A review by readbydusk
The Haunting of Beatrix Greene: Vol. 1 by Rachel Hawkins

4.0

Haunted house horror? Sign me up! Add a dash of gothic romance, loving friendship, dark history and I'm happy. I really enjoyed this book in that it doesn't try to be too clever. It's an old-fashioned ghost story featuring a fraudulent medium and a man searching for spirits in an old manor. Beatrix is a great character. I liked that she is independent but not too prideful to ask for help. There's no miscommunication that is usually evident in these kind of stories - everyone basically comes clean when it matters. I was surprised by how gory the book gets at times but it adds to the horror.

I'm not usually a fan of romance in my horror and here it moves pretty fast between Beatrix and James. But I thought the book makes it clear that it's mostly a physical relationship so I found it believable. Even if there might be something more later. I really liked Beatrix's friendship with Harry too. I did find the storyline predictable and the solution too neat. The spiritual aspect about energy and power also could have been explored further. But it didn't bother me too much. This book is written by three authors and yet it feels seamless. Give this a try if you love ghost stories!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.

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