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Helena Walton-Cisneros #1
The Golden Key
London, 1901. After the death of Queen Victoria the city heaves with the uncanny and the eerie. Séances are held and the dead are called upon from darker realms.
Samuel Moncrieff, recovering from a recent tragedy of his own, meets Helena Walton-Cisneros, one of London’s most reputed mediums. But Helena is not what she seems and she’s enlisted by the elusive Lady Matthews to solve a twenty-year-old mystery: the disappearance of her three stepdaughters who vanished without a trace on the Norfolk Fens.
But the Fens are a liminal land, where folk tales and dark magic still linger. With locals that speak of devilmen and catatonic children found on the Broads, Helena finds the answer to the mystery leads back to where it started: Samuel Moncrieff.
Samuel Moncrieff, recovering from a recent tragedy of his own, meets Helena Walton-Cisneros, one of London’s most reputed mediums. But Helena is not what she seems and she’s enlisted by the elusive Lady Matthews to solve a twenty-year-old mystery: the disappearance of her three stepdaughters who vanished without a trace on the Norfolk Fens.
But the Fens are a liminal land, where folk tales and dark magic still linger. With locals that speak of devilmen and catatonic children found on the Broads, Helena finds the answer to the mystery leads back to where it started: Samuel Moncrieff.
323 pages, Paperback
First published February 18, 2020
156 people are currently reading
2174 people want to read
About the author
Marian Womack
58 books85 followersMarian Womack is a bilingual writer born in Andalusia and educated at the universities of Glasgow and Oxford. She is currently completing a part-time Masters Degree in Creative Writing at Cambridge University, and recently graduated from the Clarion Fantasy and Science-Fiction Writer’s Workshop at USCD. She is co-editor of the academic book Beyond the Back Room: New Perspectives on Carmen Martín Gaite (Oxford: Peter Lang, 2010), and of The Best of Spanish Steampunk (forthcoming, 2015). In Spanish she has published the cycle of intertwined tales Memoria de la Nieve (Zaragoza: Tropo, 2011), has co-authored the YA novel Calle Andersen (Barcelona: La Galera, 2014), and has contributed to more than fifteen anthologies of short fiction, the most recent Alucinadas (Gijón: Palabaristas, 2014), the first Spanish language all-female SF anthology. Her journalism and critical writing on Spanish literature, culture and society have appeared on a variety of English speaking academic journals, as well as the Times Literary Supplement, the New Internationalist, and the digital version of El País. She has fiction forthcoming in English in Weird Fiction Review. Chosen by literary magazine Leer in its 30th anniversary as one of the thirty most influential people in their thirties in Spain’s literary scene, she is also a prolific translator, and runs a small press in Madrid, Ediciones Nevsky.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
February 23, 2020
2.5*
I so anticipated liking this book. The blurb on the back cover pulled me in with the promise of all of my favourite things...seances, disappearing girls, strong female characters, folk tales, dark magic and all set in the liminal space of the Fens, one of my favourite places in the world. I had such high hopes but I soon realised that I wasn'tenjoying the reading experience very much as I found it almost impossible to retain any of the story. I was re-reading passages several times and when I picked up the book again I could not remember what had happened. There is a line between otherworldly and vagueness and I felt that this book fell on the side of opaqueness in its attempt to deliver the otherworldly. I found it all so frustrating. I do think the story improved once Helena and Eliza's investigations collided but the unresolved ending left a feeling of disatisfaction. I must say that some parts were wonderfully written - some of the passages about the Fens reminded me of Graham Swift's Waterland which is a very high bar to reach. I am really sad to only give The Golden Key 2.5* - maybe a reread at a later date will make it all a bit clearer for me.
I so anticipated liking this book. The blurb on the back cover pulled me in with the promise of all of my favourite things...seances, disappearing girls, strong female characters, folk tales, dark magic and all set in the liminal space of the Fens, one of my favourite places in the world. I had such high hopes but I soon realised that I wasn'tenjoying the reading experience very much as I found it almost impossible to retain any of the story. I was re-reading passages several times and when I picked up the book again I could not remember what had happened. There is a line between otherworldly and vagueness and I felt that this book fell on the side of opaqueness in its attempt to deliver the otherworldly. I found it all so frustrating. I do think the story improved once Helena and Eliza's investigations collided but the unresolved ending left a feeling of disatisfaction. I must say that some parts were wonderfully written - some of the passages about the Fens reminded me of Graham Swift's Waterland which is a very high bar to reach. I am really sad to only give The Golden Key 2.5* - maybe a reread at a later date will make it all a bit clearer for me.
April 20, 2020
This book made me feel dumb. Not in a “these concepts are really smart and I just need to do some research to understand what’s happening” way, but in a “What did I miss? Did I accidentally skip a chapter” way. It was incredibly disjointed. I kept having to go back to see if I’d missed something. I hadn’t. It just jumped forward in large chunks, and switched points of view at really odd times. It might have been intentional, meant to confuse the reader. It definitely worked.
