At the Bottom of the Garden by Camilla Bruce is a suspense/mystery/horror story about an aunt that gains custody of her two nieces after their parents die. But little does she know, these two girls have supernatural abilities, and they can see and sense what their aunt has done. This story was at times frustrating, but at times very suspenseful. I did enjoy rooting for the two little girls trying to outsmart their murderous aunt. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Ghosts? Murder? Revenge…oh my!

Camilla Bruce is just that good with creepy, weird, ghostly style stories. She knows how to draw you in and keep you reading every single line.

Two girls, recently orphaned after their parents die who are sent to live with their aunt. They soon discover their abilities to connect with the dead and also find out their dear old aunt is a murderer. So they use their gifts to help the dead torment their aunt. After all, their aunt is only after their money so what harm is it in letting her lay in the bed she made?

This story was so good – ghosts throwing books at the girls aunt, encounters with other animals. It just had that creep style yet, it wasn’t scary because of the age of the girls. The characters were all very well developed and their strengths played well together. It was easy to keep up with and easy to truly just sit and enjoy. A good story to read during a thunderstorm or any day when you want to experience some ghostly adventures. 4️⃣⭐️‼️

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

Overall a solid story! It was atmospheric but not quite as dark as I thought it would be. The middle was a bit slow however I enjoyed the perspective of Lily, Violet and Clara.

I would read more from this author in the future!

I’ve been a fan of Camilla Bruce ever since I read You Let Me In, which won over with its dark, complex characters and unsettling themes. Her stories so often blur the lines between the real and the supernatural, and her newest novel At the Bottom of the Garden seemed like it would too—a blend of eeriness and whimsy and atmosphere. However, certain aspects also fell short of my admittedly high expectations.

The book introduces Clara Woods, a conniving woman who seizes on an opportunity to reshape her future when a tragic climbing accident claims the lives of her brother and his wife, leaving her as the sole guardian of their two orphaned daughters. Ambitious and cunning, Clara dreams of becoming the head of her own diamond business but lacks the funds to make it happen. With her late brother’s estate now in the hands of his children, Clara begins to plot her way into gaining access to their inheritance.

Still grieving the loss of their parents, 14-year-old Lily and 9-year-old Violet suddenly find themselves transported from their lavish townhome into a decaying manor in the countryside, living with their aunt whom they hardly know. Clara seems kind enough, and says all the right things, but the girls know better. Each secretly harbors a unique gift—Lily can “see” the emotions of others as different colors, while Violet has an inexplicable connection to the realm of the unliving. As their aunt’s manipulative behavior grows worse, the sisters begin to suspect her motives, especially when the house begins to feel increasingly suffocating and oppressive. One day, Violet’s mysterious ability unleashes a long-buried secret, and before long, Clara is surrounded by the ghosts of her past. A tense battle of wills ensues as Clara isn’t about to back down, while the girls grow increasingly defiant and emboldened by their powers.

The story primarily unfolds through chapters alternating between the perspectives of the three characters. Clara is a real piece of work—a greedy, social-climbing widow who is secretly delighted when her half-brother dies and only sees taking care of his daughters as a means to an end. Lily is more mature than her age would suggest, quietly observant and deeply protective of her younger sister. Violet is pure innocence, wanting only to please. Each POV adds a layer to this precarious dynamic, as the girls’ resistance causes Clara to push to take her scheming to the next level.

The writing style is interesting in this one, though it also strongly reminded me of In the Garden of Spite and All the Blood We Share, both books in which Camilla Bruce takes readers into the twisted minds of morally complex, often villainous characters. The main difference is, At the Bottom of the Garden takes on a more whimsical, cartoonish tone— turning Clara into something like a wicked witch from a children’s fairy tale. However, the charm doesn’t last. Eventually, the lack of depth shows through. You start wondering why the girls aren’t taking the obvious, logical steps to get out of their situation. Clara’s ideas become more and more far-fetched. Over time, these unrealistic elements just keep piling up, making the story feel increasingly oversimplified and shallow.

And though I ultimately liked that this was a ghost story, I couldn’t help but feel its potential was wasted. Things started out strong, with a sense of foreboding that was practically palpable. Yet as events unfolded, the plot began to lose its focus, meandering into subplots that distracted from the central conflict involving the haunting, the girls’ abilities, and Clara’s role as a murderess. All that started to feel like a backdrop rather than the key driving force, and by the time we got to the ending, the resolution was rushed and somewhat unsatisfying. The ending simply lacked the emotional impact I was hoping for, a letdown after the tensions built throughout the story.

