If walls could talk.

Martha, or Marta as she is called by her recently departed French Grandmere (Grandmother) has accepted a position as Governess, in a large house in Derbyshire.
The village boys used to call her Grandmere a witch. Grandmere died before she could teach Marta all she knew.
Marta finds her new position isn’t quite what she was expecting. There is mystery and things to find out about this house and its dark secrets.
The story and its various characters are told through Marta. I was intrigued with her ways, but did not like her at all.
Sly, calculating and self centred., with a derogatory, critical and disrespectful attitude.
If walls could talk!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

First of all - how gorgeous is that cover?!
An exciting and interesting gothic tale of an isolated mansion and its inhabitants. I really enjoyed this book and finished it fast as I couldn’t put it down!
Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publishers for this ARC.

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Fyneshade
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Kate Griffin
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Historical Horror
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 18th May 2023
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 21st April 2023
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.25/5

”A heart cannot break–that is a tale for cow-eyed virgins–but it can rot.”

Fyneshade is inspired by The Turn of The Screw by Henry James. I’ve never read it myself, but that didn’t matter to me, I was immersed regardless.

This historical gothic horror ticked all my boxes: creepy, involved a huge manor, held more secrets and shadows than sun and smiles.

Fyneshade follows a governess, Marta, who is our main character. We soon learn that she is incredibly manipulative and is also half-witch, half-kleptomaniac. Whilst Marta is certainly questionable, it’s her strange little charge, Grace, who I wondered about the most. I was equally horrified at how Marta treated Grace and yet mystified enough to want to get the answers out of her myself. Thankfully, Marta doesn’t have to rely on the unpredictable girl since she has her witchcraft to fall back on.

This truly interesting, entertaining, and slightly sickening novel is told through an usually aloof tone which is one of the most compelling reasons I was captivated in the first place.

I wish the ending was more impactful, the main character really brought out the bloodthirsty part of me and whilst the resolution fanned the flames of that bloodthirstiness, I was hoping for something more explosive.

—Kayleigh🤍
@ Welsh Book Fairy🧚‍♀️✨

On the subject of judging books by their covers... feel free to do so with this one: 'Fyneshade' by @kateagriffin - out next month.

This is a full house for any players of modern Gothic bingo: eerie house, moody moorland, wild weather, unquiet spirits, and buttoned up Victorian facades hiding scandalous family secrets &c &c…

Our narrator is Marta: a proud outsider, who thinks she knows it all and sneers down her beautiful nose at the ordinary people who look at her with suspicion. Shunted off to darkest Derbyshire to be a governess, Marta finds herself at Fyneshade Manor. From the start, it’s clear that something is not quite right… by the end, it’s obvious that several things are very wrong. It’s a house full of hidden treasures and hidden dangers, of clocks and keys, of bribes, threats and deception… and Marta means to make herself mistress of it all.

Marta is not a nice person. But she is a compelling story teller: not just to us, but to the Fyneshade servants, to the child in her charge, even to herself? She seems to have the vanity and moral fibre (and deep insecurities) of Eustacia Vye in Hardy’s ‘Return of the Native’ and, like Eustacia, schemes towards to the social advancement she feels is her destiny. Whether you love her or loath her, you want to know what happens to her.

In terms of atmosphere, it errs more towards sumptuous than subtle, but that’s not to say it’s without a few glorious little twists. It reminded me of Daphne Du Maurier, particularly ‘Rebecca’, and comparisons have also been made with ‘Jane Eyre’. Its most direct literary progenitor is, however, Henry James’s ‘Turn of the Screw’ - from which the opening quote is drawn.

It’s not without cheesy moments, but - like the Derbyshire fruitcake Fyneshade’s housekeeper is so fond of - this type of Gothic works well with a hunk of crumbling cheddar.

Fyneshade is published by @viper.books on 18 May. Big thanks to Viper and @netgalley for the advanced Kindle copy.

A deliciously, dark gothic tale which I found impossible to put down. Powerful, richly descriptive with strong characters. Wonderful storytelling. Constantly holding my breath and tapping my kindle like a demented wood pecker. I loved the main character Marta. He'll hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Loved it!!!!!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC to review..

This was a beautiful book. Beautifully designed, front cover and also so well written. I really enjoyed this more than I thought I would, even if it wasn’t my usual read.

