The Bequest

by Joanna Margaret

Named a "Most Anticipated" October Thriller by Bustle, PopSugar, & CrimeReads 

After her professor’s suspicious death, a PhD student uncovers dark machinations among her academic associates in this "richly atmospheric and irresistibly readable" (Joyce Carol Oates) Gothic mystery set between Scotland, Italy, and France.

Fleeing a disastrous affair with a colleague in Boston, Isabel Henley moves to Scotland to begin a PhD with a renowned feminist professor―only to learn, upon arrival, that her advisor has suffered a deadly fall.
Soon after, Isabel is informed that another scholar at the university is about to publish a book on her dissertation topic, leaving her disconcerted and in search of a new subject, all while struggling to acclimate to her new home abroad.
Isabel needs a good friend during such a rocky start, and finds one when she reconnects with Rose Brewster, her charismatic classmate from undergrad.
But when Rose confides to Isabel that she is in trouble, and then goes missing, Isabel’s already-unsteady life is sent into a tailspin.

A suicide note surfaces, followed by a coded Rose is alive but, unless Isabel can complete the research begun before her friend’s disappearance, both women will be killed by her captors.  As Isabel follows the Rose’s paper trail from Genoa to Florence and, finally, to Paris, she uncovers family secrets, the legend of an enormous cursed emerald, and a chain of betrayal and treason which parallels her own perilous present. If she can put the pieces together soon, she could solve a 400-year-old mystery―and save her and her friend’s lives in the process.

Combining epistolary elements, Gothic suspense, and an atmospheric “dark academia” setting, The Bequest is a gripping literary thriller that will appeal to fans of Alex Michaelides’ The Maidens and Donna Tartt’s The Secret History . 

Genres: Dark Academia, Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Historical Fiction, Suspense

Hardcover

First published October 18, 2022

About the author

Joanna Margaret is an art historian whose previous writing and scholarly work has focused on Florentine aristocrats in sixteenth-century France. She holds a PhD from the University of St Andrews and an MFA from NYU, where Joyce Carol Oates served as her thesis advisor. The Bequest is her first novel.

Reviews

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bequest is a terrific dark academia thriller that leans literary and oozes atmosphere.

Isabel Henley just arrived in Scotland to begin her Ph.D. under the supervision of a lauded feminist professor. However, upon her arrival, Isabel learns that the professor died from a hiking accident, even though she was an experienced hiker.

As Isabel settles into her work with a different advisor, she reunites with Rose, her charismatic and brilliant friend from undergrad.

It comes as a shock when Rose disappears but leaves a suicide note. Isabel suffers another shock, when she receives a message from Rose declaring they are both in danger. Rose implores Isabel to switch to Rose’s research and find a missing emerald from the sixteenth century. This new task sends Isabel across Italy and France seeking answers to save both of their lives.

It sounds ridiculous, and sometimes it was (Isabel is the queen of ignoring red flags), but this story wholly captured my attention from the first page. It drips with gothic atmosphere.

An interest in history is probably a requirement to read this novel. Isabel spends a lot of time researching and relaying it to the reader. There are the odd sentences in Italian, French, and Latin. The author does not always provide a translation and context.

My ARC was just over 400 pages, but I noticed that the finished version is around 300 pages. Some parts dragged a bit, so perhaps the finished version will be more evenly paced.

If you like dark academia that is heavy on said academia, then you’ll likely enjoy this twisty book.

CW: sexual assault.

Thank you to Scarlet for providing me with an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

https://booksandwheels.com

[Q · Rating 2 out of 5]

Literally no one is that committed to their dissertation

[jossa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This entire book puts together fumbled history lessons and the worst rebound romance imaginable as cohesively as a 3rd grade collage of magazine cutouts. MC is somehow someone who loves research and problem solving yet proceeds to do neither of those things in this crap storm she has championed despite all logic. I also find it disturbing she just speaks with a man who tried to SA her like that didn’t happen. What a wreck of a book.

