Dead as Gold

by Bonnie Burke-Patel

Adam Conlan has made a new life for himself in Morrow-on-Sea. After a wild youth, the goldsmith had settled down, determined to be around for his young son. But now Ophelia Richards appears at his studio door, asking if he will buy her gold. The writer entices and unsettles him; he sees she is adrift in the same cold pain and loneliness as he is.


At the same time, faces begin appearing at the studio window, an unwelcome gift arrives in the post, gold goes missing.


Then comes death, then comes Detective Inspector William Kent.


Woven through with Morrow's fairy tales,
Dead as Gold is a modern gothic crime novel veined with love, violence, family, and desire. Humans still use fairy tales to explore their deepest truths. So who is a wolf, and who is a sparrow?

Genres: Fiction

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 3, 2025

About the author

Born and raised in South Gloucestershire, Bonnie Burke-Patel studied History at Oxford. After working for half a decade in politics and policy, she changed careers and became a preschool teacher, before beginning to write full time. She lives with her husband, son, and needy cat in south east London, and is working on her next crime novel about fairy tales, desire, and the seaside.

Reviews

[Paperback Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adding to my list of books that HOOKED ME FROM PAGE 1!
So so atmospheric with its small town setting and an eerie sense of history. Gothic crime and mystery blended perfectly (also loved the fairytale remixes), with relevant social themes around the bonds of love, trauma, and family without feeling forced.
The writing is haunting yet grounded, the red herrings had me second-guessing myself (should’ve trusted my gut fr). Everything tied together so well!

5 stars.

"And the moral of the tale is to be careful of the skin you wear, for it is better to be a poorly clothed human, than to don the pelt of a wolf"

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5

first of all thank you bonnie for gifting me a copy of this book!!

loved the descriptive and detailed writing style, made the atmosphere and setting feel quite real!
the ending was pretty unexpected for me but i looved it nonetheless!!

[Chloe Tildsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A whirlwind of a novel that kept me fascinated until the very last pages. A tapestry of blended family, trauma and mystery that moves quickly but gracefully. The attention to detail with each central character’s development is masterful, leaving the reader overcome with affection for the tragedy inflicted on them. Adam, our protagonist is a portrait of relatability in his self-distrust— what a wonderful thing to witness his growth and healing arrive just as he needs it most.
Ophelia, the ethereal, damaged supporting character is just as complex and captivating throughout.

Dead As Gold is atmospheric and dark in a feathery sort of way. A lightness overcame me whilst reading this book. Gently, Burke-Patel has poured her soul into these pages and it truly shows.

Expect labyrinthine plots and counterplots, each bringing a new and deeper level of alarm and excitement right until their gratifying resolution.

Huge thank you to Bonnie for the advanced reader copy and massive congratulations on this superb publication.

[Fatima · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC (No Spoilers) Review: Dead as Gold by @bonnieburkepatel

(5/5 stars)

Plot:
The main protagonists of this tale are Adam Conlan and Ophelia Richard’s. Both lives come serendipitously together during a time when both of them are lonely and looking to belong, after not having the most secure of upbringings. On the eve of a break-in at Adam’s goldsmith studio, gold rings are lost, a body is discovered floating on the sea, lifeless. New and old characters come to play in this story, but who? Who is the wolf of this story, how is Ophelia’s tale connected to Adam’s, and will the fairytale that is already spun within the town Marrow-on-Sea end up as a happily ever-after, after all?

First of all, thank you to @bonnieburkepatel for giving me this Arc personally. I’ll be forever a fan girl of your writing. I’m so honoured and grateful that you gave me early access 🥹. After being doubtful that Bonnie could top one of my favourite books of all time (her first novel - I Died at Fallow Hall), boy could I not be more wrong. This book finished me, but in the best way POSSIBLE! Once again, Bonnie serves us with a gothic crime and mystery that is interwoven exceptionally well in current relevant social themes of bonds of love, trauma and family. This will have you micro-analyse each and every character to their very core- which I loved. How this all happens while a murder mystery theft takes place, tells you how talented and gifted Bonnie is. I will forever eat up your work, and forever revisit them again and again.