The writing had an eerie, gothic feel to it, which I really liked. I felt like there was always a mystery waiting to be solved, and I enjoyed the tension felt throughout the book. The question of who Sam was and where he came from kept me guessing. That was part of the reason the abrupt shifts in story-line annoyed me so much: every time I started to get invested in what was going on, it would jump to another (seemingly unrelated) part of the story.
Once the story got going, I enjoyed it. It took too long to get there, though, and I ended up not enjoying it as much as I expected to. I give this book a resounding “eh.” It’s not bad, it’s just not great.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.hom...
The writing had an eerie, gothic feel to it, which I really liked. I felt like there was always a mystery waiting to be solved, and I enjoyed the tension felt throughout the book. The question of who Sam was and where he came from kept me guessing. That was part of the reason the abrupt shifts in story-line annoyed me so much: every time I started to get invested in what was going on, it would jump to another (seemingly unrelated) part of the story.
Once the story got going, I enjoyed it. It took too long to get there, though, and I ended up not enjoying it as much as I expected to. I give this book a resounding “eh.” It’s not bad, it’s just not great.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.hom...
February 8, 2020
I really enjoyed The Golden Key during it's opening chapters, atmospheric and cleverly written but after about the halfway mark I felt it got a little muddled.
It's a bit jump around in its plotting and whilst I engaged with the characters I didn't feel I got to know them enough over the course of the story.
I loved the gothic aspects of it and the beautifully descriptive Victorian era but overall it was a bit messy and the ending was a bit of a let down
Will be interested to see what the author does next. Some brilliant ideas rocking around there but execution didn't quite hit the mark for me.
It's a bit jump around in its plotting and whilst I engaged with the characters I didn't feel I got to know them enough over the course of the story.
I loved the gothic aspects of it and the beautifully descriptive Victorian era but overall it was a bit messy and the ending was a bit of a let down
Will be interested to see what the author does next. Some brilliant ideas rocking around there but execution didn't quite hit the mark for me.
February 14, 2020
I really didn't enjoy this book. The first chapter was promising, but I couldn't get into it after that. I have no clue what happened for 350 pages long.
January 17, 2020
This book was a real disappointment which is a shame because it has so many elements that I typically enjoy - end of the Victorian era setting, spiritualism, seances, fairyland, changelings, mystery, spooky atmosphere, strong female character, etc. But unfortunately the book's structure seemed a bit of a mess. It was like the author had constructed a connect the dots puzzle, and probably had a good idea in her own head of what she was attempting, but she left out too many of the dots for a complete picture to emerge. The story almost felt like an outline that needed to be filled in more. I will have to admit that the copy I read was an Advance Readers Copy so maybe the final book will have some changes, although I doubt it will have additional material added. One thing it does need before publication is to have all of the typos in the ARC corrected. The ARC was filled with misspellings, incorrect pronouns, and wrong verb tenses. I have never read an ARC that contained so many errors.
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July 5, 2021I will not leave a star review as I did not finish.
There was a lot to love. I picked this book up on the basis on the title, which immediately rang bells of recognition in my head (GEORGE MACDONALD REFERENCE!) It was indeed a George MacDonald reference, a meandering exploration of the dark side of fairytales, among other things.
I don't feel the book quite pulled together at crucial points, however, and I ended up abandoning it, with great reluctance. I lost sense of the threads and where it was going, what the characters were doing, and their motivations.
I love the voice and the beautiful narration style, and the eerie setting and atmosphere. I would even read another book by this author in future, on the strength of that writing. But structurally, this book doesn't work for me - it needs, imho, another HEAVY edit pass to make head or tail of what is going on. It needs to start in a different place and possibly from the MC's point of view (instead of the character it does start with).
I do not think that is just me being finicky. I've read Etched City, which has erratic/loose structure and is 95% imagery, 5% plot, and I LOVE that book. I've read a lot of Wolfe, which requires much patience, and I've read Ada Palmer, which is convoluted in the best way. In general I'm okay with overwhelming, unusual stories. This, to me, felt not quite finished.
That said, someone who is less of a structure whore might be able to read it and enjoy it.
There was a lot to love. I picked this book up on the basis on the title, which immediately rang bells of recognition in my head (GEORGE MACDONALD REFERENCE!) It was indeed a George MacDonald reference, a meandering exploration of the dark side of fairytales, among other things.
I don't feel the book quite pulled together at crucial points, however, and I ended up abandoning it, with great reluctance. I lost sense of the threads and where it was going, what the characters were doing, and their motivations.
I love the voice and the beautiful narration style, and the eerie setting and atmosphere. I would even read another book by this author in future, on the strength of that writing. But structurally, this book doesn't work for me - it needs, imho, another HEAVY edit pass to make head or tail of what is going on. It needs to start in a different place and possibly from the MC's point of view (instead of the character it does start with).
