The Haunting of Avis Lovelock

by M.K. Hardy

A professional sceptic must join forces with the professional spiritualist who has a knack for getting under her skin in this supernatural Victorian mystery for fans of Voyage of the Damned and The London Seance Society

Avis Lovelock is a professional sceptic. Using her sharp insights and powers of observation, she sets out to debunk every nefarious spirit medium and psychic she can find. When American businessman Carlton Brooksbank invites her aboard the ocean liner Excambion to take her skills to America, Avis discovers she has been hired to prove to potential buyers that the vessel is not haunted.

As she begins her investigations, she runs afoul of the famous twin spiritualists onboard, Gideon and Rachel Duquesne. They are her polar opposites, and Rachel especially has a knack for getting under her skin. The more Avis works to discredit her adversaries and absolve the ship of its haunted reputation, the more she starts to have visions of water filling her cabin, drowned bodies on decks, and flickering lights on the sea. Then someone is found dead.

To discover the truth, Avis must join forces with her opponents, and confront some haunting secrets of her own.

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Historical, Gothic, Queer, Lesbian

350 pages, Paperback

Published August 27, 2026

About the author

MK Hardy is the pen name for two geeky women living and writing together in Scotland.

Their debut Sapphic Gothic Horror, The Needfire, is out now from Solaris Books!

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

An intensely readable sapphic historical mystery, with a professional sceptic facing off against a pair of self-proclaimed mediums (media?) on board an ocean liner.

Marvellous characterisation of spiky, awkward, in-denial Avis and a great slow burn romance with the deceptive, damaged Rachel. The large cast is well handled and the increasing atmosphere of psychic doom builds up to be proper scary. Great historical grounding makes it fully immersive. A compelling, spooky slow-burn delight: I thoroughly enjoyed this!

[Paulina]

This was so much fun!

Avis Lovelock is a professional sceptic. She uses her powers of observations to debunk the mediums exploiting people's grief for money. That gift gets her a job offer. She's invited to go on a cursed cruise to prove that there's no haunting involved. The job gets slightly more complicated when two spiritualists find themselves on the same ship.

I love Avis as a charcter. She's fun, insightful and cutting. And she doesn't suffer fools. She's also fully convinced ghosts and hauntings are not real and cannot be real. The problem with that? She herself is haunted and in a deep denial about it. I thought it was such a clever twist on her characterisation and made this story even more enjoyable.

The mystery is really well executed and keeps you drawn into the story and the rivalry between Avis (the professional sceptic) and Rachel (the professional medium) is deliciously fun.

I'm really hoping this isn't the only adventure of Avis Lovelock that we get to follow because I need much more of her in my life.

[Aimee]

3.5 stars

A historical mystery, we follow career-sceptic Avis, who makes her living debunking spiritualists, as she investigates a haunted ship to prove that its ghost-free and tries to expose the twin mediums on board as fakes during an ocean-crossing.

Avis is a polarising character. She's abrasive, stubborn, arrogant, often mean, and entirely in denial about the spirit world and also her own motivations.

The atmosphere and themes in this were sadder and more serious than I think I was expecting, and I actually think after reading this I feel like it would have been really interesting if it had leaned even more into horror, but the resolution to the haunting was really quite clever.

In saying that, the pacing is quite slow to begin with. I did find myself feeling pretty impatient to get to the part where things began to unravel and things inevitably pick up. Once you do get to that point though, it's really satisfying to see Avis' development and the plot did become more compelling as the pace sped up.

I'm not sure if the authors are intending to continue on with this as a series (there would definitely be room for it although the ending is also quite resolved), but I would definitely be interested picking up a sequel.

Thank you to Solaris and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Jamedi]

A professional skeptic having to join forces with a professional spiritualist who she seeks to unmask is a hell of a premise, but if you add to the mix using a Victorian transatlantic as the setting and a slow burn romance, you have a hell of a proposal. And that's exactly what MK Hardy delivers with The Haunting of Avis Lovelock, their most recent novel published by Solaris.

