After her beloved grandmother's death Marta is sent to be governess to the daughter of Sir William Pritchard at Fyneshade, a large house which nestles in the remote Derbyshire countryside. In this house of plain women, Marta shines like a beacon, quietly looking after Grace, whilst at the same time watching everything that goes on in this brooding house of secrets. For Marta has secrets of her own and she is definitely not what is expected of a god fearing governess. Of the mysterious Sir William we know very little but as this sinister story continues, Fyneshade, such a perfect central character, is about to, reluctantly, give up its creepy secrets.

I enjoyed getting to know Marta, she's wonderfully manipulative, not at all likeable, but gloriously addictive so that very page she is on comes alive with hidden meaning and certainly when, son and heir, Vaughan Pritchard makes his appearance in the novel the sparks between these two flawed characters literally fly off the page.

The author writes well and builds up the tension with beautifully imagined scenes which bring a creepy edginess to what is quite a darkly detailed story. There a few unexpected twists and a final reveal to the story that I didn't see coming, which all helps to make Fyneshade into a wonderfully gothic story of revenge, and retribution, with a smattering of sinister suspense thrown in for good measure.

I couldn't help thinking of Jane Eyre and The Secret Garden: a crumbling mansion, a child who cannot learn, a woman forced to become a governess. And a mysterious men.
I wasn't a fan of Martha and the way she treated Grace broke my heart. it's a well plotted and compelling story that seems to be the love child of other stories.
The plot starts strong but the end is a bit predictable. That said I enjoyed the book.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I did love this book, I was hooked, loved the writing style the inspiration for writing. I did however find the descriptions and treatment of Grace extremely uncomfortable and troubling, I obviously understand that this is how a child like Grace would have been treated historically but it was very unnerving

Following the death of her grandmother orphaned Marta is sent to Fyneshade to be governess to Grace. The master of the house, and man she believed to be her real reason for going, is mysteriously absent. The other staff won’t tell her when he might return or where he is. Grace’s mother died in child birth and is believed by the housekeeper to have returned as a ghost.

I really found myself drawn into this gothic tale from the start. Marta is an interesting character, a product of different times, ill treated and doing what she must to get on. Her treatment of Grace, a child with learning difficulties (possibly Down’s syndrome, from some of the description), is unsympathetic and cruel. Her relationship with Vaughan is predictable from beginning to end but no less interesting.

I loved this - Such a dark and twisty read full of secrets and lies.

Marta is written brilliantly. She’s clever and cunning as she begins to learn the secrets of the house. The atmospheric writing cleverly twists and turns as we are drawn deeper into the story, and as she uncovers more about the family and the house.

The descriptions of the household are detailed and gothic and certainly add to mystery surrounding the family.
I loved how Kate griffin builds the tension with each chapter and how she linked Marta’s story with the seasons of the moon. Just captivating.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

This deliciously dark novel ticked all the boxes for me.
Gothic ✅
witchy ✅
ghostly ✅
old mansion with secret tunnels ✅
Lit by candles ✅
Rebecca vibes ✅

And the writing style is so good it draws you straight in to the spooky atmosphere of the house and keeps you there until the final page. This is one of those books you will want to read in one sitting! Although I felt strong Rebecca vibes, the book was inspired by The Turn of The Screw which is now high on my must read list.

Marta is offered a governess position at Fyneshade following the death of her beloved Grandmere, who was believed to be a witch by the locals. Having been read her future by her Grandmere, and having been taught her secrets, she believes this is her destiny. Arriving with her Grandmere’s box of herbs and potions, she is introduced to her charge. Grace is unlike most children her age and Marta is instantly repulsed. She does not make a good governess and manipulates Grace, as well as the staff, to her own ends.

Having met the ousted son of the missing owner, she devises a plan to use him to get what she wants. She is warned off him by the housekeeper but she feels they are destined to be together. But does she really know him as well as the thinks?

Absolutely brilliant! Highly recommended.

I just reviewed Fyneshade by Kate Griffin. #Fyneshade #NetGalley

Wow! This was a real twist and turner! Wicked meets Wicked!

A tale of evil, lies, unrequited love, devious plots and deception.

Couldn’t put this down which is why I am typing THIS at 3:15am!

When Marta’s French Grandmère dies, she is sent away to Derbyshire to work as a governess. Marta was very close to her grandmother, who spoke with a French accent and knew her way around the herbs – a knowledge that she had passed on to her granddaughter.

When Marta arrives at Fyneshade, the house appears forgotten and a tad neglected. The master of the house, Sir William Pritchard, is nowhere to be seen, and the household is run by Mrs Gurney, the housekeeper.

Marta is to be a governess to young Grace, a child who is a bit different from her peers. Grace’s mother, Lady Sophia, died in childbirth and Sir William doesn’t have much to do with his daughter’s upbringing. Marta isn’t the best governess (if you read the book you’ll discover why), but she is curious about Fyneshade’s secrets (there are plenty!).

When Marta meets Vaughan, Sir William’s banished-from-Fyneshade-son, she reckons she can use the young man to her advantage… Can she?

