Il Diavolo e Mrs Gooch

Household Gramarye #2

by Oliver Darkshire, Marta Olivi (Translator), Sophie Grunnet (Illustrator)

From the best-selling author of Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil, a new, hilarious novel in the Household Gramarye universe.


In the storm-drenched city of Verdigris, home to indolent sorcerers and spectral hotels, something is dreadfully wrong. Buildings are starting to crumble due to the kidnapping of their hobs, the many legged house spirits that keep each home in order. In such times, one would ordinarily blame the Devil, but he has been enchanted by a new and enticing evil: The jackbooted villainy of Gwendolyn Gooch, who has taken the hobs for her latest diabolical scheme—apartments for rent. As the hobs retrofit the gaudy Gooch Towers, the fate of the city lies in the hands of the arboreal Professor Green; his rare, complete set of the Household Gramarye; and its famulus, the prim Mrs. Bobkins.


A delightful new novel in a series “perfectly cut to fit the Pratchett-shaped hole in my heart” (C. M. Waggoner), The Devil and Mrs. Gooch is witty, imaginative, and brimming with charm.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, Cozy, Adult, Magic, Humor

371 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 12, 2026

Reviews

[Marcie McPherson · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝟭𝟬𝟬% 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗿. 😂

The Devil and Mrs. Gooch had me laughing every few sentences. Absurd, wonderfully weird, completely deadpan, and somehow odder the deeper I got into it.

Kimberley Cochrane’s narration was absolutely perfect for this kind of chaos, too.

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲, 𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸.

Thank you to Oliver Darkshine, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.

[MagretFume · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was promised Discworld vibes so I was expecting the usual disappointment, but this was a nice surprise. 

I loved the setting of Verdigris, the humour, how the characters didn't fit the usual tropes and the depiction of true but ordinary evil. 

I also loved the narrator of the audiobook version. Her voice and accent were perfect for the atmosphere. 

[Yamini · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot was great, but the characters and the narration stole the show to a dark alley. I wanted to enjoy this more, deal with the devil and the role of emotions, and sins was something I wanted to play out well. But alas!

[☆Amanda☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled with this book. To be fair, 3rd person pov isn't my favorite but it was more than that. The story is very posh and uppity for the content. It gave Harry Potter vibes with the creatures who love to clean and the atmosphere but it just felt like a whole lot of nothing. The devil wants inspiration, meets Mrs Gooch who is the worse and wants inspiration from her.
I just couldn't get into it. The narrator was okay but I at times got lost and wasnt sure which character we were talking about. It could be the 3rd person storytelling and im sure there is an audience who this is perfect for. That audience just isn't me.

[Reading Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Umm ... I'm not sure what I read but it sure was fun! I loved this fantasy place and all it's weirdo characters! I do want to go back to the first book. If you want to have some fun with some crazy, funny characters than this is the book for you!

[Quilted.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into The Devil and Mrs. Gooch already knowing I was probably going to love it. I absolutely adored Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil so returning to the wonderfully strange world of the Household Gramarye felt like coming back home.This story takes place in the stormy city of Verdigris where things are starting to fall apart literally. Buildings are crumbling because the “hobs,” the many legged house spirits that keep homes running smoothly have been kidnapped. Without them, the entire city starts to descend into disrepair. Normally you might blame the Devil for something like this, but he’s a little distracted. Instead, the real villain here is the delightfully awful Gwendolyn Gooch who has captured the hobs as part of her latest scheme: turning their labor into a twisted housing venture at the flashy Gooch Towers.The fate of the city ends up resting with Professor Green his rare and complete set of the Household Gramarye and the ever proper Mrs. Bobkins. From there the story spirals into a hilarious, imaginative adventure full of magical chaos, strange creatures, and the kind of humor that had me smiling the whole time.
What I love most about this series is how clever and weird it is. The magic system feels old and folkloric but also completely chaotic you can’t help loving all the characters throughout the whole story. If you liked the first book by this author this one absolutely delivers. The world feels even bigger the humor is just as good. I knew I’d enjoy it but it still managed to surprise me with how much fun it was.This author is quickly becoming one I recommend whenever someone asks for a fantasy that’s witty whimsical and a little strange.

[meghin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Dreamscape Media am NetGalley for the ALC opportunity and to W.W. Norton for the gifted physical copy.

