3.5 stars
Strange Beasts has an intriguing concept, with the daughter of Mina and Jonathan Harker, and the daughter of Prof Moriarty, teaming up under the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena. It felt like a lot to bite off from the outset but didn't disappoint.

I wouldn't say I was entirely hooked or itching to keep picking it back up until around the 75% mark, but it wasn't by any means exhausting to get through and didn't feel like it dragged anywhere.

Extra half star for the asylum scene which definitely had the potential to be handled with less tact, however was done with 2024-perspective respect and dignity. It honestly made this one of my favourite scenes of the book!

Strange Beasts is a victorian monster-hunting mystery blending together the world of Dracula and Sherlock Holmes. After a series of gruesome, seemingly supernatural killings, the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena sends their affiliates to Paris. On the case are Sam, the daughter of Jonathan Harker, and Hel, the daughter of James Moriarty. Their chemistry as partners from the get go is brilliant, with both of them contributing to solving the case in interesting ways while also having motives and secrets of their own.

I personally love a supernatural crime solving story and adding an occult society a là Hellboy or Van Helsing—cherry on top. Strange Beasts for me was that perfect mix of gothic, historical fiction, mystery and fantasy.

What's not to love? A Slow burn romance gothic murder mystery featuring Dracula and Sherlock Holmes' daughters? I devoured this!

I love reading paranormal books and adding mystery and fighting scenes. Sign me up!
This book was great; the main character was great. Sometimes, the writing seemed long-winded and confusing during the inner monologue.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and the way the story was written.
This book had me ready for more. I loved learning French while reading and the education about mythical beasts. Very mythical beasts but more deadly.
Thank you to Binderly Books, NetGalley, and Susan J. Morris for the chance to read this book for an honest review

Had a great time reading this period piece/urban fantasy/ monster hunter/mystery/lowkey feminine rage manifesto?

Great fun! It was a perfect mix of fantasy, light horror and nods to beloved classics with a little sapphic romance and a lot of femininism. The twists kept me guessing and surprised me but they didn't feel confusing or like they were there just for the sake of being twisty. The story dragged on a little bit at times but it never lasted long as there was always a new element coming to help pick up the pace. The atmosphere was brilliantly spooky, mysterious and had gothic vibes I really loved. The downsides for me were that I wasn't a fan of some of the more gruesome descriptions as I get grossed out quite easily and also I went in expecting a standalone but the ending feels like it's not.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with this eARC.
4.25🌟 thoroughly enjoyable, I loved the main characters and can't wait to read more of them! The author did a wonderful job of creating a very atmospheric early 20th century Paris. The mystery was engaging and the political elements were well done without being overly preachy.

This debut novel is an amalgamation of Stoker’s Dracula and Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Strange Beasts sees a couple of unlikely paranormal investigators team up to catch the gruesome deaths of what is suspected a werewolf.

I really enjoyed this one. I think this has great potential as a series and I could see it being adapted as a TV series. My main qualm as to why it isn’t a 5-star read is that at times thought it was a tad slow and difficult to understand what was going on.

The ending was good and makes me want to read a sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

What a page turner! Perfect balance of fantasy, historical (Victorian Paris), romance, and horror all with a modern feminist bent. Lots of twists and turns, but never to the point that you get lost, it’s always just one step ahead of you. Hoping for a sequel!

This book was a curiosity. And possibly too clever for me. Somehow it manages to feel equal parts Dracula (a niggling sense of unease and a world that feels slightly askew but even stranger in it’s familiarity) and Sherlock Holmes (too clever by half and giving you the pieces in a way that will absolutely make sense but that you’ll never figure out before the reveal). At its core this is a story about the space women exist in the world, and how it’s almost always relational to a man.

Sam and Hel prove that it’s possible to be subject to these views but to work the system towards their own ends. A fun Edwardian gaslamp tale that leaves the door open for more. Curious about what fun Sam and Hel could get into in the Emerald Isle.

