Here I am, once again straddling the middle ground.

I liked Hecate’s character. She’s smart, opinionated, and headstrong, at a time when women weren’t supposed to be any of those things.

I loved the magic concept, the atmosphere, and the setting.

Pacing is uneven, with lots of oh so slow movement. Like the kind of slow that had me falling asleep with my Kindle in my hand. The kind of slow that you could skim endlessly without missing anything important. Then we’d get to a fun or interesting part, and bam, it’s over, and we’re back to meandering.

In the final quarter, we’re suddenly tossed into a whirlwind of activity. Unfortunately, for me, what was meant to be a terrifying, extended scene came off almost comical. Because the whole tone of the story up until then was a slow, cozy mystery, the “horror” aspect just didn’t work.

Then we go back to meandering.

Then that ending! And, no, not in a good way. The story just, well, ended. Not a cliffhanger, leaving us in anticipation for what’s to come. Not a powerful explosion, full stop. Nope. Just a little poof, a quiet sigh.

Maybe that was me sighing.

I do think this story has tons of potential, but…

This book overall is slow and sometimes hard to follow. At a quarter of the way through the book, the premise of the book was not revealed nor was it making sense what the plot was. It’s pages and pages of going back and forth between home life and trying to discover souls or ghosts in a library. I love ghost and horror stories but this just was not it. It was very hard book to get into and stay into.

This was my first book by a Paula. I was extremely invested the characters. I loved her world building and the relationship she had with her dad, that he didn’t try to shove her in a box, even in this historical fiction world. The atmosphere was perfect. This was the perfect combination of period peice and magic. I cannot wait to finish this series!!

Hecates enthusiasm for books holds a special place for me.
Thank you St. Martins Press and NetGalley for sending this to me.

This is more like a 3.5 star. It would've been a four or 4.5 if I had liked the ending but I was not a fan of it. Everything else I enjoyed. The characters were amazing; they were charming and all had their own personalities and quirks. I loved seeing a supportive dad in a Victorian-era setting. I have so rarely seen that and it was so refreshing. The writing style was just beautiful and worked so well for me. I now want to pick up more books by this author. I loved the ghosts in the story and the paranormal aspects of it. Honestly, I wanted them to lean more into the magic side of things because the aspects we got of that were great.

The author's exquisite attention to detail beautifully brings the characters and era of the story to life. As I delved deeper into the book, I found myself increasingly engrossed in the narrative. However, I must admit that the initial 14 chapters proved to be quite a challenging read. Typically, I breeze through a book of this size within a day or two, but I found myself only managing to read 15-25 pages before needing a break. It took me a week to reach a point where the story truly began to captivate me. Despite the slow start, the tale itself is compelling and definitely worth persevering through the detailed beginning. I eagerly anticipate the next installment in this enthralling story.

4.5 stars
STRONG recommend

This was a fascinating book that I would classify as a gothic mystery set in Victorian England. It is centered around the Hereford Cathedral where Hecate Cavendish works as an assistant librarian. Once she arrives, all sorts of unusual paranormal and mysterious events occur. What is happening and the mysteries need to be solved!?!

Hecate is a fascinating character and I cannot wait to read more about her adventures in this series!!

This is the first book that I have read by Paula Brackston. I love how she wove such a mystical and fascinating storyline!

Meh. I liked other books from Paula Brackston, but this one was too slow for me to really enjoy, and I didn't care for the characters at all. I was not invested.

For me The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish was just the right combination of strong heroine and continuing adventure. I loved the secondary characters and the overall world unfolding. I devoured this book and will definitely read other books from this author.

Thank you to Net Galley for this book in exchange for an honest review. I really loved the main character, Hecate in this book, especially her voice! She is so delightful. It was a bit slow to my taste to start, but as I got into it, I couldn't put it down. The ending was a bit of a cliff hanger so I can't wait to read the next one. Noting that part of this story is about an African people who are portrayed negatively, and while I understand that this group was made up and not real, parts of it still bothered me.

First off thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s press for this ARC.

Set in the late 1800’s London, Hecate Cavendish has just gotten her dream job as a library assistant at the cathedral library. In a society where women should be worrying about finding a suitable husband, Hecate prefers to spend her time with books. It’s here at like library that Hecate learns she can communicate with ghosts! Thus setting her on a journey she never expected.

