A dark a twsity fun mystery though it was a little predictable. I enjoyed the atmospheric gothic vibes as well.

This was a book with a very interesting premise, starting with an engaging scene detailing a crime relating to a valuable, antique Stradivarius violin. Although this book was not amazing, I would still read future books from this author as I saw a lot of potential and highly enjoyed having representation of gender non conforming characters.
Unfortunately the story quickly fell flat, mostly because of how oddly paced it was. There were long time jumps where I would have liked more development and other sections had unnecessarily detailed. The characters were moderately likeable or unlikeable but didn't really feel strongly about any of them or found any of their relationships compelling. The mystery was quite predictable and stakes always felt too low to care.

This was a very good read and had all the elements to be a good horror thriller. The characters were diverse and the story line made it to be an interesting one! I will definitely read more from this author soon

What an incredible read!! Knowles did everything absolutely right with this one.
The story follows Mae, a woman with an unfortunate background who falls into one hell of a Gothic, specter filled adventure.
I truly enjoyed this read and cannot wait for more from this author!!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for a review.
Absolutely loved the contemporary gothic vibes of this book. The descriptions were very well done and the tension that kept building throughout kept me hooked.

A hauntingly twisted tale of psychological horror, The Stradivarius is a modern take on the Hysterical Or Not Heiress trope with some delightfully queer accents.

Mae Pruitt receives a call informing her that she's the sole inheritor of her murdered father's estate, compromised of some money, his crumbling Victorian, and his prized Stradivarius. Eager to escape poverty, her aunt's trailer and the woman's rampant conspiracy theories, Mae hastily accepts her older boyfriend's offer of marriage, and they move into her inheritance, cobwebs and all.

But all is not well, and soon Mae is hearing eerie concertos through the walls, menacing voices, and seeing things. Soon unable to trust any of her senses, her only ally is Ollie, a stellar genderqueer character who comes to do maintenance work and stays to do a bit of detecting as the situation spirals out of Mae's control.

I enjoyed the contemporary Gothic vibes of this book immensely, and I always love a thriller centered around something like a Stradivarius!Even if the villains and what's going on in this story are familiar, I always wonder how the terrorized character will get themselves out of a mess like this, and the tension was continuously building throughout. The writing was atmospheric and the descriptions very well done. Another winner out of Brigids Gate Press, and well done to Knowles!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. It didn't disappoint! Must read!!

This was a propulsive, fun thriller. I was totally hooked from the very beginning. The characters that Rae wrote are real, and the challenges they experience even more so. As a woman, this was at times a frustrating read (MEN, amirite??) but ultimately so satisfying. Great book, highly recommend this for a fast-paced beach read!

The Stradivarius is a queer retelling of Hamilton's "Gaslight," and while I absolutely adore the concept, it missed the mark for me in quite a few ways.

I personally think that some parts of the dialogue feel a bit inorganic or shoehorned in, sometimes also sounding a little too YA-ish for the characters. Besides that, there are some unnecessary fillers that only serve to curb the pacing of the film.

I usually love retellings and though I do like the Ollie character along with the "are they really crazy or not" trope, I couldn't fully enjoy it.

Thank you NetGalley and Brigids Gate Press for the advance review copy, I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

When Mae was just a child her father, a virtuoso musician, was brutally murdered in the botched theft of his priceless violin. Now, Mae moves back to her childhood home with her new husband, unlocking painful memories and seemingly setting in motion a nervous breakdown that leaves her hallucinating and questioning her sanity. But local amateur sleuth, Ollie, thinks there's more going on than meets the eye.

Rae Knowles' debut novel is classic gothic brought bang up to date with a Hitchcockian vibe and a queer spin. The Stradivarius calls to mind such forebears as Charlotte Bronte and Daphne du Maurier, and it's clear that Knowles has a deep understanding of the gothic genre. The story is so twisty it's hard to say much about it without risking spoilers, but this is a definite must for anyone who loves a nail-biting, atmospheric and creepy read, all wrapped up in beautifully evocative prose.

Thank you to Netgalley and Brigid's Gate Press for a free copy in return for an honest review.

This book had me at the edge of my seat. I’m amazed that even in real life there are people who literally mess with peoples minds. To the point where they themselves feel like they are losing their minds. Like poor Mae and her supposed husband carter and a violin that belonged to her father . The way things unraveled had my eyes popping out of my head when things came to light . Carter was a really despicable person in this story. I’m glad Mae came out on top and I really liked her ending with Ollie. I definitely recommend this book.

At 20 Mae comes into an inheritance she had just about given up on. And just in the nick of time. Living in a trailer with her demanding conspiracy theorist of an aunt while tending to a new whirlwind romance with an older man was all becoming a bit too much. She eagerly marries her new love and they move into the gothic old home with plans to fix it up and start their happily ever after.

