I had never heard of Block Island before reading this book. It is well written and keeps you interested after getting past the first little bit.

Two sisters who didn't know each other exist. One in a mental hospital. I found this story to be very sad but also a bit edge of your seat in parts.

Block Island is another place where women and young girls could be sent, against their will, at the whim of men.

Thank you for this ARC.

Atmospheric, moody, gloomy, a classic gothic novel brought to new life in a contemporary setting. The beginning was a bit slow as Block Island and White Hall were introduced, along with all the major characters, but the second part of the book speed along nicely to a thrilling conclusion. There were several twists and turns and unexpected moments, and I was kept guessing for most of the book. A very satisfying contemporary gothic haunted house novel.

Myself being from Canada, I didn’t know that Block Island is an actual place in the States. It was really great to read about all these real references in this novel.

Christa Carmen does a good job of describing the surroundings and emotions of the island. The characters are well rounded as well.

Special thanks to Netgalley & Thomas & Merced for providing me with an advanced readers copy of this novel.

I love books integrate characters acknowledging when plot elements are typical for the genre. This thrilling book, full of classic gothic novel references and elements, goes so far as to have two characters laughing while discussing their rules for navigating a gothic novel - many of which the characters ultimately break during the story.

Blake Bronson grew up in foster homes with books as an escape from her difficult life. Struggling to maintain her sobriety, Blake decides to follow a handful of clues to find her birth mother, a quest that takes her to the classic gothic novel setting of Block Island and spooky White Hall manor. Thalia Mills left her childhood home on Block Island and never looked back, but she receives a shocking letter from a stranger named Blake Bronson claiming to be her sister. Even more shocking, Blake was murdered in White Hall manor the same day the letter was written. Thalia embarks on a dangerous journey to discover the truth about her family and, along the way, uncovers the dark history of Block Island and its residents.

This book took me entirely by surprise. I could not put it down. Written in two parts, the first from Blake's POV and the second from Thalia's, you become so invested in a character that, from the novel's onset, you know is the victim. So many secrets are uncovered, and the house serves as a central character. It was great that the author referenced so many gothic novels, including my favorite - Rebecca, in the story as it pays tribute to its predecessors. It is also a mix of fact and fiction. Block Island and the house that inspired the White Hall, the Searles mansion, are real. The picture in the background of this review's first slide is of the house, now long gone.

The audiobook narration draws you even more completely into this tale. A huge thank you to @netgalley, @christinaqua, and Thomas & Mercer publishing for the opportunity to read and provide my honest book review.

What the heck did I just read? Wow! This book was so different, dark, mysterious and pull of twists and turns. 1 just loved it! 5 stars

Rating: 4.8⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley & Thomas & Mercer for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Evoking the elements of classic gothic horror/mystery novels, such as Rebecca and The Haunting of Hill, and the meta-ness of Scream, The Daughters of Block Island presents a mostly-modern, immersive take on the genre with queer protagonists at the helm.

I was totally hooked by the atmospheric & gorgeous writing. I loved how we got to see both of the sisters’ point of view! It made us more invested in figuring out who killed Blake, her desperation in connecting with her birth mother, as well as Thalia’s desperation to find the truth, not only about Blake’s death, but also about her birth & the secrets their mother kept from her. This book definitely takes you on an emotional roller coaster with a few twists thrown in; however, I do wish there was a bigger twist as to the murderer, as it was a bit too cliche.

A murder-mystery gothic novel, this book takes you toBlock Island, following two sisters (Blake, and then Thalia) individually to discover the gruesome events that happened at mansion/hotel White Hall.

This book is intentionally structured in a way that follows the formula of an atmospheric gothic novel: there's a heroine, victim, perpetrator, combined with supernatural elements and a tragic history in a mansion that resides in the form of a supposed specter, or perhaps hallucinations. And of course, an eventual plot twist that is not entirely unexpected, that has to do with the previous generations. And I personally really appreciate that, because themes related to (generational) trauma, women's so-called hysteria, along with feelings of loneliness are best conveyed in such isolated and claustrophobic settings. The aura is established early on and it's easy to submerge yourself in Blake and Thalia's world with the typical spooky descriptions the author uses.

I just have one main gripe with this that knocks this novel down to 3 stars and that is its use of a metanarrative. In theory, I'm a sucker for that because I love the insertion of other references/works I'm familiar with and adore. I can certainly see how this is inspired by the likes of Rebecca and The Haunting of Hill House the most, for example, and this book often refers to other works as well such as Wuthering Heights, The Castle of Ontranto and The Mysteries of Udolpho. However, this book suffers from its redundancy of being too self-aware, constantly reminding the audience that the characters feel like they're in a gothic novel. With that kind of repetition, it just makes you feel like you're floating back to the top of the world you were previously submerged in. It's too on-the-nose and also unnecessary, like the author doesn't trust her audience to understand the references.