I do not think that is just me being finicky. I've read Etched City, which has erratic/loose structure and is 95% imagery, 5% plot, and I LOVE that book. I've read a lot of Wolfe, which requires much patience, and I've read Ada Palmer, which is convoluted in the best way. In general I'm okay with overwhelming, unusual stories. This, to me, felt not quite finished.
That said, someone who is less of a structure whore might be able to read it and enjoy it.
October 30, 2020
Nothing happened! How could you go a third of the way into a story - any story! - without anything happening!
This had all the promises of a good book - Magic! Mystery! Victorian England! - and then nothing ever happened. More seriously, there were times when the descriptions felt as though the editor finally had enough and threw the copy at the wall because even after draft five, nothing ever happened!
This had all the promises of a good book - Magic! Mystery! Victorian England! - and then nothing ever happened. More seriously, there were times when the descriptions felt as though the editor finally had enough and threw the copy at the wall because even after draft five, nothing ever happened!
January 16, 2020
A good idea poorly executed. All of the vagueness and skipping around was obviously meant to create mystery but it just kept me from getting into the story.
February 23, 2020
Had to DNF @25%
I couldn't connect with the characters or discriptions. A real pity.
I couldn't connect with the characters or discriptions. A real pity.
March 30, 2020
I...have no idea what happened in this confusing mess of a book. Atmospheric? Absolutely. Coherent? Uhhhhh...
March 1, 2020
I had such high hopes for this one. Sounded like it was right up my street. An eerie Norfolk setting a mysterious manor house and the main players all having secrets and a link to the mysterious house. Oh and I forgot to mention it's one of my fave genres.Gothic. Sadly it didn't do too much for me. Very disjointed and confusing. Such a shame as it did have the odd moment when something fab occured. Sadly there weren't enough of those moments. Disappointing.
February 2, 2020
I had to DNF this one at 64 pages... I tried to read more but I just couldn’t get into it. The writing seems very stilted and there is no real sense of a plot... maybe it gets better further on but I was literally forcing myself to keep reading when I had no desire to.
February 22, 2020
Very good gothic thriller with some wonderful use of atmosphere; smart plotting and a great look at the role and erasure of women in the period. Also wonderfully eerie and perfect for stormy nights
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
abandoned
October 6, 2021While I appreciated the evocation of grief and the stifling Gothic atmosphere, I found the narrative choppy and slightly incoherent. I gave it several chapters, but found myself frustrated and unmotivated to read - as this is also true of my other read in progress, one of them has to go (I need at least one book on the go that I'm actually enjoying!) The Golden Key draws the short straw as the other is a buddy read and I don't want to let my buddy down.
I may come back to it in the future as I remain intrigued by the plot and good reviews from trusted bookfriends, but DNF for now.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I may come back to it in the future as I remain intrigued by the plot and good reviews from trusted bookfriends, but DNF for now.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 3, 2022
Finished my first book of the year in March, woo. I'm on fire.
I so wanted to like this book. It had the best premise I could ever hope for. Edwardian setting, gothic ambience, flowery writing, mysterious disappearances, ghosts and mediums? Come ON. Unfortunately, as others have pointed out, the story is too disjointed and obtuse to live up to these expectations.
It's not that I didn't understand what was going on, it's that it was all presented and transcribed in a rather confusing way. This book had both no plot going on, and too much happening all at once, therefore important plot points were underdeveloped and the lush writing spent paragraphs and paragraphs describing minor details or characters' backstories in a very info-dumpy and frankly uninteresting way. Only Victor Hugo can get away with that, and just barely... and, well, Marian Womack might be a very talented writer (in the sense that I really liked her prose, which I understand is not everyone's cup of tea with how verbose it is), but she's no Victor Hugo. For example, the book lacked in characterization and consistency with its treatment of its characters. Samuel Montcrieff is introduced first, and you spend the first quarter of the book with him, so you assume he is the main character—but then it cuts to Helena, and you... never see Samuel again. And then you have these random chapters from Eliza's perspective that are peppered in and for the longest time I had no idea who Eliza was, why they were relevant to the story, and having finished the book... I still lowkey don't. In my opinion, this book could've done without Samuel and Eliza's perspectives, and flesh out Helena's personality and characteristics a little more. Because her only personality trait is curious/inquisitive, and a vessel for the author to pluck in her feminist agenda in an aggravating and eye-rolling way, because, as for most things in the novel, it comes out of nowhere.
That's the biggest flaw of the book, I believe; things aren't explained... until they are, which sounds dumb, but is a valid criticism: what is supposed to be “foreshadowing” can hardly count as such, because it's so cryptic that you don't really comprehend what you're reading; and the book throws a million threads at you, and then, instead of resolving them, gives you a big paragraph to explain it all. It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.
Having said that, there is a lot of potential in this book and writer. Marian Womack truly is gifted with words, and she can sure as hell build an atmospheric ambience (perhaps a bit too atmospheric)... maybe not so much with construction of a story, and resolving plot points. But with the right editor and some more experience, I think I could truly enjoy one of her novels.