Overall, in my opinion, At the Bottom of the Garden was not Camilla Bruce’s best, but the strange gothic dark fairy tale vibe does make it more unique and stand out among her other books. And despite my criticisms, I did enjoy it for its atmosphere and slow-burn supernatural plot. Recommended if you are a fan of the author, or for readers who can appreciate a lighter take on horror.

This story really took me by surprise, it ended up being something entirely different to what I was expecting but it was not at all a bad thing.
its more of a YA but full of magic and interesting characters with a solid plot.


4/5

This is another example of a book I would have far more appreciated as a short novella. The story was just too drawn out for what it was.

This book has such a phenomenal set up and gothic vibe, but it gets bogged down by repetitiveness and so many perspectives. This could have been told entirely from Clara’s perspective and I probably would have preferred that.

Clara Woods is not at all worried about becoming the guardian of her two orphaned nieces, Lily and Violet. Not because she loves the girls, or even likes children, but because she's eager to get her hands on as much of her half-brother's fortune as she can. She figures she can squirrel them away at boarding school and launch the jewelry line she's always dreamt of.

What she doesn't realize is how perceptive the two girls are. One can read auras and the other communicates with ghosts. Which wouldn't be too much of a problem but Clara's country estate is full of them. At least three--the three people Clara murdered. And once the ghosts emerge, nobody can figure out how to get rid of them.

And Lily and Violet cannot convince anyone they're in danger. Orphaned young children are too often presumed to be disturbed and when they start talking about ghosts they're resurrected...

This Gothic novel is well-executed and sympathetic but I didn't love it as much as I expected, but taste is subjective. #AttheBottomoftheGarden #NetGalley

Lily and Violet find themsevles suddenly orphaned when their parents decided to climb the dangerous mountain K2. Now they find themselves needing someone to care for them and the only person is their estranged Aunt Clara who has never made an attempt to be part of their lives in any way.


Clara is thrilled to find out that her brother whom she has always hated has finally died after years of her sabotaging his equipment and vehicles his stupidity and need for the next thrill finally took care of him for her. She is displeased to find that all of his fortune is to become his daughters once they are of age but until then they will need a guardian to care of them and that person will receive a stipend for caring for the girls. So with a large amount of displeasure Aunt Clara takes Lily and Violet in.

Things swiftly begin to unravel as Clara's ghosts come to call, Violet has an uncanny ability to see the dead and know when they need help. The ghosts within Clara's home have a bone to pick with her and soon Clara's world is turned upside down as those she decided no longer needed to live are making her life miserable.
Lily has the ability to see emotions on people through colors of flame that engulf their skin. She is quickly able to figure out that their Aunt has killed before to get her hands on money and her neices are not safe from her either. What will one person do to acheive their dreams at the expense of others?

I loved reading #AtTheBottomOfTheGarden by #CamillaBruce.

I want to thank #Netgalley for the chance to read an eArc of #AtTheBottomOfTheGarden by #CamillaBruce in return for a fair and honest review.

I love Camilla Bruce and devour her books!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to read one of her books and can't wait for her next one. This one is just as dark if not more than her previous books and is ohhhh so good!!!!!!

Gothic horror/ mystery is one of my absolute favorite genres! The cover is beautiful and it’s a big reason I picked this book up. The premise sounded promising but the execution was lacking. The book started off strong and mysterious but as it continued it slowed down significantly and it became hard to finish. I also think the book could have been shorter!

At the Bottom of the Garden by Camilla Bruce tells the story of Clara Woods, a cruel murderess, as she takes in her two nieces after the passing of their parents. Readers are brought into a gothic setting as they watch the weight of dangerous secrets and hidden magic threaten to tear Clara away from her strongest desires.

I did decide to DNF this book around the 29% mark. Although I was interested in the plot, I couldn't connect to the writing or the characters.

Books written in first-person and books with multiple perspectives don't always work for me, especially when the two are mixed together. This book follows the perspectives of three different characters, all written in first-person. Two of the three perspectives are Clara's nieces, Lily and Violet. Lily is fourteen and Violet is nine, but it did not seem like that when I was reading chapters from their perspectives. I found it difficult to remember which character I was reading about because their perspectives were so similar.

As beautiful as the gothic setting was, I didn't feel like there was enough description for me to get into it. This book focuses more on dialogue than description. I know a lot of people enjoy having more dialogue, so this is great for anyone who does. However, I find it easier to connect with and enjoy a story that has more description and imagery. I would've loved for the setting to play a bigger part in the portion of the story I read.