[Mikayla Alford · Rating 2 out of 5]

Giving this book two stars is generous honestly. Let me start by saying Joyce Carol Oates should be ashamed of herself. She deserves jail time for lying so blatantly. The main character was so irritatingly stupid for being such an esteemed researcher and PhD student it physically hurt to read. She had no logic skills or common sense. There was too many plots going that weren’t even properly connecting. The twists were so obvious from the first couple of chapters and the only reason I finished this book instead of DNF’ing it was because I was hoping it would get better or something good would be revealed in the end. Spoiler alert. It does not. Most of the book is left unresolved besides the obvious. Severely lackluster, incredibly rushed yet slow at the same time, and the characters are flat with no development and easy to forget. It’s so cliché. One of the worst main characters I’ve ever come across in a book and I want Joyce and Joanna to refund me my time for reading this atrocity.

[Kristina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yikes. This author tried to include way too many different plot lines in one novel but didn’t thoroughly dove into any one of them. We have a PhD student caught up in a modern day murder/suicide scandal, but she’s also following a 16th century family’s history and their own scandal, oh and we also have a love affair with our advisor. The writing was so choppy, the characters left unexplored, the whole thing felt rushed. There was an outline for a a really good story or a series but she tried to cram it all into one book and it was a major flop.

[Maggie · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Bequest just wasn't for me, I guess; it didn't hold my attention at all. It had lots of promise (hence requesting an advance copy), but it's potential wasn't realized. I had zero attachment to any of the characters, of which there were far more than necessary. For me, the historical mystery-within-the-mystery (the 16th century Italy/cursed emerald saga) was ultimately (but only slightly) more interesting than the predicament Isabel (the protagonist) found herself in. I came close to giving up on this book several times, but reluctantly picked it up and read a few chapters once in awhile until I finished it. In hindsight, I can now say I wouldn't have missed much by not sticking it out until the end.

*Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC*

[AndiReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

GOTHIC SCOTTISH MYSTERY THRILLER ALERT!

Ph.D student Isabel has up and fled her life in America to pursue her doctoral work with a famous feminist professor in Scotland, When she arrives, she finds the the professor has recently died under suspicious circumstances. Fortunately a college friend is in the program and the top scholar in the program, Rose takes her under her wing and shows her the ropes. Rose presents as a potential bipolar character who arrives in a frenzy and disappears for days. She then tells Isabel that she needs her help with important research - that her very life, and Isables as well, is at stake!

Isabel begins untangling the threads of Rose's research and we travel to Genoa and Paris as she tries to track down answers before time runs out. There is plenty of espionage, history and thrills! This might not be for everyone, as you will definitely learn much more about the Renaissance and old customs. Personally, I enjoyed every minute! If you love dark academia, historical mysteries, and atmospheric reads, the Bequest is for you!
#PenzlerPublishing #TheBequest #JoannaMargaret #NetGalley

[Candace]

DNF @ 11% on audio 11/9/22. The writing isn't working for me.

Examples from the first chapter:

"I flew in from the States yesterday..."
"Did you receive our email?"
"No, but I changed my email address about a week ago. I probably should've alerted someone."
(Why would you change your email a week before you moved overseas to start grad school and not check your old email?)

"I'd been looking forward to working with a woman advisor. Now she was dead."
(Classic "woman advisor" move!)

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the concept of the actual story. The writing and character development was sorely lacking.

[Mikala · Rating 1 out of 5]

Slimy. The amount of 'young woman dating old man' infatuation in this.

These side plot romances with way older men are so tired. I'm sick of seeing young bright lively women with old boring pretentious men and being obsessed with them. Like that part where William kisses her after them not talking for months and then says we can't and then she cries and says "what am I going to do with all this desire". EYE ROLLLLLLL.

Very boring and long chapters

What the hell is going in with this skinny dipping scene "im freeweeeee" wtf...

Why is she dating an older man professor wherever she goes and not focused on saving this friend of hers....

Also this man locked her in a closet 😂 and she's so interested in this boring history lesson she doesn't even care are you serious???? ("I apologize for not informing you but I'd thought you'd understand" LOLOLOL STFU...."you worry too much" and she nods WTACTUALF)

And just a ridiculous amount of this Italian history I'm so disinterested about..... Boring. 16th century history I can't follow.