I so wanted to like this book. It had the best premise I could ever hope for. Edwardian setting, gothic ambience, flowery writing, mysterious disappearances, ghosts and mediums? Come ON. Unfortunately, as others have pointed out, the story is too disjointed and obtuse to live up to these expectations.
It's not that I didn't understand what was going on, it's that it was all presented and transcribed in a rather confusing way. This book had both no plot going on, and too much happening all at once, therefore important plot points were underdeveloped and the lush writing spent paragraphs and paragraphs describing minor details or characters' backstories in a very info-dumpy and frankly uninteresting way. Only Victor Hugo can get away with that, and just barely... and, well, Marian Womack might be a very talented writer (in the sense that I really liked her prose, which I understand is not everyone's cup of tea with how verbose it is), but she's no Victor Hugo. For example, the book lacked in characterization and consistency with its treatment of its characters. Samuel Montcrieff is introduced first, and you spend the first quarter of the book with him, so you assume he is the main character—but then it cuts to Helena, and you... never see Samuel again. And then you have these random chapters from Eliza's perspective that are peppered in and for the longest time I had no idea who Eliza was, why they were relevant to the story, and having finished the book... I still lowkey don't. In my opinion, this book could've done without Samuel and Eliza's perspectives, and flesh out Helena's personality and characteristics a little more. Because her only personality trait is curious/inquisitive, and a vessel for the author to pluck in her feminist agenda in an aggravating and eye-rolling way, because, as for most things in the novel, it comes out of nowhere.
That's the biggest flaw of the book, I believe; things aren't explained... until they are, which sounds dumb, but is a valid criticism: what is supposed to be “foreshadowing” can hardly count as such, because it's so cryptic that you don't really comprehend what you're reading; and the book throws a million threads at you, and then, instead of resolving them, gives you a big paragraph to explain it all. It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.
Having said that, there is a lot of potential in this book and writer. Marian Womack truly is gifted with words, and she can sure as hell build an atmospheric ambience (perhaps a bit too atmospheric)... maybe not so much with construction of a story, and resolving plot points. But with the right editor and some more experience, I think I could truly enjoy one of her novels.
April 1, 2020
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.
If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be 'fragmented'. The premise and mood of the book are intriguing and should've been completely up my street, and I found the characters well drawn if not fully tangible. Most frustratingly, I think there was a good plot in there somewhere. The execution is just incredibly muddled.
I feel like there are too many POVs and threads to keep track of. It was satisfying to see some of them come together, but there was never a moment where the narrative really clicked and everything became clear. Womack unveils important revelations (particularly with respect to Sam's true nature, and other supernatural elements) in such a sudden, jolting way that it feels like you've missed a step going downstairs. I got the sense that Womack wanted to keep us guessing as to whether the girls' disappearance was supernatural or not, but it so obviously was that the forced uncertainty made everything more confusing.
I still wouldn't call this a bad book, because there are some interesting characters and a plot with a lot of potential underneath it all, and the prose is often very beautiful. However, it is needlessly confusing, moves in fits and starts, and altogether could be much better.
If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be 'fragmented'. The premise and mood of the book are intriguing and should've been completely up my street, and I found the characters well drawn if not fully tangible. Most frustratingly, I think there was a good plot in there somewhere. The execution is just incredibly muddled.
I feel like there are too many POVs and threads to keep track of. It was satisfying to see some of them come together, but there was never a moment where the narrative really clicked and everything became clear. Womack unveils important revelations (particularly with respect to Sam's true nature, and other supernatural elements) in such a sudden, jolting way that it feels like you've missed a step going downstairs. I got the sense that Womack wanted to keep us guessing as to whether the girls' disappearance was supernatural or not, but it so obviously was that the forced uncertainty made everything more confusing.
I still wouldn't call this a bad book, because there are some interesting characters and a plot with a lot of potential underneath it all, and the prose is often very beautiful. However, it is needlessly confusing, moves in fits and starts, and altogether could be much better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2020
I was really disappointed in this book. The premise was so intriguing but the storyline was disjointed & scattered. Almost as if they wrote the book in a hurry without filling developing the story
April 13, 2020
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher.
An atmospheric historical tale that will give you the chills and make you want to don your detective hat and figure out the mystery.
It's 1901 and England has become fascinated with the afterworld. Séances, ghostly spirits, and haunting nightmares are commonplace and everyone is searching for answers from the other side. Lady Matthews is determined to uncover the truth about a past tragedy and hires someone with special qualities for the job. While at the same time, a young man with his own tragic past cannot stop the feeling that he is being haunted by a place; a place he isn't sure he has ever visited before, yet knows well.
I enjoyed THE GOLDEN KEY by Marian Womack but it definitely has an unusual flow to it which may not appeal to everyone. The characters are intriguing, never fully disclosing everything, and I enjoyed the tense and creepy tension that lingers on each page.
Overall, an enjoyable read.
An atmospheric historical tale that will give you the chills and make you want to don your detective hat and figure out the mystery.