One of the aspects I did enjoy about this book is that the villain gets to be the main character. Clara is a vicious and selfish character. I always love it when the main character in a story is a little unhinged. I do wish there was a little more depth to her character, but I'm sure I missed out on some development since I didn't finish the book.

At the Bottom of the Garden is a good option for people who want a whimsical, gothic book with unique characters and a bit of mystery. It's especially great for lovers of first-person POV and dialogue over description. It's an intriguing story, but the writing style did not work for me.

Review on Goodreads (sophreadingbooks https://www.goodreads.com/sophreadingbooks) as of 2/11/2025
Review on Instagram (sophiesreading https://www.instagram.com/sophiesreading/) as of 2/11/2025

I am DNFing this 150 pages in because I, unfortunately, am not gelling with the writing. It's to the point where it's actually annoying me, so I think it's best if I call it here. Interesting premise but just not written well in my opinion.

From the publisher:
A murderess becomes the guardian of two very unusual girls in this mesmerizing gothic novel from acclaimed author Camilla Bruce.

Clara Woods is a killer—and perfectly fine with it, too. So what if she takes a couple of lives to make her own a little bit better? At the bottom of her garden is a flower bed, long overgrown, where her late husband rests in peace—or so she’s always thought.

Then the girls arrive.

Lily and Violet are her nieces, recently orphaned after their affluent parents died on an ill-fated anniversary trip. In accordance with their parents’ will, the sisters are to go to their closest relative—who happens to be Clara. Despite having no interest in children, Clara agrees to take them, hoping to get her hands on some of the girls’ assets—not only to bolster her dwindling fortune but also to establish what she hopes will be her legacy: a line of diamond jewelry.

There’s only one problem. Violet can see the dead man at the bottom of the garden. She can see all of Clara’s ghosts . . . and call them back into existence. Soon Clara is plagued by her victims and at war with the gifted girls in her care. Lily and Violet have become a liability—and they know far more than they should.

My thoughts: I enjoyed the book. I felt like there was a lot to like about the story. It's definitely a gothic tale from the moment that Aunt Clara appears. We don't see who is haunting Clara though until the girls appear on the scene. And not too long after that, it's a question of if the ghosts are only going to haunt Clara or if they will go after the girls and the housekeeper as well.

The setting of the spooky house is classic gothic. The patchy front steps, the smallish rooms that the girls inhabit, the taxidermied animals at every turn all work together to make it a gothic setting.

The chapters are told from the differing perspectives of Clara, Violet (the youngest), and Lily (Violet's slightly older sister.) Early on, some of the scariest material comes from Violet's perspective since she is the only one who can see the dead at that point. It's not that long afterwards that they can all see the ghosts who seem to take a particular delight in haunting Clara.

Clara is a horrifying human being. A murderess who has come into guardianship of her nieces with hopes to get her mitts on their money. The longer the book goes on, the more horrifying she becomes. If this were fairy tale, she would easily be the wicked witch or the evil stepmother.

Generally speaking, this is an enjoyable, horrifying, gothic story. I was surprised that Violet had little fear of the ghosts after their conversion. And there is a little bit of a lull mid book when Aunt Clara takes the girls on a road trip. The lull doesn't last long though. And sets in motion the last part of the book.

Overall I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. I really liked this gothic tale. If you enjoy gothic literature, this would be a good book for you. This is the first book I've read by Camilla Bruce, but it won't be my last.

At the Bottom of the Garden by Camilla Bruce was released Tuesday January 28th, 2025 from Del Rey.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion.

At the Bottom of the Garden combines mystical realism and horror into a perfectly twisty story about two magical girls adopted by their serial killer aunt. There were so many things about this story that I liked. The entire premise of the two sisters having opposite powers that directly affect the plot was great. The writing in general of this book was well-done, the aunt was appropriately horrible, a self-centered sociopath that really can't understand why no one sees her perspective. It was a full and complete story that felt like it came full circle.

Honestly, the only reason this is not rated higher is because I was not ready for the body horror. And I am still not sure why it was necessary - maybe to make the abuse of the girls powers more horrifying? I just couldn't get past it. This is definitely a preference on my part though, because otherwise I really enjoyed this story.

Overall, I think this was a very original genre bending novel that kept me enraptured the whole time. Many a horror fan will love this story. I will continue to read works by this author and think that they are talented writers and storytellers that many a reader should enjoy.