Avis Lovelock is a professional skeptic, a woman set to debunk any medium or spirit talker with her sharp insights and her power of observation; American businessman Carlton Brooksbank invites her aboard the ocean liner Excambion, hoping she can help him prove to potential buyers that the ship is not haunted. At the start of her investigations, she crosses paths with the two famous twin spiritualists, Rachel and Gideon Dufresne; she's determined to unmask them and prove them a fraud. But the more she investigates, the more visions she has of drowned bodies, a cabin filled with water, until a passenger is found dead; despite her reluctance, she will be forced to join forces with Rachel to find the truth behind all the strange things happening aboard the Excambion.

A novel that works in part due to how powerful Avis is as a main character, starting from the own contradiction inside her: a professional skeptic haunted by the ghost of her sister; far from the image of a respectable Victorian lady, sharp and witty, trying to bring justice to the world by unmasking those people that falsely claim to talk with spirits, fleecing marks of their money. A perfect character to be at the center of a mistery set in an enclosed space (in this case, a boat in the sea); but it's how she interacts with the Dufresnes, especially with Rachel, what adds the final touch needed to make this a really enjoyable novel.
An arc that starts with both characters in opposite positions, especially as Rachel gets under Avis' skin, but which evolves in the way of a slowburn romance, especially getting tender as both characters open to each other, all while trying to find the truth behind the deaths aboard the Excambion.

The historical setting helps to ground the story a bit, while also helping our characters to shine in contrast with the background; the pacing was pretty much on the spot, a good fit for the story.

The Haunting of Avis Lovelock is a solid sophomore novel by the Scottish duo MK Hardy, a perfect choice if you are looking for more sapphic Gothic horror mistery in your novels with a sharp and witty main character. Go give it a try!

[Alannah Clarke]

I really enjoyed The Haunting of Avis Lovelock! This was such a fun blend of historical mystery, gothic horror and the supernatural, with the claustrophobic setting of a transatlantic ocean liner making everything feel even more atmospheric.

Avis was a great main character. I loved that she makes her living as a professional sceptic, exposing fraudulent mediums, only to find herself aboard a supposedly haunted ship where the things she experiences become increasingly difficult to explain away. Her determination to find a rational answer to everything made the supernatural elements even more effective.

I also really enjoyed the dynamic between Avis and Rachel. Having a committed sceptic forced to work alongside a spiritualist was such a good pairing, and their relationship added another layer to the mystery without overwhelming it. The locked-room feeling of being trapped aboard the ship, combined with visions, unexplained happenings and murder, kept me intrigued throughout.

The atmosphere was probably my favourite part. There is something inherently creepy about an ocean liner surrounded by nothing but dark water, and the isolation worked brilliantly with the supernatural elements.

I did find the pacing a little uneven in places, and there were moments where I wanted the story to move along more quickly or push the horror elements even further. That stopped it from quite reaching five stars for me, but I still had a really good time with it.

Overall, The Haunting of Avis Lovelock is an atmospheric supernatural mystery with ghosts, murder, spiritualists, sceptics and a wonderfully eerie ocean-liner setting. Definitely one I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys historical gothic fiction with a good mystery at its heart.

[Faith]

Lesbians on a boat. The boat is haunted (or is it?). The lesbians are also haunted.

Oh sorry, you need more convincing? Fine. Come for the sharp quips and shenanigans-at-sea; stay for the sexy seances and dark, delicious slow burn romance. Also for the subtly creepy mystery of the haunted cruise liner, beset by sabotage - but is it rational and human, or supernatural?

Avis is a deeply broken person but also a hell of a lot of fun, and it’s fun to follow along with her as she unravels (or tries to) the mysteries of the Excambion and gets caught up in the equally mysterious Rachel Duquesne (Professional Debunker vs. Professional Spiritualist makes for one hell of a romance).

Perfect for fans of Freya Marske’s A Restless Truth; for more Historical Supernatural Lesbians also check out MK Hardy’s The Needfire.

[✴⋆Pages of Moss⋆✴]

I had a great time with The Haunting of Avis Lovelock.

A Victorian mystery on a haunted ocean liner, a professional sceptic who is determined to prove that ghosts absolutely do not exist, a pair of famous spiritualists, a murder, and a sapphic slow burn?

Yeah. This was very much my kind of book.

Avis is absolutely my favourite thing about this whole story.
She is prickly, stubborn, deeply sceptical and absolutely determined to believe that there is a rational explanation for everything.
Which makes it particularly unfortunate that she keeps seeing things she very much cannot explain.