The narrator, Kymberley Cochrane, has a whimsical British accent that I found enjoyable to listen to. Her voice charms us into the fantasy - you can tell storytelling is a strongpoint of hers. Inspired the theatrics and her ability to change voices/tones for different people speaking.

I will start by saying I didn’t read the first book in this series so I kind of went into this as me blindly. I was instantly drawn to the cover art/colors/font. It was honestly a little bit of a slow start for me. But the writing was exceptionally descriptive and drew me in. It was definitely a fun fantasy read with the quirkiest of characters!

It was actually quite funny. The magic and world building felt chaotic but also thoughtful somehow. It was a bit slow paced and not fully plot driven but still enjoyable nonetheless. I do think having this on audio helped me stick with it! Not for everyone, but I would recommend to anyone who likes a good villain story!

[⁺˚*༓☾ ness ☽༓*˚⁺ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ★ — Set in the perpetually storm-drenched city of Verdigris, The Devil and Mrs. Gooch follows the absurdly cut-throat capitalistic schemes of Gwendolyn Gooch, who is busy kidnapping "hobs" — adorable house spirits — to retrofit her own property, Gooch Towers. Eventually, her schemes captivate the Devil himself, who becomes something of a smitten sidekick. It ultimately falls to a chaotic cast of characters to sort out the mess.

Oliver Darkshire has created a beautifully whimsical, witty, and imaginative world. The characters are memorable, and the satire is rife with punchy one-liners and blink-and-you'll-miss-them side comments that, honestly, thrilled me. Overall, the storyline was a joy to experience. I did not read the first book in the series (Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil), but I can confirm that I'll be picking it up eventually because I really enjoyed inhabiting this world.

This review also concerns the audiobook, which I was not a massive fan of. While the story itself is fantastic, the audio production may not be for everyone. In fact, I found myself repeatedly wishing I could switch to a physical copy, and likely would have made the jump early on if I wasn't specifically committed to reviewing this format. The narration felt a little too slow, with words that were weirdly enunciated and drawn out, which kept pulling me out of the novel's otherwise brisk comedic rhythm. I found the pacing became much more tolerable (and enjoyable) once I bumped the playback speed to 2x. With that said, other reviewers LOVED the audiobook narration, so this is ultimately up to personal preference.

The novel also contains several, sometimes quite long, footnotes, which can be hard to keep track of without a physical copy in front of you, and the audio doesn't make them obvious either. For that reason, I would suggest tandem reading.

If you are intrigued by literally any aspect of this book, I encourage you to pick it up (in whatever format you desire) and see where it takes you!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an ALC of this book! All opinions are my own.

[Mauro Di Stefano · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️
Purtroppo, rispetto "Isabella Nagg ed il vaso di basilico" per me sono sostanziali passi indietro.
Se il primo libro mi aveva fortemente colpito per la sua freschezza, la sua immediatezza, il suo essere un lauto pasto nonostante sia poco più che un boccone, Il Diavolo e Mrs. Gooch mi ha totalmente dato sensazioni opposte.
Esageratamente lungo per quello che racconta, molto più concentrato ad espandere la Lore ed il mondo immaginario piuttosto che delineare una trama concisa, corale senza mai approfondire veramente le intenzioni di un personaggio o una tematica vera e propria come in Isabella Nagg.
Pecca persino nella comicità che ha contraddistinto il primo libro, qui appena abbozzata.

Rimane comunque un gradevole libro cozy fantasy, forse troppo impegnato ad approfondire il bizzarro e mai noioso universo che ha creato Darkshire, ma senza mai mettere a fuoco nulla, se non che i cattivi la scampano sempre alle spalle dei buoni.
Un gran peccato.

[numbatreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook review: The Devil and Mrs. Gooch by Oliver Darkshire

Narrator: Kymberley Cochrane

Vibes: 💃😈🕷️

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the free ALC.

Farcical and full of dark humour, The Devil and Mrs. Gooch will make you laugh while it breaks your heart. I had a good time but it's a bleak sort of humour that highlights many current injustices in the world. Kymberley Cochrane does an incredible job with the audiobook narration, imparting a wry tone to the humour that fits the story perfectly. As in Isabella Nagg, I was not expecting the direction this story went whatsoever!