This book finished me- but in the best possible way, and had me thinking about it for days after. It was a *Chefs Kiss* !!

[Rudrashree Makwana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author’s writing is beautiful and the book pulled me in immediately. If you are looking for a gothic crime mystery with fairytale infused in it, look no further. This book is right up your alley. The characters were intriguing and each of them had a facade. I couldn’t put it down. Sparrow’s story was touching and poignant. Loved the lyrical storytelling filled with dangers, manipulation, unthinkable happenings, chilling gift and fateful turn of events. This was truly an addictive and unputdownable book.

Thanks to Random Things Tours and the publisher.

[Kayte Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uhm I love this book so much. I’ve read literally nothing like it. The way fairy tales are weaved intricately throughout - how it is so modern but also so outside of space and time. Like with all fairy tales there is something for everyone here - you will take away what’s for you; and what I took away from this book was something I really needed at this place in my life. I devoured it. It was warm, sweet, and thoughtful.

A robbery. A dead body. A woman whose arrival seems to be the start of it all and a man who has left his past behind, but has he ?

Who is the wolf ? I hope you read and find out

[ColleenSC (colleenallbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely haunting and fantastic. Perfect when you want a mysterious read with a bleak setting. Burke-Patel weaves a spell with compelling characters and a page-turning mystery. The dark fairy tale theme is an incredible thread that makes the conclusion even more powerful. While many difficult truths about humanity, family, childhood trauma, and brokenness are explored, I never felt the narrative got bogged down in depression. There are beautiful glimmers of gold to find as well.

[amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a strange and beguiling book. I think it will take a few days to process what happened and how exactly the folk tale tallies up with the present day story.

We meet Adam, a goldsmith in an ageing seaside town who has a son he sees on weekends and a wild past he suppresses with guilt. We also meet Ophelia who is a writer, lonely, forlorn and always cold. They meet when she tries to sell Adam some gold and the attraction is there from the start. Soon after there are strange occurrences and the two become entangled in each other’s lives. Interweaving between their stories is a folk tale that changes and morphs as Adam’s and Ophelia’s does (I think). I loved the descriptions of the town, the sea and the little details the author placed to draw us into this story. There are so many red herrings that I was very far off the mark when it came to the ending.

Quite a unique who dunnit and I’m keen to read the author’s other book.

Received this as an ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Veronika Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t begin to express how much I loved this book. It’s not just the characters, especially Adam, it’s the exquisite writing, the main story and the way in which it’s interspersed with fairy tales that reflect what’s happening. I loved the fairy tales though they are crueller than the real life.

Then there’s the setting – I love anything to do with the seaside, and the way in which the sea becomes a character of its own, with its power and majesty.

While I loved Bonnie’s previous novel I Died At Fallow Hall (I was on the blog tour), it didn’t speak to my heart and soul in the same way as Dead As Gold. Sorry that sounds so pretentious.

Adam Conlan and Ophelia Richards are the two main protagonists, who fate has driven together. First meeting briefly on the beach, Olivia turns up at Adam’s shop and workshop and asks him to buy three items of valuable jewellery given to her by her beautiful mother Marina. Though we don’t actually ‘see’ much of Marina, she is central to Olivia’s story. Adam’s brother Luke is also important, he was a stabilising factor in his and Adam’s troubled childhood, having lost their mother when they were young and been raised by their cold, seemingly uncaring father.

Eight years ago, Adam fathered a child, Felix, on a one-night stand. Though he and the mother never had a relationship, they share the parenting and Adam has now become a responsible father. But then Adam receives a warning in the post, a mysterious face keeps appearing at the window, his shop is broken into, thousands of pounds worth of gold is stolen, and the unthinkable happens. And so the drama begins. A wonderful read, which will no doubt become one of my favourite books of the year.

