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hauntedpostalworker's review
4.0
Not my usual kind of book, but it really got its hooks in me. The whole time I wanted Carter to get it in the worst way possible for all the lying, gaslighting, abuse, and just general toxicity,and when Mae finally got the revenge and closure for the murder of her father by his hands, I was absolutely beside myself! Ollie is an Angel, and deserves to wear that badge! ACAB obviously, but Ollie is the one exception.
cmasterson's review
5.0
I received a signed copy of The Stradivarius from the author (I paid for it, I'm just very grateful I got one, even though I was late on the call.)
I don't know what I was expecting this book to be. I think my mind went to a haunted house story, because of course it would be in an abandoned manor where a man was murdered. With that being said, I got something far more interesting. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, undoubtedly: reality has so many horrible fates for us. The depiction of gaslighting in this is so believable that I told Rae (numerous times) that I was seething with anger in real life. Apart from this, this book also encapsulates my first literary love. Mystery. I really wish I was able to read this all in a cohesive session, but time and grad school reading got in the way. From the strands that I didn't drop from my reading intermissions, I can tell you that this mystery is artfully crafted.
This book is an amazing debut novel, and I hope you will give it a chance.
I don't know what I was expecting this book to be. I think my mind went to a haunted house story, because of course it would be in an abandoned manor where a man was murdered. With that being said, I got something far more interesting. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, undoubtedly: reality has so many horrible fates for us. The depiction of gaslighting in this is so believable that I told Rae (numerous times) that I was seething with anger in real life. Apart from this, this book also encapsulates my first literary love. Mystery. I really wish I was able to read this all in a cohesive session, but time and grad school reading got in the way. From the strands that I didn't drop from my reading intermissions, I can tell you that this mystery is artfully crafted.
This book is an amazing debut novel, and I hope you will give it a chance.
michellesmelancholia's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
hauntedorchid's review
4.0
When Mae was just a child her father, a virtuoso musician, was brutally murdered in the botched theft of his priceless violin. Now, Mae moves back to her childhood home with her new husband, unlocking painful memories and seemingly setting in motion a nervous breakdown that leaves her hallucinating and questioning her sanity. But local amateur sleuth, Ollie, thinks there's more going on than meets the eye.
Rae Knowles' debut novel is classic gothic brought bang up to date with a Hitchcockian vibe and a queer spin. The Stradivarius calls to mind such forebears as Charlotte Bronte and Daphne du Maurier, and it's clear that Knowles has a deep understanding of the gothic genre. The story is so twisty it's hard to say much about it without risking spoilers, but this is a definite must for anyone who loves a nail-biting, atmospheric and creepy read, all wrapped up in beautifully evocative prose.
Thank you to Netgalley and Brigid's Gate Press for a free copy in return for an honest review.
Rae Knowles' debut novel is classic gothic brought bang up to date with a Hitchcockian vibe and a queer spin. The Stradivarius calls to mind such forebears as Charlotte Bronte and Daphne du Maurier, and it's clear that Knowles has a deep understanding of the gothic genre. The story is so twisty it's hard to say much about it without risking spoilers, but this is a definite must for anyone who loves a nail-biting, atmospheric and creepy read, all wrapped up in beautifully evocative prose.
Thank you to Netgalley and Brigid's Gate Press for a free copy in return for an honest review.
ngallegos87's review
5.0
Got my copy (personally signed, I might add) at StokerCon where I met Rae (who is awesome btw). I went in not knowing what it was about and was immediately sucked into the story. Mae's life was turned upside down by the murder of her father as well as the theft of one of his most prized possessions: his Stradivarius.
Fast forward and things seem to be looking up. A new husband and a move back to the house where the murder occurred. But things aren't what they seem.
Rae perfectly blends atmospheric horror (with some almost gothic vibes), psychological uncertainty (with plenty of gaslighting), and lays out a mystery that kept me reading until the end. I also very much enjoyed her trans character Ollie who might be my new favorite.
Highly recommend!
Fast forward and things seem to be looking up. A new husband and a move back to the house where the murder occurred. But things aren't what they seem.
Rae perfectly blends atmospheric horror (with some almost gothic vibes), psychological uncertainty (with plenty of gaslighting), and lays out a mystery that kept me reading until the end. I also very much enjoyed her trans character Ollie who might be my new favorite.
Highly recommend!
teethfairy's review
2.0
According to Wikipedia: "Gas Light is a 1938 thriller play, set in 1880s London, written by the British novelist and playwright Patrick Hamilton."
Without giving anything away for those who might not know exactly what the original play is about, the Stradivarius is basically its contemporary retelling set in the US, and I'm sad to say it ultimately adds very little to the original story.