I LOVED this book. I was enthralled from the first page all the way to the end. The characters in this Gothic story had a menacing feel to them: Sir William, Vaughan, Marta, and even young Grace.

There was something creepy within the household’s walls and the tension and secrecy palpable in every room. Marta was manipulative and calculating to everyone, even to young Grace – a trait that I didn’t appreciate as I felt that she was using the child to her advantage.

If you haven’t read this book, then you simply must. It’s got a Gothic feel of Brontë’s Jane Eyre and Austen’s Northanger Abbey.

Thank you to Viper for approving my NetGalley request to read and review this title.

A novel worthy of very high praise (and matching sales!). From the opening paragraphs, Fyneshade had me in its thrall. It opens at the funeral of Marta's Grandmere, and almost immediately the tone is set; there's a controlled anger and sly bitterness in the way the scene is described:

"I liked Nathaniel well enough. I liked his stiff red hair, his soft pink mouth and his hard green eyes. But most of all I liked the fact that one day he would be rich."

So much packed into three short sentences: the description of Nathaniel suggests that he is unattractive, sensual and cruel, but none of that matters because one day he'll be rich. Marta is revealed to be contemptuous, sharp-tongued, calculating -- and patient.

From here it keeps getting better. Marta is packed off to be a governess to a young child at Fynshade, where she expects to find another, richer, man to set her sights on. Things don't work out as smoothly as she hoped.

Fynshade, Grace, Mrs Gurney, Vaughan... the house and its residents come vividly to life. The house sets the gothic scene. Menacing, packed with secrets -- secret passageways, secret rooms and secret plans. Marta is a strong and ruthless woman, equal to the challenge.

Or is she? As the story progresses, nothing is as it seems and nothing turns out as expected.

Marta is a fantastic character, worthy of any of the great gothic novels. Vaughan is her perfect foil.

The writing is luminous. Sharp, tight and evocative, it creates an immersive, somewhat claustrophobic world. But I was so gripped by the story that I hardly noticed the prose - I'd happily read it again just to focus on the writing.

Only after finishing the book did I learn that it was inspired by The Turn of the Screw. Other reviewers have said that it would be enjoyed more by first reading that. I didn't (read it decades ago and have forgotten it) but that in no way reduced my enjoyment of Fynshade.

5* read. Highly recommended to readers of gothic fiction or historical novels about women.

Note: I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unbiased feedback.

I was delighted to be involved with this gorgeous looking book, I love gothic literature so I knew that I would love this. The story begins with the death of Marta’s Grandmere and within hours her fate is sealed and Marta is to sent away to be a Governess. I love Jane Eyre so this detail was not lost on me ! Marta is to be Governess to Grace who is the daughter of Sir William Pritchard.


She is taken to Fyneshade and there she meets Grace and starts to learn more about the family and their past. I found that this was a book that I quickly became immersed in.

It is a dark tale and I loved the witchy element. The strange night time happenings all add to the atmosphere of this engrossing story. As the story progresses we start to see a different side to Marta and then she meets Vaughan Pritchard the estranged brother of Grace.

I felt very sad for Grace abandoned by everyone and now with Marta who is not all she appears to be and will not stop until she gets what she wants.

I like to be surprised with a book and this one did that time and time again. It took me on a journey that I was not expecting but I thoroughly enjoyed the dark, unnerving and brutal narrative. It unsettled and intrigued me !

If you enjoy an unpredictable story set in a creepy old house, where nothing is straightforward you will love this !

5 stars *****

A slow-paced atmospheric gothic read with a main character you love to hate. No feisty heroine, but a manipulative girl with a dark gift who fits perfectly in this dark mystery with a nice twist at the end.

I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I did not enjoy it as much as I hoped.
First of all, it starts very slowly, to a point I considered stoppin. Second of all, I did not like the main character.

In my opinion, there simply can't be enough books about governesses being placed with their young charges in gothic manor houses. If you add that the said governess, in this case, Marta, is someone who has been discarded by their family due to behaviour that may bring shame to their door and who has a machiavellian nature and a penchant for casting spells, then the story gets even more interesting.

I raced through this book. It's full of things I love, including atmospheric writing, a fabulous gothic setting, some ghostly goings-on, casting spells and many, many secrets, which I'll leave you to discover.

At the end, I wanted to rush ahead and find out if I thought what was coming was coming! The author certainly did a great job of building tension here and keeping me on tenterhooks about Marta's future. I'd love to be able to hold my readers in that same way, building and building but keeping the reveal just out of reach. Great job.

I'll definitely be recommending this one to my gothic-loving friends and would happily read more by Kate Griffin.

3,5 stars

I strongly recommend reading The Turn of the Screw, or at least a summary of it before starting this book. It’s an homage to the classic and you will understand it better and enjoy it more if you’ve read the original story.

After the death of her Grandmere Marta has no choice but to become a governess. Her charge turns out to be a mentally disabled girl who can barely communicate, and the servants of the house are mostly hostile towards the new governess. Marta is not bothered much, she is not looking for friends. However she could use a powerful ally, like the estranged heir to Fyneshade. It’s a bonus that she is attracted to him.