I really enjoyed the characters in this one, most especially Professor Green (who is arboreal but not in the way I was expecting) but I have a huge soft spot for the spider-like Hobbs as well. The titular "Mrs. Gooch" is introduced in the first book, but you don't need to have read it to enjoy this one.

One thing I think this story does suffer from is a slight overuse of asides. I love footnotes but after a certain point they do start to mire the flow of the narrative somewhat. Some of the twists didn't hit me quite as hard as they might have due to this, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it and I'll definitely be reading future books in this series!

Pub date: 12 May 2026

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

For more bookish opinions, visit my blog: Craft-Cycle

Follow Gwendolyn Gooch on her newest venture, creating a giant tower to cram the entire city of Verdigris into so she can milk them for their life savings.

Honestly, I didn't like this one as much as the first book. While Gwendolyn is probably really fun to write, I couldn't stand reading about her. I don't mind reading about dislikable characters, but everyone's obsession with Gwendolyn irritated me to no end.

This is totally a me thing, but I found this book so draining. None of the "bad" characters get what they deserve and all of the "good" characters get pretty terrible endings. You are constantly given a little glimmer of hope then it is dashed before your eyes. I found the whole thing exhausting.

Plenty of cool elements like undead hotel staff, what happens when brownie-like hobs go on strike, and an interesting magic system. Mrs. Bobkins is clearly the best character ever. And I do enjoy the footnotes throughout.

There were some great elements, but I found the story so emotionally draining it was hard to stay engaged while reading.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Hilarious. Reminiscent of the devil from South Park, getting involved with people more evil than himself. I love how he is just portrayed as mischievous. He is the reason bread falls butter side down, and when he's not around, bread only falls butter side up. It's the kind of masterful character composition that tickles me silly. Some of the details in this book are so clever, so funny, and so entertaining that it is one I will mourn that I cannot read it again for the first time.

Was Mrs. Gooch supposed to remind me of Trump? Or was that just me projecting?

[Demeter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is funny in the way that social commentary disguised as metaphors, sarcasm and fantastical settings always is. A great cast of characters, varying from “eh they’re ok I guess” to despicable, a villainess that puts the devil to shame and the devil himself, literally. It’s an enjoyable read and leaves a nice discworld-y aftertaste.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non c’è Culetto. Meno una stella. L’altra stella mancante è dovuta a elementi molto meno importanti, come il mio personale apprezzamento del libro e le mie opinioni riguardo alla struttura della trama.

[Sel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny at times but unbearably long

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️
What a fun book! Super funny and I enjoyed the format very much.

[Issy · Rating 2 out of 5]

this one just didn't do it for me like the first one did but I can't really pin down a legitimate reason for why

[Daria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyment 10/10
Concept 9/10
Execution 9/10
Writing 10/10
Plot & Logic 8/10
Pacing & Structure 8/10
Atmosphere 10/10
Characters 9/10
Intrigue 10/10
World Building 10/10

Rating: 4.71/5

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I made a mistake reading this before the first book. I never do that so I don’t know what got into me. However, I was a big fan of the weird, quirky characters so now I have to read in reverse.

I did feel like the first half was a bit drawn out but the comedy helped push me along. Once you really get into the plot everything becomes more exciting and interesting.

[Jacopo Tomatis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Questo sarà per un po’ il libro di cui parlerò quando sentirò la gente dirmi che i fantasy sono soltanto intrattenimento d’evasione.

Se già il primo libro era molto interessante, questo secondo conferma una cosa: Terry Pratchett, con tutte le sue note a piè di pagina, è tornato e si è fuso con la Guida Galattica di Douglas Adams.
L’intento satirico è lo stesso, ma quell’aspetto platealmente parodico che si trovava sul Mondo Disco, viene smorzato da un world building che si rifà ai miti antichi e alle leggende britanniche e alle favole europee. In questo modo il disegno filosofico generale diventa più palese: la perdita della Misura; il mondo circonfuso da questa magia volutamente caotica, ma dipendente da alcune regole inaggirabili.

Verdigris è davvero una specie di Ankh-Morpork in cui non smette mai di piovere, governata da un parlamento così corrotto e immobile da essere formato da ministri fantasmi che spesso non si ricordano neanche i loro compiti. Anche l’università, sebbene non abbia un orango bibliotecario, ma un custode gargoyle, sembra quella di Terry Pratchett, con professori incapaci o svampiti.