"Now their threatening to kill my father find the emerald don't tell anyone my name" WHAT THE ACTUAL NO. TELL THE COPS. THIS IS SO STUPID.. this girl just endangers your whole wellbeing and Shanghais your life to be about her research and dosnt give you even a clue or warning. No.
This characters motivations make no sense to me ....her and rose were not that good of friends???

There's way too much going on in this book.....all these stupid romances

WHAT IN THE ACTUAL IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. he stole the papers and then gaslights the hell out of her.....wow.

Insufferable main characters. All of them.

What is going on they are talking about how amazing their thesis is and not the danger they are apparently in? Now arguing about who gets credit? God this is so stupid.

ALSO I the audio narrator WAYYYY overdoses every sort of accent. Even just the American accents are like x1000.

God this girl always has got to have some romantic relationship going on. That ending was pitiful.

The covers of this are amazing and the fact that this is a 2 at best is a travesty!!! This could have been a cool, fun, dark academia storyline and this execution was not it.
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Synopsis: A girl gets an opportunity to go study under this famous feminist professor (who immediately is murdered) so when the protagonist gets there she has to study under someone else. She meets this friend there that disappears/is kidnapped and contacts the mc and tells her she needs help finishing her thesis and finding this emerald so the girl can go free. The protagonist spends the rest of the book dating old men and studying ancient Italian history. Honestly very convoluted plot/premise.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blech. What a bore.

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love dark academia and was thrilled to receive an arc of The Bequest from NetGalley. Sadly, I had to DNF this book at 40%, and I probably only made it that far because I was stuck on a plane with nothing else to do.

This book is a story about a woman who moves to Scotland for her graduate work in history and finds herself caught in the middle of multiple mysteries spanning continents and centuries.

This book is super atmospheric. It definitely gives me cozy, rainy, low-key gothic vibes. It also has a very academic setting and the studies of the characters are integral to the plot. In both of those senses, it delivers on the promise of dark academia.

My biggest issue is the lack of character development, as well as relationship development between the characters. When a character died or went missing or had an affair, I honestly didn’t care that much because I had no attachment to them and there was too little info to go on to even make me interested in the “mystery” of it. It also felt like the author tried to tell instead of show. For example, we’re supposed to accept that someone would risk their life to help find and save a friend when the only thing we know about their relationship is they went to the same high school and hang out sometimes.

Lastly, I found the subplot with the emerald convoluted and a bit boring. Maybe I didn’t read far enough for it to make sense with the other parts of the plot, but it mostly felt like a hint of National Treasure sprinkled in to an otherwise flat story.

[Ketelen Lefkovich · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Bequest is a Dark Academia, but not a very good one. I’m researching DA for my masters degree and so I’m always looking to read new books of this genre. This was a very difficult book to read, and to rate as well because although I have a lot of complaints, and this book has a lot of flaws, it did make me want to keep reading. And for me, that is always an achievement in itself.

Isabel is a PhD student in Scotland, her subject is the court of Catherine de Medici in 16th century France. This is, as most study topics in DA books, a very niche subject. However, that is usually never a problem for me when it comes to reading books of this genre. Usually, the author manages to convey the information in a manner that is agreeable and interesting to me. This was the case of The Latinist, a book that features translations from Latin as well as discussions and interpretations of the myth of Apollo and Daphne. I am not versed in this topic and yet I was able to follow the story smoothly and easily and the author kept me engaged at all times. When I checked other reviews I saw that people complained that it was a heavy load of information that sometimes read like a textbook or coursework, which is actually something very typical of DA as well. Babel: An Arcane History is a fine example of that, a book that not only I was obsessed about, but ultimately focused on topics that I am genuinely interested in, such as languages, translation, and etymology. With ‘The Bequest’ it wasn’t as easy to follow through with the things being explained. First, there were too many names in the things being told and it made it difficult to keep up. Second, I feel like the writing played a huge part in this and the sections (which were a LOT) became quickly convoluted and very boring. Here’s an example:

“In 1547, with the help of Hapsburg Emperor Charles V, Doria, suppressed a pro-French rebellion led by the Fieschi family, wiping out most of them. The remaining Fieschi escaped to France, and two years later Giovanbattista Falcone, a Fieschi sympathizer, started his own unsuccessful revolt against the doge. After Giovanbattista was forced to move to France, his brother Pierfrancesco stayed behind in Genoa, maintaining the family base there. later Giovanbattista’s sons traveled often to Genoa, establishing their own networks there.”