Many thanks to the author for an advanced paperback proof of #DeadAsGold

[Adeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars
Mystery set in a British seaside town, where Adam, after his wild and hedonistic youth, settles as a goldsmith trying to find a more stability and to be near his young son. While mysterious and tragic events occurs at his work place, he meets a potential client, a young writer named Ophelia who has her own loneliness and struggles. As the strange occurrences are being investigated by a local Detective inspector, both Adam and Ophelia’s lives becomes increasingly intertwined.

This is Bonnie Burke-Patel’s sophomore novel and I’ve got to say this was another great read.
Like her first novel, her writing is lush and evocative, perfectly rendering the seaside city and its wild climate, with an eerie and gothic atmosphere .
As always her characters are compelling, complex characters and even the antagonists come off as real human beings and not mustache twirling Villains. I loved how her characters would weave relationships with each other without words, the author found a great job of showing feelings and acts with a minimal but impactful prose.
The pacing was just right and this was such a page turner with plenty of twists, so I inhaled it in a day. The last 30 pages felt both intense yet so emotional.
I loved how the author approached various themes of family, love, parenthood, trauma, secrets, loneliness…
Some tiny elements I wasn’t sure about the weaving of a fairy tale like stories into the main story which at times felt a bit redundant and distracting to me? I liked the dark undertones of it, but I guess not every part made an impact on me.
An other incredible story by Bonnie Burke-Patel, I’ll definitely look forward to seeing more of her work in the future.

[Nicola Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead as Gold is set in a fictional coastal town called Morrow-on-Sea. Adam Conlon resides there, making his living as a goldsmith and co-parenting his son, Felix. A number of unusual things happen all at once: a mysterious face at the window, an item missing from the workshop, an animal heart in the post, a break in and robbery, and the entrance into his life of Ophelia Richards. Ophelia visits Adam's workshop to sell some jewellery but her life seems to become more and more entwined with Adam's as time goes on.

As with I Died at Fallow Hall, Bonnie Burke-Patel's first book, Dead as Gold has a beautiful pared back clarity to the writing, a kind of melancholy feel to the daily lives of the characters in the quiet seaside setting. Adam and Ophelia are the main protagonists but there is another, DI William Kent, who adds an additional voice to the story when he is called in to investigate the robbery. Each character is very different to each other but as an ensemble piece they complement each other perfectly.

The story is interweaved with fairy stories, ostensibly Morrow's tales, but based on dark fairy tales of old. A clever device by Burke-Patel and one that gelled really well with the overall themes and style of the novel. The plot itself took one or two quite unexpected turns, just when it seemed that the outcome was going to be pretty straightforward, and it added a nice twist to this gothic crime novel.

I really enjoyed Dead as Gold. It kept me turning the pages, interested in the characters and what was happening to them. As with Farrow Hall, there are no chapters, but there are section breaks and each section is only a few pages at most, often just a few paragraphs. I found this meant that the book flowed really well. I can't wait for book three now.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s not easy to adequately describe this book, it’s a crime/ mystery story but interspersed with dark gothic fairytales. There are two main protagonists Adam Conlan, a goldsmith who has a shop in Morrow-on-Sea, and an 8 year old son Felix, the result of a one night stand and Ophelia Richards who has come to Morrow to get away from her family. The author has a particular style of writing that made me think of some 18/19th century writers, in a good way.

Briefly, Olivia has been given three valuable gifts of jewellery by her mother Marina. She wants nothing from her mother so approaches Adam to ask him to buy them off her. However, when she goes back to collect her money the shop has been broken into and her items are amongst those stolen. Strangely she doesn’t seem too bothered and asks Adam to tell her a story! Meanwhile strange things have been happening to Adam - faces at the window and a very unwelcome gift as well as the robbery. But that’s not the end of their problems as shortly afterwards Ophelia finds a dead body!

