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Dunmoor #1
Dunmoor
A lush gothic from bestselling author London Clarke set in the Regency era, Dunmoor is a tale of generational curses that threaten to destroy the most innocent and vulnerable.
England, 1818. Lady Helena Winters hasn’t seen her husband in over a year—not since he disappeared without a trace. Torn between seeking a new purpose for her life and longing for her husband to return, Helena travels with her father to Dunmoor House for a fundraising ball. Although the estate was once her husband’s ancestral home, it has recently been purchased by Luke Lennox, a gentleman planning to establish a foundling hospital.
Helena quickly finds herself battling memories of life with her husband and searching for answers to what might have happened to him. Even so, she is drawn to Luke Lennox and his dream of saving and educating children—a passion she shares.
But within Dunmoor’s decaying walls lies a long and sordid history, a legacy of evildoers perpetrating unspeakable acts of wickedness. Now, the corridors echo with voices. Vines grow inside the house, and shadowy figures plague the children at night.
And in the dark forest on the edge of the property, a terrible secret awaits, and what Luke and Helena uncover there will endanger both their lives.
England, 1818. Lady Helena Winters hasn’t seen her husband in over a year—not since he disappeared without a trace. Torn between seeking a new purpose for her life and longing for her husband to return, Helena travels with her father to Dunmoor House for a fundraising ball. Although the estate was once her husband’s ancestral home, it has recently been purchased by Luke Lennox, a gentleman planning to establish a foundling hospital.
Helena quickly finds herself battling memories of life with her husband and searching for answers to what might have happened to him. Even so, she is drawn to Luke Lennox and his dream of saving and educating children—a passion she shares.
But within Dunmoor’s decaying walls lies a long and sordid history, a legacy of evildoers perpetrating unspeakable acts of wickedness. Now, the corridors echo with voices. Vines grow inside the house, and shadowy figures plague the children at night.
And in the dark forest on the edge of the property, a terrible secret awaits, and what Luke and Helena uncover there will endanger both their lives.
355 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 30, 2021
176 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
February 20, 2023
Seems like every awful thing that happened to anyone other than the two main characters in this book was written there for the sole purpose of making those protagonists look better (Not even saying ''good''), thing that just didn't happen since they are oh so very bland and awful.
This main girl kept thinking about how her friend, a 22 YEAR OLD SPINSTER, wasn't gonna find love cause she is now POOR and just an hour before attending a ball she thinks "oh, i should have offered to buy her a new dress... oh well :)"; then this same poor friend is treated like the annoying friend in a sitcom that no one actually wants around simply because they're mean. It feels like the only reason she was even there was to make her a victim of whatever supernatural mystery existed at Dunmoor and make her have a **** (spoiler but think of the only thing women were supposed to 'make' at the time)
Honestly, the main dude was just dull. Nothing else to add.
I'm not gonna call the White Saviours because all the other people in question are also white but... hmmmm
I get that people in the 1800 were not what we would now consider nice, but guess what? I'm not gonna like them if they're shitty. If you expect me, in 2022, to root for a character, you cannot make her talk about her maid as an amenity (saying ''you can borrow her'' to her friend). I don't care if that's how these people actually acted back in the day, I would spit on them. If you care so much about historical accuracy, I'll give feelings accuracy: hatred.
This main girl kept thinking about how her friend, a 22 YEAR OLD SPINSTER, wasn't gonna find love cause she is now POOR and just an hour before attending a ball she thinks "oh, i should have offered to buy her a new dress... oh well :)"; then this same poor friend is treated like the annoying friend in a sitcom that no one actually wants around simply because they're mean. It feels like the only reason she was even there was to make her a victim of whatever supernatural mystery existed at Dunmoor and make her have a **** (spoiler but think of the only thing women were supposed to 'make' at the time)
Honestly, the main dude was just dull. Nothing else to add.