But this is a modern gothic novel and you just know that none of that is about to happen any time soon and this is why I love reading them! Before long her ideal life turns nightmarish and she can’t trust her own instincts. Mae is young, naive, and very trusting and comes from a traumatic background so you have to get into her mindset when you pick this up. It’s hard to say more without giving away the entire thing so I won’t. I’ll only say that I knew who the culprit(s) were long before Mae figured things out but the fun of a book like this is the reveal of all the ugly secrets as they get exposed.

Mae is sympathetically written but she probably won’t go down as my favorite character because she spends so much of the story withdrawn and confused but I LOVED her friendship with secondary character Ollie. Each time Ollie and their pets showed up on the page, they stole the show. Ollie is a true crime junkie fascinated with the history of Mae’s home and I’d love to read a book where Ollie was the main character, running around town solving cold cases and collecting stray animals. That would be so much fun.

I recommend The Stradivarius if you’re into gothic stories - and why wouldn’t you be? It has lovely prose, perfectly described creepy settings and interesting secondary characters. The only thing missing was some arsenic donuts because some people truly do deserve them 😈

Wow! Such a beautifully dark thriller and twisted! I enjoy mystery/thriller/horror but it isn’t my go-to choice. However, I am so glad that I scored this copy! I received this eARC from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion. Thank you.

The Stradivarius is one of the most anxiety inducing, claustrophobic books I’ve read in a while. After inheriting her late fathers house, Mae moves out of her aunt’s place with her new husband Carter. As soon as they arrive, strange things begin to happen in the house while Carter is gone. Amongst all of this, Mae wonders about the missing Stradivarius violin her father had likely been killed for.

Carter convinces Mae and everybody around her that she is insane, taking away any chance of other believing the house is haunted. He makes it so no one would believe anything she said.

The story is fast paced and stressful, with a well developed twist planted in the narrative. If you’re a fan of thrillers with a spooky edge to them, this is a must read!

A great queer retelling with a focus on the downward spiral into madness, feminine rage and finding yourself again.

The story of ‘Gaslight’ is well known and could have been a tricky retelling to take on, for the most part the mystery is solved before it even begins. This in no way hinders the storytelling since the focus shifts to a diverse cast of characters and their mental health. Knowles is witty with her dialogue and excels at creating atmosphere and setting up horrific scenes.

A great debut!

3 stars

Overall a pretty good thriller. I kept me reading but it was somewhat predictable. I didn’t love it but I’m happy to have read it.

Mae’s story really starts out roughly! Finding her father dead and the police taking care of her during the aftermath.

Fast forward to Mae living with her Auntie, finding new love, tryin to honing her violin skills, and then finding out about her father’s inheritance.

Mae marries Carter and moves with him to her fathers estate. There things start to get eerie, she can hear violin music from the closed off third floor, things are not as they appear.

It’s nice to see pronoun representation and it just seems so easy, a great view for the future.

The pacing of the story is fantastic, the last third of the book I couldn’t stop reading!!!

"The Stradivarius" by Rae Knowles is a gripping thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The story follows a talented violinist named Emily who discovers an ancient Stradivarius violin that has been missing for centuries. But as she starts to play the violin, she realizes that there's something strange and unsettling about it - and soon she's drawn into a dangerous world of secrets and intrigue.

The book is expertly paced, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. The characters are well-developed, and I found myself rooting for Emily as she navigated the dangerous world of international art theft and corruption. The descriptions of the violin and its history are fascinating and add an extra layer of depth to the story.

However, there were a few moments where the plot felt a bit contrived, and some of the dialogue felt a bit forced. Additionally, I felt that some of the secondary characters could have been fleshed out a bit more to make their motivations and actions more clear.

Overall, "The Stradivarius" is an enjoyable read that's perfect for fans of fast-paced thrillers and mysteries. While it has a few flaws, it's still a well-written and engaging story that kept me hooked until the end. I would give it 4/5 stars and would definitely recommend it to others.

This was a fast-paced read that felt jam-packed with a lot of interesting ideas. I liked that it featured several LGBTQ characters, and that the protagonist herself didn't suffer the typical tragic fate of LGBTQ protagonists in horror/thriller literature and movies, but instead found a mostly happy ending. I think this is fantastic representation. It was definitely a page-turner and kept me intrigued, but I wouldn't say it kept me guessing, which is something I appreciate in thrillers.

loved the book i love how it made me feel like i was in a haunting story even though she was trying to find out what happened to her dad. I love the MC of the story. How she plays violin well also finding what happened to her fathers violin. This story was really well written. I kept turning the pages because i wanted to see what would happen in the story.