I loved watching her try to reason her way through everything happening aboard the Excambion.
She has built her entire life around exposing spiritualists and protecting people from what she sees as exploitation, so being confronted with something that might actually be supernatural puts her in a very uncomfortable position.

And then Rachel Duquesne comes along to make everything significantly more complicated.

The relationship between Avis and Rachel was SUCH a highlight for me.
They are constantly getting under each other's skin, and watching that gradually shift into something softer had me very invested.
I love a slow burn where neither person quite knows what to do with their feelings, and these two absolutely delivered on that front.

The setting also works so well.
There is something inherently creepy about being stuck on an ocean liner when strange things start happening, because where exactly are you supposed to go? You can't just leave.
You're surrounded by strangers, everyone has their own secrets, and meanwhile Avis is trying to convince herself that none of this is actually supernatural.

Good luck with that, Avis.

I also really enjoyed the way the mystery plays with the question of belief.
How much do you trust what you're seeing? What happens when your entire worldview starts becoming harder to defend? And how do grief and personal experience shape what we're willing to believe?

And honestly, I just loved the combination of everything.
The Gothic atmosphere, the mystery, the historical setting, the sapphic romance, the ghosts and an extremely stubborn woman trying to rationalise her way through all of it.

It was eerie, clever and so much fun to read.

Also, I would absolutely read another Avis Lovelock mystery because I am not remotely done watching this woman argue with ghosts.

[Hannah]

When they say “I love you” but she says “stubborn fool”

Ocean liner glamour meets a haunted locked-ship whodunnit, gothic-leaning atmosphere and women falling in love as they butt heads.

What happens when you run from your past and straight into a battle of wits with a spiritualist determined to undermine the closed off worldview you’ve spent so long building, because of all the guilt and hurt in your past?

Avis moves through the world unattached, steadfast in her insistence that all spiritualists are frauds and the spirit world doesn’t exist. Despite the lingering presence of Patience at her side most moments.

Enter in a very haunted ocean liner and one sylph-like medium called Rachel.

Tasked with discrediting the claims of a haunting to enable to sale of the ship, Avis soon finds herself drawn into a very real paranormal phenomenon, and much further away from the free champagne than she would have liked. Aided only by her sharp wit and the spectre of Patience, and not at all by the beautiful and aggravating spiritualist Rachel, Avis must uncover the truth of the situation aboard the Excambion, or risk real peril taking the entire ship down.

I would have loved a slightly more balanced pacing in the latter third - while it took four days to reach New York from Portsmouth the first two days took 60% of the book. The atmosphere needed time to build, and the stakes to raise, emotions to run high and logical reason to flee as the phenomenon because more inexplicable. However, I adored the tension, emotion and atmosphere of the last 35-40%. I wanted more of this!

But the pay off was worth it, the conclusion was Gripping — and a touch emotional - and anyway I’m a sucker for slow burn sapphics. And throw me overboard in a bag because I was MELTED into goop by the reality and careful building of Avis and Rachel’s relationship. Avis’s reticence was a foil to Rachel’s compassion and resolve. Their bickering and clashing of spirits was the perfect vehicle to express the heart of this book: the ability to be moved with life, and move it in turn. Choosing what to hold onto and what to let go of, and our impact on others, even unconsciously.

All in all, I need more ghost stories on ocean liners that are also about love, grief, guilt and shame.

Thank you Solaris for the review copy! All thoughts are my own

[Helen Whistberry]

This one hit a lot of sweet spots for me: full of ghostly and Gothic flourishes, an intriguing mystery in an interesting setting, slow burn enemies to lovers romance, and a strong female protagonist who is not afraid to buck the conventions that sought to reduce a woman's power and influence during the Victorian period. Avis is an astute but abrasive professional skeptic who is hired to discover the truth behind an allegedly haunted ship. Rachel, along with her twin brother, is one of a pair of famous spiritualists, and as such, fair game to a determined debunker like Avis. Circumstances of an alarming nature force the two women to band together to get to the bottom of the increasingly eerie and dangerous events onboard an elegant passenger liner on its trans-Atlantic voyage from Europe to the United States.