I'm not gonna call the White Saviours because all the other people in question are also white but... hmmmm
I get that people in the 1800 were not what we would now consider nice, but guess what? I'm not gonna like them if they're shitty. If you expect me, in 2022, to root for a character, you cannot make her talk about her maid as an amenity (saying ''you can borrow her'' to her friend). I don't care if that's how these people actually acted back in the day, I would spit on them. If you care so much about historical accuracy, I'll give feelings accuracy: hatred.
January 21, 2022
Well, darn it! Helena's journey will continue in Book 2. I will have to read it then. I have so many books I want to get to this year. It is a very exciting reading year. I did not know there would be a book 2 when I decided to read this with two Goodreads friends.
Beautifully described setting. Lush and atmospheric. Lady Helena was married to Drake who was a bad boy. He disappeared and we learn a lot of dirty secrets about his old home, Dunmoor. A nice fellow named Luke buys the estate and wants to make it an orphanage. His heart is good and pure. Helena visits with her father and when her father falls ill, she has to stay on longer than intended.
What is discovered are secret tunnels, a very scary forest that tries to take over the house, incest between Drake and his sister Augusta, vampires, sex trafficking, and much more. Trigger warning for some of these things. There is rape, torture, child abduction, sacrifice. It is far from a light read.
Helena begins to fall for Luke (of course) but can't consider being with him bc her husband is not dead, just missing. Her friend, Lucy is also missing out in the woods somewhere. What follows is terrifying and hideous.
I don't think it is a spoiler to share from the author's note. I sort of wish I had read it first.
Quoting the author under author's note:
"In the first of the two books of the Dunmoor series, I used research from the life of Lord George Gordon Byron to inform Lord Winter's character. Byron is one of my favorite historical figures of all time, and I look forward to featuring more of him in the second book."
I looked up Lord Byron upon finishing this. Here are a few things I thought very interesting and worth noting in this review I found on the BBC website.
"Byron was the ideal of the Romantic poet, gaining notoriety for his scandalous private life and being described by one contemporary as 'mad, bad and dangerous to know'.
In 1814, Byron's half-sister Augusta gave birth to a daughter, almost certainly Byron's. The following year Byron married Annabella Milbanke, with whom he had a daughter, his only legitimate child. The couple separated in 1816. (BBC History)
Facing mounting pressure as a result of his failed marriage, scandalous affairs and huge debts, Byron left England in April 1816 and never returned. He spent the summer of 1816 at Lake Geneva with Percy Bysshe Shelley, his wife Mary and Mary's half sister Claire Clairmont, with whom Byron had a daughter."
The author also wants to bring attention to human trafficking in this novel and child sex trafficking. Clarke adds a link to check out the Polaris Project, and I plan on doing that.
All in all a heavy read that left me too afraid to read at bedtime but I really enjoyed it and will add the second book. I have read the author before and feel she is reliable for a good read. Macabre at its best! Highly recommended for those that like gothic, suspense, terror, scary houses, vampires, and creatures of the night!
"I tried to tell you, cousin," said Alex. "There are monsters among us."
I feel they are more than monsters!
Beautifully described setting. Lush and atmospheric. Lady Helena was married to Drake who was a bad boy. He disappeared and we learn a lot of dirty secrets about his old home, Dunmoor. A nice fellow named Luke buys the estate and wants to make it an orphanage. His heart is good and pure. Helena visits with her father and when her father falls ill, she has to stay on longer than intended.
What is discovered are secret tunnels, a very scary forest that tries to take over the house, incest between Drake and his sister Augusta, vampires, sex trafficking, and much more. Trigger warning for some of these things. There is rape, torture, child abduction, sacrifice. It is far from a light read.
Helena begins to fall for Luke (of course) but can't consider being with him bc her husband is not dead, just missing. Her friend, Lucy is also missing out in the woods somewhere. What follows is terrifying and hideous.
I don't think it is a spoiler to share from the author's note. I sort of wish I had read it first.
Quoting the author under author's note:
"In the first of the two books of the Dunmoor series, I used research from the life of Lord George Gordon Byron to inform Lord Winter's character. Byron is one of my favorite historical figures of all time, and I look forward to featuring more of him in the second book."
I looked up Lord Byron upon finishing this. Here are a few things I thought very interesting and worth noting in this review I found on the BBC website.
