The Voice Upstairs

by Laura E. Weymouth

In 1920s England, a working-class girl who can see spirits works with a lord’s son to solve mysterious deaths at the local manor home in this eerie historical mystery perfect for fans of The Haunting of Bly Manor and Downton Abbey.

Wilhelmina Price has a dubious reputation in the village of Thrush’s Green. Ever since her mother’s untimely death, she has been able to see a person’s spirit leaving their body days or hours before they die. Wil has never been able to prevent these deaths, so her unusual skill has made her an outsider to most except her lifelong friend, Edison, the youngest son of Lord Summerfield. But when a maid at the Summerfield’s estate dies in the same mysterious way as Wil’s own mother, Wil takes on a housemaid’s position to investigate whether these women might, in fact, have been murdered.

There is nothing Ed Summerfield values more than his friendship with Wil, which is why he’s desperate to disguise how hopelessly in love with her he’s become—and his belief that he may be haunted by the ghost of his older brother, Peter. Because if Wil, with her supernatural powers, can’t see the same evidence of hauntings that Ed does, he worries he may actually be losing his mind.

Together, Wil and Ed must dig deeper into the Summerfields’ hoard of secrets, though the truth won’t give itself up without a fight that could prove deadly to the both of them, as they face cunning adversaries among the living and the dead.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Young Adult, Gothic, Paranormal, Fantasy

Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2023

About the author

Laura Weymouth is a Canadian living in America, and the sixth consecutive generation of her family to immigrate from one country to another. Born and raised in the Niagara region of Ontario, she now lives at the edge of the woods in western New York, along with her husband, two wild-hearted daughters, and an ever-expanding menagerie of animal friends.

Reviews

[Ava ✿ (ia) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ☆

"I came back for you. don't you know I always will?"

♫ | willow by taylor swift

👻 ꒱ on one hand, I enjoyed this!! on the other hand, it did take me five days to read a 300-page book. the beginning dragged so much I considered dnfing, lol. the second half was great! the vibes were cozy, and the plot was thrilling without being too scary haha. i'd probably read the author's other books, even though this one didn't quite deliver for me <3

[Tova]

Downton Abbey with WHAT??? I'm very much here for this!

[Ali]

DNF

Will maybe return to this

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book from Laura Weymouth. I think this is my favorite one since her debut. Some genuinely spooky scenes but a deeply comforting read overall.

[christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

what I expected? Cozy Downton Abbey ghost murder mystery.
What I got? a whole lot of rape/murder cover up fuckery with a dash of ghosts.

not sure how to rate this one, maybe with the correct expectations I would have enjoyed it more? ::Shrugs::

Also, the majority of conflict was caused by miscommunication and withholding information which is a huge turn off for me as a reader.

[madie (madieanne) · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5) the voice upstairs was a brilliant ghost story !!

wil and edison were both wonderful main characters, and i loved their distinct personalities. i loved how this started as a classic ghost story and slowly became more sinister as the plot developed. the twists and turns were insane. i never would have guessed the ending.

while the main focus is the ghost story/mystery, there is a romance subplot that i adored. wil and ed’s relationship was tender and sweet, and i found myself rooting for them from the first page. the way they yearned and pined for each other had me giggling and kicking my feet.

i also want to point out the atmosphere the author created. the writing style was incredibly intoxicating, and from page one, i was enveloped in the sinister, slightly off-kilter world of the grange.

if you’re looking for a ghost story with a perfect blend of mystery, romance, and mayhem, the voice upstairs is the book for you!

[Ashleigh (edwardanddamon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received an arc from the author for review. Thank you for the opportunity. All thoughts are my own*

Don’t sleep on this beautifully atmospheric, gothic mystery with ghosts, by Laura E. Weymouth! This book has been comped to The Haunting of Bly Manor and Downton Abbey, and I understand why with the manor home and the differences between the working class and the wealthy shown. I don’t know why this book hasn’t been hyped up more, because I absolutely loved it! It’s the perfect read for spooky season.

The story takes place in 1920’s England where a housemaid works with a lord’s son to solve a mystery at the stately manor home, The Grange.

Wilhelmina “Wil” Price can see ghosts. Ever since her mom died, Wil has been able to see a person’s spirit leaving their body days or even hours before they die. To her dismay, she has never been able to stop these deaths, and her “gift” has made it difficult to have any friends. Her only friend is her childhood companion, Edison Summerfield, the son of Lord Summerfield. When a maid at the Summerfield Estate dies in the same way as her own mother, Wil takes on a job at the Grange to see if she can figure out if they may have been murdered.