Avis is a prickly, at times even maddening, character that may rub some readers the wrong way, but I enjoyed her aggressive style which hides a desperate effort to mask her own insecurities and overcome past trauma. Rachel is a great foil, more tuned into human emotions and motivations, and also more open-minded when it comes to the idea of worlds we can only barely comprehend existing just beyond the sight of most people. Together, they are a very effective team that I could easily see combining their unique skills in further occult detective adventures.

The supporting cast is large but generally well-defined and play their own parts in the story while the ship details and class differences in passengers were well-researched and fun for history buffs. Some of the twists were not too surprising to anyone who is well-versed in ghost and mystery tales, but the fact that I guessed some of the plot points in advance did not lessen my enjoyment of this well-written novel. I certainly did not predict the grand set piece that forms the climax of the story and was pleasantly surprised at the veering off into a kind of cosmic horror vibe that I really appreciated. Overall, a highly-entertaining and accomplished entry for fans of this genre with great potential for future installments as a series.

[Acantha]

Avis Lovelock has made a career out debunking the supernatural and proving spiritualists are frauds. She is invited to America and as price for her passage asked to prove that the ship she travels upon isn't haunted. Also on the ship are the Duquesne twins, famous spiritualists. She is determined to prove the ship ghost free and as a bonus, unmask them as frauds but it isn't long before truly strange events start to occur. And then a man winds up dead, but in an impossible way...

This explored a really cool idea of ghosts, playing with the concept in a couple of ways. Both were different, interesting and its just a shame that this is a shorter book because the way the 'echoes' are explored is a great one. I would have loved more of that, it was spine chilling and just so different.

The characters are great. Avis and Rachel Duquesne make compelling leads. Her twin brother is less interesting and feels more like a plot point than a character but the two main more than make up for it. And the rest of the characters are great too, there is a hidden romance that you want to slap Avis around the face about - she's so smart but how she misses that...

Trying to solve the murdered man's death takes second place to uncovering the mystery of the ship itself. There are layers here and it is at turns funny, interesting and heart breaking.

Where this book threw me was in the pacing. The first 60-70 of the book was a little creepy sure, there was the mysterious death, there were sightings that couldn't be explained but this was a book about the battle of wits between Avis and Rachel, mentalists and spiritualist. And then the final third of so of the book went right off the deep end into honestly creepy, disturbing waters. Don't get me wrong, I loved it, but it was a really sudden dip into full on creep and I would have liked some more of a build up to it, a gradual increase of tensions.

I really enjoyed this and I think anyone looking for a Sapphic story, or even just a ghost story with a new spin on it would enjoy it too.

~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~

[Leanne]

The Haunting of Avis Lovelock is a wonderfully atmospheric supernatural mystery that blends Victorian intrigue, ocean‑liner glamour, and a delicious thread of gothic unease. MK Hardy crafts a story that feels both sharp and playful, anchored by a heroine who refuses to be anything but herself.

Avis Lovelock is a delightfully prickly protagonist—clever, cynical, and determined to expose every fraudulent medium she encounters. Watching her step aboard the Excambion with the sole purpose of proving the ship isn’t haunted sets up a brilliant dynamic, especially once she clashes with the Duquesne twins, Gideon and Rachel. Their spiritualist flair is the perfect foil to Avis’s rationalism, and the tension between Avis and Rachel adds a lively spark to the unfolding mystery.

The shipboard setting is wonderfully immersive: flickering lights on the sea, whispered rumours, and the creeping sense that something is deeply wrong beneath the Excambion’s polished veneer. As Avis begins to experience visions she can’t explain, the story shifts into a slow‑burn supernatural thriller that keeps its footing in character as much as in atmosphere. The eventual death onboard raises the stakes beautifully, pushing Avis into an uneasy alliance with the very people she set out to debunk.

What stands out most is the blend of wit, gothic tension, and emotional depth. Hardy gives the story a rich sense of place and time, while also exploring grief, belief, and the limits of certainty. It’s clever, eerie, and full of personality—an engaging mystery with a haunting heart.

A compelling, atmospheric read that feels tailor‑made for fans of Victorian occult fiction and shipboard gothic drama.

with thanks to MK Hardy, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[Eine]

There's a lot to like about The Haunting of Avis Lovelock. It's got a gothic vibe, a haunted ship, a very slow-burn sapphic romance and it's set during the Victorian era.

