refreshing historical context with a modern perspective. While it leans more towards mystery than pure ghostly thrills, the intriguing storyline captivates, despite occasional stilted writing and dragging chapters. Overall, an enjoyable read.

I was so interested by the premise of this. Unfortunately it was too slow and underwhelming. It was not for me and I didn’t end up finishing it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this book!

Set in two timelines, we follow the story of Meg, a genealogist returning to her hometown for a job at an asylum turned apartment complex, and the journal entries of Ella and Dr. Woods who were at the asylum while in operation.

While dealing with the ghosts of her own past while storing together the ghosts of the past of Abney Heights, Meg is forced to face what she's spent a lot of time running from.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and thought it was the perfect blend of intrigue, mystery, and gothic spook. Abney Heights is available now!

Interesting read with some genuinely creepy moments. The setting was atmospheric and the story featured a strong female protagonist.

I chose this book because of the absolutely stunning cover. I was obsessed and I thought this was going to be my favorite read of 2023, but unfortunately when I actually started reading the book, the hype I built around it in my head fell quite silent very quickly. This didn't engage me like I thought it would and I really tried to love it, but there's only so many time you can catch yourself skimming before you call it quits. This may be someone's jam, sucks that it wasn't mine.

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
The book goes between the past and present. As it progresses, it reveals the main characters are interconnected. The mystery and atmospheric elements also increase.

The Haunting of Abney Heights is more thoughtful and researchy mysterious than ghostly in a scary way.

There are clues, diaries, journals, observations, acts of blackmail, and terrible goings on. All with an undertone of mysterious sinisterness and control over delicate women. And much much more!

A mystery surrounding an old asylum and the patients that once inhabited it. A great novel with a switch between time line and characters perspective. I really enjoyed this book, quite atmospheric in places, a little creepy - not too much, a great read.

This was too little and way too much, all at the same time. Normally, I enjoy the intertwining of generations…stories overlapping, told through different viewpoints. Unfortunately, the characters fell flat for me. It lacked atmosphere and the “haunting” was all but nonexistent.
The plot lines dragged on…rather than building…to a rushed and utterly ridiculous ending. Cramming in commentaries on sexuality, mental health, family dynamics, and abuse did not make this a compelling read.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. The concept of the story is part ghost story, part mystery. Add in the setting of an asylum and I was hooked. The story slowly unveiled itself through case notes and journal entries which provides little crumbs as to how the plot plays out.

I was engaged throughout the plot although I wished there were more character development for Meg and her friends.

Thank you Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the arc.