This gothic story draws on our familiarity with ‘governess novels’, such as ‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘The Turn of the Screw’', though it is also a gripping read in its own right. It has all the ingredients: an isolated mansion, “more like a fortress than a house”, often cut off by bad weather; an absent master; a troubled young child needing education and guidance; mysterious servants; and gloomy candle-lit corridors, leading to remote wings hiding secrets.
Encouraged her awareness of her French aristocratic heritage and her own good looks to have a sense of privilege, the narrator Marta (don’t call her ‘Martha’!) feels entitled to the best: “I knew I was born to feel the finest cloth next to my skin”.
Left alone by the death of her grandmother, she is an inconvenience to her remaining relatives, who distrust her obvious sexuality. When forced to take up the post of governess to a little girl (who surely has Down’s syndrome?) in a far-off county, she is determined to turn this unengaging prospect into an opportunity to acquire Fyneshade and all that goes with it for herself.
Devious and calculating, some of Marta’s machinations are so blatant, such as putting on displays of affection for her young charge for the benefit of the housekeeper, that they provoke shocked laughter. It’s surprisingly satirical at times, and Marta often reminded me of Becky Sharpe in ‘Vanity Fair’, though sometimes I was on edge, wondering how far her ennui with looking after little Grace would take her.
She sometimes seems quite sociopathic, the consummate anti-heroine; we both fear her and root for her! At a time when the average woman had few prospects and were chiefly considered to be ‘grow-bags’, we cannot but admire her ambition and enterprise. How unfortunate that she falls in with a schemer even more ruthless than she is.
As you can guess, I adored this book and will look out for others by Kate Griffin. Having raced through the novel first time for the story, now, knowing how it ends, I am rereading more thoughtfully and picking up on the clues, such as the red hair of an early squeeze, as to what happens ultimately ‘in the end’.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. I will happily post on Amazon once reviewing is open.

I enjoyed reading this book.

The plot was intriguing and I found that it kept me interested the whole way through.

The characters were great and I found that they drew me into the book.

Thank you for letting me review it.

I loved it! What a great read. A classic gothic tale set is a country house where the master Sir William Pritchard isn’t in evidence, his son Vaughan is banned from the house, his daughter Grace has Down syndrome and the servants are all unattractive, that is until Marta arrives. Marta was a brilliant protagonist, I disliked her intensely but was completely entranced by her. She is a dark and dangerous character, with knowledge of herbs and plants passed on by her grandmere, and a wicked seductress who has an agenda.

Briefly, after the death of her grandmere Marta gets a position as governess to the daughter of the master of Fyneshade. But Marta has a plan and her actions are all aimed towards what she believes to be her destiny; to be mistress of Fyneshade. Her life at Fyneshade is boring, a pupil who cannot learn, servants who mostly ignore her and nothing to do that is until the errant son and heir returns.

I was glued to this book from start to finish. Every character was brilliantly portrayed and the only one I found at all likeable was the housekeeper. A dark gothic property full of appropriately dark and dangerous characters, all only interested in their own needs and desires. An intensely satisfying read with a shocking climax and enthralling authors notes at the end that has set me off to a new read - no spoilers.

This proved to be an entertaining dark story of ambition and deceit. A magic foretelling of a future marriage doesn’t turn out as expected. Thank you to Serpent’s Tail/Viper/Profile books publishers and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

After the death of Marta's Grandmere her prospects look bleak when she is given the post of governess at Fyneshade. Marta, however, is confident that riches are just round the corner if she she can seduce the master of the house but at Fyneshade nothing is as it seems.

It is a classic gothic novel; a house in the middle of nowhere, filled with secrets and a confident anti-heroine at its centre. Marta is a fantastic main character. You can't help admiring her confidence despite the terrible things she does. Sometimes authors back away from making their main characters too unlikable. There is usually a justification or a softening of some elements of their character. There is none of that in Fyneshade and I found that hugely enjoyable.

The twist in the final page was sublime and made me want to go back and read it again. It also made me want to re-read something else but that would be a spoiler. ...

An atmospheric gothic tale set in an isolated house in Derbyshire. Marta arrives at Fyneshade to take up her post as governess to Grace but finds herself in a situation she was not expecting. Grace has learning difficulties, the housekeeper is keeping secrets from her and none of the servants will talk to her. Full of curiosity Marta explores and digs deep into the secrets of the house. Meeting the estranged son of the house, she starts on a path that she believes will lead to a future of wealth and luxury.
I loved Kate Griffin's previous Kitty Peck novels. They were full of action with interesting characters. This book is nothing like the previous books. The main protagonist, Marta is a despicable and manipulative character; the other characters were never fully developed . The action revolves around Marta's plotting and schemes, which I found a little slow moving at times.
If you are a fan of Henry James's The Turning of the Screw, you will love this book, but for me it never really engaged me.

Deliciously dark and devious! Marta arrives at Fyneshade as the new Governess for Grace, a little girl with limited speech whom the household dotes on. However the household seem to take against Marta from the beginning, and there is more to the house than first meets the eye..

The mysterious master of the house, Sir William Pritchard is very frail and elderly but there's no sign of him at Fyneshade, and his son, Vaughan is banished from the house and forced to live in the stables.

Marta is very much only interested in herself and advancing her own interests - this is a fresh new take on a gothic novel with a governess and a grand house and I loved it! Anyone who crosses Marta soon lives to regret it and using the power of the full moon Marta enacts her revenge.

