With a modern looking father and a traditional mother, Hecate Cavendish is lucky to have earned a position as an assistant librarian in a local Cathedral. Not a job most would consider a woman for, but her father helped to pave the way with the head of the Cathedral. But as soon as Hecate begins her new role, use learns something new about herself as well. She can see and hear things that others cannot.

Committing herself to her job and her new found friends and fighting evil, Hecate will have to make many choices in her young life that can lay the foundation for her future. If she can manage to survived the current evil, that is.

Brackston NEVER disappoints. She is the mistress of all things paranormal in her books and she brings the character and creatures to life. If you have not yet red a book by Brackston, or haven’t read anything of hers in awhile, you are missing out!

This one was hard for me to get into... I managed 20ish pages at a time unless I really committed myself. It made the first 100+ pages pretty tough to slough through...and then the last 50ish pages weren't much more fulfilling.

Hecate is a smart girl--and you'll need to remember that because it's pretty much her defining characteristic. She's smart for a girl. She's smart for the time period. She's smart enough to outwit, outrace, out maneuver. The constant reminder of her "brilliance" became tiresome.

Hecate works in a local church's library, where she befriends spirits and finds mysteries. As deaths occur in the town, SHE wants to find them and her father bends to her will while her mother holds her at arm's length. While I'm glad Hecate was her own person, the reverence that every one felt for her (and her intelligence) seems shallow and lazy.

The story's pacing needed work, the vocabulary was vexing, and the characters lacked depth. It didn't hit for me while reading and became a wholly forgettable story.

Overall: 2 stars (It was fine; won't reread)

I'll tell my students about: language, alcohol, religion, supernatural, trauma, sexism, violence/gore/death

**Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 4
Pace: 3
Plot development: 3
Characters: 3
Enjoyability: 3
Ease of Reading: 4

Overall rating: 3 out of 5

I try to read everything that Paula Brackston writes. I have loved her books about witches and the historical period pieces she’s written. This book captured my attention because it was a historically set book but not one about witches per se. I found Hecate’s character very intriguing as her gifts were revealed throughout the book, and loved how she was portrayed as the strong young woman who often defied behavior expected of her time.. The other characters in the book were equally compelling especially the souls and the Romantic interest. The mystery and other dramatic events in the story unfolded at a good pace. I didn’t realize that the book was the beginning of a series, so I was caught off guard at the end. Now I’ll be impatiently waiting for the next in the series!

The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish is the beginning of a new magical series by author Paula Brackston. This story mixes historical fiction, mystery, and the paranormal into a delightful beginning. Hecate is a wonderfully engaging character who is smart, strong-minded, warm-hearted, and inquisitive. Her father has gotten her a job at Hereford Cathedral as an assistant librarian. Here she immediately makes some interesting new friends who are spirits that reside there and also discovers a special connection with the Mappa Mundi map of the world behind her desk.

Hecate turns detective after a disturbance in the crypt precedes several seeming possessions and deaths around the town. With the help of her father, who strongly supports her investigation, she proceeds. Inevitably she puts herself into some dangerous situations. I enjoyed the supernatural elements of the book. They are woven so well into the narrative. The author Paula Brackston is a beautiful writer and I was easily immersed in the world she has created. There is the comfort of the library contrasted with the dark atmosphere of the plot.

I really enjoyed this story. My only issue was the unexpected ending that left me a bit confused. It felt like an odd place for the story to stop. As the story moved forward, there was a sense of urgency to resolve the mystery. This urgency seems to have disappeared when the book ends and leaves us waiting for book two.


Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

DNFing at 26% - there’s something about this one that just isn’t capturing my interest, I think it might be the writing style. It’s definitely cute and cozy from what I’ve read but it’s also kind of boring. I know I had just gotten to where the action was starting but I still can’t get myself into it.

2.5 stars, rounded up to three. I didn't hate it, I didn't seriously consider a DNF, but I did have to slog through. I've read 300-400 page books in two days before, this one took me close to 5 weeks.

I am not typically fan of historical, but I struggled with the whole historical fantasy thing. The idea that a woman with a fairly overbearing mother and is tied by societal norms of the 1890's can function as the living descendant of the goddess of witches without being persecuted as a witch herself didn't fit in the realm of 'believable' for me.

I loved the entire supporting cast of characters. I can get behind a woman of any age in any time with a father, love interest, friend, a cathedral full of ghosts and a random merchant who all enable her to be her best self. Hell yeah, dad!

Setting aside the slow start, (100 pages for anything interesting to happen) my big disappointment was the ending which was less of a cliffhanger and more of a flop. No questions answered, no resolution, or even a hint, of who the big bad is. She didn't defeat any evil, just pushed it off to another day.

I wanted to like this, I feel like I would have like this much better had it been set in more modern times with less tepid word choices. I may have even been more forgiving of a frankly bad ending.

I can't honestly say I'll stay tuned for another installment. It just didn't grip me enough to care.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. A magical story that kept me entertained right to the end. Hoping there will be further adventures for Hecate.

