Review | The Haunting of Beatrix Greene by Rachel Hawkins, Ash Parsons & Vicky Alvear Shecter

Beatrix Greene is a noted spiritual medium – and a fraud. She is an empath but uses tricks to convince clients that she is in contact with their deceased loved ones. She is offered a job at a notorious haunted Ashbury Manor by a known skeptic, James Walker, and she accepts it for financial reasons. But when Beatrix arrives at the house, she realises that her usual ruse will not work after her séance awakens something dark. Something that wants blood and vengeance. Will she make it out alive?

It is not the first night screams have rung through the halls of Ashbury Manor.

It will not be the last.

Haunted house horror? Sign me up! Add a dash of gothic romance, loving friendship, dark history and I’m happy. I really liked how The Haunting of Beatrix Greene doesn’t try to be too clever. It’s an old-fashioned ghost story featuring a fraudulent medium and a mysterious man searching for spirits in an old manor. There are secrets and spirits abound. This book is written by three authors yet it feels seamless. The atmosphere is full of gothic goodness.

Beatrix is a great character. I liked that she is independent but not too prideful to ask for help. I’m not usually a fan of romance in my horror and here it moves pretty fast between Beatrix and James. However, I thought the book makes it clear that it’s mostly a physical relationship so I found it believable. I liked that we get James’s point of view so we know why he behaves in certain ways. I enjoyed Beatrix’s friendship with Harry too, and her interactions with a new acquaintance, the American photographer Amanda. There’s no miscommunication between characters that is usually evident in these kind of stories – everyone basically comes clean when it matters.

I did find the storyline a little predictable. The spiritual aspect about energy and power also could have been explored further, especially with regard to the themes of toxic masculinity, repression and guilt. I was surprised by how gory the book gets at times considering the restrained Victorian setting established previously, but it adds to the horror. And as a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes, I was delighted by the Arthur Conan Doyle cameo!

If you love gothic ghost stories, you don’t want to miss The Haunting of Beatrix Greene!

I received a digital copy from the publisher and Netgalley for review purposes.

About the authors: Rachel Hawkins, Ash Parsons & Vicky Alvear Shecter

Photo by Annie Spratt