Ed Summerfield values his friendship with Wil more than anything, and he’s been trying to hide the fact that he’s in love with her. He’s also been hiding from her that he believes his older brother, Peter, has been haunting him. He’s worried that if Wil can’t see Peter with her supernatural powers, then he may actually be losing his sanity.

Together, Wil and Ed must uncover the secrets of the Grange, discover the truth, and face adversaries among the living and the dead.

I adore Wil and Ed and found myself very invested in them and I am thankful the book was told from both points of view. I was rooting for them throughout the story. The mystery was at the heart of the story, but I did enjoy the romance, not going to lie.

Full of twists and turns, I found myself guessing until the very end. Run to your bookstore or local library and pick this one up, I highly recommend!

[Tracy Banghart · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO atmospheric, and the twists!! Holy crap. LOVED IT. A fantastic read to capture those Lockwood & Co. vibes I've been missing.

[Beka]

GIMME GIMME GIMME.

[Dori Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book went from 2 to 4 and in the end to 3 Stars. It took me a while to get into the story. Not much happened in the beginning. Then everything kept happening and I ate it up, but the ending was a little disappointing.

[Maleeha Siddiqui · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weymouth is known for her transportive fantasies, but she absolutely nailed this creepy/ghostly tale, as well. This book kept me guessing until the very end.

[Noelle Haycraft · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like while this book started out strong, it faded the further I got. The premise of The Voice Upstairs is very interesting, but the pacing of it was way off and while it was only a little over 300 pages, it felt like much longer. And then because of the mystery, I felt like I had to finish the book so I could find out what happened and who the ghosts were.

The author did try to pull a Cassie Clare which I did NOT appreciate, but I guess it all worked out in the end??? I don't know, it all just felt really anti-climactic. Not only was the brother alive, but the mom and the dad killed people too?? And the ghost that was haunting Edison the whole time was a dead child that drowned because Peter abused him? And then they found a random orphan on the street to pose as their dead son?? What??? And that's why it wasn't just one killer, it was the whole family. That's fucked up bro. Also seemed a little cliche.

I don't know. I feel like the beginning and the end of the book was good, but then the middle was drawn out for too long. But that's just me. I still enjoyed the story and think if it sounds like something you want to read you should. Happy Reading!!

[Liz Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly the perfect book for anyone in a post-Divine Rivals slump. Wilhelmina and Edison prove that strength of spirit is far more powerful than strength of fists. I could go on and on about Laura’s writing, how many lines zing inside my soul.

If haunted manors, upstairs-downstairs dynamics like in Downton Abbey, poignant writing and character depth, and mysterious unsolved murders are your thing, run to your nearest bookstore!

Content warnings: death, parent death, child death, sibling death, implied assault/rape/mistreatment of servants (not shown on page)

[Ebony and Ivory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual review:

4.5 rounded up! This is my favorite Weymouth since The Light Between Worlds and A Treason of Thorns!

Cover review:

Whattt it looks so creeppyyy sign me uppppp.
aLsO, WE HAVE A RELEASE DATE YAYYYY


Pre-cover review:
I've been looking forward to this one for so long (and just finished a consuming fire) I shall be sated for a little while if I have a cover?? Please???

[kristin · Rating 1 out of 5]

The cover was the best part of this book.

[Mienreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started out so strong and then really dragged on forever.

[Isa (Pages Full of Stars) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pleasant surprise! Well, the book wasn't pleasant but I really enjoyed it. It was my first meeting with this author and I'm now excited to read her other book that I own.

I don't really read horror books (or horror anything) but I decided to give this book a chance, because it seemed quite mild. It's a historical paranormal mystery with some gothic and horror elements, but I really enjoyed the story. The characters are well developed and the mystery is intriguing. I managed to predict some of it, but the actual truth surprised me.

There's a few horror scenes but nothing too awful. But the actual mystery is quite heavy and sad, and some readers may have to check the trigger warnings for it.

[Gabrielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm. Tough.

review to come

[Joshua Hair]

Eighty pages in and I just can’t get into it at all.

[Morgan (The Bookish Beagle) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot, it felt very gothic and very creepy! The supernatural elements seemed unique too. Took some turns I didn't expect as well towards the end.