It's 1901 and England has become fascinated with the afterworld. Séances, ghostly spirits, and haunting nightmares are commonplace and everyone is searching for answers from the other side. Lady Matthews is determined to uncover the truth about a past tragedy and hires someone with special qualities for the job. While at the same time, a young man with his own tragic past cannot stop the feeling that he is being haunted by a place; a place he isn't sure he has ever visited before, yet knows well.
I enjoyed THE GOLDEN KEY by Marian Womack but it definitely has an unusual flow to it which may not appeal to everyone. The characters are intriguing, never fully disclosing everything, and I enjoyed the tense and creepy tension that lingers on each page.
Overall, an enjoyable read.
June 22, 2020
Reading the blurb for this book, it sounds like the perfect book for me: historical setting, mysterious disappearances and a gothic style. But it doesn’t deliver. There is no sense of being in England in 1901 as there is no real description of the setting or historical detail. Yes, there were mysterious disappearances, but the plot is too complicated and jumps from one thing to another so that even episodes that are meant to be dramatic are barely memorable and left on questions like “What had Helena stumbled upon?” (a question I asked myself with increasing frequency!). The characters are superficially drawn with no real depth. The written style is simplistic: the main character is ”very angry with herself, and shocked at her anger” and this is just one example. So much is told and not shown. And, finally, the dialogue is stilted and unrealistic. A positive? It is quick and easy to read but that’s the best I can say. My advice would be not to waste your time - there are so many other books you could read.
February 23, 2020
This is a book that needs time dedicated to it. Some books I find I can pick up and put down in the small gaps of time I find to squeeze in extra reading, The Golden Key wasn’t one of those books. I read the first couple of chapters in the bit-by-bit style but I was loosing track of the characters and getting a little lost. However once I sat down and gave this book the time it needed I found myself wrapped up in this hugely atmospheric and eerie tale.
The writing is quite fluid and the jump between characters isn’t always immediately obvious and can take a paragraph or two to pick up on, however for this story I found that worked as it added to the slightly uncertain, mysterious feel of the book.
If you enjoy stories about paranormal activity and don’t need all the answers this is a book you’ll enjoy.
The cover is also absolutely gorgeous, invoking the reeds of the Norfolk fens in sweeping golden stalks.
The writing is quite fluid and the jump between characters isn’t always immediately obvious and can take a paragraph or two to pick up on, however for this story I found that worked as it added to the slightly uncertain, mysterious feel of the book.
If you enjoy stories about paranormal activity and don’t need all the answers this is a book you’ll enjoy.
The cover is also absolutely gorgeous, invoking the reeds of the Norfolk fens in sweeping golden stalks.
Want to read
February 1, 2020
June 11, 2020
I wanted to love this, and I’d forgive a lot of its incoherent and inchoate rambling on the strength of its fantastic creepy atmosphere, but ultimately I believe that a gothic requires closure, if not explanation.
May 11, 2022
A haunting, liminal piece of work that hides most of its horror in the spaces between the pages, in the unsaid rather than the described. Extraordinary.
February 29, 2020
You can read my full review on my blog, The Writerly Way, here.
Many thanks to Titan Books for a finished copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
I’m a very simple woman. I see Gothic and a hint of the supernatural and I am there. The Golden Key sounds like a perfect combination of ghosts and superstition and haunted buildings … and it was a good combination of these things, but it left some things to be desired.
The Golden Key is a haunting, atmospheric Gothic tale that artfully blends the real and the supernatural, with a mystery that grabbed me by the collar and dragged me along.
While I enjoyed the book, I think it’s going to demand a niche readership, because the writing style and the way the plot unfolds isn’t for everyone.
My Thoughts:
- This book is a prime example of great Gothic writing … which means you have to really like Gothic writing in order to enjoy this book. That’s sort of the nasty caveat here, since it’s such a particular style, and this book feels much more like a classic Gothic novel. Which can be good or bad depending on how you feel about Gothic literature. There were plenty of elements that I could see not working for some readers, but they mostly all clicked well for me. I’ve always been a fan of classical Gothic, and this elicited the same feelings, but with a writing style that was more accessible and easier to read and breeze through.
- The mystery in this book is a slow burn that starts murky and unfurls little by little. This isn’t a book that’s going to immediately grab you and force you to read. But about a quarter of the way through, the mystery really revved up, and I was hooked. There were so many twists and turns and new information added that I actually had no proper guesses as to what the resolution would be until right before it happened. I was definitely kept guessing!
- This book got dark fast and oh my gosh, I loved it so. It started with an air of death: Samuel has lost someone he cares about, and the country has lost a queen. There’s just this general haze of loss. From there, it takes some dark, twisting turns with seances, a spooky haunted manor, missing children, etc. There’s a pervasive atmosphere of dark foreboding that always had me waiting for the next monster lurking in the darkness.