I was on the edge of my seat through this, but didn't want it to end. Just brilliant. 4.5/5.

An evocative gothic thriller with a challenging heroine. Marta had been a willing student at the knee of her beloved Grandmere and on her death she is whisked away to a position as a governess far from her remaining family and her lover Nathaniel. What follows is an engaging tale of spells, secrets and ruthlessness. @kateagriffin @netgalley #gothicthriller

This was a beautiful book. Beautifully designed, and also beautifully written.

I really like Gothic stories, and this was everything that I would expect a from a book in that genre. A powerful narrative with rich imagery. It was actually only when I reached the end of this story, that I realised why I had enjoyed it so much. If you're a fan of Gothic fiction, you will probably understand.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

I found this a slow start, but it soon evolved into a really excellent story. The characters were well drawn and believable, and the twists and turns of the plot kept the reader guessing right until the end. I must now go and read "The Turn of the Screw". Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review of the book.

Wonderfully atmospheric and instantly intriguing. Loved the twisted nature of what at first appeared to be a classic gothic thriller. Highly enjoyable.

We all go into books with certain expectations, maybe provided by the cover, or the blurb, or the buzz we get on social media about a new release. I had come to Fyneshade expecting a neo-Victorian Gothic romp with a bit of witchcraft thrown in for good measure. Little did I know my expectations were about to be smashed.

In Fyneshade we follow Marta, a down-on-her-luck heroine who is forced to become a governess in a remote house in Derbyshire. So far, so Jane Eyre. And there is a handsome (almost) Lord, and an inevitable seduction. And there is a locked room with a forbidden secret. But that’s rather where the comparison ends. Because Marta is no Jane Eyre.

For me, Fyneshade was far more like Vanity Fair, displaced a few years, with a strong Gothic setup and some deep, dark witchcraft. Marta doesn’t just dabble — this governess isn’t afraid to lay down a curse on anyone who has wronged her. Marta is sharp, ruthless, at times mean, and will tread on anyone and anything to get what she wants. It’s maybe surprising, then, that I felt so sore for her whenever things didn’t pan out. I really feel like I shouldn’t love Marta as much as I do, but she’s just so much fun and so unashamedly herself.

The supporting cast are also really interesting. Marta’s student, Grace, is a little girl with learning difficulties, who in many ways is just as strident and just as manipulative as Marta. The two make an interesting pair, and right from that outset the reader is left with the suspicion that Marta will underestimate Grace at her own peril. There is the aforementioned handsome Lord, who gives the reader that Gothic sense of dread as we all know he’s up to some flavour of no good.

I loved Fyneshade and ate it up really quickly. It’s a nice read, while still being original and delivering a fast-paced story with plenty of Gothic twists and turns. I recommend for anyone who loves neo-historical fiction, but is looking for something a bit darker and twistier, someone a bit less likeable, and a narrative you can’t really trust.

Fyneshade is out on 18th of May, and can be pre-ordered here.

Review written with thanks to the publishers and Netgalley.co.uk for an e-advanced review copy.

Fyneshade ticks all of the boxes for me - a chilling, twisty, perfectly dark gothic mystery with overtures of magic and some characters that are curiously ambivalent in their behaviour. It's difficult to tell who is the 'good' or 'bad'. if such characters can be determined at the start of the novel.
Our protagonist is Marta, the granddaughter of a Frenchwoman, who may also be a witch and has raised her granddaughter in the same traditions. After the tragic passing of her grandmere, her relatives arrange for Marta to become a governess at an isolated for a young girl at an isolated home in the countryside.
Upon arriving at Fyneshade, Marta discovers that the master of the house, Sir William Pritchard is mysteriously absent. Her young charge Grace has some learning difficulties and Marta seeks to manipulate the child for her own ends. Marta's sole interest is to marry well and she soon sets her eyes on Vaughan Pritchard, who is forbidden to enter the house. Her powera have lead her to believe that a person with the letter 'P' will have a lasting impact on her life.....
Marta is probably one of the least likeable characters that I have come across, yet I couldn't help but find myself being curious about her plans and wanting to see what would happen next. Her determined attitude and singular focus would be admirable if not treatment of Grace.
From Marta's arrival at Fyneshare, the author builds up the tension and darkness in the novel and the reader becomes aware that the climax of the novel will be epic.
One of my favourite years of the year so far and definitely one for the fans of historical and gothic fiction.

This cover is so beautiful and like with so many other books what draw me into requesting to read this. Reading the description also made me interested as I like that gothic and mysterious houses genre.

We have an outsider coming to this house not knowing much about it or the people inhabiting it. Mysterious heirs, aloof servants and all that fun, interesting and a bit scary storytelling which I usually really enjoy in these types of stories.

It certainly delivered but for some reason I didn’t really connect with the story and I cant put my finger on what it was. I draw this back to a “me problem” rather than the book being uninteresting.