La satira emerge chiaramente nella trama. Il Diavolo si innamora. Ma di chi può innamorarsi l’incarnazione della cattiveria? Dell’unica persona più cattiva di lui: una imprenditrice spietata e senza alcuna Misura nella sua avidità, la stessa Gwendolyn Gooch del primo romanzo che qua dimostra tutta la sua cattiveria, cercando di spillare ogni ricchezza da ogni singolo abitante della città in un modo così crudele che pure il Diavolo stesso finisce per non approvare.

Infine il protagonista, un Uomo Verde professore di magia, che trova una copia del Gramaire per tutti gli usi e per questo è l’unico che il primo a capire che sta succedendo in città. L’aspetto più attuale di questo personaggio è però che si tratta di uno degli ultimi rappresentanti della sua razza, sterminata al momento della fondazione della città, cosa che permette una breve, ma amarissima, riflessione satirica su come la società tratta il genocidio, che riporto qua:

“L’albero sotto cui sedeva il Professore, generalmente trascurato tanto dal corpo studentesco quanto dai giardinieri, era stato recintato dal Tabernacolo e fungeva ora da monumento commemorativo degli Uomini Verdi, affinché nessuno dimenticasse ciò che avevano subito*. Una targa sul muretto lì accanto confermava le intenzioni del memoriale. Recitava: agli uomini verdi, che furono qui per primi. Sia la targa sia l’albero rappresentavano un compromesso, dato che erano stati collocati nel Tabernacolo in un periodo in cui tra gli studiosi andava di moda ammettere che la cacciata degli Uomini Verdi dal loro boschetto natìo, una volta situato dove ora sorgeva Verdigris, aveva rappresentato un piccolo errore di valutazione**.

* Era importante usare le forme verbali passive quando si parlava di episodi di violenza genocidaria, onde evitare di implicare cose estremamente sconvenienti quali colpe e responsabilità.
** La comunità accademica coeva a Green amava dibattere sull’effettiva veridicità dell’accaduto, ma sempre sottintendendo che, se anche fosse realmente successo, cosa di cui nessuno poteva essere certo, ormai sarebbe comunque stato troppo tardi per preoccuparsene.”

[Caitlin Teaches · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Devil and Mrs. Gooch is a sharp satire that definitely shows a Discworld influence with a bit of a harder edge.

Mrs. Gooch is just short of literally being the embodiment of capitalism (to the point I wondered why they didn't just go there, given the setting) and she is here to bring all that is worst about landlords to the city of Verdigris. Chasing at her heels in the Devil, who is both enamored by her evil and faced with the question of whether he endorse the kind of endless, joyless, consuming evil she represents. Professor Green, a mild mannered Greenman wizard, just wants to bring the Household Grammar back from his trip and retire to study scrolls. Too bad for him, because he has to solve the mystery behind a collapsing city and the disappearance of the city's hob, household spirits who might be holding everything together.

It's hard to summarize the experience of the story without snatching out little details because of the way different story lines are woven together and so much of the humor being quick references. There is charm and humor to the end result, and I am an absolute sucker for silly little footnotes that tease you with throwaway world building. The hobs are some of my favorite creature design and world building, followed by the charming Devil. Grammar as a magic system offers a lot of realm to play, and explains the D&D style re-learn a spell thing wizards do better than anything else I've read. There are some interesting mythology threads that invite you back to the next book in the series. A gentle love story that promises to come back is one of the most heartfelt moments of the book.

I did have a few small pauses. There is not a lot of hope to the world in this series, which is understandable in some ways, but makes some of the jokes feel a bit painful, especially with allusions to Trump Towers. It does feel a little weird for the evils of capitalism to be a woman, but I also didn't have to deal with the immediate legacy of Margaret Thatcher. Character death is a lot more common than I was expecting. But none of that was enough to make me dislike the book, and the audio narrator was phenomenal at adding a level of humanity and personality that let some of the emotional moments really hit hard.


Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC of this audiobook.