- The women in this are fantastic, daring to be scientific and smart in a world that deems it unfit for their gender. In case you hadn’t noticed, phew, yes, there is a lot of misogyny in this. It doesn’t even have the decency to be subtle. It’s just blatant, in your face, and often called out (to no avail, of course, given the time period, but still). These women are unapologetically witty and good at what they do, especially Helena, who we spend the most time with. She knows exactly what her job requires, and she’s willing to do what she needs in order to solve the mystery and get results. I really enjoyed seeing all the different ways she played the game.
- You have to really pay attention when reading this, because there are brilliant little nuggets thrown in everywhere. I like digging around the narrative for little Easter eggs, and I feel very accomplished when I find them. This book is actually chock full of little treasures like that, and I appreciated how expertly it was done. Things that seemed insignificant in the beginning had new meaning by the middle of the book, as new facts came to light.
- The descriptions in this book are so vivid and lush that I felt right there along with the characters, traipsing around the countryside. The setting was one reason I was attracted to this book, and it’s really brought to life in these pages: the beauty and danger of the Fen, the eeriness of the abandoned ruins, the large expanse of space where anyone can get lost. It’s not written in purple prose, and I didn’t feel like the story was overly bogged down with descriptions to the detriment of the actual plot, but they painted a lovely picture of the Fens just the same.
Sticking Points:
- The story is told in a very meandering way, where it jumps back and forth between characters and points of view, and it takes a long time for them all to meet up and fully make sense. This was a little hit or miss for me. In part, I thought it did a really good job of ramping up the mystery. We spend the most time with Helena, who is actively working on the mystery, and I adored her, so I was fine with that. The problem was that it was, at times, hard to follow, very choppy to keep head hopping, and sometimes hard to know when in the timeline things are taking place. It also takes a while for the points of view to meet up, so in the meantime, it feels very random without enough draw.
- The writing is very dry and felt distant, so I didn’t get a very good connection with any of the characters. On Samuel’s part, I’m sure this is on purpose, as at least part of the mystery revolves around him. I was a little annoyed by this at first, but after getting a little into the story, I liked this, because I realized he was an unreliable narrator (I would’ve known if I’d, like, read the blurb? But pffft, reading things). So the distance with his character allowed him to remain more of an enigma. I did feel like I knew more about Eliza and Helena, but it was all impersonal facts about the character rather than feeling like I knew them intimately, like their thoughts and hopes and dreams. Which was a shame, because these women were fantastic, and I definitely wanted to know them on a more personal level.
- The ending is very open, and for me, that’s my least favorite sort of ending. This is for sure a me thing. I know some people like open endings, and they enjoy the what-ifs and the wondering and being able to imagine for themselves. But not me, no. I don’t mind a vague ending, but I prefer some sort of definitive structure to the ending, where I know what happened and why and to whom. That’s just my personal reading preference, but that meant that this ending felt a bit disappointing to me, because I was so invested in the mystery and didn’t feel like it was satisfactorily wrapped. No, I didn’t expect to get all the answers (because that would defeat the eerie supernatural atmosphere), but it was a little too open for me personally and without enough concrete answers.
Many thanks to Titan Books for a finished copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
I’m a very simple woman. I see Gothic and a hint of the supernatural and I am there. The Golden Key sounds like a perfect combination of ghosts and superstition and haunted buildings … and it was a good combination of these things, but it left some things to be desired.
The Golden Key is a haunting, atmospheric Gothic tale that artfully blends the real and the supernatural, with a mystery that grabbed me by the collar and dragged me along.
While I enjoyed the book, I think it’s going to demand a niche readership, because the writing style and the way the plot unfolds isn’t for everyone.
My Thoughts:
- This book is a prime example of great Gothic writing … which means you have to really like Gothic writing in order to enjoy this book. That’s sort of the nasty caveat here, since it’s such a particular style, and this book feels much more like a classic Gothic novel. Which can be good or bad depending on how you feel about Gothic literature. There were plenty of elements that I could see not working for some readers, but they mostly all clicked well for me. I’ve always been a fan of classical Gothic, and this elicited the same feelings, but with a writing style that was more accessible and easier to read and breeze through.
- The mystery in this book is a slow burn that starts murky and unfurls little by little. This isn’t a book that’s going to immediately grab you and force you to read. But about a quarter of the way through, the mystery really revved up, and I was hooked. There were so many twists and turns and new information added that I actually had no proper guesses as to what the resolution would be until right before it happened. I was definitely kept guessing!
- This book got dark fast and oh my gosh, I loved it so. It started with an air of death: Samuel has lost someone he cares about, and the country has lost a queen. There’s just this general haze of loss. From there, it takes some dark, twisting turns with seances, a spooky haunted manor, missing children, etc. There’s a pervasive atmosphere of dark foreboding that always had me waiting for the next monster lurking in the darkness.
- The women in this are fantastic, daring to be scientific and smart in a world that deems it unfit for their gender. In case you hadn’t noticed, phew, yes, there is a lot of misogyny in this. It doesn’t even have the decency to be subtle. It’s just blatant, in your face, and often called out (to no avail, of course, given the time period, but still). These women are unapologetically witty and good at what they do, especially Helena, who we spend the most time with. She knows exactly what her job requires, and she’s willing to do what she needs in order to solve the mystery and get results. I really enjoyed seeing all the different ways she played the game.