"Byron was the ideal of the Romantic poet, gaining notoriety for his scandalous private life and being described by one contemporary as 'mad, bad and dangerous to know'.
In 1814, Byron's half-sister Augusta gave birth to a daughter, almost certainly Byron's. The following year Byron married Annabella Milbanke, with whom he had a daughter, his only legitimate child. The couple separated in 1816. (BBC History)
Facing mounting pressure as a result of his failed marriage, scandalous affairs and huge debts, Byron left England in April 1816 and never returned. He spent the summer of 1816 at Lake Geneva with Percy Bysshe Shelley, his wife Mary and Mary's half sister Claire Clairmont, with whom Byron had a daughter."
The author also wants to bring attention to human trafficking in this novel and child sex trafficking. Clarke adds a link to check out the Polaris Project, and I plan on doing that.
All in all a heavy read that left me too afraid to read at bedtime but I really enjoyed it and will add the second book. I have read the author before and feel she is reliable for a good read. Macabre at its best! Highly recommended for those that like gothic, suspense, terror, scary houses, vampires, and creatures of the night!
"I tried to tell you, cousin," said Alex. "There are monsters among us."
I feel they are more than monsters!
December 13, 2021
The Best in Gothic Suspense
No one writes Gothic Suspense like London Clarke and I wait eagerly for each new release. Dunmoor does not disappoint and it truly is a page turner. Yes, a page turner with chills down your spine and a creepy, sinister feeling in your soul. It’s 1818 and Lady Helena Winters travels to her husband’s ancestral home. Oh, the husband that has gone missing and presumed dead? Yes, that one. This house is creepy and there is malevolence emanating from it and the grounds surrounding it. Emanating, oozing, just out and out pouring forth. Don’t even get me started on those women emerging from the fountain, smelling of death and decay. I mean, can I run, trip, and fall fast enough to get away?? Probably not. And the “tree figure monsters”. Only London can weave a tale that mystifies, intrigues, and leaves you breathless with horrified anticipation of what happens next. Luke Lennox, who buys Dunmoor is only trying to do a good deed. Poor chap. I cannot wait for the continuation in book 2. WHERE is that missing husband??
(I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the author. The opinions stated are expressly my own)
Also, for more Human Trafficking information, please look up The Polaris Project.
No one writes Gothic Suspense like London Clarke and I wait eagerly for each new release. Dunmoor does not disappoint and it truly is a page turner. Yes, a page turner with chills down your spine and a creepy, sinister feeling in your soul. It’s 1818 and Lady Helena Winters travels to her husband’s ancestral home. Oh, the husband that has gone missing and presumed dead? Yes, that one. This house is creepy and there is malevolence emanating from it and the grounds surrounding it. Emanating, oozing, just out and out pouring forth. Don’t even get me started on those women emerging from the fountain, smelling of death and decay. I mean, can I run, trip, and fall fast enough to get away?? Probably not. And the “tree figure monsters”. Only London can weave a tale that mystifies, intrigues, and leaves you breathless with horrified anticipation of what happens next. Luke Lennox, who buys Dunmoor is only trying to do a good deed. Poor chap. I cannot wait for the continuation in book 2. WHERE is that missing husband??
(I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the author. The opinions stated are expressly my own)
Also, for more Human Trafficking information, please look up The Polaris Project.
March 6, 2022
In “Dunmoor”, London Clarke does an excellent job of building the atmosphere of a good old fashioned gothic story.
Read full review in the 2022 March issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2022 March issue of InD'tale Magazine.
January 2, 2022
Coco Chanel once said, "Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off". Less is sometimes more (although more is also, sometimes, more) and in the spirit of simplifying, I wish that Clarke had looked at her book before publishing and taken one (or several) things off.
I was with her until about the 40% mark, when things became too much. There is a lot going on in this book, and in my humble opinion, it would have benefitted from some streamlining and, maybe, some tough love from her editor. We have ghosts, monsters, a bloodthirsty cult, classicism, torture, sexual assault, incest, and murder - oh my! I felt that at least three of those plot points could have been done away with, and the story would have been just as effective if not more so. It also hearkened back to my faint memories of Exquisite Corpse which I also felt featured shock for the sake of shock value. People are terrible. We get it.