When St. Martin’s Press, via NetGalley, approved my request to read this ARC, I hastened to the novel with immediate excitement. It had all of the makings of stories that I love: 18th century setting (and a library at that!), strong-willed gothic heroine, a love triangle (of sorts), and souls (ghosts)! This novel was one that I raced to read and then the strangest thing happened…. I developed novel-induced narcolepsy. I could only read this book sitting up in full light; otherwise, I was a goner. Indeed with only 9 minutes left in the book (as gauged by my Kindle), I had to set a 10 minute alarm on Alexa so that I may rest my eyes as they drooped closed and power through later. That is not to say that this was bad writing. Far from it. But there was something about the rhythm of the narrative that put me right to sleep.

The first couple of sentences were a beautiful work of prose: “For more than three hundred years the ancient tomb had housed the remains of its occupant without threat of disturbance. Even the hungry rats and slithering worms had been deterred by its impenetrable walls, so that the cadaver within had, over the long, lonely centuries, quietly and gently turned to nothing more than dry bones.” This is imagery at its best. Additionally, Brackston’s word choice consisted of some of my all time favorite words: remonstrate, sundry, vertiginous, termagant, nomenclature, Sisyphean, and scintilla. She clearly has a love for language as evidence in the narrative. There was also the time when I was tickled by the philosophical tidbit in the following excerpt and immediately read it to my best friend, a pastor’s wife: “Faith and gossip are what fuels our work here. Faith is what calls us. Gossip, or as I prefer to think of it, a real and lively interest in our congregation and parishioners, well, that is what gives faith its application.” That’s an ideology that I can get behind.

No, my steady mental slide into slumber while reading this had less to do with the writing and more to do with the dichotomy that exists in the narrative. Much of this felt like wait and then hurry up and then wait again. There were long stretches of inactivity and then bursts of activity that were quickly resolved. The concept of “Never Stand Next to the Hero” (thank you Mr. Foster) was textbook in relation to the culminating event. What should have felt like an organic stopping point until the sequel instead felt like a mask of resolution. If I was Hecate, I would never be able to sleep again (I understand the irony of that statement pertaining to my earlier comments).

Overall, while I would not recommend this to my coterie, I do think there are people who will enjoy this novel.

The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston, just not for me. I tried to get into this book and it simply failed for me. Thank you for giving me a chance with this book and I do think others will enjoy it

I am reviewing an ARC and appreciate the honor.
Hecate Cavendish is an interesting character for whom the author developed wonderfully through the book. She is outspoken for the times, impulsive, independent and can see "souls." I also noticed that she can't seem to keep from lying. She is asked to not tell a secret and then a few hours later she tells it. She swears to her father she will wait to tell something to her "beau" and then a few hours later she tells. She pretty much can't keep things to herself if she feels it is for the best. She is impulsive, thoughtful, and self-assured.

The story is focused around Hecate's new job as assistant to the Librarian at Hereford Cathedral. She starts noticing that ghosts are talking to her and she can talk to them without anyone else seeing them. Alas, weird things start happening at the Cathedral and the investigations begin.

My problem with the book is that EVERYONE Hecate tells about her abilities believes her IMMEDIATELY. Skepticism would have been nice with at least 1-2 individuals. Situations happen quickly and are resolved quickly. It would have been nice for these to have been a little more developed or more extensive explanations. This made me want to finish the book quickly and get on with my life.

The ending is terrible and quite rushed. Obviously, this book is the first in a series but I don't feel a burning desire to read the next book. It is not a bad book, it is just not as interesting as the title suggests.

Oh Hecate. What a charming, appealing character. Daughter of an archeologist, she's bookish and wants to pursue research over settling into a traditional route (marriage, house, kids). Her father helps her get a job in the library at Hereford Cathedral and she encounters paranormal activity almost immediately. It's interesting to see very heavy use of ancient religions, Christianity, and the paranormal. At times, I found myself wishing this was more of a fantasy story because the heavy use of Christian concepts (especially during an exorcism) felt cartoonish and yet that was a climatic scene with a dramatic ending.

Speaking of dramatic endings, this one just peters out. There's an exorcism and an epic battle, but then things end with a whimper. No villain is vanquished. It wasn't very satisfying for any character.

If I was reading with all books in the series out, I think I'd keep reading.

The only thing I found hard to comprehend was the In Verse style so I read it like it was in past tense so that made it easier and more enjoyable for me. Once I did that then the story became more fast paced and enjoyable.
I am so glad to find I'm not the only one that had a hard time with it.
I'm still giving it 5 stars however for the adventure aspect of it.
I love a good ghost story, and this story was pretty good!
I finished it in one evening. Yes, I lost some sleep over it, but oh, so worth it!
Awesome characters that I really enjoyed in getting to know, especially Hecate. What an unusual name!
But I really admired her. An assistant librarian! Wow!
Yes, the ending is hmmmm. I'll leave it at that. I don't want to spoil it for others.
I am giving this 5 stars because I love the Greek mythology and other things that were happening as well.
Sometimes I pictured myself as Hecate. Why you ask? Because she has one of my dream jobs. I've always wanted to work in a library but never got to. Too much involved now.
I recommend this novel to other readers as they may like it too.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The story follows Hecate Cavendish as she explores a world filled with magic and spirits, which she discovers she can see while working at the Cathedral and library in her small English town. Love, murder and magic make for an exciting tale set in Victorian England.