- You have to really pay attention when reading this, because there are brilliant little nuggets thrown in everywhere. I like digging around the narrative for little Easter eggs, and I feel very accomplished when I find them. This book is actually chock full of little treasures like that, and I appreciated how expertly it was done. Things that seemed insignificant in the beginning had new meaning by the middle of the book, as new facts came to light.
- The descriptions in this book are so vivid and lush that I felt right there along with the characters, traipsing around the countryside. The setting was one reason I was attracted to this book, and it’s really brought to life in these pages: the beauty and danger of the Fen, the eeriness of the abandoned ruins, the large expanse of space where anyone can get lost. It’s not written in purple prose, and I didn’t feel like the story was overly bogged down with descriptions to the detriment of the actual plot, but they painted a lovely picture of the Fens just the same.
Sticking Points:
- The story is told in a very meandering way, where it jumps back and forth between characters and points of view, and it takes a long time for them all to meet up and fully make sense. This was a little hit or miss for me. In part, I thought it did a really good job of ramping up the mystery. We spend the most time with Helena, who is actively working on the mystery, and I adored her, so I was fine with that. The problem was that it was, at times, hard to follow, very choppy to keep head hopping, and sometimes hard to know when in the timeline things are taking place. It also takes a while for the points of view to meet up, so in the meantime, it feels very random without enough draw.
- The writing is very dry and felt distant, so I didn’t get a very good connection with any of the characters. On Samuel’s part, I’m sure this is on purpose, as at least part of the mystery revolves around him. I was a little annoyed by this at first, but after getting a little into the story, I liked this, because I realized he was an unreliable narrator (I would’ve known if I’d, like, read the blurb? But pffft, reading things). So the distance with his character allowed him to remain more of an enigma. I did feel like I knew more about Eliza and Helena, but it was all impersonal facts about the character rather than feeling like I knew them intimately, like their thoughts and hopes and dreams. Which was a shame, because these women were fantastic, and I definitely wanted to know them on a more personal level.
- The ending is very open, and for me, that’s my least favorite sort of ending. This is for sure a me thing. I know some people like open endings, and they enjoy the what-ifs and the wondering and being able to imagine for themselves. But not me, no. I don’t mind a vague ending, but I prefer some sort of definitive structure to the ending, where I know what happened and why and to whom. That’s just my personal reading preference, but that meant that this ending felt a bit disappointing to me, because I was so invested in the mystery and didn’t feel like it was satisfactorily wrapped. No, I didn’t expect to get all the answers (because that would defeat the eerie supernatural atmosphere), but it was a little too open for me personally and without enough concrete answers.
January 19, 2023
2.4 ⭐️
Okay so what did I just read
I'm really disappointed, and looks like I'm not the only one. On paper this book had everything I love, a mystery, dark folk tales, nature, a specific kind of weirdness, ghosts, seances,… I would have loved this if it was an actual story and not just a bunch of words thrown together. It reads like Womack found a Thesaurus somewhere and hung on for dear life, the dialogues were very odd and robotic, none of the characters had any personality (no, being a vegetarian or a feminist does not count as personality) and the pacing was all over the place. Every time I felt like I was finally settling into the story I was yanked out of it again by a pov change or a change of place or scenery that left me utterly confused. Characters constantly went 'I know now!" and "I have figured it out!" only to not explain anything whatsoever. I had to re-read whole paragraphs to make sure I didn't miss anything.
I really, really liked the atmosphere, the descriptions of the fens and marshes, the strange mist, the ruins, the oppressive light and the fungus. But unfortunately a book doesn't work on vibes alone.
In the end, nothing was explained, I have no idea what happened and I'm not sure where the author was even going with this.
PS.: Hats off to Julia Lloyd, that cover is gorgeous, might just keep the book because of it.
Okay so what did I just read
I'm really disappointed, and looks like I'm not the only one. On paper this book had everything I love, a mystery, dark folk tales, nature, a specific kind of weirdness, ghosts, seances,… I would have loved this if it was an actual story and not just a bunch of words thrown together. It reads like Womack found a Thesaurus somewhere and hung on for dear life, the dialogues were very odd and robotic, none of the characters had any personality (no, being a vegetarian or a feminist does not count as personality) and the pacing was all over the place. Every time I felt like I was finally settling into the story I was yanked out of it again by a pov change or a change of place or scenery that left me utterly confused. Characters constantly went 'I know now!" and "I have figured it out!" only to not explain anything whatsoever. I had to re-read whole paragraphs to make sure I didn't miss anything.
I really, really liked the atmosphere, the descriptions of the fens and marshes, the strange mist, the ruins, the oppressive light and the fungus. But unfortunately a book doesn't work on vibes alone.
In the end, nothing was explained, I have no idea what happened and I'm not sure where the author was even going with this.