Marta was one of the least likable MCs I’ve ever read. But that was the point. She was calculating and ruthless and I kept wondering until the very end who was the real villain of this story. There were moments when I caught myself rooting for her (I feel low-key guilty about it) but generally she was not a character you want to relate to.

The writing was easy to follow and the story captivating. It’s a gothic horror so there were a few creepy scenes, but generally it was less scary than I had expected.

TW: child abuse, abortion (one before safe abortions were invented), murder

Thank you Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this, dark and gothic with just the right balance of intrigue and menace. Marta was a wonderful central character, strong, powerful but also flawed and dangerous. The witchcraft elements really worked and I enjoyed the references to the phases of the moon. Author notes at the end provide excellent opportunities to go down Henry James rabbit holes. Beautiful writing, family secrets, huge mansion, secret passages, masters and servants, just glorious!

A truly brilliant gothic masterpiece! I love a gothic book and this did not disappoint at all! I loved every minute of this book.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for early access to this book!

Fyneshade is chillingly dark and twisty gothic novel. A crumbling country house filled with secrets, a cast of complex (and largely unlikeable) characters, witchcraft, ghosts, lies and deceit are woven together throughout this beautifully crafted story. If Jane Eyre had an evil twin, then anti-heroine Marta would fit the bill perfectly. I was unaware of the links to a classic of the gothic horror tradition, and so found the twist at the end of this novel particularly compelling. A reread of both Fyneshade and Henry James are now required!

Oh Marta, what a character she is. Deeply floored, callous, self-centred, and self-absorbed she is a character that fundamentally you should hate. But Griffin weaves a special magic, much like her protagonist, that makes you route for her success. The plot is what drives you forward in this book although the pace is tempered enough that characters have time to develop, so you feel invested. There is a tension throughout, morsels of information are drip-fed to you and your opinions of characters veer left and right. Some you’re never quite sure of. Be comfortable with the morally grey here.

There were plenty of twist and turns in the plot, keeping you on your toes. Having said that I always felt a step ahead, that I could see through Marta’s thought processes and largely anticipated what was coming next, but I didn’t feel like it distracted from the story. It didn’t matter, it sort of added to the character of Marta, that she was too focussed on herself and her goals to see what was written on the walls.

There were 2 points where I felt the description and the pace weren't balanced in the way that I wanted or needed. Firstly, when Marta first goes to Fyneshade I felt I needed just a little bit more world building. I couldn't quite visualise the house and the grounds. And then towards the end of the book, I felt that things could have been drawn to a close a little sooner, that the pace could have been a bit quicker.

All in all, a really nice easy to read page turner. It felt like Verity, Rebecca and Jane Eyre all rolled in to one.

A very powerful read, being full of malevolence, manipulation, darkness, and a central character, who knows what she wants, and employs great stealth and cunning in her endeavours.
Martha has been volunteered to be a Governess for a child in Derbyshire. Her family consider her to be a corrupting influence upon their husbands and men in general, and they want her and her unsettling habits out of the way.
The child in question is Grace, she is backwards in some areas, speaks infrequently, is happiest with pens, paper and the occasional word of praise, but at times, there is a cunning look of intelligence and knowing.
Martha gradually gets the household to trust her, and by anticipating the times when eyes are upon her and Grace in public view, there are conspicuous displays of affection and companionship.
Martha and Grace both have hidden agendas, one will greatly influence the other, but both end up paying a very heavy price.
The house is typically creepy, dark and the staff are suitably gloomy and suspicious. There are hidden passages, ( of course!) and most characters are hiding a great secret.
I loved the details and facts about the cycles of the Moon, and the names given to various rituals. Martha has been taught to read her fortune in the flames of the fire at certain times of the month, each moon phase has a name, March was the Worm moon, April is the Egg moon and May is mothers moon, a fascinating connection to old beliefs and religions.
I know Tideswell in the Peak District, but only because it is the home of Peak District Yarns, a beautiful area that looks to be unchanged for many centuries.
The ending was a complete shock, such hatred and revenge, but perfectly in keeping with the Gothic tone of the book. Most intriguing with a central character who is basically evil and duplicitous. Absolutely loved this story.
My thanks to Netgalley and Viper, Serpents tail, publishers, for my advance digital copy, freely given in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. I will leave a copy on Goodreads and Amazon UK.

When Marta is assigned to work as governess at Fyneshade she soon realises that the Pritchard family who live there are keeping secrets. However Marta herself is not to be reckoned with as her grandmother taught her some extraordinary skills that she is not afraid to use as she tries to get her own way.

Fyneshade is an incredible gothic tale that will get completely under your skin.

I enjoyed this book because the writing was so atmospheric and dark throughout the whole story. The plot was twisty and suspenseful, with such a sense of claustrophobia in the grand house setting. Marta is one of the most unusual characters that I have come across and I loved that she was very strong-willed. The house itself was a hugely important character because it gave this brilliantly haunting feeling.

If you enjoy books by Laura Purcell or Daphne Du Maurier you will love this too.

Thank you NetGalley and Viper for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.