These are two flawed individuals who are both living quite isolated lives, I liked both characters and their background/family stories were complex, particularly Ophelia’s, her parents gave me very uncomfortable vibes from the start. I really liked the police officers, DI William Kent and PC Culvers, perfect foils for each other and I would happily read more from them. The plot is good with great character progression. An enjoyable read.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead as Gold takes readers to the salt-worn edges of Morrow-on-Sea, where grief and longing cling to the fog as tightly as the town’s secrets. Adam Conlan, a goldsmith and single father, is just beginning to carve out a quiet life when Ophelia Richards, a writer wrapped in mystery and pain, arrives, asking him to buy her gold. What starts as a simple transaction quickly becomes a slow burn of tension, attraction and unease.
Burke-Patel masterfully balances the pace of a psychological crime novel with the poetic weight of a modern gothic. Faces appear at Adam’s window. Gold vanishes. A chilling gift arrives. And when death follows, so does the stoic and sharp-eyed DI William Kent.
The novel’s true brilliance lies in its weaving of Morrow’s eerie, whispered fairy tales throughout the plot. These dark, lyrical interludes echo and shadow the characters' struggles. These tales blur the line between fable and reality, asking a question that haunts the novel: who is a wolf, and who is a sparrow?
Atmospheric, lyrical and haunting. Dead as Gold is a modern gothic gem. This is a story about guilt and desire, family and the stories we tell ourselves to survive. Truly unforgettable, you will find yourself thinking about it for days after finishing it.

[Paul Gormley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous story, which mixes crime, mystery, romance and folk tale to great effect.

Adam, a gifted goldsmith, has decamped from London to a small seaside town to share in the care of his son Felix. Strange things are occurring - a strange face at the window of his workshop, a package is delivered containing a heart - and then Adam meets the mysterious Ophelia, a writer with secrets of her own.

This is a novel about difficult childhoods, about people making (or struggling to make) relationships, about kindness and jealousy and the gamut of human emotions.

A tale beautifully told, the main narrative interspersed with extracts from folk tales in their different iterations, tales which may reflect on the lives of our protagonists. Note: this is a story without chapter breaks but it is easy to track the narrative threads.

Like her previous novel, this is a story full of warmth and humanity. It’s great to read a story which focuses more on people’s propensity to kindness and generosity than on their evil deeds.

Highly recommended.

[Sara Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Bookish Thoughts 💬
I absolutely adored Bonnie’s accomplished debut, I Died At Fallow Hall, so when she kindly offered me a proof of her next novel, I jumped at the chance!

Naturally, I had high hopes – Fallow Hall was one of my favourite reads last year – and I’m thrilled to say she’s smashed it again. Dead as Gold is a unique gothic thriller, deftly entwined with fairy tale elements. It’s atmospheric, mysterious, full of surprises, and features a brilliant cast of characters – one of which is the seaside town of Morrow itself.

I especially loved Ophelia, Adam, and little Felix. Kind and sensitive DI Kent, paired with the witty Culvers, made a wonderful detective duo. Huge congratulations to Bonnie for crafting another gripping and entertaining read – I’m already eagerly awaiting book three!

A huge thank you to @bonnieburkepatel @bedfordsq.publishers for this beautiful proof copy and @netgalley for sending me a digital copy in return for my honest review.

[Fatguyreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second read by this author ( the first being "I Died at Fallow Hall" ), so I had an idea of what to expect, and I certainly was not disappointed.

At 236 pages, it's a relatively short novel, but a wonderfully detailed and descritive story is packed into those pages.

It's a beautifully told tale of love, relationships, violence and family, all wrapped up in a gothic crime novel, in Bonnie Burke-Patel's superb style.

It's real storytelling at it's very best with a glorious contemporary fairy tale feel and lots of twists art turns that will hold your attention to the very end.

The characters are believable and feel real, and the pace is just perfect.

It's a haunting read, it's evocative and captivating.

5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rarely write a review but this book is so unusual I wanted to comment. I really enjoyed the story, the writing. I especially like the character depth. How the author brought us into each persons life with intimate details. I really loved this about the book along with an intriguing and beguiling storyline.
What I didn’t enjoy were the fairytales wrapped between the main writing. I found it distracting and boring and scanned those sections. BUT, I think this says more about my lack of patience and personal preference AND when I think about it the fairytales add to the mystique and help get your mind in a certain more open framework to accept the story. I think the writing itself is exemplary and so much more depth than lot of other more shallow thrillers I read. Thank you.