Now imagine pages upon pages of information being conveyed like this. Kind of excruciating if you ask me.

The book does show the main character working on her thesis and doing research a lot. Not because of the amount of passages like the one before, but the scenes where the MC is at a library or archival and digging through documents and translations, etc. You actually get to see her doing academic work, which is one of the staples of a DA book.

Up until 30% of the book, I found myself engaged with the story, even though the writing wasn’t my favorite from the very beginning, it was a pleasant experience. Then on the 30% mark we have a big chance in the story, but honestly, I just felt it was a little silly. Until half of the book it made me reconsider if I should finish it at all or if I should drop it. I ended up being engaged enough and interested enough (albeit with a lot of reserves) and decided to finish the novel.

I do feel like this book tried to accomplish a lot, in various different ways and things, and ended up doing a poor job of it all. I do feel like it should have been way bigger for starters, it is only 300-ish pages and that definitely wasn’t enough to develop all the aspects that the author inserted into the narrative. Another thing is that the writing and editing could have been better. Because this does read much like a first draft and not a finished fully fleshed-out novel, which is sad. The potential is definitely THERE, the ideas were good, but the execution lacked a lot.

The main character, Isabel, is very flat, and I can’t even speak about development because this is the type of character that isn’t fully constructed in the first place, so you can’t expect development and growth when you didn’t even get a three-dimensional character. She has more personality while working on her academic studies than in any other area of her life or interaction outside the academic setting. She is, to put it simply, quite dumb. Plus, a lot of her choices and actions, even after discovering things that are “bad”, are just not very believable. You really just have to pull your beliefs when it comes to the way this character acts because its just very outside of reality.

An aspect that was done quite well in this novel are the gothic elements. We begin the story in Scotland at St. Stephens University. The ambience and setting are very moody and gloomy and it evokes the descriptions usually found in gothic texts. The ominous aspect of the recent passing of the woman who was supposed to be Isabel’s advisor also contributes to creating a mysterious and eerie ambiance. This aspect is one of my favorite ones from the whole novel, and although it isn’t present throughout all of it, the parts that do feature it are some of the best in the story. One thing I do wish was more developed is the fact that Isabel stops taking medication for mental health issues, and at first it seems like this will create a scenario of paranoia, fear, and descent into madness in the sense of “is this really happening” or “is this real” that is so prominent in gothic writing, but sadly this is just one of many aspects that end up being overlooked in the grand scheme of the novel.

This was something that was irritating to me as I read, how certain situations or things we are presented with, end up being overlooked, not thoroughly explained, and generally leave a feeling of incompletion and unsatisfying in the reader. This is something that I feel like if the book was bigger it could have more pages to deal with all of this things that the author wanted to include but didn’t have time to focus on. On another note, some things are just included that just don’t really add up to the story, for example, the past and a previous relationship the MC had with a married professor, don't seem to add up to anything in the grand scheme of things, as well as an out of the blue and totally unrelated to the story scene of attempted sexual assault. I was taken by surprise by that scene, and it felt very disconnected from the rest of the book. Plus, a few pages later it is totally brushed aside and it just felt completely unnecessary for it to happen.