[Amanda R Sims · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Devil and Mrs. Gooch is the second book Darkshire has set in this world with a very unique magic system first seen in Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil based on the Household Gramarye. A lot of the world building done in the first book is important when reading this one, but the plot is not reliant on having read the first, making it more of a companion than sequel. There are sections from the Gramarye filling in relevant folklore and fairytales interwoven throughout.
The narrative follows both title characters as well as Professor Green, a Green Man, who seems to resemble the pot of Basil more than a Martian, and who recently procured a set of the Household Gramarye. Mrs. Gooch is on a quest for financial success by any means necessary, and the Devil is delightfully intrigued by the prospect of supporting her lucrative and moral agnostic schemes. Mostly.
This series is very funny, with a dry, sardonic style and a fast pace. It is very, very dark, with plenty of characters meeting untimely demise at the hands of the Reaper. I overall enjoyed this, only losing a star in that some chapters felt over too quickly, hitting the punchline to the running joke and moving on to the next bit too quickly. I would have liked more development in depth beyond the joke.
Note about the audiobook: Darkshire narrated Isabella Nagg himself, which I felt was not the best fit. While I stand by that, I found myself hearing his voice in my head while I was reading the ebook, and sometimes also while listening to the audiobook narrated by the talented Kymberley Cochrane.
Note about the footnotes: there are a lot of them. Cochrane was great at integrating them for the audiobook, but my Kindle copy was a bit jumbled. They reflect the edits made to the Household Gramarye, layering voices and commentary. I think they were often funny and useful.
Recommended for fans of Rupert Holmes's How to Murder Your Employer.
Thanks to NetGalley, W.W. Norton & Co, and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copies to review.

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook Review: The Devil and Mrs. Gooch by Oliver Darkshire

The Devil and Mrs. Gooch was completely ridiculous in the best possible way. I did not read the first book and honestly never felt particularly lost because the story just throws you directly into magical bureaucracy, kidnapped house spirits, suspicious landlords, and absolute nonsense with complete confidence. The worldbuilding feels chaotic but intentional, and it trusts the reader to just keep up instead of overexplaining everything.

The comparisons to Discworld and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy are honestly perfect. The humor is very dry, very British, and somehow manages to stay clever even when things become completely absurd. A lot of the comedy comes from how seriously everyone treats the ridiculous situations around them. Mrs. Gooch especially was such a fun villain because she feels both cartoonishly evil and also uncomfortably believable as a terrible landlord.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration worked extremely well for this style of story. The narrator fully committed to the sarcastic tone and weird energy of the book, which made a lot of the jokes land even harder. Some books lose momentum in audio format when they get too quirky, but this one actually benefited from hearing the dialogue and footnotes performed out loud.

The pacing wandered a little at times and there were moments where the book threatened to disappear entirely into its own chaos, but honestly that felt like part of the charm more than a real problem. Underneath all the magical nonsense there is also some genuinely sharp satire about greed, exploitation, and institutional incompetence. I had a great time with this and will absolutely be going back to read the first book. Easy 4.5 stars for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ALC.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful, fantastical, and hilarious story!
We meet a whole host of characters: the hobs who dwell in homes and care for them, Professor Green, who is tasked with figuring out why the hobs are going missing and homes are rotting, the Devil who is a goofy little trickester and falls in obsession (?) with our villian Gwendolyn Gooch. Gwendolyn is greed in human form, and she has a master plan to basically force the entire city to rent to her.
The story begins with her stealing hobs, which destroys homes, and forcing them to construct an awful apartment building, which is ultimately one of the only standing / functional buildings left so everyone is forced to move there. Basically, she's a landlord, the worst of the worst.
As we journey through this world and see how the Devil goes from Gooch's accomplice to her ultimate downfall, we learn about the crazy chaotic place that these characters exist in. There are SO many footnotes throughout the text, but they are absolutely meant to be read. They are hysterical, and totally random, but a huge addition to the book. It reminds me a lot of the podcast Welcome to Nightvale. It's just whimsical and silly.
But this book, despite all its silliness and cozy fantasy vibes, still has some sadness to it. We ultimately do lose characters that we grow to love. There's the whole overarching sadness of what forced renting does to a community, and the slavery of the hobs, that are kind of glossed over, but still present.
I think it is a balance that works well though.
I really really enjoyed this. I didnt know what to expect going into it, and I definitely think I will be exploring more of Oliver Darkshire's other works now. It's such a unique and fun world to dive into.

