A review by carolsnotebook
The Secret of the Three Fates by Jess Armstrong

mysterious fast-paced

4.5

 

The Secret of the Three Fates picks up a few months after the first in the series, The Curse of Penryth Hall, in October of 1922. This one probably works as a stand alone, but you’ll have a much better feel for the characters and appreciate what we learn about their backgrounds here.

This time around, Mr. Owen and Ruby are at a remote manor house in Scotland, supposedly to purchase illuminated manuscripts. Mr. Owen, however, has lied to Ruby and the two of them are actually there to attend a séance- Mr. Owen is hoping to speak to his son, Ben, who died in the War. The séance, hosted by three mediums going by the name of The Three Fates, is frighteningly real. One of the mediums, seemingly possessed by a spirit, delivers an ominous message:

There’s nowhere on earth you can hide from the dead. We have not forgotten … we shall not forgive. The dead know what you’ve done.

When one of the mediums is killed, Ruby and Mr. Owen both become suspects. It turns out Mr. Owen’s past is deeply connected to this piece of Scotland and his secrets will gradually come to light over the course of the book. Thankfully, Ruan, the “pellar”/ witch/ love interest we met in the first book, arrives to help Ruby with the investigation.

The atmosphere is a bit spooky and gothic; it’s a place where ghosts can exist and witches can heal people, a place where people are both skeptical and believing. You can shoot the living, but that may not silence the dead.

I love the characters. Ruby is smart, hard-headed, loyal, and has enough money that she doesn’t have to worry about society’s conventions, at least anymore. Ruan is gentle, but also tough, and a bit of a mystery, even to himself. The chemistry between the two of them is convincing, as are Ruby’s reasons for not wanting to start a relationship. I liked getting to know Mr. Owen a little more, too.

The mystery itself was put together well. The past and the present are so tied together, but I was still surprised at who the killer turned out to be.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one and am looking forward to the next in the series.