I would still recommend this book however, it's a decent and thrilling read for gothic mystery lovers, just not my first pick in that specific genre. Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the review copy!

Excellent gothic setting with enough horror to keep you on edge! Eerie and evocative, the descriptions of the island make you feel you are there.

I really loved part one of the story, when Blake has arrived to the island. Part two was good but just didn't hit all the marks for me. The pacing of part two was a little too slow for me but still kept me engaged and interested. I loved the gloomy gothic atmosphere, the mansion and all its secrets, I was trying to guess who did it the entire time and I was right on some things but a few still took me by surprise. At times though it did get a little too overly cliché, and some parts were comically villainous. I didn't love the reveal at the end but I did enjoy how the author went about the ending. Overall, a fun mysterious read, perfect for fall, or a rainy day.

read this book if you enjoy: mysteries, whodunits, family secrets, small islands settings, gothic atmosphere, creepy mansions, sister bonds.

Thanks to netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for sharing a digital copy for me to read, as always, opinions are my own 🤘🏻💀🤘🏻

Who doesn't love a gothic novel? Especially one with a great twist that just happens to take place near where I live! This one hooked me from page one and didn't let go until the end.

Set in an eerie mansion and drawing inspiration from other classic gothic stories, this book dives deep into complicated familial relationships and haunting mysteries.

From atmospheric writing to complex characters, I loved everything about this book. There are ghosts, constant rain and thunder, a touch of horror, a murder mystery and a general eerie feeling -- everything that makes a gothic novel amazing. There's a lot of mention of other books from this genre and the whole book is highly meta. I loved how the characters were acknowledging the atmosphere and almost knew they were in their own gothic story!

'For a moment, as she drives, she thinks the rain is finally stopping. The novel of which she's the reluctant heroine will not - cannot - continue under the warmth of the sun. This is not a request or a recommendation; it's a staple of the genre. The rule. Maybe, just maybe, Blake's story is shifting into the realm of a feel-good drama.
By the time Blake pulls into the circular drive at the front of White Hall, however, she sees she was wrong.'

The twists didn't quite make me gasp out loud, but they were still crafted very well and made this a very interesting read! I must admit reading this at the dead of night was creepy to say the least, which only further proves how the author succeeded in atmospheric writing and gothic sense! I highly recommend this book to everyone!

Gosh, this was so good ! Gothic to the max but backed up by a twisty mystery. Thalia and Blakes stories tied everything together but try as I may I could not work out how it all fitted together till the end. It was pure old fashioned gothic but although not an altogether happy ending, a very satisfying one. The author played the classic gothic themes well but twisted them into something different. I absolutely loved this book. A great winter read.

4.5/5 ⭐
Thalia is shocked to get a letter from a sister she never knew she had. She is even more shocked when she finds out that her sister died a day after sending the letter. Thalia heads to her island home to investigate what happened to her sister.

I really enjoyed this one! I thought it was a good mix between a thriller and a mystery. I was worried we were going to flip between Blake and Thalia's sections but I'm glad Carmen did all of Blake and then all of Thalia's sections. I think it worked well. Plus it allowed us to see a bit more when Thalia went to investigate. There were some good twists and turns as well!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Having grown up in Rhode Island I’m a sucker for anything that evokes the nostalgia of my youth. Of course nothing that actually happens in this gothic suspense novel resembles my actual youth (lol), but it is a location I’m somewhat familiar with. This is a wild story full of twisting mysteries, starting off with Thalia receiving a letter from Blake, the sister she didn’t even know she had. Are we getting a happy reunion? No. Blake dies, though half the book explores Blake’s story while the other half is Thalia attempting to figure out what happened to her, amongst other things. Wonderfully atmospheric, the island and house feel like characters in their own right. If you’re a fan of gothic suspense/thrillers I’d definitely recommend giving checking this one out. I’d like to thank Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The Daughters of Block Island.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R13RQAM1054AJY/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I really wish the author would have just written an homage to gothic novels without constantly referencing them and making them part of the story. I didn't need characters to say "it was just like Manderlay" or "remember when we read Northanger Abbey?" to understand what she was trying to accomplish here. It just put a pretty weak modern adaptation of those same situations (and "rules") up against legit classics that this book could simply never live up to.

