Took a few days to put my thoughts into words for this book.. At first I thought this book would be for me because of the title and summary. Set in victorian London during the Gothic era with museum relics and historical references. As I started reading, it took a while for me to get into the book and a while to get through it. I had to constantly go back and reread chapters because it was a bit confusing jumping from dual POVs and time.

The book was well written and enjoyable for people interested in this content. The historical knowledge laced throughout the story includes advancements in science and natural history in the victorian age. Overall this was a wonderful book, full of knowledge and a bit of mystery, however, it fell short for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of Allison and Busby for this digital ARC!

This book takes place in London in 1873. Madeleine Brewster's family has lost their status in society ever since her older sister ran away to elope, so they decide to marry Maddie off to Dr Lucius Everley, in the hopes that it will restore their good name. Dr Everley is not only a physician but also a collector of natural curiosities. His 'Small Museum' of bones and specimens in jars is his pride and joy, Dr. Everley's sister Grace runs a home for fallen women, which was also laudable. However, once they are wed, Maddie soon realizes all is not how it seems. Everything is a facade. Lucius wants nothing to do with Maddie, and they do not spend any time together. Grace is the only one he seems to find time for. Grace seems to be controlling everything, and Maddie is unable to make any decisions for herself. The housekeeper hates Maddie from the start, and seems to go out of her way to make her as miserable as possible. Any time something gets moved in Maddie's room, or she questions a sound she heard, Lucius starts acting as if she is suffering from "hysteria". When the baby Maddie gives birth to dies, and she is accused of killing it, she only has the one friend she was able to make that might be able to save her from the gallows.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just fell flat for me. It was a slow burn for the entire book. I found it depressing, disturbing, and at times boring.... which I know that time period and that subject matter is not a cheerful one, so there you go. I didn't feel any sort of connection with any of the characters. I was hoping Maddie would be someone I could root for, but she just felt a little too one-dimensional. Maybe this was a case of "it's not you, it's me'.

The Small Museum by Jody Cooksley took my breath away. Set in Victorian London, the gorgeous writing and gothic atmosphere remind me of Daphne du Maurier, though the theme is darker and more unsettling.

Mrs. Madeleine Everley barely knows her new husband but Lucius is an important medical man and quiet. Maybe they will grow to love each other. But his sinister and slithery sister Grace rules the home, though it's not hers. Madeleine is desperate to connect with her husband and uses her skillful artistry. Madeleine's words are twisted and manipulated, she is isolated and lonely, and she is sentenced to be hung for a crime. Her friends Caro and Tizzy are her supporters. She needs all the help she can get.

Topics include "mad" women, deceased children, marriages, fallen women and ghastly science experiments in Dr. Lucius Everley's small museum. Sounds disturbing, right? It is. But in a sensitively explored and fascinating way. This type of novel wouldn't be easy to pull off without loads of forethought and cunning. Cooksley yanked me in and captivated me with every page. The story is compelling but the writing also won my heart.

If you are intrigued by the macabre and are keen to learn more about the dark side of medicine in the Victorian era, this book has your name on it. I'm thrilled to have read it.

My sincere thank you to Allison & Busby for providing me with a digital copy of this magnificent novel, one which will stick with me for a very long time.

London in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Madeleine, a young woman from rural Cheshire, is newly married to Dr Lucius Everley and goes to live in his gloomy London townhouse. The rushed marriage, her husband’s distance, unwelcoming servants and all sorts of whispered secrets and unconventionalities in the house provide the ingredients for a traditional Gothic story. Madeleine’s own father was a medical doctor and she has an interest in the subject and is a skilled draughtswoman. The extent of Dr Everley’s obsessive medical interests, supported by his possessed sister and the invidious position that Madeleine finds herself in the hostile household becomes slowly clear to the reader and a hideous secret is revealed at the conclusion of the story. From the beginning of the narrative, some chapters delineate the path of subsequent events; the proceedings against Madeleine Everley who is on trial for her life for murder and seems to be the subject of some foul plot from her husband and sister-in-law.
The story is very capably narrated and is engaging and entertaining enough, but given the subject matter it is highly melodramatic and lacks any real sense of credibility or indeed reality. The historical setting is not substantial, with an emphasis on the vibrant scientific atmosphere surrounding the debate on evolution. Madeleine’s trial for murder continues for several days, which would have been exceedingly unlikely with the conventions of criminal proceedings in nineteenth century England. Nonetheless an enjoyable novel.