During her research, Isabel learns that she will have to look for a legendary and seemingly cursed Emerald if she wants to save her life and the life of her friends. This is one of the aspects of this novel that felt very silly, plus the whole search for this Emerald is totally a MacGuffin plot device. There is literally no use for this thing, but the MC must find it. I find these types of plots to be very bland, and I understand how easily one could look at this story and be bored with it, because it doesn’t give you a lot to look forward to. Plus, on an unrelated note, it did remind me a bit of the way things work in The DaVinci Code, however not nearly as entertaining nor as electrifying and with the fast pace Dan Brown is able to create. A lot of situations related to this aspect of the plot of ‘The Bequest’ made me roll my eyes and forced me once again to suspend my beliefs because of how implausible things were.

The ending of this novel is very abrupt and doesn’t feel in the least satisfying. It feels off considering you’ve spent a lot of time with this character going from one place to the other and suddenly “poof” it ends, that’s it folks thanks for coming. I felt very annoyed with the way the story concluded, I wish it were done better. I mean I wish this whole novel was done better.

Like I said in the beginning, this was a difficult book to rate. I did read it pretty fast, almost 70% of it in one sitting, and only did I not finish it all in one sitting because I didn’t feel like reading anymore. It can be an easy read, but I don’t think it’s a book for everyone. I think a lot of people will be put off by many of the aspects I commented on in this review, but the massive one is the writing, pacing, and those lengthy descriptions that read like schoolwork. I don’t think this was the worst book I’ve ever read. It did have some qualities, and it did make me want to read till the end, which is something I value in a story a lot. Otherwise, I would have just dropped it.

However, it is most certainly not the best Dark Academia out there, and trust me I am researching the genre, so I’ve read a lot of wanna-be DA books that end up not being DA in the least, and other books that are DA and are better than this one. In a way it feels very weird to read a book from one of my favorite genres and which I usually tend to love because I am obsessed with stories like these, and end up NOT being obsessed or in love, but actually just… Feeling like it’s a bad book. Of course, it is useful for my research and therefore for me, it wasn’t a waste of time, but if you’re looking to read a Dark Academia book, this isn’t one I’d recommend.

↠ 2 stars✨

[Kevin Halter · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Bequest by Joanna Margaret has an interesting mystery but never really engaged me as a reader. I've put off writing a review for this one because writing like art is subjective and there may be people who really enjoy this book. I mean, "After her professor’s suspicious death, a PhD student uncovers dark machinations among her academic associates in this "richly atmospheric and irresistibly readable" (Joyce Carol Oates) Gothic mystery set between Scotland, Italy, and France. " It sounds promising. And the book does the mystery and atmospheric gothic feel really well.
For some reason though I just couldn't get invested in the characters. At about 3/4 of the way through the book I realized I didn't really care what happened to any of them.
As I say, I can see where others may really love this book.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #PenzlerPublishing and Joanna Margaret for the ARC copy of #TheBequest.

[Mary Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh, this one didn't work for me. At the onset, there was not nearly enough character development and lists of names kept appearing at meetings. The entire I-was-involved-with-a-married-man from Isabel's past was unnecessary and didn't contribute to the story line. Minor details (like paying a bill in cafe when leaving - you pay before giving the barista your order, based on your receipt) that were inaccurate, unbelievable personal interactions of plot twists. Hard pass.

[Kasey Lynch · Rating 1 out of 5]

The plot could have saved the terrible writing if it wasn’t also abysmal

[Maura Matvey · Rating 1 out of 5]

UNREADABLE

[Katherine Kushay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The plot is not the most original but the adventure and how the tale unravels makes for a good read. At first, the plot that so many of us mystery fans are familiar with, the seemingly easy going lifestyle of the world of academia, is spun out of control when a friend is kidnapped and her very life depends on what the heroine does. But as the story goes along, you and the heroine don't know who to trust in the varied cast of characters. The ending resolves the story lines nicely in a neat package and I have to say, I felt good about this read, even moreso than I expected at the beginning. The ending left me with a smile.

[Ellie Parsons · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟 I really enjoyed the plot of this book but I think the nature of it meant that some bit were a little hard to follow and may have been better in physical format, not audiobook

[Rick Slane · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cautionary tale for doctoral researchers.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bequest is an intoxicating, thrilling dark academia mystery, in the vein of Donna Tart’s The Secret History, Alex Michaelides‘ The Maidens, and Maren Mackenzie’s Rules of Arrangement. I was hooked from the description, knew it would be good when I saw it was published by Scarlet/Penzler, and was definitely not disappointed!