The beginning of the book was a strong start. I enjoyed the setup, the quippy one liners and the introduction of Avis's character. The story slowed down a bit in the middle to introduce our main cast of characters, but only a couple played significant roles later on, which made some of the rest forgettable. I loved the imagery of all the spooky ghost moments, especially toward the end, though I wish there had been more of it.

Avis is a hilarious, Sherlockian figure whose job is to unveil the machinations of psychic frauds. She's weird and likes to make people uncomfortable and it was so fun to watch. As the story went on, she continued to be arrogant, and her quips became scathing. That initial charm slowly seeped away. I think it was a way to show her trying to cover up her insecurities with that thorny exterior. Even though it was difficult to like Avis at times, I was starting to understand why she was that way. It was lovely to see her character arc, and she truly is a different person at the last page from the first.

I did really like reading those little moments when Avis studied Rachel a little too long when they first met, or how she looked for her when first entering a room. It was like sprinkling in foreshadowing for the slow-burn. A slow-burn for the slow-burn if you will. I eat that stuff up like I haven't eaten in a week.

Thank you to NetGalley and Solaris Books for the advanced reader’s copy.

[sums]

Many thanks to Solaris and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

An unexpectedly enjoyable surprise, The Haunting of Avis Lovelock is a nautical adventure, shrouded in mystery and a deeply festering want, that toes the line between reason and the terrifying fantasy of the paranormal.

Avis Lovelock, skeptic by profession, uses her sharp insights and powers of observation to debunk fraudulent spiritual mediums preying on the pockets of the bereaved. With the promise of a fresh start, Avis is invited aboard an ocean liner on its voyage to New York, where she soon discovers that she has been recruited to dispel rumours of the vessel being haunted.

But onboard alongside her are the Duquesnes siblings, a mysterious medium duo whom Avis, of course, intends to expose.

Though as the happenings on the Excambionbecome more and more bizarre, and the haunting of her past harder to ignore, Avis is forced to confront the possibility that not everything is as she thought.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this novel. Initially, I found Avis to be a jarring character, whose sharp wit and conviction towards others often felt like cruelty. But, she certainly grows on you, and though slow at first, the story draws you in with its curious mystery.

The atmosphere was drenched and dreary, with an undertone of sadness that felt akin to something out of a Mike Flanagan series. But the story was also witty and fun, particularly because of Avis’ character and her scepticism towards practically everything.

Not to mention, the quiet, yearning and romance that seemingly captures you out of nowhere, but feels as though it had been building ever since that first description of interaction.

All in all, there was a nostalgic feeling to this novel that really hooked me.

Regarding the mystery itself, the conclusion did feel slightly muddy, though in a way, the ambiguity of it helped merge logic and spirituality into something new entirely, parallel to the characters and their relationship with each other. However, although the buildup in the plot throughout this book was lovely, I’m not sure the payoff felt as well-crafted, and the ending felt somewhat disjointed.

Nevertheless, I did really enjoy this book and I’d love to see what’s next in store from M.K. Hardy.

[Jen]

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This is a historical novel set on a ship making a trans-Atlantic crossing. Our main character has been brought in to investigate odd occurrences. She’s a professional sceptic and the owner of the ship wants to debunk any theories to make sure prospective buyers aren’t put off.

The book contains a fair amount of spiritualism, a common theme for the time period being explored. However what makes this interesting is Avis is there to prove it’s fake. She practices mentalism, cold reading people and tries to use this to convince people that what’s being sold to them isn’t real. She comes up against two spiritualists, brother and sister. They come in to conflict as she seeks to prove them fakes. The fact this came at this from a sceptical angle was pretty interesting. Avis is prickly and a bit undiplomatic at times, but you could see her perspective as she tries to protect people from being (as she believes) swindled.

The setting was great, the time period great. This made for a really effective backdrop for the story. I would have liked to have seen more specifically about the ship just to build up a bit more atmosphere.

I liked Avis as a protagonist. We get to see another side to her, and the things she’s experiencing which she refuses to admit. Her only personal conflicts and her attempts to rationalise everything.

A good historical novel that takes an interesting angle on its subject matter.

[Harry Clark]

I love some ship based shenanigans and this caught my eye immediately from that. I love the Victorian cruise liner setting and the eerie spooky gothic atmosphere present throughout as Avis sets about trying to investigate reported hauntings on the ship.