I do love a good gothic thriller, so it's easy to understand why The Daughters Of Block Island caught my attention immediately. There was just something about the blurb that made it impossible to resist this story, and the promise of an island setting, old mansion and bad weather was just the icing on the cake. And I have to say, I was very impressed by this story! While the pace was a tad slow in points, it was also an extremely atmospheric read and I had an excellent time reading it.

There is no doubt that this story has a proper gothic vibe, and both the Block Island setting and the mansion itself play such an important role in the plot. I always love a small town setting, and this island sure has its share of secrets and intriguing characters. White Hall is the star of the show of course, and it was fascinating to learn more about the mansion and its history. The weather itself also made for such a perfect backdrop for this story; the constant rain and storm really enhancing the already there gothic atmosphere.

The Daughters Of Block Island is divided into two different parts, which I could personally appreciate as we get to know both sisters a little better this way. The many references/comparisons to other gothic stories I could also really appreciate, but even if you haven't read any of the classics yet it's still easy to get the gist of what this book is referring to. The story starts out with Blake, who can be a bit frustrating as she keeps making those typical mistakes that make you want to shake her. Her story is important to the plot though, and it gave you an idea of what was going on while also providing more questions than answers. That said, I did prefer the story once the other sister Thalia came into play, as it was more of a murder mystery at that point and the pace was faster.

As with most gothic thrillers there is also a hint at the paranormal and the possible existence of ghosts. I wouldn't call it a proper paranormal read though, and I thought the execution of this element was both subtle and well incorporated. There were a lot of secrets, twists and turns to unravel, and while I did guess some of the truth early on, I never did see the full picture. The last third of the story or so is especially suspenseful and engaging, and I liked how everything was wrapped up in the end.

In short, if you enjoy a well written and atmospheric gothic thriller with a small island setting, lots of secrets and don't mind a slower start, The Daughters Of Block Island is an excellent choice. There are quite a few heavy topics incorporated into the plot, so make sure to brace yourself for an emotional ride though.

As you all know I love a good atmospheric, hauntingly gothic read, that is centered around a mansion. That has lived numerous lifetimes, has witnessed deaths, love, wars, epic storms, you name it the house has witnessed it. The Daughters of Block Island bring all of this and more. I was completely enthralled from the first page. The details and descriptions are spot on. The endless days of rain, the pounding waves, the thrashing winds, will make anyone's mind go crazy. The characters are fantastically formed and draw you into their lives and nightmares. So much has occurred on this island. Will the secrets stay beneath the surface?

Thalia could not leave Block Island fast enough after she graduated from high school. She never returned, just touching base with her mother once a month. They never had a stable relationship; her mom is a little cold hearted. She is shocked when she receives a letter from a woman claiming to be her sister. Could this be the reason her mother is the way she is? Thalia decides it is time to return home to confront everything that made her run in the beginning. She ends up staying at White Hall, the same place her sister stayed before her death. The entire place seems off. Strange occurrences, floorboards creaking in the middle of the night, ghostly figures hidden in the shadows. Thalia is determined to figure out what happened to the sister she never had the chance to meet.

This is such an entertaining and engaging book. I was at the end of my seat the entire time. The setting was spot on, the characters were spotless, and have I mentioned it is set around a mansion. Thank you to Christa Carmen and Thomas and Mercer for my gifted copy of this chilling tale.

This is a fantastic Gothic mystery with a twist. It was haunting and atmospheric with a wonderfully descriptive setting and well developed characters. There is a lot going on in this book with different elements to the story many going far back in history but the author intertwined it all beautifully. Pages filled with mystery, suspense, twists and surprises that sucked me right in and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

The Daughters of Block Island is full of mystery, family secrets and murder. The perfect ingredients for a gothic tale. I loved the nods throughout this book to classic gothic novels. The sheer amount of rain was something of a send up and was entertaining amongst the more chilling atmosphere. The twist on classics was done well. The plot holds it own with a great ending. Overall a good read that I would recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

Where do I start with this book...what a disappointment! In the beginning I was really loving it and thought it had potential to be even better than The Fiction Writer that I just read and enjoyed. Then the MC was beginning to annoy me and became really dramatic. But then she died (not a spoiler, it's in the synopsis) and we began following her sister, so I was okay with that. But then it really dragged as her sister discovered and rehashed all the things we already knew. Then the writing got weaker and weaker and when the reveals came they were so ridiculous! I wish I could state why but they are spoilers. By the end I really disliked this book. It was a waste of my time and I wish I would have just DNFed it when things got boring.