Isabel Henley has just landed in Scotland to begin her PhD program at St. Stephens with a renown history professor as her advisor. She’s leaving behind a messy affair with a married colleague back in Boston, running towards a promising future - reuniting with the older student she idolized back in undergrad and a dissertation topic she and her advisor are excited about - only to land in Scotland to the news that her advisor had a fatal fall out on the cliffs. Furthermore, the student she hoped to rekindle a friendship with, Rose Brewster, is nowhere to be found, away researching her own thesis, and she learns that the topic she hoped to pursue is already being done and about to be published by a prominent academic press. Beginning to flail, she reaches out for a lifeline, making some tenuous friendships with her fellow students and another lecturer, William Anderson. The longer Rose remains away, the closer Isabel and William become.

But when Rose turns up at Isabel’s apartment one night, leaving behind a mysterious gift and then disappearing without a trace, Isabel becomes worried. When she receives a message from the missing Rose, it’s this: continue my research, find the emerald, or we both die. Assuming Rose’s research topic as her own, since they closely overlapped, Isabel embarks on a race across Europe - Scotland to Genoa, Florence and Paris, to track down the needle in a haystack she needs to locate the long lost jewel. She meets the family descended from the original owner in Genoa, prying into their closely guarded history, before following Rose’s research to Florence and Paris, where she continues to dig through the archives looking for clues. Through her quest for the truth, she’s faced with an uphill battle of knowing who she can or should trust, and racing against the clock before someone else dies.

I was totally hooked on this from the first page. Like A Secret History, we open with an incident, with two unidentified people and one has an “accident”. What a teaser! Then we get to know Isabel and her situation before the action really starts. Then we’re left wondering who we meet through Isabel that can be trusted and what they’re motives are. We’re also left wondering how much Isabel herself can be trusted, since there is some hint of medications that may or may not be affecting her mental state. This is the perfect mysterious dark academia for the fall!

[Daniel Wilcox · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeesh.

There was a lot of potential here in The Bequest, with a historical treasure hunt spanning centuries, overlapping with a Dark Academia murder mystery/conspiracy. But man.

MAN.

I can't understand how so many female authors feel comfortable writing female protagonists who are infantile, gullible, and without agency (Colleen Hoover, I'm looking right at YOU). The protagonist of The Bequest spends the entire book getting pushed from one scene to the next by other characters' motivations.

First, she's forced to change her PhD thesis after a classmate disappears. She doesn't protest. Then she's being forced into finding a priceless jewel because "they" are going to kill her. That's fine, she decides. Some guy locks her in a study while she's doing research. She's okay with this. Another character drags her into a bedroom and forces her to change into antique clothing in front of her. She just goes with it. Now, her academic advisor is following her around Europe, wanting to sleep with her. She's horny, so it's cool. Even in the story's climax she's being dragged by the wrist by some character who arrives ex nihilo.

At no point does she make a decision FOR HERSELF. Which would be fine in a continent spanning thriller set in dusty libraries in ancient cities, except that our protagonist can't see a double cross happening five feet from her face. She intrinsically trusts every character she encounters and until another one comes along to tell her not to trust the last guy.

The other characters are of no consequence, by the way. At the start, the reader is introduced to no fewer than six of the protagonist's classmates that can't be distinguished from one another. They're all Scottish, stylish, dramatic, and horny. When one of them dies later in the novel, I couldn't remember which character it was but honestly didn't care.

I didn't care about any of these characters. What kept me going was the underlying mystery concerning a famous jewel that had disappeared from historical record. Should I be shocked that this plot line is also resolved hastily and without satisfaction?

I'm glad I read this book. It's fun from time to time to get mad at a book for its relentless stupidity. It also makes me sad as Donna Tartt's "The Secret History" has likely ruined this whole subgenre for me. But given that we have a blueprint for how these novels can succeed, we really can't forgive dreck like The Bequest.