Avis makes her career out of debunking mystics and psychics and she is called in to disprove that the ship is haunted so that the owner can close a deal to sell it. However this may be a task beyond her reach as she struggles to figure out any plausible explanations once the mysterious goings on turn deadly.

I think the setting and the atmosphere are the highlights for me. I felt like I was on the ship with them. The author does a great job at bringing the place to life and making it leap off the page. As quite a cynical person I also found Avis very relatable and can definitely see myself having the exact same kind of responses as she does throughout the majority of the book.

Her blossoming slow burn interest in Rachel, one half of a mystic twin duo also on board the ship, was also a highlight. This is the kind of rivals to lovers I can get behind. Their rivalry is slightly petty and mostly harmless and over time they begin to truly see each other through the veils they both throw up to maintain their mystique.

My only real issue was that I just didn't find the actual plot that engaging. The mystery felt a little flat and the reveal was just a bit underwhelming for me. It definitely has plenty of positives to counteract that though.

[Smallbob]

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

A fun supernatural mystery!

Avis Lovelock is a professional skeptic, who adamantly refuses to believe in ghosts, coming up with theories to explain away evidence of the supernatural. Which is incredibly ironic, as she is haunted by, and fully aware of, the ghost of her sister.

Avis has Sherlock-style skills of observation that she uses to deduce things about people, which is a character archetype I am very fond of. I like how confident--to the point of being arrogant--Avis is in her abilities. At the same time, Avis' observations aren't completely perfect, and when she does get it wrong, she is quick to accept it and self-correct, which I love.

In her investigations, Avis encounters Rachel, her love interest/professional nemesis. Admittedly, I am not a big fan of their romance. I feel that the pacing was off, as it starts as a slowburn with Avis being in denial of her feelings and treating Rachel antagonistically, before drastically switching up in the third act, in a way that feels uncharacteristic. I do like that, even after getting together, they still have their personalities that cause them to clash.

The mystery is properly resolved by the end, but the ending leaves room for potential sequels, following Avis as she puts her skills of deduction towards solving more mysteries. If there are any sequels forthcoming, I am definitely seated!

[Lexa Starling]

'"Not everything ends with answers and explanations, Avis. Sometimes things just stop."'

- The Haunting if Avis Lovelock, by @mkhardywrites

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️|| 🫑

Happy release day to this Victorian sapphic supernatural murder mystery!
I wasn't sure what to expect with this one. Murder mystery is not my usual bag but I had a lot of fun with it. Set on a boat on course to New York, Avis Lovelock is a sceptic hired to disprove the haunting of the ship Excambion ahead of its sale. Only, she doesn't bank on medium, Rachel, and her twin bother, Gideon - two spiritualist who embody everything she stands against.
The story takes a little while to get going but is super readable and I enjoyed how prickly protagonist, Avis, is forced to stop lying to herself as she experiences things she increasingly cannot explain. The setting of the boat is deliciously atmospheric and perfect for those looking for a Gothic, spooky read just ahead of spooky season.
The romance is sapphic and slow burn and I loved the depth of the character's connection- also gotta love an enemies/ rivals to lovers situation, and this was done really nicely.
I didn't guess the ending but a more accomplished mystery reader may have?
Overall, I was thoroughly entertained and it has been the perfect read to tip me into spooky season.
Thank you to @solarisbooks for the #gifted copy of the book.
The Haunting of Avis Lovelock is out now!

[ruhee]

I feel so upset saying this, but this book and I did not click :(

In theory, this book should've been perfect for me. It was a gothic mystery set on a ship with a sapphic subplot, wholesome friendship, and a sarcastic and quippy protagonist.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get around Avis's narrative voice. I found her single-minded dislike for the twins hard to understand and her arrogance tripped from endearing to frustrating very quickly. The plot itself was promising, but it was an incredibly slowburn - which I wouldn't have minded if I liked the narrative voice a tad bit more. The premise of this novel was exciting but it fell flat for me - I wish it had been more deliciously creepy and eerie. The resolution felt confusing to me but by that point I was pushing myself to continue my read so perhaps that affected the overall impressions.

I did appreciate the queer representation in this book, and specifically that it was a sapphic relationship. We ALWAYS need more sapphic stories so love that.