Perhaps some of that plot real estate could have been devoted to developing the villains, who fell into the cardinal trap of being evil for the sake of being evil. I couldn't determine what was in it for them, except being awful people and reveling in their awfulness. I suppose that sometimes, that's all there is to it, but it's not very compelling.
The book is also not very diverse. Everyone is white, thin, and straight. The only characters described as fat or darker-skinned are villainous, which feels icky. There was plenty of diversity in early 19th-century England, which could have easily been included. I also felt uncomfortable with the treatment of Lucy LaCroix, whom the heroine (and, by extension, the author) seemed to look down upon for being young, idealistic, and romantic. I did, however, appreciate the homage to Lucy Westenra.
That being said, I did enjoy reading the book overall, even if I did roll my eyes or cringe at the over-the-top awfulness at times. Clarke is a skilled writer, and the story is fast-paced and engaging. The atmosphere is appropriately creepy, and I particularly enjoyed the climactic scene in the forest. It's not for the faint of heart or easily squeamish (trigger warnings abound) but for those who don't mind some gore and sociopathy, it's well entertaining. I liked Helena as a heroine - a bit 'not like other girls' but kind, intelligent, and courageous. I also appreciated that the romance took a back seat to the action - I don't mind romance but I don't want it to take the wheel, y'know?
I didn't realize that the book was the first of a duology, however. It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I'll probably pick up the second installment in hopes of finally meeting the enigmatic Augusta and Drake. (Give me Augusta!)
Thanks to the author, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book!
I was with her until about the 40% mark, when things became too much. There is a lot going on in this book, and in my humble opinion, it would have benefitted from some streamlining and, maybe, some tough love from her editor. We have ghosts, monsters, a bloodthirsty cult, classicism, torture, sexual assault, incest, and murder - oh my! I felt that at least three of those plot points could have been done away with, and the story would have been just as effective if not more so. It also hearkened back to my faint memories of Exquisite Corpse which I also felt featured shock for the sake of shock value. People are terrible. We get it.
Perhaps some of that plot real estate could have been devoted to developing the villains, who fell into the cardinal trap of being evil for the sake of being evil. I couldn't determine what was in it for them, except being awful people and reveling in their awfulness. I suppose that sometimes, that's all there is to it, but it's not very compelling.
The book is also not very diverse. Everyone is white, thin, and straight. The only characters described as fat or darker-skinned are villainous, which feels icky. There was plenty of diversity in early 19th-century England, which could have easily been included. I also felt uncomfortable with the treatment of Lucy LaCroix, whom the heroine (and, by extension, the author) seemed to look down upon for being young, idealistic, and romantic. I did, however, appreciate the homage to Lucy Westenra.
That being said, I did enjoy reading the book overall, even if I did roll my eyes or cringe at the over-the-top awfulness at times. Clarke is a skilled writer, and the story is fast-paced and engaging. The atmosphere is appropriately creepy, and I particularly enjoyed the climactic scene in the forest. It's not for the faint of heart or easily squeamish (trigger warnings abound) but for those who don't mind some gore and sociopathy, it's well entertaining. I liked Helena as a heroine - a bit 'not like other girls' but kind, intelligent, and courageous. I also appreciated that the romance took a back seat to the action - I don't mind romance but I don't want it to take the wheel, y'know?
I didn't realize that the book was the first of a duology, however. It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I'll probably pick up the second installment in hopes of finally meeting the enigmatic Augusta and Drake. (Give me Augusta!)
Thanks to the author, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book!
March 24, 2022
Disturbing, dark, and ensconced in the Gothic tradition
As a fan of Clarke’s books, I purchased Dunmoor based on the cover and nothing more. I was expecting a Gothic fairytale of sorts - and well - I was more than wrong. With her latest release, she’s gone back to Gothic Horror - a dark horror that delves into still unspoken crimes against humanity while setting the story against the usual Gothic landscape of a crumbling mansion and a remote village with the usual folklorish ideas expected by those who love Gothic fiction.