[Manon (mysterymanon) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Cluesletter | @mysterymanon (IG) | @mysterymanon (TT)

THE BEQUEST is a academia-themed thriller/mystery from debut author Joanna Margaret.

The premise is intriguing: Isabel, an American scholar, heads to Scotland to begin her PhD—only to find her advisor recently dead from an apparent accident. As she embarks on her research, other unsettling things start to happen: untrustworthy peers, kidnappings, death threats. The threats follow her as she rushes through research in Genoa, Florence, and Paris.

There’s two mysteries in this story: a historical mystery that Isabel works to unravel through 16th century letters and documents, and the present-day mystery that is threatening Isabel’s life.

As a whole, the book felt flat and unemotional. The thrill of the story never really left the ground. I felt zero connection to any of the characters, and especially not the protagonist, who I found contradicting. She’s an intrepid and extremely competent researcher, yet a total fool with her personal relationships. She’s played like a fiddle throughout the book, and as a reader, it all seemed obvious. This is one of those mysteries where I found myself suspecting one person in particular, yet hoping it wasn’t them since the solution would be too simple.

The pacing was slow for me, but others might find it comfortable. I can also see some readers enjoying the dark academia and historical research vibes in this book. But those looking for a deeper connection to characters and plot could find a better thrill elsewhere.

Content warnings: drugging & attempted SA (one scene).

Thank you to Scarlet/Penzler Publishers and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. I’ve posted to Goodreads and will post the book on Instagram on the pub date.

[Renee(Reneesramblings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isabel Henley has left her life in America behind and is now in Scotland excited to start work on her doctorate degree. Isobel is thrilled that Madeline Granger will be her advisor but when she arrives at St. Stephens, she finds out that she has died tragically in an accident. The only thing holding her together is that her old college friend Rose Brewster is also at Saint Stephens. When Rose disappears, she leaves Isabel adrift. She finally hears from Rose who tells her that her life is in danger and now Isabel’s is too (it is quite a complicated tale).

She provides instructions detailing what Isabel must do but with little guidance on how she can accomplish Rose’s mission. The story delves deeply into ancient history with Isabel’s “mission” always looming in the background. This was quite different than the books I usually choose and for the most part, I found the history fascinating. My only issue was that it did drag at times for me, but I will admit that I was in the hospital when I read this and not on top of my game in any way. Isabel made some questionable choices (one after another), but as the story unfolds, we learn more about the demons that chased her across the pond.

It did not end at all how I imagined and while I don't think this as any book will be for everyone, I found myself invested in the story and surprise, surprise-making guesses that mostly were wrong. The mystery surrounding the death of Madeline and the disappearance of Rose kept me flipping pages. A slow burn but I enjoyed learning about the history and trying to figure out who was telling the truth and if Isabel was a reliable narrator. The dark academia vibes are there but at times I wished that I felt more for Isabel. She was a hard character to relate to. I wound up reading this again when I get home and it made much more sense(books and emergency admissions don’t really mix).

[Leane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The historical, archival search for answers to the main thrust of the puzzle presented to the main CH, Isabel, gullible and self-doubting URN (unreliable narrator) and historical doctoral student kept me turning the pages of this psychological thriller. I knew who not to trust right away; however, the author did a decent job of using red herrings and dropping clues for there to be more than one contender for villain(s). The Pace increases as the overlays of Tone make the Scottish university town set near the sea (major Tone provider) as well as Isabel’s adventures in Genoa, Florence, and Paris through excellent place details take on more weight. Style also enhances the reading experience combining to great effect letters, texts, foreboding and steamy Gothic suspense and romance elements, and the atmosphere of “dark academia.” The archive and research scenes with the realistic historical and modern-scholar details made this novel more arresting for me, reminding me at times of Tartt’s The Secret History, even if the overall writing is not a match in quality. You may, like me, want to yell out loud at Isabel’s propensity to trust as her neediness cancels out her inner warning voice. However, Psych Sus relies on the flawed protagonist to make the plotting work. The ending was not as satisfactory as I would like because many questions go unanswered—maybe because Isabel does not know the answers at the end or because the author needed a better editor. Fans of Hays’ The Cloisters and Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian may want to pick this up.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Bequest is an intoxicating story which takes place in Scotland, Italy and France. PhD student Isabel Henley flees difficulty in America to make a fresh start in atmospheric Scotland. But trouble follows her there, too. She arrives to discover her advisor has had a fatal fall and she is teamed up with another advisor, also revered but not what she wanted. As she is in a foreign country friendships matter...her close friend Rose disappears and leaves a suicide note. That is just the beginning. Secrets, deceptions, letters and clues abound throughout and Isabel learns more about history she is pursuing as well as her value.