[Sarah Goethem · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning gothic ghost story with beautiful prose.

[Danielle G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written and very ethereal. I enjoyed the female lead, Wil’s character. She was resourceful and intelligent, but undeniably human. Perfect winter read!

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this was just what I want from a story about ghosts!

[Katelyn Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun spooky beach read

[Chiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Caitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sinister mystery sweetened by a mellow, toffee-wrapped romance.

[Jill]

I’m so tired of books that use the pointless withholding of information between characters as a device to create tension and conflict. Particularly when it makes no sense that they would do that.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Wilhelmina Price's life revolves around the Summerfield family in Thrush's Green, England not long after World War I. Her grandfather, who is the butler there, is raising her after the deaths of both of her parents. Her mother passed away under horrible circumstances (she drowned), and ever since Wil has been able to see the souls of people who are soon to die leaving their bodies. She's tried to intervene, but it rarely ends well, and when she sees the sould of a housemaid at the Summerfield's house, she doesn't say anything. Wil is also great friends with Edison Summerfield, whose older brother Peter died in the Great War, and whose spirit is haunting the house, destroying the nursery whenever Edison is home from school and forced to live in that wing. Since his sister Kitty is throwing a house party for her birthday, he is once again battling this ghost, and Wil has been unable to contact Peter and convince him to stop. Wil and Ed have always been friends, and know that their relationship would be tricky, Since things are changing for women, Wil has studied all of Ed's school texts, and has even earned money writing papers by mail for his classmates. She hopes to go to college herself, but after the latest death takes a job as a housemaid in order to earn some money and also get a better idea of what is going on. Her grandfather does not approve, but he doesn't approve of housemaids in general. Wil does a good job, and Abigail, who is now the head maid, is glad to have her help. Kitty's party is busy, but Kitty seems to be struggling with something big enough that she even talks to Wil about some things. When Wil sees Edison's spirit leaving his body, she panics, and tells Kitty. Kitty makes a cryptic comment that she will make sure her brother is okay... and then is found thrown from her horse. Clearly, something malevolent is leading to the deaths of all of these women, and Wil and Ed are even more motivated to find out after Kitty's demise. While Wil consults ghosts of the past, some ghosts that are more real surface and lead her to believe that both dark spiritual forces, as well as even darker human forces, are at work. Will she be able to combat them before even more deaths occur?

There's something comforting about an English country house, even if it IS inhabited by murderous ghosts! The cozy nooks, the servants' quarters downstairs, the hidden rooms, and palatial common spaces are something that most readers will never get to experience, so the next best thing is to be able to join Edison in his reading room!

This had a fair amount of twists and turns, some of which were great surprises, and others which had been strongly suggested all along. We are never quite told why Wil has the ability to see ghosts, but the post WWI setting of this gives plenty of room for the belief in ghosts, as well as for a seance. The reasons for the ghosts are a bit dark, and while there is nothing graphic on the page, and the language is circumspect, the hinted history of sexual abuse and domestic violence might make this more suitable for upper middle grade or young adult readers.

Readers who like historical novels filled with romance and mystery, like this author's A Treason of Thorns, Harvey's A Breath of Frost, Wallach's Hatchet Girls, or Johnson The Name of the Star series will enjoy the friends-to-lovers romance between Wil and Ed, the murderous ghosts, and the drama of the Upstairs, Downstairs social dynamics of early 1900s.

This could have used more period details; this could have been set today and been just as effective if the need for servants could have been spun a bit. There weren't any descriptions of the house, or many of the clothes, and fairly little about Wil's chances before she took a job as a maid. What had she been doing, other than selling papers? This was oddly unclear. I think I'll send this on to the high school, since it wasn't all that scary for my middle school students to slog through all the family dynamics and Wil and Ed's back and forth.

[Guadalupe · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Thank you Laura Weymouth for the arc! All thoughts and opinions on this title are my own!*
Posted to: Goodreads and The StoryGraph
Posted on: 15 September 2023

4.6 (rounded up to 5) out of 5 stars.

Another phenomenal piece that’s *perfect* for the upcoming fall season! Laura Weymouth delivers a beautiful piece as always, featuring ghosts, haunted homes, and a darker secret sitting at its heart. ‘The Voice Upstairs’ isn’t too spooky in its horror and gory meter- it’s rather tame and good for people who want spooky season vibes without the heavy spooks! It’s more like a mystery- and I certainly couldn’t put it down once the threads began to unravel.