The main group of characters are welcomed and I found myself hoping for their happily ever afters but as is expected in Gothic Horror, that remains to be seen.
Hats off and congratulations to Clarke for surprising one of her fans with a novel that is disturbing, dark, and ensconced in the Gothic tradition.
As a fan of Clarke’s books, I purchased Dunmoor based on the cover and nothing more. I was expecting a Gothic fairytale of sorts - and well - I was more than wrong. With her latest release, she’s gone back to Gothic Horror - a dark horror that delves into still unspoken crimes against humanity while setting the story against the usual Gothic landscape of a crumbling mansion and a remote village with the usual folklorish ideas expected by those who love Gothic fiction.
The main group of characters are welcomed and I found myself hoping for their happily ever afters but as is expected in Gothic Horror, that remains to be seen.
Hats off and congratulations to Clarke for surprising one of her fans with a novel that is disturbing, dark, and ensconced in the Gothic tradition.
December 21, 2021
"They consume the blood of little boys. They eat the flesh of young girls. That is how they live."
"I too was meant to be a sacrifice to the demons of the forest."
London Clarke is a fantastic writer. Anyone that likes dark, historical, and suspense filled books will devour this book. This is the first book in the gothic/mystery genre I have ever read and I enjoyed it. It took a bit for the story to get started. The first 40% of the book provided some background information pertinent to the development of the story. The remaining 60% was full of action, suspense, darkness, and mystery. The story was interesting to read. I did not connect with the characters so I wasn't captivated by the story but but there was character development throughout the book Overall it was an interesting read with great writing.
ARC provided by the published in exchange for an honest review.
"I too was meant to be a sacrifice to the demons of the forest."
London Clarke is a fantastic writer. Anyone that likes dark, historical, and suspense filled books will devour this book. This is the first book in the gothic/mystery genre I have ever read and I enjoyed it. It took a bit for the story to get started. The first 40% of the book provided some background information pertinent to the development of the story. The remaining 60% was full of action, suspense, darkness, and mystery. The story was interesting to read. I did not connect with the characters so I wasn't captivated by the story but but there was character development throughout the book Overall it was an interesting read with great writing.
ARC provided by the published in exchange for an honest review.
December 16, 2021
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my freely given review.
I definitely feel that lush is a great way of describing this gothic suspense novel.
Lady Helena Winters is the female protagonist. She is 24 years old, and living with her father in Kent, after a scandalous separation from her husband. Lord Winters, after a couple of years of marriage, evicted his wife from their home, and is engaged in a love affair with a teenaged actress. He is missing, and presumed to have taken off to the Continent. Helena is broken-hearted, and appears at a loss for what to do with her life, being still married to him.
Mr. Luke Lennox had recently purchased the rundown house and estate of Dunmoor, from Lord Winters, with the intention of turning it into a foundling hospital. Dunmoor was Winter's childhood home. Lennox has high ideals of taking in young male and female foundlings and giving them a better life and future through education and a stable home. Some of the locals are not happy with his purchase and plans for it, especially relatives of the Winters family, as Dunmoor has been a part of their family for hundreds of years. Lennox is made aware that there is also a CURSE upon Dunmoor as well. From the beginning, Lennox, his cousin, his staff, the children are aware of strange happenings, and the children are afraid of the ghosts. Lennox himself has seen some suspicious things, including strange figures in robes wandering about. But not enough to give up on his endeavour. Part of his plans also include a ball to help raise funds to continue the renovations and fund the hospital.
The father of Lady Winters is a business associate of Lennox, and he and his daughter travel to the region, to stay with friends, and attend the ball. Lady Winters was curious about Dunmoor, not having been there, and is encouraged by her father to get out more, rather than hide at home after her husband's abandonment.
Because of some unexpected events, she and her father are forced to stay for a prolonged period at Dunmoor itself, and Lady Winters stays in the region for months, and becomes more involved in the hospital. She, and the others around Dunmoor continue to experience various nefarious events and sitings, and evidence of the curse and Dunmoor's evil history, until things are forced to come to a head. She also learns more about her husband's past and his childhood at Dunmoor.