It definitely scratches the itch of the "questionably sane woman wandering the questionably haunted house" trope but only temporarily so, and only on rare occasions considering the length of the novel. What starts out as a promising thriller and a murder mystery ultimately turns into a lot of rather convoluted, slow paced and thickly-padded plot that would have benefitted greatly by being at least one third shorter. The mystery of the murder and the intensity of the main heroine's (in)sanity are watered down by long, unnecessary paragraphs of what I can only assume is an attempt at a more flowery language and a haunting atmosphere - and while that in itself is not a bad thing, the Stradivarius seemed to have only suffered for it… and from it. As a fast reader, it was a bit of a chore to get through it but at least the last chapter gave us a bit of that 'feminine rage' we had been craving through the entire book.
Another extremely jarring point of the book was the fact it decided to introduce a deuteragonist one third into the book, and by deuteragonist I mean perspective of a different character we have met way, way back, and whose chapters and perspectives we since start getting on a regular basis, at which point the book tips from a haunting mystery into somewhat of a 'who-dun-it', which is strange enough in itself, but made even stranger considering the book subject, and takes away from the haunting, mysterious aspect of questioning just how reliable the heroine's mind is.
Speaking of heroine: I understand some of her characteristics are there so we can sympathize with her, or rather to make her seem more helpless, young and naïve, but I found myself truly unable to sympathize with someone who quite literally has no knowledge nor interests to speak of. She is not invested in her violin lessons, has no plans for the future, speaks of professional advancement as a potential possibility she doesn't quite care about, says herself that she doesn't care to cook, clean, or take care of anything in the household, and ultimately seems to do nothing but smoke weed, read romance novels and drink tea. I mean hey, wouldn't we all love to afford a life like that, but ultimately it doesn't make her a very perplexing nor engaging character.
I also can't help but feel robbed of a certain musical aesthetic, with this book having very little to do with violins, music, or antiquities. Considering our heroine plays music, has grown up in the presence of a maestro, occasionally references the eponymous instrument and hears quite a few compositions that she references, very little thought and time has been actually put into any of those aspects, more so evident by the fact author misspelled 'Ruslan and Ludmila'. I do not wish to be a mean grammar officer, but if one is to name their novel after one of the most famous instruments of all time, I expect the basic research to be done (and edited)… and some more violins.
It is all in all an okay-ish 2.5 that, I'm sad to say, I wouldn't warmly recommend, but I will take this opportunity to point out that Rae Knowles's second book, Merciless Waters is an astounding improvement, and you should definitely give it a go! To read both these books and see leaps and bounds she has made only goes to show you can't go wrong writing entirely original ideas.
Thank you, BookSirens. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Without giving anything away for those who might not know exactly what the original play is about, the Stradivarius is basically its contemporary retelling set in the US, and I'm sad to say it ultimately adds very little to the original story.
It definitely scratches the itch of the "questionably sane woman wandering the questionably haunted house" trope but only temporarily so, and only on rare occasions considering the length of the novel. What starts out as a promising thriller and a murder mystery ultimately turns into a lot of rather convoluted, slow paced and thickly-padded plot that would have benefitted greatly by being at least one third shorter. The mystery of the murder and the intensity of the main heroine's (in)sanity are watered down by long, unnecessary paragraphs of what I can only assume is an attempt at a more flowery language and a haunting atmosphere - and while that in itself is not a bad thing, the Stradivarius seemed to have only suffered for it… and from it. As a fast reader, it was a bit of a chore to get through it but at least the last chapter gave us a bit of that 'feminine rage' we had been craving through the entire book.
Another extremely jarring point of the book was the fact it decided to introduce a deuteragonist one third into the book, and by deuteragonist I mean perspective of a different character we have met way, way back, and whose chapters and perspectives we since start getting on a regular basis, at which point the book tips from a haunting mystery into somewhat of a 'who-dun-it', which is strange enough in itself, but made even stranger considering the book subject, and takes away from the haunting, mysterious aspect of questioning just how reliable the heroine's mind is.
Speaking of heroine: I understand some of her characteristics are there so we can sympathize with her, or rather to make her seem more helpless, young and naïve, but I found myself truly unable to sympathize with someone who quite literally has no knowledge nor interests to speak of. She is not invested in her violin lessons, has no plans for the future, speaks of professional advancement as a potential possibility she doesn't quite care about, says herself that she doesn't care to cook, clean, or take care of anything in the household, and ultimately seems to do nothing but smoke weed, read romance novels and drink tea. I mean hey, wouldn't we all love to afford a life like that, but ultimately it doesn't make her a very perplexing nor engaging character.
I also can't help but feel robbed of a certain musical aesthetic, with this book having very little to do with violins, music, or antiquities. Considering our heroine plays music, has grown up in the presence of a maestro, occasionally references the eponymous instrument and hears quite a few compositions that she references, very little thought and time has been actually put into any of those aspects, more so evident by the fact author misspelled 'Ruslan and Ludmila'. I do not wish to be a mean grammar officer, but if one is to name their novel after one of the most famous instruments of all time, I expect the basic research to be done (and edited)… and some more violins.