Victorian London was not kind to women- and that's especially true for Maddie, who finds herself married off into a horrid situation to Lucius, whose sister Grace runs her life. This Gothic is told by Maddie and then by her friend Caroline after Maddie is accused of a horrible crime. Thie museum (based on a real institution) is creepy but Maddie does her best, which is none too good, to live within Grace's rules, This is dark but it's also engrossing- and more than I expected. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

The Small Museum is an interesting take on the gothic horror genre. It's the story of Madelyne who is forced to marry a friend of her doctor father's when her older sister runs away with a man she's not married to and is disgraced.

Maddy's husband is neither kind nor warm and spends almost no time with her as he's too busy attending scientific societies, trying to prove himself and overcome a scandal that attached to the family name in his father's time. The housekeeper is rude and domineering, refusing to let Maddy have any hand in hiring servants or organizing parties or meals. And Maddy's sister-in-law is overbearing and behaves as if she is mistress of the house.

Any complaints Maddy makes or anything she says she hears or sees is chalked up to "nervousness" as her husband and everyone else in the house does their best to gaslight her into believing she's completely mad. Will Maddy be able to overcome the frightening and oppressive atmosphere of the house, or will she be swallowed up by it? And just what is her husband hiding in the secret rooms in his part of the house - rooms that are always kept locked, and that no one is ever allowed into?

Overall, I enjoyed the book's writing style and the pacing. I did feel that Maddy ultimately figuring out Lucius' and his sister's plot towards the end of the book felt a bit rushed and convenient, especially given the long and careful setup.

I also didn't understand why it was necessary for Maddy to fall in love with her maid. Given that she had so little experience with love and was basically a child when she was married off, it would make more sense to me for her to form a group of very close knit female friends, like sisters. But it seems that as usual, women can't have best friends in movies or books anymore, whether they be of the same or opposite sex. I'm always thoroughly disappointed when I see authors giving in to this lazy modern trope, especially in a day and age when it would have been illegal and resulted in one or both women going to prison, or worse. Modern authors seem to like to pretend that these strictures and dangers toward those who loved the same sex did not exist, and I do find it an overly convenient plot development that there's always some colony of "bohemian women" where they can go live and nothing bad will happen.

Other than that, I found the book to be all right as a gothic horror piece, and a work that shows just what women had to suffer in an era that believed the husband instead of the wife - an era when the diagnosis of "hysteria" covered everything when you wanted to get rid of an inconvenient woman. 3 out of 5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Allison & Busby for the free advanced reader copy. This is my voluntary review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

"The Small Museum" by Jody Cooksley is an excellent Gothic mystery set in Victorian London, perfect for fans of dark and strange historical novels. The story follows Madeleine "Maddie" Brewster, who marries Dr. Lucius Everley in an effort to restore her family's reputation. Lucius, a collector of eerie curiosities, keeps his unusual specimens in his own personal museum. Maddie, isolated and undermined by Lucius's dreadful sister Grace, finds solace in her art, drawing inspiration from her husband's strange collection.

As Maddie gets more involved in her new husband's world, she uncovers unsettling secrets, ultimately leading to her being accused of murder. The narrative alternates between Maddie's perspective during her marriage and her friend Caroline's viewpoint during Maddie's trial, enhancing the tension and allowing the story to unfold in a unique, nonlinear fashion. The novel highlights the era's growing scientific curiosity, oppressive gender roles, and themes of power and control.

Cooksley does a great job of maintaining tension and unease throughout, making it hard to put it down once you get into it. We don't recommend it for readers who prefer "cozier" stories that avoid dark themes and feelings of unease. If you enjoy leaning into all that's tense and horrifying, however, this is one for your "to be read" list.

Victorian Gothic? Yes please!

This book was captivating - frustrating and terrifying at times - but an excellent read. Maddie was a sympathetic character from the start, forced into a marriage to better her family's situation and largely unprepared for all it entains. Her abusive family and household continually manipulate and gaslight her but it is rewarding to watch her expand her circle of trust and see them come for her at the end.

The author clearly took great time and care to create her heroine and the world around her, and that passion shows. The story is fast-paced and compelling with a rewarding resolution. Will definitely be looking forward to more by this author.

