Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

22 reviews

rae_em's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I absolutely loved this book. It contained so many of the things I like most in a book - secrets, ghosts, witchcraft, an unreliable narrator, phenomenal writing - and actually gave me chills at times which is not easy to do. It does take a little while to really get going but once it does you’re in for a ride. I would say the last 25% of the book is where it really quickens the pace. I promise it’s worth it. I can’t wait to read more of Purcell’s books! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Child abuse and Miscarriage

conniption_fitz's review against another edition

The book has two timelines, one in the 1800s and one in the 1600s. In the 1600s there is repeated use of a racial slur (g***y) as well as multiple examples of how disabled people are viewed as disgusting or evil. The disabled child is hidden away, only can communicate with her mother because her father and others don't learn her sign language, and she is suspected to be demon-touched (which is why she's disabled). There is also a party where the Queen's "freaks" perform as disturbing demons. All of this is historically accurate, but the author does not use this as commentary on the ignorance and ableism of the time, or contemporary biased that still hold strong. 

Instead, two third of the way through the book, it became obvious how the plot was going to play out:

the disabled character is in fact the evil spirit who is murdering people, and her evil nature is directly tied to her disability.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Moderate: Animal death, Racial slurs, Murder, Child death, Animal cruelty, and Miscarriage

bonky24's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Murder

Moderate: Mental illness and Child death

Minor: Suicide and Child abuse

gothic_moss's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Wow! What a thrilling, horrific ride! I really liked this book's dark Victorian, and Gothic atmosphere/setting. The writing style was perfect-stylish and to the point, and once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I can't decide whether I liked the ending or not though, It was delightfully shocking, but I may have wanted more explanation? I'm not sure to be honest, as I am still processing it. 
If you like Victorian horror, spooky houses, creepy dolls/portraits, family secrets, unreliable narrators, and a non-chronological timeline, you'll love this book!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Pregnancy, Vomit, and Murder

Minor: Child abuse, Sexism, and Religious bigotry

aloy's review

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Child death, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Murder, Toxic friendship, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Blood, Violence, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Medical content, Gore, Drug use, Classism, Grief, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Death, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, and Animal death

Moderate: Racism, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Racial slurs

Minor: Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry

immovabletype's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

this book is perfectly paced and builds tension and fear very well. i admit i'm an easy mark when it comes to haunted houses but fwiw this definitely gave me some real chills. i flew through the last third of the book. unfortunately it fell short of its potential for me. in particular this is a historical, victorian novel steeped in the expectations on women from outside of their control and within themselves - a lot of themes of what it means for a woman to be mad, and it blurs the line a bit. i was into it, and then some reveals happened that seemed to undercut that commentary. by the time it got to its ambiguous ending (ugh) it didn't even have the power to annoy me as much as it usually does because i was already disappointed.

i can't really say much further without spoilering since my gripes hinge on a big twist, but i am going to include them (under spoilers) in my content warnings below.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Ableism, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Classism, Grief, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Gore, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Alcohol, Animal death, Confinement, Infertility, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Sexual assault, Vomit, Child abuse, and Drug use

expanding on infertility triggers, as well as additional ableism/disfigurement prejudice: there is a disfigured child who is mute due to a birth defect. it's believed she was born without a tongue because her mother used witchcraft to conceive her when she was unable to conceive. big, plot important spoilers:

this conjecture is 'proven' true; her mother allowed something evil to enter her child when she conceived her outside of natural means.

also beware of many inexplicit mentions of CSA.

a_violentfemme's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I loved this book. A perfectly written gothic horror for the spooky season! The pacing was excellent and got me on edge til the very end. Purcell balances all the aspects of this haunted house story with skill and I can't wait to read the rest of her catalogue. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Suicide, Violence, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Fire/Fire injury

anemonima's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, and Murder

Minor: Abortion

m1923's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Child death

Moderate: Vomit

aseel_reads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This was definitely quite creepy and I liked the different timelines, but I'm not sure how I feel about the ending?? 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Child death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Stalking