I love the premise of this book. The idea of communicating with ghosts and solving a murder was so interesting to me. However, the book was a little too slow for me. There were parts that dragged and I just felt like nothing was really happening. I really liked Hecate as a main character, but the other characters felt a little one note to me and there wasn’t a whole lot of development.

The magical aspects of the story were great and definitely stretched my imagination. I love the time period the book was set. There was so many things I really wanted to love more, but overall it just left me wanting more. Thank you again NetGalley and the publishers for this book.

So when I decided to read The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish, I didn't know that it was the first in a series. Quite frankly, the book seemed to go on forever, so getting to the end of it and not feeling like much of anything was resolved made me feel exhausted, and not so interested in reading the next book. The story tends to go into mundane details that don't contribute to the overall story. The story also seems to oscillate between almost cozy mystery like, where a young woman discovers she has the ability to see and speak with ghosts (souls if you please) and that map in the library where she works comes to life with all kinds of fun little critters, including a griffin she's particularly fond of. But it also tends to parts that read more like out and out horror, with evil spirits, possessions, exorcisms and malevolence. They don't really work well together - nor with a woman being courted by two different men as an additional storyline. Also, and this is strictly a personal opinion, I'm ready to move past stories where the Christian church is the "good guy" and the evil is coming from a culture interpreted as savage by the church. It may make sense with the time in which the story is taking place, and while I appreciate the fact that Brackston made Hecate a strong female character, I don't love how she positions good versus evil, and there's things that Hecate herself does that seem particularly dismissive of the people around her in pursuit of pursuing her ability to commune with ghosts. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wanted to be impressed with this story.

It checked all my boxes as far as what I most look for in a story.

it fell short somewhere in the middle for me and never seemed to recover.

3 generous stars.

This was my first Paula Brackston novel; she's been on my book radar for years, as I'd read several reviews comparing her writing to that of one of my favourite authors, [author:Alice Hoffman|3502]. So I was very excited to read an eARC of this book through NetGalley.

The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish is the first book in a series that seems more targeted at YA audiences. It is a Gothic mystery set in a small town in 1881.

The namesake heroine is excited to have a new job at the local cathedral assisting the persnickety librarian in maintaining a catalogue of rare books, most of which are kept on chained shelves.

Hecate is the daughter of an archaeologist and loves history. This is her dream job, but she is working against her mother's wishes and societal expectation, with her father's support, which causes tension in the family. She has a sickly younger brother, Charlie. She is determined to be an independent woman and dearly loves her new-fangled bicycle but is highly conscious of her family obligations.

Hecate is especially fascinated by the library's old map, The Mappa Mundi, full of exotic figures and mythical beasts. When she dares to touch it, it comes alive for her - and a ghostly griffin emerges!

Suddenly she can see other friendly spirits at the cathedral, including a monk in the library, a lovelorn lady, a former soldier, and a very fastidious cleaner. Soon secrets about her bloodline come to light - she is an avatar for the goddess Hekate, and as such has a duty to fight an old necromantic evil that is once again rising.

Brackston mentions extensive research into cathedrals in the Afterword, and it shows in the writing. The cathedral is lovingly and realistically rendered, from the cloisters to the pipe organ. She excels at maintaining a tone of gloomy, oppressive foreshadowing dread right up until the rather abrupt and cliffhanger-ish ending.

My problem lies in the pacing. Although the details of the atmosphere are so well evoked, I didn't feel much connection to Hecate as the main character, or indeed any of the others. The romance was not affecting or particularly believable. The major plot twists were easy to see coming. There is a distance to the writing. Like other reviews have mentioned, the slow and steady pace really drags and has a curious lulling effect. So much so that I considered not finishing it several times; but I did love the little griffin and mythological references, so I kept on reading. By the time things finally come together and begin to get interesting, the book is over.

It also doesn't know quite what it wants to be. It is an odd melding of historical adventure (through Hecate's father's work), cozy English village mystery, Jane Austen style marriage concerns, traditional ghost story and supernatural horror, with an unconvincing romantic triangle thrown in.

Although I think the story has potential, I likely won't be following the series.