Thank you to NetGally, Jody Cooksley, and Allison & Busby for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

When Madeline weds Dr. Lucius Everley in 1873, her family is hopeful it will bring about a positive change in their social circumstances. Little do they and Madeline know that her experience in her new London home will be anything but positive.

This was a delightfully wicked and fascinating gothic horror story. The characters jumped off the page. Thanks to the reserved, standoffish, “mad scientist” Lucius and his overbearing b*tch of a sister Grace, Madeline feels most unwelcome in her new home. There’s just something not quite right about this family and this house, and the slow reveal was as eerily suspenseful as I hoped it would be.

When Madeline is framed for a horrific crime, she is put on trial and must fight for her life or risk the gallows.

Scientific societies, a museum of curiosities, voices in the night, and a ruthless household staff all add to the mystery and the bizarreness of this story.

Fans of Mexican Gothic, Rebecca, and The Hacienda will relish this novel. Truly horrifying in all the best ways ways!

Thank you to @netgalley and @allisonandbusby for this eArc.

An enjoyable gothic read set in Victorian London about a young woman who believes her marriage will help improve her situation, but the truth is anything but.

Reminiscent of Mexican Gothic, I really enjoyed the book and felt like I was really in Victorian London, which is always a plus.

A great book set n Gothic England. As is always the case, things are not as they appear to Maddie as she enters a marriage in which her thoughts of improving her station in life prove most different than she originally thought!

Thanks for this ARC. It was a great ride!

Be forewarned -- this historical mystery is incredibly dark and will keep you hooked until the end. A young woman is abruptly married off to a respected doctor in London, suddenly isolated from her family and familiar surroundings. Her sister in law and the housekeeper control her clothing, her meals, even her actions, and she rarely sees her new husband. As she begins to convince him that her skills as an illustrator could be useful to him and gets her first glimpses into his cabinet of curiosities, the plot shifts to a courtroom scene where Maddie is on trial for something awful. This book completely captured my imagination and I couldn't put it down.

This was a quite dark and at times distressing read but completely compulsive. Even though it was making me uncomfortable I still couldn’t stop reading it. Set in London in 1873 it’s the story of country girl Madeleine ‘Maddie’ Brewster who married Dr Lucius Everley after meeting him just once. The Brewster family’s good reputation had collapsed after their daughter Rebecca ran away from home and the marriage is supposed to repair their reputation. However, Maddie ends up at Marlborough Assizes accused of murder. Told from two POV’s, Maddie’s during her marriage and her friend Caroline for the court trial.

Briefly, from the very start Maddie finds her life less than pleasant. Her husband virtually disregards her, his sister Grace undermines her at everything and the housekeeper and her husband ignore all her requests. Her treatment at their hands seems to affects her mental well-being and she starts hearing noises at night and seeing things she is to,d aren’t there. However, Lucius does appreciate her artistic ability and he seems to a little kinder towards her as she helps him in his work. But his work is still his main concern and gradually Maddie begins to suspect his actions and motives and those of his sister.

The book was inspired by the Hunterian Museum in London and after googling I don’t think I’ll be visiting any time soon! It’s clear that the author has done some detailed research and it shows in the quality of the narrative. I did guess what was taking place well before Maddie’s cottoned on but I think the author would have expected that from the information given. Maddie’s was a great character and I really was rooted for her all the way through; Grace however I hated. If you enjoy a dark gothic mystery you are going to love this! And yes despite my distaste at the contents of the ‘Small Museum’ I really did enjoy this book. It’s shocking, it’s scary but it’s also strikingly compelling.

This was a wonderful example of a Historical Fiction set in Victorian era London.

A young woman named Madeleine (Maddie) is from a socially disgraced country family. Her family’s only hope to revive their ruined name is for her to marry well. So, her father, a doctor matches her with a London acquaintance. Dr Lucius Everley is a well respected collector of natural curiosities. However, he keeps his small museum under lock and key in his sprawling London home. He along with his sister are also well known for their charity work. Throughout this book Maddie strives to help her new husband in his work, with her natural talent of drawing. As she also tries to uphold the image of the well to do lady of her new status, some things never accept change in the Everley household. Of course this well known London family has its own closet full of skeletons, as every family does. The Everley family is full of their own dark secrets. The book evolves its story through Maddie’s eyes and that of her beloved friend Caroline. These two different perspectives help to show the struggles of a victorian lady, and the framing of a crime of which Maddie may not survive. Through both perspectives you will see the entirety of the story and its final resolution.