[Narinder Gore · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Jaw Hit The Floor!! Okay a little dramatic but my god this is one of the best whodunit books I've ever read!!

I can't write a long review because I'm scared of spoiling it and I genuinely think everyone should give this one a go!! But I will obviously hightlight a few things 😉😜...

Firstly the writing is impeccable and it just flows so well- it took a while for me to realise there's no chapters! This book really does feel like a film unfolding before your eyes.
I also loved the mixture of storytelling with the fairytales inserted within the text as this makes you question the characters so much more!

All in all a brilliant book that you need to go out and get !! 😍😍

[Mum With A Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story has it all, set in a small town by the coast, it's a mysterious place. A robbery at a goldsmith's, a client who witnesses it and also drags a dead body out of the ocean! How are all these connected to the goldsmith's family?! I loved the fairy tale embedded in this story, it was a dark gothic tale, where I latched onto every word!

The relationships, trauma and meandering twists that kept on giving had me nervous! The characters were flawed and likeable. They all slotted perfectly into the story.
I felt so many different emotions reading this book. I seriously recommend reading this, it's not your average thriller.

[BooksCoveredHB · Rating 5 out of 5]

For my full review please see my blog.

Dead as Gold is a fairly short book that’s beautifully written with believable and realistic characters. I was pulled in from the start and I just love the classic crime element which is expertly woven in with current social themes.

For myself this was a one sitting read and I enjoyed everything about it, from it’s visual presentation to the way it’s written and the narrative. The story will stay with me and one I almost certainly remember, for a long time.

I do remember all the books I read but certain ones stay with me for a longer time and I continue not just remembering but actually think about the story for a while after reading.

[KathVBtn · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Dead As Gold’ is quite unlike anything I have ever read before and I am here for it! Bonnie Burke-Patel combines gothic fairytale elements, an unconventional family, a love story, a dead body, symbolism galore and so much more.

It is all woven together to create a delicate forest of dreams and nightmares, complete with wolves, princes, and gold rings. Goldsmith Adam creates wonderful works of art inspired by his passion for fairytales. He lives a solitary life with his son Felix, careful not to let anyone too close. Then Ophelia blows into Morrow, and everything changes. She is escaping a troubled childhood and family, looking for answers to lifelong questions.

[Emma van Straaten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED LOVED LOVED this poetic, haunting whodunnit - which starts with a single crime, a theft, that fractures like a cracked mirror, implicating the haunted characters reflected in it.

Bonnie Burke Patel has captured the melancholic air of the ailing off-season seaside town and spun a contemplative, mesmerising net with it. The eerie, off-kilter fairytales woven throughout reveal and conceal layers of the enigmatic characters with unsettling effect. Her idiosyncratic chapterless prose is utterly exquisite. A rare 'autobuy' author for me; having been enraptured by her first two novels, I will now read whatever she writes next.

Thank you Bedford Square Publishers for the ARC!

[Lisa McGrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead as Gold by Bonnie Burke-Patel is a smart, spellbinding mystery that blends fairy tale motifs with contemporary suspense. The novel follows a writer who retreats to a childhood vacation spot in hopes of finding inspiration—and in turn meets a local jeweler. When the jeweler is robbed and threatened, and a body is found in the sea, anyone is a suspect.

Burke-Patel’s writing is intelligent and layered, with clever nods to classic fairy tales woven throughout. The characters are vivid and compelling, and the plot is filled with enough twists to keep readers guessing until the very end. Just when you think you have it figured out, the story takes another unexpected turn.

[Mar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. Beautifully written, with compelling main characters and stunning descriptions of the sea. I don't usually like fairytale excerpts dotted through a story - if you are worried about that aspect of this book, I will say that I think I'd have enjoyed it just as much without, but they held my interest and didn't detract at all from the main story for me. (Often with a book like this I'd skip them, as they just aren't for me, so that's high praise!). Another five star read from this author. Looking forward to her third!