For this title, there are two points of view- Wilhelmina (Wil) Price, and Edison (Ed) Summerfield. I think what’s interesting about having two focuses for this book is that we see the story coming together from two very *not* put together people who each have a strong role in the overall mystery. As usual, the characters have so much life and depth into them, which is no surprise as Weymouth’s previous works always show the full scope of characters- including the ugly sides of them that make them more human and relatable. For this particular story though, there was a bit more of a working cast that was featured. There were a few names and connecting storylines that had me feeling like a detective a few times trying to piece it all together. While this is good- keeps things interesting- it kind of left a bit more wanting. I almost wish the book was a little longer so some key points could be played out more.
That has to be one of my only dislikes- this book wasn’t nearly as long as I’d personally want considering what’s being untangled! It wasn’t exactly ‘rushed’, but it was really a personal preference to see *more* from this creative scene and world that we are given! It’s almost like a game of chess where you’d *want* more time to see all those options before you, but you don’t have nearly as many seconds with it as you’d like!

While its not a magic system per se, Wil’s ability to see ghosts was such an interesting take! It’s not the usual fully conscious spirits nagging at the middleman for attention, but rather half-sentient souls who know they have a message to say but just aren’t tethered to the physical world enough to get it through. I think this interesting take on an in-between world leads back to me wanting to see more. I’ve read a few paranormal and spirit filled stories, but none that view the land of the dead like Wil experienced. It wasn’t scary, but there was a sort of eeriness in this other world that left me wanting to see more of it.

I keep saying that I was left wanting more, but ‘The Voice Upstairs’ wrapped up *perfectly* for a standalone. I didn’t find too many loose threads to pull on, no lacking in the characters- it was just another enjoyable read from Laura Weymouth that I didn’t want to see end! I’m genuinely trying so hard to be unbiased when I say this too, but I have a select few authors who are my favorites, and Laura Weymouth certainly is on that list for me. I was super lucky to snag an arc even though I already know I’ll be re-reading this when my pre-order arrives.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Also, trigger warning for the book: SA, and Child Abuse

I’m only rating this 4 stars because I ended up actually really enjoying the last ~40 pages of the book, while the rest of the book would be like 2 stars.

The story didn’t even get me hooked until chapter 14, and the plot didn’t seem to pick up at all until you’re over halfway through the book. The pace just moved super slow until the end, then it was like plot plot plot mystery reveal murder etc.

The story also revolved around characters not communicating with each other and withholding information for little reason, mostly between Wil and Ed

Now into spoiler territory:

I started to just be plain confused when Peter came back, because everyone but Lord Summerfield thought he was dead. Yet the family and waitstaff seemed unbothered by his return, I was expecting more of a shock to be depicted. And then everyone kind of moves on from his fake death and return like nothing, I was at least expecting Edison to feel betrayed by this.

Then when Wil is revealed to be Peter’s daughter, I was not happy. In the end her and Ed end up not actually being related, but I was prepared for the love story to go down the drain lol. I almost quit reading because of this, but I was too invested in the story at that point. The plot around this did work out in the end though, because Ed got revealed to be a foundling child that the Summerfields took in to replace their lost son. I get that this was necessary for the story I just didn’t like it and was worried the book would veer into incest, and luckily it didn’t.

There was good foreshadowing with Ed not actually being a Summerfield (his mom holding a baby photo that “isn’t anyone he would know”, John Shepard talking about how the young son was always bruised and abused by Peter before he “got ill”, etc).

Was also expecting Ed to have more of a reaction to not actually being his parents child and instead a foundling child but there wasn’t any of that.

I actually really liked the last third of the book and how it all wrapped up. I was a bit confused at the end with who killed who. I was expecting more from the last confrontation with Peter though.

At the end, Wil is possessed by the spirits of those Peter abused and killed, and she is killing Peter and suddenly Ed is like “No! That’s cruel!” which felt really out of place considering Peter abused and killed several people including a child. Ed hates Peter in the book, why would he try to save him? I dunno, just felt random.

There were a lot of good parts though! Like the spirit possession at the end when Wil reveals the Summerfield’s secrets, and when she finds Ed’s spirit leaving his body. And when they dig up Abigail. I enjoyed those parts of the story.

Anyways, was an okay book for the most part, I really liked how it wrapped up and all came together. Don’t want to be too harsh these are just my honest thoughts.