The historical knowledge laced throughout the story Is well done and fairly accurate. There are accurate details of the current advancements in science and natural history in the victorian age. Overall this was a wonderful book, full of knowledge and a bit of mystery as well as intrigue.

4.5/5 Stars from Me! It was a great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of Allison and Busby for this digital ARC!

"What was to become of me in this house of nightmare?"

A young woman named Maddie is thrown into the depths of marriage to Dr Lucius Everley to help restore her family name. Maddie feels alone far from her family with a husband who shows little affection or willingness to live a normal married life, a sister in law and household staff who show nothing but bitterness towards her. Maddie finds her husband is a collector of curios, which he keeps locked behind doors along with his medical work that he talks very little about. Unbeknown to Maddie there is a dark side to the home she lives in and will soon discover what her husband and sister in law are up to in the house of Everley.

If this book isn't on your radar, it needs to be! This was truly haunting to read. Told from two perspectives, one being Maddies and the other from her friend Caroline Fairly who sits in the courtroom while Maddie is on trial for a crime she didn't commit. Filled with suspense, mystery, and manipulation. It's a book you don't want to pass up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers allisonandbusby for the digital copy.

Thank you Netgalley & Allison & Busby Publishing for an eARC ♥️


In the sweltering summer of 1873, Madeleine Brewster thought she'd found a way to salvage her family's tarnished name by marrying the esteemed Dr. Lucius Everley. But as she stepped into his grand London townhouse, she soon realized that her new life was shrouded in mystery. Lucius's obsession with his 'Small Museum' of peculiar specimens and Grace's philanthropic work with fallen women seemed admirable, but Maddie was baffled by the secrets they kept hidden behind locked doors.

As she struggled to find her place in this new world, Maddie discovered a glimmer of hope in her artistic talents. Lucius promised to mentor her in his groundbreaking research on evolutionary science, and she was thrilled to contribute to his revolutionary discovery of the first 'fish with feet'. But the more she delved into their work, the more she sensed that something was horribly amiss.

As the darkness beneath the Everleys' polished facade began to surface, Maddie found herself framed for a heinous crime that would send her to the gallows and leave the family unscathed.

In my opinion, this book is a masterclass in suspense and intrigue, with a protagonist who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth. Maddie's journey is a heart-pounding ride through the dark underbelly of Victorian society, and the twists and turns will keep you guessing until the very end. If you're a fan of historical thrillers with a strong female lead, this one's a must-read!

A gothic, gripping, tense plot, this is dark and creepy with characters that control, oppress and manipulate. Thankfully for me, there are just enough characters who are kind, brave, loving souls.

Author Jody Cooksley is Queen of sustained threat, with the lovely Maddie married to a malevolent Doctor who she barely knows, moving into his dark and malodorous house containing the locked Small Museum of curiosities of the book's title. Grace is her sister-in-law who has a very intense and possessive relationship with her brother, Maddie's husband and who is chillingly and casually cruel, and in league with the brutal housekeeper who drugs Maddie's cocoa.

At night Maddie thinks she hears footsteps, voices shouting, and babies crying and observes the back garden in flux, appearing to be permanently dug over.

Finding herself in prison and facing the death penalty for the murder of her baby, we move backwards and forward in Maddie's life, examining how a talented artist and daughter of a country Doctor has reached this point of jeopardy.

There are many plot twists and secrets and not everything is answered or accounted for by the end of the book. I won't spoil the book by pointing them out, but I would have liked these resolved so I could have given a 5 star review. But there was enough period detail, (who'd want to be a Victorian woman?) atmosphere and character development to keep me rooting for Maddie and hoping she would find her way out of her alarming situation. A really good read.

Thank you NetGalley, Allison & Busby, Jody Cooksley, my mother, the stars alignment, God, etc for this book and it's e-ARC.

Already such high praise for a book I *didn't* rate 5 stars? That'll come later...