Camilla Bruce’s At the Bottom of the Garden is a gothic thriller laced with eerie supernatural elements, centering on Clara Woods—a remorseless murderess who unexpectedly becomes the reluctant guardian of two orphaned girls. The novel weaves a compelling tale of greed, ghosts, and survival as Clara’s dark past collides with the uncanny abilities of her nieces, Lily and Violet.

The novel’s greatest strength is its protagonist. Clara is unapologetically ruthless, making for a refreshingly amoral character whose motivations, while self-serving, are intriguing to follow. Her pragmatic acceptance of murder is both chilling and, at times, darkly amusing. The arrival of the orphaned sisters complicates her life, particularly when Violet’s ability to see and interact with the dead threatens to unravel Clara’s carefully concealed secrets.

While the premise is gripping, the novel has its shortcomings. The choice of a first-person narrative works well for Clara’s voice but may not appeal to readers who prefer a broader perspective. Additionally, while the children play a significant role in the story, their voices lack the distinctiveness necessary to make them feel like separate, fully realized characters. Their dialogue and thoughts often feel too mature for their ages, making it difficult to differentiate between them outside of their supernatural abilities.

Overall, At the Bottom of the Garden delivers an engaging, atmospheric read with a sinister protagonist and a haunting premise. Though the execution falters in some areas, particularly with character distinction, fans of gothic thrillers and supernatural suspense will likely find it an intriguing, if imperfect, experience.

This book reminded me a lot of Hansel and Gretal, or a fairy tale like that. This book was a little out of my comfort zone, but I thought it was a decent book. The story itself, I can definitely see people being drawn to and the writing itself was good. I think it’s definitely worth a read and I’d like to read more from this author.

A haunting read that I found to be a quick and easy read that definitely piqued my interest of the gothic and paranormal.

A fairly standard haunted Gothic, but a good one nonetheless.

This follows a traditional gothic structure, but does an unusually good job with some of the supernatural elements. I liked the way Bruce explained the girls’ talents, both how they were able to use them and what the cost was.

Clara is a good adversary, mostly because you can see why she became what she was even if you still can’t excuse any of it. To that end, I really appreciated the way this book ended, going a route that many authors shy away from but that is almost always the right call.

Violet is a particularly well drawn character in that she’s immensely comforting yet somehow also creepy, and that fits perfectly with who she is and what she can do.

Though this isn’t the eeriest or most atmospheric of Gothic novels, I thought the sense of place was well-rendered and the pacing satisfyingly done.

I dud not get a chance to finish the whole book, but DID enjoy what i did get to read. I will be purchasing it very soon to finish and add it to my collection.

Title/Author: At the Bottom of the Garden by Camilla Bruce

Page Count; 368

Publisher: DEL REY

Format: digital and physical arc

Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author:: The Witch in the Well

Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/9780593724965

Release Date: January 28th

General Genre: Gothic, fantasy, horror

Sub-Genre/Themes: Murderess, custody, buried secrets, orphans, "I see dead people"

Writing Style: Multiple POVs

What You Need to Know: A murderess becomes the guardian of two very unusual girls in this mesmerizing gothic novel

My Reading Experience: The book has a great premise, orphaned sisters are picked up by their wealthy aunt who murdered her husbands and buried them in the yard. The girls have paranormal gifts and can commune with the dead which threatens their aunt's ability to hide her secrets and maintain her lifestyle. The setup starts well enough, the author establishes multiple POVs and the characters while also giving the reader a tour of the house where the girls will live with their aunt.
The story loops back on itself sometimes. The development is a little slow (not yummy Gothic slow, just slow, slow). Aunt Clara is over-the-top selfish and villainous. She reminded me of Cruella DeVille, which is fine, but it did affect the level of investment. I thought the girls were interesting and I was hoping they would be good, strong protagonists like Marricat and Constance, but they were underdeveloped and didn't get a real chance to shine against a formidable evil presence--the paranormal aspect just lacked depth, and the expected eerieness. The author telegraphs Aunt Clara's motives so the "twists" or reveals are expected. I was entertained enough to finally finish after multiple attempts to sort it out.

Final Recommendation: Perfect for fans looking for lighthearted, campy, psychological suspense and ghostly vibes for Spooky Season. Characters you love to hate, family drama, and just desserts.

Comps: A more unserious "Witchcraft for Wayward Girls", Lemony Snicket vibes, slight echoes of We Have Always Lived in the Castle,