PS.: Hats off to Julia Lloyd, that cover is gorgeous, might just keep the book because of it.
April 10, 2025
Didn’t ever feel like I had a solid grasp on the plot of this book, always felt like I was just missing something. But I enjoyed the spooky, gothic, mysterious vibes, and I guess going with that theme the elusive plot kinda fits in
August 6, 2023
Extremely mediocre, the mystery was never satisfactorily resolved. I don't recommend
March 4, 2022
Just….. don’t.
February 19, 2020
The Golden Key is a wonderful debut novel by this author and I’m grateful to Titan books for providing me with copy for review, historical is a genre that I rarely get the opportunity to read and with the addition of some wonderful fantasy elements this book ticked a lot of boxes for me. The setting as the blurb explains, is in a Britain shortly after the loss of Queen Victoria, the seance scene has skyrocketed along with the naysayers, what is without doubt though, is a number of missing children in the Norfolk Fens which has led to a seemingly unsolvable mystery.
I found that out of all the major characters I found I connected with Helena the most and we do travel with her for the majority of the book. The time setting has the suffragette movement at the forefront and it was great to have both Helena and then Eliza carrying out typically male dominated roles for the time. It was the lengths that Helena went to in order to both pursue and preserve a career that she was clearly extraordinary at which weighed heavily for me, the self sabotage she had to undertake in order to not upset the delicate sensibilities of the men around her which probably rang true for many women of the time
This book is perfectly balanced with both it’s need to debunk the seance culture which rocked the time period and the idea that there is indeed true spiritualism. What comes between is an imaginative blurring of the edges which leaves you questioning, no matter which side of the argument you fall on, whether the other in fact has a point. As a great lover of fairies and fairy stories, I have always approached this kind of mythology with an open mind and that not every fairy will be of the Tinkerbell persuasion. This more trickster ideal is the level in which The Golden Key is pitched at, the darker side of fringe realms which cross over to our own more than we realise.
The story moves slowly and methodically as Helena collects and collates the evidence, the story cleverly punctuated with news clippings of the curtain being pulled back on the Seance culture, her journey bringing her to both the obvious conclusions and some that you, as a reader, have to work for with her. I have to admit that I didn’t realise there was a connection to an earlier children’s book called The Golden Key which appears to be the source for many of the revelations within this story. It’s certainly one for me to look into. As the investigation continues so does the sense of foreboding and even as the pieces start to fall into place, there are still more questions than answers. As a reader I don’t mind this kind of open ended style, and for a book that focuses on opening the characters eyes to alternate ideas, it felt right in the context. Where I did struggle was with the fact that the book felt somewhat flighty at times, I think this is down to incredibly long chapters that chop and change frequently with character focus and locations. This is of course reader preference but I felt the story would have felt more grounded and easier to keep track of if even there was a more frequent use of scene breaks or shorter chapters.
I found The Golden Key to be a thoughtful read that asks you to challenge your preconceptions about spiritualism and realism and I give this book 4*
I found that out of all the major characters I found I connected with Helena the most and we do travel with her for the majority of the book. The time setting has the suffragette movement at the forefront and it was great to have both Helena and then Eliza carrying out typically male dominated roles for the time. It was the lengths that Helena went to in order to both pursue and preserve a career that she was clearly extraordinary at which weighed heavily for me, the self sabotage she had to undertake in order to not upset the delicate sensibilities of the men around her which probably rang true for many women of the time
This book is perfectly balanced with both it’s need to debunk the seance culture which rocked the time period and the idea that there is indeed true spiritualism. What comes between is an imaginative blurring of the edges which leaves you questioning, no matter which side of the argument you fall on, whether the other in fact has a point. As a great lover of fairies and fairy stories, I have always approached this kind of mythology with an open mind and that not every fairy will be of the Tinkerbell persuasion. This more trickster ideal is the level in which The Golden Key is pitched at, the darker side of fringe realms which cross over to our own more than we realise.
The story moves slowly and methodically as Helena collects and collates the evidence, the story cleverly punctuated with news clippings of the curtain being pulled back on the Seance culture, her journey bringing her to both the obvious conclusions and some that you, as a reader, have to work for with her. I have to admit that I didn’t realise there was a connection to an earlier children’s book called The Golden Key which appears to be the source for many of the revelations within this story. It’s certainly one for me to look into. As the investigation continues so does the sense of foreboding and even as the pieces start to fall into place, there are still more questions than answers. As a reader I don’t mind this kind of open ended style, and for a book that focuses on opening the characters eyes to alternate ideas, it felt right in the context. Where I did struggle was with the fact that the book felt somewhat flighty at times, I think this is down to incredibly long chapters that chop and change frequently with character focus and locations. This is of course reader preference but I felt the story would have felt more grounded and easier to keep track of if even there was a more frequent use of scene breaks or shorter chapters.
I found The Golden Key to be a thoughtful read that asks you to challenge your preconceptions about spiritualism and realism and I give this book 4*
August 2, 2024
Hated it but still not as bad as the spanish love deception
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