Thanks to goodreads and oliver darkshire for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Tall Tail Stories · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Dark Urban Fantasy / Satirical Cozy Gothic
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❤️ Personal Takeaway

I can absolutely see the comparisons to a Pratchett style of writing, but Darkshire has a bit of a darker edge, higher stakes, and drier wit. I would be giggling at silly shenanigans one moment, to tense, anxiety-inducing missions the next. I absolutely love the callbacks strewn throughout the narrative! Whimsical tales that built the world would be referenced again later in the book as plot-turning Easter eggs, and investing in knowledge of the world really added to the enjoyment of it.

While this novel is the second in a series, it can absolutely be enjoyed as a standalone tale. The world setting is narrowed into the urban town of Verdigris, and it was so packed with personality, from the nearly sentient homes down to their quirky inhabitants (some of which are satirical takes on classic fairy tales!). I really enjoyed how the unique magic system practically brought the homes to life, and reinforced the ideal that when a home and its inhabitants are well taken care of, the world is stronger for it.

Mrs. Gooch is a brutal antagonist, and it was both fascinating and dreadful to follow her ruthless antics as she took over the real estate empire of Verdigris. It made it all the more satisfying once our underdog ensemble rose up in their rebellion against her. The community rises together to unravel the landlord oppression Gooch has begun, and it’s a fulfilling fight against capitalism we wish we could attain in our own lives. Not every character ends up with a happy ending, but every one makes a big difference, no matter how small it seems.

The narration from Kymberley Cochrane was perfect for this ensemble, she had so much range for this quirky cast of characters. From a sneering and imposing Gooch, to a seductive and mischievous Devil, and even a nervous, hopeful Greenman. Her voice adds so much to the way Darkshire build his characters with depth and unique flavour, giving each one their own inflections and nuances. This world felt so alive, and it was an absolute joy to explore it alongside the cast.

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🧩 Tropes

- Household spirits and domestic magic
- Urban fantasy mixed with whimsical horror
- Meddling villain reshaping society

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🧠 Themes

- Domestic work as magic - the invisible labour that keeps communities whole
- Modernization vs. Tradition
- Care and stewardship
- Respecting the ones who make a house a home

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🧭 Recommendation

For readers who love:

- Satirical fairytales
- Books where the city life and its quirky inhabitants are well explored
- Urban fantasies

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Thank you very much to Oliver Darkshire, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ALC, all opinions are my own 💕

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do enjoy a bit of dark whimsy, and 𝕿һᥱ 𝕯ᥱ᥎іᥣ & 𝕸rs. 𝕲᥆᥆ᥴһ ᑲᥡ 𝕺ᥣі᥎ᥱr 𝕯ᥲrksһіrᥱ, gifted to me by @w.w.norton & @librofm was a perfect fit, out 5/12!

This is the sort of tale that you will either be drawn into by the title and cover, or you will not. It clearly plays a bit of fun with the occult, downsizing the devil to a lovestruck goat, among other things, pining after the most devious Mrs. Gooch! It is witty, clever, helpful to the novice (such as myself) with pages from the magical Gramarye, and really just a riot of fun.

Does it poke the bear of capitalist landlords who buy up land, drive prices higher than anyone can afford, and knowingly strap people into a slavery of debt? Perhaps. Maybe I read into it.

Maybe it's just a silly tome of evil besting evil until a an effort finally rises to topple it.

I loved the addition of the audio, a @recordedbooks offering, with fantastic and delightful narration by Kymberly Cochrane. There was just enough tone changes to give each character distinction, but didn't go too far into the campy.

Honestly, the book is worth having with all of the illustrations and visual footnotes. And being the weird one that I am, I delighted in the font selections.

I definitely recommend this book for fans of the darker side of whimsical stories. I am now a fan of this series, as well!

[East of Reality · Rating 3 out of 5]

I made it almost 30% into this book before deciding to DNF. And it’s a personal DNF, owing nothing to the technical qualities of the book. Instead, it’s the very open and deliberate homage to Terry Pratchett that I find … both offputting and tiresome. This reads like someone trying so hard to remind me of Prachett’s writing, tugging on my sleeve with every footnote, every cleverness as if to say “Remember when Pratchett used footnotes? Remember Discworld? Remember Pratchett’s wizards?” And yes, I remember all of those things very well, thank you.

This is someone writing in another author’s voice (in my opinion) rather than their own, and it makes for slow, ponderous reading. And the overuse of footnotes, almost one every other page and not all of them adding to the story so much as pointedly trying to be … something they’re not.

Maybe the book gets better, maybe the author calms down and starts to develop their own voice and their own style, but if so it will wait for me to have more patience. I’m putting this down not because it’s bad, but because it’s not Pratchett and never will be. Hopefully one day I can read a book by Oliver Darkshire.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Abigail Pankau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gwendolyn Gooch has started on her next business venture, and this might be the most profitable one yet. In the ever-raining city of Verdegris, she has kidnapped hobs from their homes, and put them to work turning Gooch Towers into apartments. The Scheme is diabolical enough to garner the attention of the Devil, who is quickly smitten with Mrs. Gooch’s bloodthirsty business sense. Meanwhile, Professor Green, a green man and a sorcerer at the Tabernacle, has acquired a full set of the Gramarye, and hopes to learn from them and make his father, the Chancellor, proud of him. When the houses in Verdigris start decaying, Prof. Green is assigned to find the cause and stop it. Will he be able to trace the decay back to the hobs and Mrs. Gooch’s schemes? And can he find a way to stop her, or will this be the end of Verdigris?

A funny cozy fantasy, that plays on fantasy tropes of wizards, the Devil, and cut-throat business ventures. It is heavily tongue-in-cheek, though sometimes it tries a little too hard. It has a slow start introducing the various characters and the world, but once it gets going, it’s very engaging. Note: This is not a direct sequel to the first, but just another story that takes place in the same world.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew I was going to enjoy this book when, within the first few pages, a character stammers a lot of different words for "yes," and the author notes, "synonyms are the last defense for the unprepared."

This book is full of sneakily witty lines. The humor is the best part—it reminded me of Douglas Adams, where a sentence is presented plainly, but also hilariously.

For me, the plot is secondary to the many vignettes of kooky characters. I actually don't think I could have said what the plot was until about 80% of the way through the book. For that reason, it's definitely not a book for everyone. But for readers who are ok just going with the flow and just enjoying the paragraph in front of you (instead of trying to figure out where you're going), then it will be a fun read.

Pro tip: skip the footnotes. I get it, the footnotes serve as comedic bits, but since they don't reallyyy fit in the story, they end up just throwing off your reading momentum and creating awkward tangents.

But all in all, a quirky character-driven read that sets out to give you a strange little story. And on that front, it delivers.

(thanks netgalley and publishers for the arc)

[Martha van Zyl · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Devil and Mrs. Gooch by Oliver Darkshire is a gloriously odd, delightfully witty fantasy romp through a city where the hotels are undead, the sorcerers are lazy, and the house spirits are apparently doing the unpaid labour that keeps civilisation from collapsing. Honestly, Verdigris sounds stressful, but I would absolutely visit for the chaos.

I had not read the previous book in the series, but this did not feel like a problem at all. The story stands on its own, dropping the reader into its strange, storm-drenched world with enough confidence and charm that it is easy to go along for the ride. And what a ride it is: crumbling buildings, kidnapped hobs, magical household lore, and a villain with a property development scheme so diabolical it feels uncomfortably believable.

Mrs Gooch is, frankly, a treat. She is ambitious, ruthless, theatrical, and alarmingly practical — the kind of villain who does not simply cackle in the shadows, but has spreadsheets, branding, and a deeply cursed business plan. Her jackbooted approach to villainy is so sharply drawn that she becomes one of the most entertaining parts of the book. Is she terrible? Yes. Is she also kind of the perfect villain role model? Also yes. Goals, but make them morally disastrous.

The worldbuilding is wonderfully playful. The idea of hobs as many-legged house spirits responsible for keeping homes in order is both funny and strangely charming, and the consequences of their disappearance give the story a clever magical logic. Verdigris feels like a place built from folklore, bureaucracy, bad weather, and excellent nonsense.

Professor Green and Mrs Bobkins bring their own peculiar energy to the story, especially with the Household Gramarye at the centre of the chaos. There is a lovely sense that everyone is slightly out of their depth, but in a very determined, very British, “well, best get on with it” kind of way.

The Devil and Mrs. Gooch is fun, clever, eccentric, and packed with personality. It is perfect for readers who enjoy comic fantasy, strange cities, magical domestic mayhem, and villains who steal every scene they stomp into.

Inventive, charming, and wonderfully ridiculous in the best possible way, this is a book with teeth, tea, and truly excellent villainy.