While this book didn't click for me, I know that there will be readers who will like it! It's a well-written, almost cozy maritime mystery with a lot of heart.

[Holly]

Avis Lovelock debunks seers and psychics, so when she’s invited aboard the Excambion, an ocean liner rumoured to be haunted, she’s intrigued. But once the ship sets sail, sinister events begin to unfold and, when a passenger is found dead, Avis finds herself at the centre of an unexpected mystery.

Cleverly written, with some humour and a wonderfully gothic atmosphere, this had all the ingredients for a cosy murder mystery. I particularly enjoyed the ocean liner setting, which created a claustrophobic backdrop, while the supernatural elements added an intriguing layer to the mystery.

The pacing is more leisurely in places, allowing the atmosphere and characters to develop, and although it didn’t completely grip me throughout, there was still plenty to enjoy. Overall, an atmospheric and entertaining read combining murder, mystery and a touch of the supernatural. Perfect for anyone who enjoys a cosy mystery with a gothic twist!

Thank you to NetGalley, M. K. Hardy and Solaris for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

[Olivia]

This book was a lot of fun, with enjoyable banter and delightful characters in a Victorian setting. In particular, I loved reading about our narrator Avis' interactions with the supporting cast. The mystery itself started off intriguing, but I was surprised at the direction the plot went in as I hadn't read the blurb properly, and personally I thought it would have been much more interesting without the supernatural aspect. All in all it was a great read and would love to explore more of Avis' adventures.

Thank you to NetGalley and Solaris Books for providing a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

[Chantelle]

It was good, but I wanted to like it more and I didn’t sadly. I’m not sure why, it had all the elements of a book which I’d usually love, sapphics, hauntings and ghosts, but it fell flat to me. Avis was very dislikable up until about 70% of the way in, and her blatant hatred and rudeness not only towards the twins, but other people as well incredibly annoyed me. She was also so narrow minded towards ghosts when she had her sister’s own ghost attached to her? That being said it was written incredibly well and I had fun, I just didn’t get attached to anyone.

[Geertje]

4.5 stars

Love me a good historical gothic mystery involving séances, lesbians, and locked rooms. In this case, the locked room is a ship; what a wonderful setting! I vote for more gothic mysteries set on boats immediately.

I think that readers of T. Kingfisher will appreciate this book; it has those 'cozy horror' vibes.

Can't wait to see what other mysteries and adventures Avis Lovelock will go on next (please make this a series)!

[Louise]

3.5 ⭐


A nice slow burn of a book, both in terms of romance and storyline.
I enjoyed Avis, and the clever way she could guess at certain things about people.
I also liked how it wasn't all guess work.
Very enjoyable setting of an ocean liner, giving it locked room, and against the clock vibes to solve the mystery of the haunting.
I'd be very happy to see some of these characters again.


Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy.

[Benedict Anning]

Lucky to have read this one early! The maritime gothic you didn't know you needed. The Haunting of Avis Lovelock is an evocative, delicious slice of the historical, brimming with wit and mystery and vividly drawn characters you cannot help but fall for.

[Kim]

The atmosphere was amazing and the characters were so fun. I really enjoyed Avis and Rachel as a pair and their interactions were such a delight to read

Really enjoyed this premise and the execution was well done

[Y.N.]

Thank you to Netgalley and Solaris for the eARC

4,25/5

I have to say, this was a very nice surprise. I wasn't sure I would enjoy it thouroughly, not being a fan of boat adventure and being quite weary of the kind of mystery this story is playing with. But I saw one review from an author, and I decided to give it a go.

I'm so glad I did. Avis Lovelock is well developped and characterised person. She's prickly, very stuck in her way and in denial. It makes for an interesting character to follow, especially in the confined environment of a boat and the strange things happening. Avis's skepticism is both entertaining and annoying, given how her past haunts her and colours her interpretation of the world. Especially frustrating (in a good way!) when it comes to Rachel, psychic and dealing with her own wounds. Despite Avis biases, they work well together, and create a bond.

I really enjoy how little place the romance has, while still having a strong impact. The fact is helped by the well rounded supporting cast (one of whom I adore), and the building of the tension around the mysteries.

Very pleasant read, with good historical grouding and sense of place.