The Good: I love love love historical fiction, but a dark, gothic mystery in a historical setting?! Delicious. The concept of this was so perfect to me. I loved the tone of voice in the writing. I loved the often visceral descriptions. I loved the characterisations of all the key characters. There were parts that felt caricaturistic, like the initial descriptions of Grace and occasionally Rebecca, but to me this isn't a bad thing and reminded me of countless murder mystery novels, films, games, that came before this one.

The Bad: I have so many questions!! I wish I could have rated this book a 5 star, but I do feel the ending was quite rushed, I felt myself thinking "surely this can't be wrapped up in the next 10 pages?" and to me, it wasn't. [Spoilers incoming! Skip to the next paragraph to avoid!] I made the assumption from the very first few chapters that Lucius and Grace were pulling a Lannister, with how unnaturally close they seemed, how Lucius delivered her children, how Grace would be at the home in his room with them 'arguing' until the early hours of the morning. Maddie even saw Grace fleeing Lucius' room in nightclothes! So to have this relationship not acknowledged left me bereft. Were they involved?! Also, who was leaving things in Maddie's room? It's insinuated that it was Lucius, but he responds with anger when he finds out things have been appearing in her room, so it obviously wasn't him, at least for some of them. Who was it?!? Was it Annie? Was it really the ghost of Lucius' mother? Final question (for now), how did they set Maddie up? They build a story that she killed her child and was spotted carrying it through the house, but multiple witnesses were there for the birth (from outside the house, surely?) and saw Lucius declare it stillborn. After that whole fiasco, I assumed Maddie was going to have a second child, and that was the one who she was seen carrying. It's never cleared up distinctly that Lucius and Grace's story of lies got as far as it did because of x, y, z. How did they frame her for the murder when there wasn't a body? Did they really just say, "someone saw her carrying a child and now we can't find said child so she killed him" and that was it?! GOD PLEASE I NEED TO KNOW.

At times, the descriptions were confusing, and I had trouble visualising what was being laid out, such as Evergreen House, or something as simple as the sea horse. Clarity and simplification would be beneficial to appeal to a wider audience.

The Ugly: I'm not a fan of non-linear storytelling, and I was SO confused for the first few chapters where we hopped not only from a different time but also from a different POV. The first two chapters were particularly jarring given the lack of initial character introductions. The choice of font for Maddie's POV chapters was also a struggle to read, I liked the use of script but this font in particular was occasionally a bit of a strain to understand.

All being said, please for the love of God release a special edition of this book with some beautiful sprayed edges. I need it more than air. I also need a film adaption, so keep checking your inboxes.

4/5

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

This tale follows a young woman, newly married to much older and well-respected man. Madeleine "Maddie" Brewester found herself forced by social convention to accept this marriage in order to uplift her family's status. Things in her new life quickly take a turn for the worse, as the staff and her own husband treat her like an incompetent child. What should be her new home instead becomes a guilded cage where she can look silently but not touch.

The novel has a split timeline, bouncing between the beginnings of Maddie's marriage and a later trial where she is accused of killing her own child. This isn't a spoiler as it happens in chapter 2... the courtroom proceedings are witnessed from the POV of her best friend Caroline. The family and staff keep Maddie under lock and key—always in the dark and out of reach—making accusations easier to validate in the eyes of the court.

The work does a decent job of bouncing between references to the fantastical and Victorian Era science. The scientific discoveries of this time period being used to highlight fictitious horrors, allows one to consider the reality of how some of the principals and theories we have come to rely on stem from blood. Blood that wasn't always freely given.

This is a bleak, dark take on Gothic Horror. Be prepared to delve deep into a cruel family and broken marriage, as a vivacious young woman is driven to the point of mental collapse. Things take a turn for the worse almost immediately, so readers hoping for a steady decline into sorrow may be shocked by how the story progresses. This tale above all else is a harrowing glimpse at loneliness and the lengths women must go to to protect one another.

TW: child birth, dissection, dismemberment, gaslighting, domestic abuse (emotional), forced confiment (in home and prison), infacide, period-typical misogyny, power imbalances

The small museum by Jody Cooksley. An advanced copy due to be published 16th May. This is a victorian mystery, it takes place over two short timelines, starting with a murder trial then going back over the events leading to it in alternate chapters. A young woman marries a mysterious and aloof doctor and has to cope with his interfering sister and domineering staff whilst trying to uncover what happens in his secret work lab. I really enjoyed it.