Hello Readers,
The Death of Jane Lawrence starts with what seems like a
pretty straightforward arrangement. Jane Shoringfield is a practical, logical
woman who prefers numbers and ledgers to the messy complications of life, so
naturally, she decides a marriage of convenience is the most sensible way
forward. Romance? Feelings? Who needs them when you can have a business
agreement?
Enter Augustine Lawrence, the local doctor, who agrees to
marry Jane on one strict condition: she must never, under any circumstances,
visit his crumbling family estate, Lindridge Hall. Naturally, that goes
swimmingly.
One stormy night later, Jane finds herself standing right
at Lindridge Hall, and the husband she thought she knew is suddenly a
completely different person. From that point on, logic packs its bags and bolts
into the night, leaving us with a wonderfully unsettling mix of hauntings, dark
magic, medical horror, and enough creeping dread to make you question your own
sanity.
What I loved most about this Gothic horror novel is the
atmosphere. Lindridge Hall feels like the exact kind of place you have no
business entering, yet you're dying to know what's hiding around every dark
corner. Starling's writing kept me completely on edge, and I loved how she
plays with familiar Gothic tropes before twisting them into something far
stranger. If you love Rebecca or the dark, moody vibes of Crimson Peak, you'll
feel right at home here.
Jane is another huge highlight. Her fiercely logical
approach to life makes her such a fascinating character to follow when she’s
thrown headfirst into a world that refuses to make sense. I also found myself
weirdly invested in her relationship with Augustine, even while questioning
everything happening around them.
And the twists? This is one of those books that leaves
you staring blankly at the final page thinking, What in the absolute hell did I
just read? It's gloriously weird, wonderfully unsettling, and completely
unafraid to go off the rails.
If you enjoy atmospheric Gothic fiction, haunted houses,
dark magic, and stories that like to happily mess with your head, definitely
add this one to your TBR. Just don't expect a cute, quiet romance or a peaceful
night of reading.
Trigger Warnings (from Caitlin website):- Gore/blood and body horror
- Descriptions of period-appropriate (Victorian Era)
medical procedures and practices, sometimes without consent
- Drug abuse of period medical drugs
- Descriptions of PTSD and panic attacks
- Manipulation and gaslighting
- Self-harm in ritual context
- Ambiguous hallucinations/descriptions of uncertain
reality or sanity
- Mild references to threat/risk of institutionalisation
- Graphic accidental miscarriage/stillbirth, with surgical
intervention
- Minor character child death (of natural causes)
Stay Spooky
Comments
Post a Comment