Thank you NetGalley and Bindery Books for the gifted e-ARC.

Strange Beasts is an urban fantasy whodunnit — told in a witty, Holmesian style. The Dracula and Sherlock Holmes influences are very apparent. This was overall a very “vibe-y” gothic mystery.

I loved the sapphic elements (though there wasn’t much “romance”), the feminine rage, and the monsters. It did feel a bit long. There were a lot of twists and long-winded moments by the end of the book.
My rating: 3.5⭐️

I’d recommend this for fans of Sherlock Holmes, quirky characters, whodunnits, and feminist novels.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Bindery Books for an ARC of Strange Beasts in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5
⭐⭐⭐⭐

I enjoyed the mystery intertwined with characters inspired by Dracula. The captivating phrases and quotes drew me in. I truly adored it and will recommend it to everyone.

Totally enjoyable and well-written, the monsters and mystery made for such a fun ride. Some really visceral descriptions that had me a little grossed out at times, but I loved it. The crossover between the worlds of Dracula and Sherlock Holmes was delightful! I will say I wanted a little more from the romance - I understand it was supposed to be a slow burn, but it was maybe too slow as I feel some moments really caught me off guard as I felt there hadn't been adequate build up.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Thank you to Net Galley and Bindery for the ARC. I was excited to read this because I love murder mysteries, sapphic romance, and Dracula and Sherlock. Unfortunately, the only thing I liked were the details about perfume. The characters were one dimensional and the plot was boring.

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book feels just like the bbc show Sherlock. And I’m here for it lol. I loved this book with the the whole gender bend on this. It’s so good! It’s fun but it also has very serious book. The one thing that I had a problem with is that I think that it need to be longer like the pacing is just fine but I just like a longer book but this was so good that the length really did not mess with me too much. So thank you net gallery for let me read this before it came out! And I can’t wait to read more for this author!

Such a GREAT premise.... the queer daughters of Sherlock Holmes and Dracula solving mysteries you have cat to be kitten me........ Absolutely slaps and I love you fellow gay people

This was such a fun (in a really creepy way) story and I look forward to the next installment!

We meet Samantha Harker, daughter of Jonathan and Mina, and Helena Moriarty, daughter of Professor Moriarty, both shaped into the women they are by their parents. Sam is incredibly naïve, sometimes unbelievably so, until you think about how protective her parents would have been given their little Transylvanian experience. Helena, you see, is not as loved by her father is Sam is by her parents, plus her partners in investigation tend to die, so she has a bad rep.

There is something (someone, more than one someone?) committing gruesome murders and as our heroines delve into the underworld they discover bits and bobs about each other, and realize what a connection they have as well.

I will be looking out for the next book because I absolutely loved Hel and Sam and need more of their adventures!

This book is really good but i was surprised in the end, i thought it was a standlone. I had a hard time getting into it at first, it's pretty slow paced. The MC is very compelling and the slow burn romance is well done. I loved the gothic vibes

A thrilling gothic whodunit set in 1900s Paris…
The links between our two leads — Samantha Harker and Dr Helena Moriarty — with characters from famous books such as Sherlock Holmes and Dracula added to the atmosphere of the book without seeming to much like a parody. Sam and Helena were their own people within a story based around the legends of the genre and that was what made following their journey so interesting.
The supernatural elements worked well with the mystery element; Susan J Morris excelled in creating a world entirely hers within a Paris we all know so well!

3.5 stars. Lots of creativity and intelligence in this book. A Dracula (Harker) and Holmes (Moriarty) mash-up?!?! Yes, please! Stunning cover art! The shortened names to Sam and Hel made me laugh. Loved all the creatures and Paris folklore. Great family secrets and mystery as well. Very insightful and impactful quotes. But...Sam seemed to get wrapped up easily in dire moments and fall for whomever was in that moment with her. The "romance" with Hel was nonexistent, not even a whisper, and then it is. Odd. Also, the twists were too plentiful and got a bit confusing. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC