The Beast of London

Mina Murray #1

by L.D. Goffigan

An electrifying retelling of a classic tale, THE BEAST OF LONDON is the first book of the Mina Murray series.

Mina Murray once lived an adventurous life, but after a tragedy in the forests of Transylvania, she left it all behind. Now she has settled into a quiet routine as a schoolteacher in London, engaged to the respectable solicitor Jonathan Harker, attempting to fit into the stuffy upper class London society to which he belongs.

Her dark past comes careening into her present when Jonathan is abducted by a group of vampires from a society ball. Determined to rescue him, she teams up with her former paramour Abraham Van Helsing and his colleague, Scotland Yard Inspector John Seward.

As they pursue Jonathan’s abductors from England to the Low Countries and beyond, Mina realizes that Jonathan’s abduction is tied to a larger threat against humanity…

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Vampires, Horror, Fiction, Ebooks, Historical Fiction

283 pages, Paperback

First published April 17, 2017

About the author

L.D. Goffigan writes fast-paced thrillers and action-adventure with historical intrigue.

She is passionate about history, adventure, thrillers, and hidden mysteries waiting to be uncovered…

She studied film and dramatic writing at New York University.When not writing, you can find her traveling to places she’s never been, reading the latest thriller which has her on the edge of her seat, watching a documentary about ancient mysteries, or seeking her next adventure.

Stay in touch and join the adventure—

subscribepage.com/ldgoffiganbooks

Reviews

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I thought that this was a very well done audiobook. This is a Dracula retelling but I really cannot make any comparisons since I have yet to read the original. I was drawn to this story because I tend to enjoy a good vampire story and the time period of this tale was really interesting. This turned out to be a very quick read for me and a highly enjoyable one as well.

Mina Murray was a really interesting character. She was not like most of the ladies you would find in London during the 1890s. She cares less about society and propriety than her peers. She is engaged to a man that seems to be her perfect fit who loves her just as she is. When Jonathan is taken, she must do everything in her power to find him before it is too late.

I loved the way that vampires were represented in this story. I thought that the evidence that they have been around for quite some time was very well done. I liked that their presence was shown in various ways including the after-effects of an attack in a young woman. There was a lot of emotion tied to some of these events and I found them quite exciting.

I thought that Danielle Cohen did a fantastic time with the narration. This was the first time that I have had the chance of listening to her work but I think she added a lot to the story. I felt like she was able to add a lot of emotion to her reading and she handled all of the character voices very well. I had no problem listening to this book for hours at a time.

I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a very well done vampire story with some great characters. I do hope to continue with this series!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Initial Thoughts
I enjoyed this audio. This is a Dracula retelling. Believe it or not, I have read a lot of vampire books over the years but have not yet read Dracula so I really can't make any comparisons. I did enjoy the story though. I liked the way that the story tied into the Jack the Ripper murders and I thought that the setting was well done. I liked the characters and thought that the story was rather exciting. I really enjoyed the narrator's performance of the story as well. I would definitely continue with this series.

[Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm overall not a fan of first person, unless it's from authors like Edgar Allan Poe who does it best. I'm also a die hard fan of Bram Stoker. That being said, fantasy retellings or retellings of any kind are for the most part not my cup of tea, but I have some gems that I have given exceptions to, such as this book. I have a diverse nature so I don't exactly have a comfort zone, unless it's way, way, way, way outside the box, which I'm most comfortable with, the uniqueness and oddity of something that hasn't been done before or overdone.

Nevertheless, in parts the first person element took me out of the flow of the story, dialogue, suspense, action and plot which overall was very well written in spite of that. I liked the chemistry between Mina and Van Helsing. The inclusion of Abraham Van Helsing who is one of my favorite characters is why I gave this book a shot. I'm also a dark fantasy, paranormal, mystery, adventure and thriller fan. Mix those genres together well and I'm even more delighted, since I love mixed genres. Nonetheless, the author of this book is profoundly talented, the descriptions were superb, which is why I'd recommend this book to anyone who's interested.

[Suze · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's 1890 and Mina Murray is an emancipated woman who wants to keep working after marriage. She's now part of society, but once she was an adventurer. She kept her father company on his many scientific travels. After his death Mina left that life behind and she's now a teacher engaged to Jonathan, a respectable upper class man. However, her past won't leave her alone. When vampires abduct Jonathan, Mina knows the evil that took her father away from her has returned and this time she can't turn her back on the problem and ignore it.

Mina used to be in a relationship with Abraham Van Helsing and meeting him again around the time of the attack makes her feel a little safer. Abe is after the same creatures that took Jonathan away. Together with Scotland Yard officer Seward they set out on a journey to where it all began, Transylvania. Unfortunately the vampires are getting stronger, will they reach their destination and can they free Jonathan or will they encounter trouble on their way there?

The Beast of London is a fascinating Dracula retelling. I liked Mina. She's strong, determined, capable and clever. There are a lot of unanswered questions about her past and during her journey she discovers more about who she is and where she comes from, which I found incredibly interesting. I also liked the deep connection she has with Abe. He's part of a time she doesn't want to think about, but he's a kindhearted man and doesn't try to make things more difficult than they already are for Mina, which I admired about him. Their chase is quite eventful and I was curious to find out if their mission would succeed.

L.D. Goffigan has a great descriptive writing style that immediately captivated me. I love a good Dracula retelling and this story definitely falls into that category. It's creepy, there are plenty of fangs, crazy blood lusted monsters and cruel conspiracies. The Beast of London is action-packed and filled with danger and adventure. It's a promising start of a series and I can't wait to read the rest of the books.

[❀⊱RoryReads⊰❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

A promising start to a new series. Definitely reading the second one.

[D.E. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a review copy of this novel from the author a while ago, and I finally managed to read it this past week while I was looking for something light to read. Although the novel started off slow, once the characters are introduced the action grows and it became hard to put down. I have forgotten the novel was a re-telling of a classic tale and didn’t know what I wasn’t getting myself into.

The story is told from Mina’s point of view. I enjoy reading novels written in first person and Mina was likeable and relatable. She was strong, yet damaged. I’m not sure how believable her character is for the era (would a woman in that time period gone off with two men on an adventure???), but this is a fantasy novel after all. I think I’m in love with Abraham and hope Mina opens her eyes to see what he has to offer her. *Fingers crossed for the next book in the series*

Although I enjoyed the story and would continue to read the series, I had a few problems with the novel itself. My biggest problem was the Dutch. No one would have spoken in informal Dutch in that time period, and the word choice was often incorrect. For the life of me, I can’t figure out what university she’s referring to as the Municipal University of Amsterdam (The University of Amsterdam, The VU, I don’t know). There were also quite a few editing mistakes.

I hate cliffhanger endings! I didn’t realize this book was the first of a series. I am not a big fan of series that are composed of novels that are not standalones.

All in all, an enjoyable read. I’ll definitely continue with the series.

[meghann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I freaking loved this book. I was actually upset with how quickly I was reading through it as I did not want it to end. This was my favorite version of Mina Murray (and one of my favorite characters... ever!). She was such a BAMF, and I loved how she was braver and kicked more ass than the men. There were so many things revealed that I was just not expecting, but there are still some mysteries left to be solved. I really cannot wait for book two to see where this story goes next.


***I am voluntarily reviewing a copy of this ARC that I received through the goodreads group Lovers of Paranormal, or LOP.***

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a pleasant surprise. I usually don´t read this type of books and maybe that’s why I became so surprise with it.
The cover instantly aroused my curiosity, but then the reading captivated me every single moment and I was completely surrendered by Mina's story.
I loved Mina, a heroine of strong and combative personality who fights to save her fiancé from the clutches of malevolent and sanguinary criatures.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea of Dracula and vampires in general have fascinated me since I saw Christopher Lee's Dracula films as a kid. I don't know how many times I've watched Dracula has risen from the grave! I am always wary though of these historical re-tellings so it was really great to find one that I actually enjoyed.

Mina is a great character. She was once an adventurer with her beloved father, and her former boyfriend Abraham Van Helsing but her father's death ended her explorations. She is now a teacher in London, preparing to marry her society fiance, lawyer Jonathan Harker. Mina loves to excite the poor kids she teaches with her adventure tales until the stuffy Head Horace Welling puts an end to it, with a threat about her losing her job if she continues. She is also struggling with the rules of society and Jonathan's very disapproving mother. As much as she loves him and feels they have a secure future, Mina worries that she is not going to be able to fit into that society life that she does not enjoy.

Her former flame Abraham comes back into her life to tell her that he believes the creatures that killed her father in a Transylvanian forest are in London, which she doesn't want to believe. She feels uncomfortable seeing him again after 3 years apart and decides not to tell Jonathan about his arrival. It is when the vampires attack a society dance they are all at and snatch Jonathan in front of her that she is forced to face up to the creatures being real. She knows there is no point in telling the police what she really saw that night and instead trusts her story to Scotland Yard's John Seward, who is already investigating the strange illness that a friend's wife is suffering from. Mina and Abraham recognise the symptoms from their trip abroad and have to face that they need to return to where her father died to get answers and find Jonathan.

Abraham and Mina decide to make preperations for the journey. They are to be joined by John, his friend Arthur and sick wife Lucy, who seems able to share details with them of where the vampires are and what they are doing. They are aware that it is a risk to take Lucy in case she ends up out of their control but options are limited. It turns out that Lucy is not the only thing to worry about on the sea crossing to Europe when a strange illness starts to take the crew members. I very much enjoyed the tense nature of the start of the journey which then turns into an all out battle to survive and escape. The book then looks at the dangerous journey through Europe with the vampires in hot pursuit.

The book was really well written. I don't generally enjoy books that are set in this time period because the whole society thing leaves me cold but in this case the author only touches briefly on it to show how Mina doesn't really fit in. The main focus is on the vampire story and that keeps moving at a nice pace. I enjoyed the way the characters were written to make you care about them and root for them when things get difficult. I also liked the sub plot about the good vampires trying to stop the bad.

I would warn that this book is aimed at setting up the plot so there is no resolution to the main Jonathan story here. It very much continues on into the next book. I'd say that this book really sets the stage for the rest of the series, introducing the characters and who are on what side, and showing how they meet up after the journey. It is certainly not slow and goes along at a good pace with a good mixture of tension and action sequences. I was intrigued by the vampires that we meet during the book-the brutal bloodthirsty ones, and the more civilised ones that appear to be allies of Mina. I'm very interested in what is coming in the future books which I've already bought. And what about the gorgeous cover art!

It's hard to predict whether fans of the classic Dracula will enjoy this book as retellings are hit and miss for some people. I personally found the original Dracula too slow and descriptive but this version really appealed to me. I guess it will come down to personal taste but I found this to be a fun vampire story.

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Look, I get it. What modern reader hasn’t read Stoker’s Dracula and thought, we need a Mina Murray kicks ass story? And hey, if you want to work a Van Helsing that is basically Hugh Jackman’s as opposed to Stoker’s more power to you. So I am fully for the concept of this book, I really am.

It’s just, well, I kept going "really with an eye roll" way too much.

This book is a retelling of Dracula. The focus is on Mina Murray (she marries Jonathan Harker in the original novel), and the book is told via her point of view. While the characters from the novel are slightly or radically different, the setting is still the same 1890s London. And that causes problems.

In general, the book has been edited. When writing action sequences, Goffigan does a good jump. It’s just, there are issues.

One of the issues is structural. There are times when Mina pauses to basically info dump, and there are times when the info dumps are repetitive. This starts early on when Mina is walking home from work, and this is also when other issues start to come in to play.

Like in the original novel, Mina is orphaned. She works as a teacher, and as she walks to her home in Highgate, she works though the East End where the Ripper recently hunted. She walks by herself and then feels that she is being followed. At which point the reader gets paragraphs of her past and of her recent conversation with the schoolmaster where she teaches whom she calls by his first name. This in particular given the time period is jarring.

As is her walking by herself.

To be fair, Goffigan does try to offer a plausible reason for Mina being who she is here – she traveled with her father, he made sure she learned self defense, she is interested in the natural world because her father was a scientist, her father came from a wealthy family who worked in finance, so she has money. She also has a pair of knives that would have been very “exotic” for the London at the time.

But the back story doesn’t quite work and neither does her thinking about it when she senses danger. I mean, it goes on for literally what feels like pages, and she keeps noting she is thinking about her past, making the reader forget about the idea of danger. But also if she has money why does she have to relay on the Harker’s for her teaching position, couldn’t she just found a school? If she lives in good sized house, why doesn’t she have at least one maid in addition to the housekeeper who does not live on site (which is strange)? If she loves her housekeeper and Jonathan so much why doesn’t she, you know, show it?

But hey, fiction. Right? Well, no, because setting a book in a real time and place means at least an attempt to depict it correctly. But I could live with all that backstory because at least it is an attempt to explain. Mina’s being the only good woman of the book was a bit annoying but that trope appears in so many books anyways.

Then came the ball. Mina’s finance Jonathan gets kidnapped and Mina, dressed in full 1890s society ball dress, jumps on a horse to chase down the carriage he has been hustled into to.

Yeah, no.

1. Who rides a horse to a ball anyway?
2. Horses are not simply left in stable yards.
3. Even if it was not a billowy or train style ball gown, riding aside in one would be next to impossible. I kept imagining a woman in a ball gown trying to get on a horse in ball gown of the time, and kept laughing so that other people on the train kept looking at me.

Honesty, if you wanted a horse chase sequence, have Mina and Jonathan go riding. They could do that in London.

And I tried to continue after that, but when Mrs. Harker who is wondering where her son is because Mina set her some half ass note, shows up and is, rightly, upset that Mina is with a strange man, Mrs. Harker is painted and treated in such away by every character as if her comments are uncalled for, and they really aren’t. She is acting like a mother. She shouldn't be used simply to show how "modern" and better Mina is for not being a society lady.

And heaven forbid, Mina actually have Lucy as friend as opposed to a Lucy who is little more a plot device vampiric lap dog.

Can we stop this please? It is okay to have women be friends in novels. It is okay to have more than one woman good at something. They can even talk to each other.


DNF at 34%.

[Kimberly-Dawn Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m gushing over this book! This retelling of Mina, Johnathon, Lucy and Van Helsing’s story had me completely engrossed. I love when a talented and articulate author dares to retell a classic like Bram Stokers Dracula. Creating a new backstory and bring the mystery and adventure forward is exciting. I love Mina apart from her internal/external repeated dialog of we must find Johnathon (we get that...it’s why you left London). Is something/someone following them to Transylvania? HA! No Spoilers.
The Narrator on this book was EXCELLENT! I was completely immersed. I’m actually bummed the next book isn’t on Audible but I already bought the next book anyway!

I was given a free copy of this book in lieu of an honest review and it is this book come highly recommended by me.

[Book Talks Over Coffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is simply amazing. The author incorporates adequate elements of dark fantasy, mystery and romance all into a book. I found myself in an emotional rollercoaster, feeling for the characters as if I have first hand experiences on the situations they are facing.

It is also relatively fast read and a real page-turner, there were instances I wanted to stop reading for the night but was plagued with endless questions on my mind that I have to just keep reading on.

The book also had a very substantial plot and I would love to read other books in this series when it comes out. I highly recommend this book to people who loves thrillers and mysteries combined with supernatural beings.

NB: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for reviews but this has not influenced my review :).

[Ellen Ziegler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book...most of it. At first I was not crazy about the narrator being in the first person. I am not a fan of that point of view so I kept walking away from it...but it did pull me back and I wanted to read more so I could find out more about the Hero (Abe) and the Heroine, Mina, the narrator. It is a really interesting story about Good and bad Vampires, so I like that it has obvious paranormal elements. it has a lot of murder and mystery in it, which I really liked. However, I was hoping for a little more romance. I think in the next book we will see more about that, but not in this book. It is an exciting story however, and the murder mystery element of the book leave me wanting more too. I like that it draws me in. But I did not like the ending...it ended, in my humble opinion, with too many loose ends and I have the feeling the last two books are really just going to be middle and ending chapters of this one story. I am not thrilled when authors do that. If an author is going to write 3 books in a series, I want them all to be stand alone books with a beginning middle and an end all in the same book. When I first started reading this book, I thought, uh-oh this is not my type of book because of the first person narration. But this author did a good job making me forget that point of view and I eventually became so interested in what the mystery was, that I forgot the narration. L.D. Goffigan is a fine writer and this book has a good plot and great dialog...but the first couple of chapters had a couple that seemed unnecessary, resulting in me walking away, and the ending is not my cup of tea...so I only gave it 4 stars as a result. That being said, I want to read the next book in the series because I want to know more about these characters. I was asked by the author to read this book in order to review it, but I will also be interested in reading the next book in the series merely because I now need to know what happens!

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have to start, right now, about the DUCHT in this book! I've read a lot of books over the years, and some of them have maybe 1 Dutch word, or talk a bit about The Netherlands, but now we have a story that, for a part, takes place in The Netherlands and contains the Dutch language as well. I was so surprised by that and, of course, felt an instant connection!

Full review can be found at BiteIntoBooks

This book felt like a huge adventure with a great cast of characters. I love that this book takes place at least a century ago. They are on this great quest around Europe and I was amazed how The Netherlands and the Dutch language was incorporated in this book.
I can't wait to read the second installment!

[Erica Robyn Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little nervous going into this book simply because I have read a ton of really bad books about vampires... However, my hesitation was totally forgotten as I began to read the very first chapter of The Beast of London. This was such a fun and action packed read! It was also beautifully written! If you're looking for a page-turning, dark adventure story, I would highly recommend this!

Click here to read the rest of my review!

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.

[Ана Хелс · Rating 5 out of 5]

Блестящото начало на така познатата история за Дракула, но този път разказана от гледната точка на Мина Мъри, която аз винаги ще си представям като Уинона Райдър. Зловеща на моменти, романтична в други, в повечето време очарователно обречена. За съжаление поредицата в следващите си части малко се оплита в желанието си хем да се различава коренно,ама и едновременно да спазва някак класиката на Стокър. Но ако сте фенове на кораби пълни с подивели вампири, планиращи да завладеят цялата Британска империя чрез сложна система включваща недвижими имоти и създаване на армии от зъбати кръвопийци със селски произход - ами, прочетете и останалите, Хелоун е дълга, дълга нощ...

[Jan Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Beast of London by L.D. Goffigan was so good! I loved the new twist on the character of Mina from the Dracula stories. I was immediately pulled into this book. The author wrote vivid imagery and great details. This book was classified as Supernatural and Paranormal under Mystery and Thrillers. I found it to be so much more. I will definitely listen to more books by this author and narrator. Danielle Cohen was magical bringing the characters to life. She has a rich articulate voice that is perfect for this time period listen. I requested this review copy auidobook and have voluntary written this review. I definitely want to continue this Mina Murray series.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant and Refreshing!

These are two words that come to mind where 'The Beast of London' is concerned...albeit far from the only ones. It has been quite a long time since I have honestly enjoyed a book from beginning through to & including the end. Myself, being a somewhat fastidious reader, is one reason for the 5 star review.

Goffigan has done a fantastic job on taking the reader through an adventure as the entire story naturally and consistently moves without unnecessary chapters dedicated solely to description. Her flow of writing and evident talent deliver constant narration through Mina Murray's point of view and how she describes & interprets her surroundings as well as other characters in the story.

* Did I mention natural and consistent movement/development of an adventure? Yes!, that's right. I never found myself bored or felt that I was "trudging" through any chapters. This book has constant energy! There is no place for boredom on this ride. *

This portrayal of Mina is spot on! I am a fan of all things Mina/Jonathan/Dracula/London. I love Bram Stoker's Dracula and I found myself viewing the characters in this story walking around in that same London atmosphere. This is by far *the best* book I've read that is a variation of what was done with Stoker's main stage characters.....& what's better - we meet equally interesting new characters! The development of the entire cast was executed effortlessly while the adventures are taking place. You'll be turning page after page reading viciously bloody events taking place as the the characters & even secondary characters are coming true to form through their dialogue, actions, and intent. Another reason for 5 stars!

We get just the right amount of romance in this, the first installment of the series. What we discover of Mina and Jonathan's relationship is written with just the right mixture of flirting, playfulness, compassion, and love. I want to tell you more but I don't want to spoil this awesome story for anyone.

Something that continuously held my interest and appreciation was the description of their journey. In one excerpt, Mina describes their travels : "We soon left Pest behind to cross the Szechenyi Chain Bridge to the Buda side of the city on the opposite side of the Danube River, which glittered beneath the fading light of the setting sun. In Buda, we made our way down the old medieval streets of the Castle District, where we were dropped off at the edge of Vienna Gate Square, an area that teemed with both shops and old homes that were both baroque and medieval in appearance."

Simply put, this is great writing- worthy of every star! I was only sad when it came to an end. I read about 1/3 of this book in one evening. To say it is a page-turner is a cliche that just doesn't do it justice.
* If anything involving Mina Murray & vampires (including most of the main characters of Bram Stoker's Dracula) hold your interest at all, then you have my word, you will have fun reading 'The Beast of London'.

And the ending was perfect!!!!! *****

Is the beginning of the story interesting enough to suck you in to keep reading? Yes!

Is this the type of book that will keep you up beyond your bedtime because you want to read "just one more chapter"? Absolutely!!

Writing style - Fantastic!

Character development - Outstanding! I feel like I'm on the adventure with them & look forward to them in the next installment! Mina is amazing!

This book is exactly what I hoped it would be & it thoroughly exceeded my expectations! I predict that L.D. Goffigan is going to continue delivering great work, if this story is any indication of what she is capable of.

** I was given this book in advance by the author in return for an honest review. However, I would gladly have paid for the entertainment provided within. Thank you for the opportunity Ms. Goffigan.

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't care for this retelling, but the story itself was well written so I gave it 3 stars. (Those not as "attached" to the original story may like this one much better.) I also don't like cliffhanger endings.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if?
Suppose it is Mina's father who was the first British victim of the Vampire. Suppose that Jack the Ripper is actually the Vampire. Suppose that Jonathan Harker was abducted from a fashionable London ballroom by the Vampire and taken away to Transylvania and was followed by his fiancee Mina and Abraham Van Helsing. Well, read this and find out! A totally different perspective on the classic tale to be enjoyed on its own merit! Loved it!
Narrator Danielle Cohen adds to the suspense and urgency.
I won this free audiobook in a giveaway!

[Greg Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beast of London 1

A good read for people who are in to the series recommend highly can't wait for the next one of the series a really enjoyable read but quick shaping up to be a enjoyable series must read the next one of the series

[Kelly Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

Loved this fresh take and interpretation on the classic Dracula story. Seen through new eyes of a feisty Mina Murray. I'm looking forward to book two.

[Chrystal Chase · Rating 2 out of 5]

While entertaining enough to keep me reading, I thought this book was very predictable and full of clichés. I won’t be continuing the series for that reason.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free. I am voluntarily leaving this review and all opinions expressed herein are mine.

This is the first book in the Mina Murray series. It is not a standalone book and has a cliffhanger ending. None of the issues/problems raised in this book are resolved. While I can understand that the main issue may not be resolved in a multi-book story, at least resolve some minor issues to provide the reader some satisfaction or a sense of completion. I am not a fan of this type of gimmick and that's really the only reason why this book did get a five-star rating.

Here, Mina used to travel with her father, who was a researcher/scientist. After her father's death, under circumstances Mina wants to forget a d not believe to be true, she comes to London. In London, Mina becomes a teacher and engaged to Jonathon. Jonathon's mother believes Mina to be beneath Jonathon's status and is not shy about letting Mina know her distaste regarding the engagement. Mina and Jonathon attend a ball when out of the blue, Mina's former love interest Abraham shows up. Soon thereafter, Jonathon is kidnapped. Mina joins forces with Abraham to find Jonathon and hunt down the vampires responsible for her father's death.

This is a very well written reformulation of Dracula in a wonderful descriptive writing style filled with action-packed sequences, historical tidbits, plenty of blood lusting monsters, and emotional drama. The focus here is on Mina - a strong, smart woman - completely different than other women of her time - she is assertive, independent, has a job and is more than willing to break the societal mores of her time. Part of Mina's journey is discovering more about who she is and where she comes from - as well as accepting some of these facts. I loved the historical "retelling" of events if vampires were to exist.

I listened to this book - the narrator did a great job. She complimented the story by adding a lot of emotion and tension to her reading. This was the first time that I have had the opportunity of listening to her work and I really enjoyed it.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was totally in the mood for a vampire book, especially with Halloween just around the corner. And while I enjoyed this book for the most part, boy is it not a good retelling. Basically the only similarity between Dracula and this is the names of characters, the fact that there are vampires, and it's set in the Victorian era. Yep, that's it. And I feel like this book would have been stronger standing on its own, not marketing itself as a retelling of one of the greatest horror classics of all time.

The premise is so interesting and I loved as the mystery unfolds. You have Mina Murray, an independent girl whose father died strangely in Transylvania. You have Abe Van Helsing, who worked with Mina's father and randomly shows up to tell Mina that the Jack the Ripper murders are connected to vampires (that whole subplot was a bit unnecessary, granted). You have feral vampires kidnapping Mina's fiancé Jonathan Harker, and Mina, Abe, and Scotland Yard Inspector John Seward (who pretty much does nothing in the book) pursueing the monsters to save the world.

There is so much to love about this book. The will-they-won't-they feels between Abe and Mina, as they once were engaged but now Mina is determined to be loyal to Jonathan and save him. You have so brilliantly intense vampire attack scenes and twists in the mystery. The trio travels to many interesting places (even if the title is a bit of a misnomer considering less than half the book actually takes place in London). I couldn't wait to learn about Mina's family, and if Jonathan was alive.

Saying that, even if this book is the first of a trilogy, it just randomly stops. Each book within a series should have an small plot which is concluded, but this one does not have that. Also, Mina can be seriously annoying at times, and I found myself rooting for Abe and others and hoping she would have a tragic death scene. She has random outbursts, coming across as so emotional and stupid. So often it is by pure luck that she survives and I really disliked that.

An interesting premise and fun book, but lacking in connection to its source material and weak in certain places.

[Marjorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book starts off with a stuffy Victorian feel but quickly morphs into something far more exciting. The POV character, Mina, was raised outside of traditional society and although she wears its trappings well and is engaged to a wonderful man of society whom she truly loves, she is not sure this is the life she is suited for. As with many of these books, she is written as a woman far ahead of her time.

When her past come barreling back into her life, Mina finds herself on a life-altering adventure with elements of Dracula, Van Helsing, lycanthopic legends, Jack the Ripper and even a bit of The Beagle and Mr. Flycatcher. The book maintained a theme though out of finding scientific explanations for the fantastic. Lots of action, and danger including violence and bloodshed.

This is book 1 in a trilogy and does end with a big reveal and cliff hanger for the next book. The narrator was easy to understand and did an excellent job with this book other than the bits of Dutch which were absolutely slaughtered. But perhaps that is what Mina would sound like attempting to speak broken Dutch?

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love a Dracula adaptation; two stand out adaptations I read in 2020 were Dracula’s Demeter by Doug Lamoreux and Dracula’s Child by JS Barnes and this first installment in the Mina Murray series definitely sits alongside those two.

I did have to try and forget the original as there were periods when the timelines were slightly different in terms of when and how characters meet each other, but there were other occasions, when things were hinted at within the plot that made me think the original and The Beast of London were more similar that I previously thought.

Despite that, the characterisations were brilliant, descriptions were superb and the overall novel hit exactly the right tone. The book is filled with strong female characters such as Mina herself, Van Helsing’s assistant Greta and Radu’s daughter. This made for interesting reading considering the period in which the novel was set (late 1800s at a guess) and taking into account the norms and expected behaviour for women at the time.

The only reason this got 4* from me was because the ending was so abrupt. The book literally just stopped.

[Laura Acock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring, amazing and unputdownable.

I find myself drawn to the world of vampires in any guise or form. Having read Bram Stoker’s Dracula as a young teenager and watched the adaptions of the story as films and TV series. I was immediately drawn to Lauren Goffigan’s retelling of the story.

What starts out as a hunt for Jack the Ripper soon becomes an enthralling story of a young woman Mina tying to understand her past, reconcile her feelings for Van Helsing her former fiancé whilst hunting for her new betrothed who has consequently been abducted by vampires.

As the story weaves towards its culmination, Mina learns she has a half brother who is a vampire. When she too is bitten by a vampire they recoil from her. She also learns that her father has been killed by a member of the Dracula family.

The Beast of London is a thrilling tale, with plenty of twists and turns that leaves the reader wanting more at its culmination.

[Emmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

•audiobook•

Historical fantasy spin regarding Jack the Ripper.

I really enjoyed the NON sparkly vampire with iconic literary characters.
The writing was tight; the world building incredible; the characters were tangible and realistic; the plot was unique and magnetic.
Reviews of the second book were less promising. As much as I want to pick up the next in the series, I’m uncertain if I will.
I enjoyed listening to Danielle Cohen. She did a wonderful job! I would definitely listen to more from her.

This is my voluntary review of an audiobook received for free.

[Clairisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was to be read list for a long time and I kinda forgot until I decided to clean up my long list of unread. I'm glad I did because this book was a nice surprise from the usual fantasy fiction I'm used to reading. It's a Dracula retelling kind of and it has the character of Van helsing which I'm a fan of and wanted to know how he fit in the story. I really like the main character and her chemistry with Van helsing was very well done. The ending was a bit to soon and it left us with a cliffhanger which I'm not a fan of but overall I did enjoy the book.

[Lee Enderlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, Not Great

This isn't a bad story, but it wasn't enough to make me want to read any more books in this three-book set, but I'm sure others would disagree. The author combines elements of vampire lore with werewolf lore which is something of a twist. There are some grammar glitches, a couple of confusing passages where the reader isn't quite certain who's talking, and even one instance where train wheels are referred to as tires. A little professional editing would have caught these and provided some polish.