I enjoyed the characters, plot and setting of this book and how they all worked together seamlessly. The author did an excellent job of merging very disparate worlds with Christian England, Ancient Greek mythology, and barbaric tribal traditions all making sense in the same story. The pacing of the story was also quick, and each event felt natural coming after the one before it. The characters were also well developed, each unique in their own personalities, and I enjoyed seeing the world from the point of view of Hecate.

Where I struggled with this book was how the writing style made it challenging to feel the urgency, danger and sensationalism of the events of the story. We encounter everything from murders to malevolent spirits, and yet the writing is so detailed and mundane that it felt challenging at times to continue in the story even when exciting events were happening. It’s on parr with the writing style from other Victorian English works, such as Austen or Brontë, but with the contents of this novel, I found it challenging to read at the fast pace in which the plot is laid out.

Overall, I did enjoy the story and I’m looking forward to seeing where the next instalment leads.

First of all, I want to thank NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish. I enjoyed the story and found the context and real history most interesting. The writing was very descriptive, somewhat to a fault. The action scenes were great and really kept you on the edge of your seat, and I found myself caring for most of the main characters. Clemmie, take her or leave her.

Two of the biggest issues I had were the extremely long paragraphs and the transitions between the different sections invoking the feeling of accidentally skipping ahead or missing a vital scene.

I am not going to lie, the ending left me a bit confused. I found myself turning back to see if I missed something from the library fight scene. Then I came to understand that the evil spirits were not yet defeated and this was only book one of the series. Still, it ended too quickly after building up for almost the entire book.

I just want to say my heart went out to John. It made me upset that the lost souls who helped Charlie couldn’t break John’s fall. That part bothered me a bit.

I would read the next book in the series based on the topic alone. I love history and archaeology and the mappa mundi is an intriguing subject. In the next book, I am looking forward to learning more about Hecate and hopefully the author will make more sense of how she came to possess the powers she does.

I liked this book, the main character was exactly what you alwant out of a female heroine. Strong willed, sure of herself and her choices. The story was a bit slow at the beginning and then got there and picked up nicely. Didn’t love the ending but that’s a story issue more than the authors writing because I thought the author was a great writer!

Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity!

I quite enjoyed this beginning to the new series by this author. I’m excited to read more from it.

3.75ish. Historical fiction/romance/mystery/fantasy(?) A few general plot spoilers ahead.
The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish tells the tale of Hecate, a young woman living in the late 1800s. She gets a job as an assistant in the cathedral library. There she discovers her ability to see or communicate with spirits and other mystical things such as the Mappa Mundi, an historically significant map which comes "alive" in her presence. When there is a disturbance discovered in the crypts of the cathedral and subsequent murders around town, Hecate takes on the role of unofficial detective, determined to solve the mystery.

The writing of this story is so wonderfully descriptive. It was a joy to read about the library and all of its old splendor. I could vividly picture what was happening and put myself in the story alongside Hecate. I literally sat down with tea and biscuits because I was so immersed. (I'm a coffee person!) That is no small task, and the sign of superior writing in my opinion. Hecate is a delightful FMC who feels accurate to the time period while remaining headstrong, stubborn, and determined.

"I am as I have ever been. The girl you both know. The only difference is, now I know myself better".

The negatives I feel come down to editing mostly. It IS an ARC copy, so grain of salt going forward. The paragraphs are loooong and difficult to get through at times. Pages without paragraph breaks are daunting. The chapters are also very long which is likely more of a personal preference. These two combined make the reading a bit of a slog. The ending is... unexpected and wildly frustrating. There's a huge climax that has you on the edge and there's absolutely no resolution afterwards. I understand the use of cliffhangers and generally don't mind them. This one is a on a different level and I hate it.

Overall, I think this book is worth the read. Especially if the time period is of interest to you and you like a little bit of odd-ness added in. The writing is stellar and the story is compelling.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC copy in exchange for this review.

I (quite literally) spent the entire day entranced reading this book, and I regret nothing! Paula Brackston, I Am Obsessed with Hecate!

Obsessed - That is how I feel about this fast-paced story.

This historical bibliophile dream of a tale was full of goddesses and demons and the fight for the light of goodness versus the darkness of evil, which just happened to be taking place in the library of a religious cathedral. Our assistant librarian protagonist was familiar to me for her tenacity and self-assuredness. I recognized myself in her character and immediately was immersed in her story. I laughed, cried, and felt swept away with the charm as her journey progressed. I researched locations, legends, and histories. At the climax, I could not stop reading - I needed to know the ending, even as I did not wish for the story to end. The good news…I sense a sequel!

I will need to own and reread this story. I am beyond grateful to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin’s Press, for allowing me the opportunity to read this A.R.C. Five stars from me, as I have already preordered the tangible copy for my collection. I cannot wait to read more stories from Ms. Brackston.

I enjoyed this ghost story. Some suspense. I didn't want to put it down. I would definitely recommend it.