<i>Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC and chance to review. Publication date is July 23rd, 2024.</i>

This book was destined to be a favorite book of mine, because it has all the elements I love from a gothic theme, to a headstrong, independent woman to a medieval church with a library to supernatural happenings. Where it started to fall apart for me was the style of writing and the fact that I did not end up caring for the characters. There were aspects I really enjoyed, for example, the magic surrounding the map, and the lead character, Hecate’s relationship with her father. After those though I had an hard time staying interested. All in all the book left me wanting a bit more.

Thank you to Goodreads, St. Martin's Press, and Paula Brackston for the digital ARC.

I wanted to love this book beyond measure... but I didn't. The pace was slow and the ending was wanting. That being said, I absolutely loved the FMC and her name is a glorious hint to the entire book. I am so glad I read it and I will definitely read the rest of the series (if there is one) as this could just be the origin story of a masterpiece.

Hecate wants nothing to do with marriage which is scandalous for a Victorian era woman. She is smart and driven to do what she wants... being immersed in books. I know we all can relate a little to that or at least I can. I loved the relationship between her and her father as well as her spirits. While the pacing was slow, I really appreciated the writing. I could visualize everything so well. I sincerely hope this series continues and I am here for the evolution of Hecate Cavendish.

Paula Brackston's The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish is a historical mystery with glimmers of magic and the paranormal—set in a library. Where secrets are held in books, and locks and keys must be had to get to secrets, it’s hard not to capture my attention. Add a romance line and I’m all in. As a fan of Brackston’s other books, The Haunting of Hecate has the lush prose and the slower pace I expected but as the mystery unfolds the lights dim and the pace quickens, I’m caught up the intrigue and the pages turn faster. The prose has an old-world feel which lends itself well to the period.

What’s special about this book is Hecate, the main character, who acts with a delightful blend of moxie and propriety while allowing her curiosity to lead her. At times, I was recalling the BBC series Miss Scarlet, with a strong female-lead in Victorian times, who manages to retain her lady-status while standing toe-to-toe with the police investigators. Hecate also has an unusual upbringing in her archaeologist father, lending her a rich background to draw from. He is a great (and unusual during this period) support character (and father) lending her the materials for success and giving her confidence when required. Hecate’s uniqueness in other ways, revealed later in the story, make her even more dimensional and evolving.

No spoilers here but the paranormal element is two-fold in the sinister forces and the benevolent ones which include mythical creatures (one of which is now close to my heart). By unraveling the mystery Hecate learns about her unique situation which and that frames and evolves into an exceedingly intriguing character which I’m happy to follow into the next book.

Coming July 2024.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an Advance Reader’s Copy for an honest review.

Reminiscent of true gothic, Victorian-era writing (think Brontes, Austin, or Collins), we have a headstrong, capabel protagonist with a special gift for connecting with the dead. She finds herself wrapped up in an old mystery / ghost story that she must solve. There are elements of paranormal and horror included as well. The premise was excellent, but I felt the writing could have been a bit better executed. I didn't expect it to be part of a series, either, so it will be interesting to see what the premise of Hecate's next mystery entails...

Paula Brackston has again crafted a charming world filled with magic and mystery. Hecate Cavendish is a delightfully independent heroine, a breath of fresh air in Victorian England. Her connection to the spirit world and the ancient library she works in are wonderfully atmospheric. While the ending leaves much unresolved and some might find the pacing a bit slow, it's clear this is just the beginning of Hecate's adventures. I'm eager to see how the series develops and delves deeper into the magical elements and the Mappa Mundi's secrets. Thanks to Paula Brackston, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I quite enjoyed The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston, which is the first in a series featuring Hecate Cavendish, a young woman who wants more than to marry and have a mundane life.

Hecate begins her assistant job in the library of Hereford Cathedral. There she finds unusual things happening and also discovers that she can see and communicate with ghosts.

The pace of the book was good and the plot developed nicely. My favorite part was Hecate herself, she is an interesting character and I can’t wait to read more about her in the next book.

St. Martin’s Press
To be released on July 23rd, 2024

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I love Paula Brackston, and she has given us another great witchy book.
I am excited this is the start of a series, and cant wait to see how the story progresses.