My favourite aspect of this story is the Gothic atmosphere with mentions of legends, especially in Scotland, one of the most enchanting countries I've enjoyed. At times the pacing seemed a wee bit off and I did not particularly care about the characters' lives as they did not seem convincing. The premise drew me in but did not completely captivate me. However, it was worth reading.

Do read this book if you are intrigued by Gothic Dark Academia.

My sincere thank you to Penzler Publishers and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this intriguing story.

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Henley is running away from her past all the way to Scotland to work on her PHD with a well known advisor, but when she arrives, she learns that her advisor has sadly died. Soon she begins to form a close friendship with an old college friend who is also at the same university working on a similar thesis. Soon that friend disappears, but sends her messages about a missing emerald and how now Henley needs to locate it or they both will die.

This was just not good. The story was boring. It moved too quickly and too slowly at the same time. It was poorly written. It has a weird instant love that is HIGHLY inappropriate and well, there is an and, but I do not want to spoil too much.

The actual research elements were the most interesting part of this book. I though that story was a lot more engaging than the one we got, but we only got bits and pieces of it, and the actual storyline was so bad that the little bit of interesting could not give it another star.

I will admit. This is on me. I didn’t read any reviews or even looked up the Goodreads rating. I just decided to go with my eyes when I saw the cover knowing that it fit a prompt for my reading challenge. That is on me.

The 52 Book Club 2024- “An Academic Thriller”

[Natalie HH · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things I loved:

✔ Dark academia
✔ Multiple settings (Scotland, Genoa, Florence, Paris)
✔ Cozy Mystery / Whodunnit (This is marketed as a "Thriller" but I very much beg to differ!

Things I didn't:

🚫 A lot of characters to keep up with. I kept forgetting who was who and what their roll was multiple times
🚫 Sllllllllllllooooooooow pacing. There was just way too much mystery to solve to be delivered at this snails' pace
🚫 Unfleshed out characters - very important characters to the plotline were really vague and almost felt secondary
🚫 Something happens to the main character 2/3 way through the book that leaves us hanging and goes completely unanswered for. The scene was infuriating, so leaving readers hanging in this regard felt like a ruiner for me.
🚫 HEAVY on the History - you better love 15th century Italian history, because there's a TON of it. I had a huge appreciation for what was shared, but at times it felt like I was sitting in the middle of a uni history class 😳

[Shaun Shepard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Academic mystery set in Scotland? Count me in! I flew through this debut, captivated by the St. Andrews — err, St. Stephens! — setting and the protagonist’s subsequent romp through Europe to find an object obscured by history before the time runs out. Think the heart-racing international allure of Dan Brown mixed with a gothic, dark academia vibe. Given that these are my favorite genres, I was here for it!

I did think that it was a little on the long side — either a tighter narrative or breaking the book up into a trilogy or duology might keep more readers’ attention. I also guessed most of the twists, but still enjoyed seeing them play out on the page. Will certainly be reading this author’s subsequent books!

[Heaether · Rating 4 out of 5]

A PhD student with a troubled past arrived in Scotland to work on her dissertation. Soon she is embroiled in a plot of betrayal and murder that spans from the 16th century to her own department. This book is a great example of a Gothic dark academia novel. While some might find the story a bit drawn out, I truly enjoyed all of the research porn and archival descriptions. Thank you to net galley for the advanced readers copy.