[CeeceeBee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, it was a blend of thriller and gothic but felt very fresh. I didn’t see the twist coming, even though I felt like I was sure I had it nailed. Definitely an author to watch and I would read anything else she writes in a heartbeat!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thé story is indulgent on the part of the author, in a good way. She is clearly a fan of fairy stories and other-worldliness and manage to weave this thread through what is essentially a crime thriller. Well done, Bonnie, I loved your story.

[Emma Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

💙 Blurb-
Adam Conlan has made a new life for himself in Morrow-on-Sea. After a wild youth, the goldsmith had settled down, determined to be around for his young son. But now Ophelia Richards appears at his studio door, asking if he will buy her gold. The writer entices and unsettles him; he sees she is adrift in the same cold pain and loneliness as he is.
At the same time, faces begin appearing at the studio window, an unwelcome gift arrives in the post, gold goes missing.
Then comes death, then comes Detective Inspector William Kent.
Woven through with Morrow's fairy tales, Dead as Gold is a modern gothic crime novel veined with love, violence, family, and desire. Humans still use fairy tales to explore their deepest truths. So who is a wolf, and who is a sparrow?
💛 Review -
This was such a brilliantly written novel. I couldn't put it down and I was hooked from the very first page. I read it in one sitting. The author's writing is beautiful and the story telling was flawless. Her writing draws you in and doesn't let you go until the end. I loved the story and the great mix of characters and the pacing was just right. This was a very entertaining read. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.
💝 Thank you to Random Things Tours, the author and publisher for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Elise March · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very solid read. Liked: style of writing, the vibe (??), the relationship that unfolds. Liked less: intermission fairy tale stories, the plot twist

[Sonja Charters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first read by this author, so I had no clue what to expect from this book, but I was instantly drawn to the front cover image, tag and title.

I also noticed the lovely pattern around the edge that revealed some interesting clues when I looked closer.

 

This instantly intrigued me from the start and I found that I easily became engrossed in Adam's life.

A skilled goldsmith, making beautiful pieces inspired by his love of fairytales and now living a quite life with his son.

When Ophelia arrives to sell him her gold, they form an unlikely friendship that develops gradually as each offers just what the other has been needing.

 

I loved the small town setting which was steeped in history and created an almost eerie backdrop to our story.

The atmosphere was set straight away and sucked me into this gothic mystery.

The mix of the gothic with the fairytale elements gave me Grimm vibes throughout, whilst also feeling relevant to the social themes of modern day living.

 

The writing style flowed beautifully and I loved all the little twists and turns within the storyline.

However, be prepared for an unusual format as there are no actual chapters in this one.

This was a little strange at first, but there are marked sections which provide pause points and in actual fact, I ended up reading this over just two sittings anyway.

 

A genre that I don't read all too often and really must make more effort to, as I absolutely loved this one.

 

 

 

[Bookshortie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morrow-on-Sea is about to be shaken up and Goldsmith Adam’s life is about to turn upside down. An item is taken from Adam’s shop, someone sends him an actual heart in the post and then a body is discovered. This all starts when Ophelia attends his shop to sell gold that has been gifted to her. But why is all this happening?

It's very difficult to describe the storyline but in some ways it's a cross between a thriller, murder mystery and a gothic fairytale. The writing style was atmospheric and at times haunting. What I found really unusual about this book was that there were no chapters or headings and it read like one long story, a bit like a fairy tale.

The characters were really intriguing but there was something about them that I couldn’t put my finger on. It did feel like they were hiding something. What was strange and unclear was why Adam was being targeted, which is part of the mystery of the plot. One of my favourite things about the story was that whilst Adam is getting to grips with what’s happening a fairytale is intertwined within the story that mirrored what was happening in the main plot. I really enjoyed reading the fairytale and trying to match up the characters and plot with what was happening to Adam and Ophelia.

The scene that gave me chills and unnerved me was when Adam sees a ghostly face staring at him through a window but when he goes outside there is no one there. It could be a trick of the mind but then the same figure is seen by Ophelia.

The story really kept me guessing until the end and when all was revealed I was really taken aback because it was an ending I didn’t anticipate.