It is all in all an okay-ish 2.5 that, I'm sad to say, I wouldn't warmly recommend, but I will take this opportunity to point out that Rae Knowles's second book, Merciless Waters is an astounding improvement, and you should definitely give it a go! To read both these books and see leaps and bounds she has made only goes to show you can't go wrong writing entirely original ideas.
Thank you, BookSirens. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
itsviviactually's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Some horror stories work by hiding things from you. Others let you see exactly what is coming and leave you helpless to watch it play out. The Stradivarius is one of the latter, a tense exploration of one woman struggling against emotional manipulation and the echoes of personal tragedy. I couldn’t put it down!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Transphobia, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
angethology's review
2.25
"All this for a violin."
The Stradivarius is a queer retelling of Hamilton's "Gaslight," and while I absolutely adore the concept, it missed the mark for me in quite a few ways.
I personally think that some parts of the dialogue feel a bit inorganic or shoehorned in, sometimes also sounding a little too YA-ish for the characters. Besides that, there are some unnecessary fillers that only serve to curb the pacing of the film.
I usually love retellings and though I do like Ollie along with the "is the character really crazy or not" trope, I couldn't fully enjoy it.
Thank you Net Galley and Brigids Gate Press for the advance review copy, I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
The Stradivarius is a queer retelling of Hamilton's "Gaslight," and while I absolutely adore the concept, it missed the mark for me in quite a few ways.
I personally think that some parts of the dialogue feel a bit inorganic or shoehorned in, sometimes also sounding a little too YA-ish for the characters. Besides that, there are some unnecessary fillers that only serve to curb the pacing of the film.
I usually love retellings and though I do like Ollie along with the "is the character really crazy or not" trope, I couldn't fully enjoy it.
Thank you Net Galley and Brigids Gate Press for the advance review copy, I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
minimicropup's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
3.5
Main POVs 👍:
- An adult in their 20s, trauma bonded to their verbally abusive aunt after the loss of their father under tragic circumstances. As a result, they devalue their own opinions and desires.
- An adult in their 20s. They are eager, friendly, and enthusiastic. They are used to facing judgement for being genderqueer so try to avoid those situations, but their insatiable curiousity about the new arrivals in town (and the historic murder mystery) cause them to let their guard down.
Atmosphere 🫥: Vague and detached, building to complex and urgent
- Set in a small town at the inherited Victorian mansion of our MCs father
Cred Rating 👍: Mix of suspended disbelief realism
The overall plot and events are suspenseful but could be ruined if you’re an overthinker so go in with some suspended disbelief. Realistic depictions of gaslighting and abuse cycles; has all the obvious red flags to outsiders mixed in with the subtle ones that make it so hard to identify abuse.
Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags 🐺🐕:
- The atmosphere starts off thin and stuttering, but eventually finds its footing later in the plot. A lot of this was because the first ~20% of the story had jarring transitions (paragraphs where we have no idea where the characters are) and seemingly abrupt behaviours (the first time Mae’s husband acts ‘out of character’, we don’t understand why she wouldn’t at least question why he’s so angry). As the story proceeds these jarring moments are minimized and I wasn’t knocked out of the story anymore.
- The commentary on narcissistic abuse, and gender identity was not OTT or hit-you-on-the-head. It was subtle and sometimes direct, but relevant to the plot. For example, there are moments where you aren’t sure if someone is just in need of some perspective and empathy because they have biases from their privilege, or if they are truly narcissistic, toxic people. There are men behaving badly, but women too. Without giving away spoilers, it feels balanced, particularly with Mae’s family dynamics.
- Haunted house vibes done right! Our MC has reason to believe the house is haunted but isn’t in a mindset to be able to telland she has nowhere else to go and no resources – although she still tries to figure it out. It’s not the typical haunted house trope that relies solely on the ambivalence of the haunted.
- The cover is misleading. It looked like a steamy romance involving a violinist, which just isn’t for me (not yucking yums, I just can’t help judge a book by its cover). After reading the synopsis I decided to try it out and glad I did.
Reading Journey 👍: Road trip with a rough start but got it all sorted out.
Mood Reading Match-Up:
- Subtle haunted house vibes mystery
- Here-all-along, heartwarming romance elements
- Amateur sleuthing with consequences
- Good-for-them revenge trope
- Suspense plots with IRL horrors and fight-for-your-life thriller bits
- Commentary on prejudices and biases against women, non-binary, non-male (coming from men and women and both well intentioned and not) and covert narcissism
Vibes: 😨😡🙂
Content Heads-Up: Drug use (intentional and unintentional). Gaslighting and narcissistic abuse. Homophobia/transphobia. Genderqueer rep (seems healthy and accurate).
Format: Digital from BookSirens on Kindle (I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
Minor: Infidelity and Abandonment