I read this courtesy Kensington Books and NetGalley. The third in Heather Redmond’s series about Mary “Frankenstein” Shelley, only a couple of years before she has the nightmare that has inspired fiction—and nightmares—for centuries since, in this suspenseful work, Mary’s stepbrother Charles finds himself in an awkward situation since two women he is involved with are found hanged, one after another. He has to hide, and his mother (and Mary’s stepmother), a volatile and violent woman at the best of times (and prone to abusing her stepdaughters), gets worse as she worries about him. Mary, her stepsister Jane, and Percy Bysshe Shelley take it upon themselves to figure out who is behind the murders to clear Charles’s name. In addition, as Mary’s and Jane’s stepmother’s abuse to them gets worse and they become more and more afraid for their lives (if not from the actual killer, their stepmother), they have to figure out how they must save themselves. The mystery in this story is satisfyingly twisty, since there are possible culprits that just seem too obvious and it's also obvious that there is information that hasn’t been revealed yet. Kudos to Redmond for continuing to spin a tale that’s increasing in intensity and raising all sorts of questions. This was a gripping read, and I couldn't put it down. I can’t wait to see what happens next in Mary’s journey as a writer before her fateful nightmare!

#DeathandtheRunaways #NetGalley