It was a bit over the top in terms the plot and storyline as there are so many different layers and elements. But it was so grandly descriptive and compelling that I was drawn in and completely enjoyed the entire story. London Clarke had a wonderful way of setting the atmosphere - maybe some may find it florid, and a bit heavy handed at times, but she did a great job setting a suspenseful, gothic atmosphere. Spine tingling - it did not help that I spent a lot of time reading this in the dark, during a miserable wet windstorm, with lots of blowing branches against the house.
Here is and example:
"A cold and forceful wind blew at their backs and didn’t let up until they’d entered the house. A flock of dead leaves followed them, tumbling inside the foyer as Luke trampled them underfoot.
He was overwhelmed with the oppressive, breathless gloom that greeted him. A cloak of stale air. But it was so present, as though someone lay a cold, wet death shroud over his nose and mouth."
If Guillermo del Toro got his hands on this, well, imagine the graphic imagery coupled with his creative imagination, attention to detail, and vision. This brought to my mind his gothic movie Crimson Peak (2015, starring Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain). Dunmoor, the house and history, was just as much a character in the story as Lady Winters, and Mr. Lennox. The descriptions of the encroaching forest and vines sound like they would have been perfect for his creative/artistic imagery.
I absolutely enjoyed reading this and give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars. The only issue I have is the ending... in that it truly is not an ending; it is a "to be continued" and there is not happily ever after... but definitely there is a book 2...
In the meantime, I am off to re-watch Crimson Peak, since I have the urge to immerse myself in some more gothic spookiness. The movie, btw, was largely filmed in the Toronto Pinewood studios, and in locations in and around Toronto, and Southern Ontario - my stomping grounds :)
I definitely feel that lush is a great way of describing this gothic suspense novel.
Lady Helena Winters is the female protagonist. She is 24 years old, and living with her father in Kent, after a scandalous separation from her husband. Lord Winters, after a couple of years of marriage, evicted his wife from their home, and is engaged in a love affair with a teenaged actress. He is missing, and presumed to have taken off to the Continent. Helena is broken-hearted, and appears at a loss for what to do with her life, being still married to him.
Mr. Luke Lennox had recently purchased the rundown house and estate of Dunmoor, from Lord Winters, with the intention of turning it into a foundling hospital. Dunmoor was Winter's childhood home. Lennox has high ideals of taking in young male and female foundlings and giving them a better life and future through education and a stable home. Some of the locals are not happy with his purchase and plans for it, especially relatives of the Winters family, as Dunmoor has been a part of their family for hundreds of years. Lennox is made aware that there is also a CURSE upon Dunmoor as well. From the beginning, Lennox, his cousin, his staff, the children are aware of strange happenings, and the children are afraid of the ghosts. Lennox himself has seen some suspicious things, including strange figures in robes wandering about. But not enough to give up on his endeavour. Part of his plans also include a ball to help raise funds to continue the renovations and fund the hospital.
The father of Lady Winters is a business associate of Lennox, and he and his daughter travel to the region, to stay with friends, and attend the ball. Lady Winters was curious about Dunmoor, not having been there, and is encouraged by her father to get out more, rather than hide at home after her husband's abandonment.
Because of some unexpected events, she and her father are forced to stay for a prolonged period at Dunmoor itself, and Lady Winters stays in the region for months, and becomes more involved in the hospital. She, and the others around Dunmoor continue to experience various nefarious events and sitings, and evidence of the curse and Dunmoor's evil history, until things are forced to come to a head. She also learns more about her husband's past and his childhood at Dunmoor.
It was a bit over the top in terms the plot and storyline as there are so many different layers and elements. But it was so grandly descriptive and compelling that I was drawn in and completely enjoyed the entire story. London Clarke had a wonderful way of setting the atmosphere - maybe some may find it florid, and a bit heavy handed at times, but she did a great job setting a suspenseful, gothic atmosphere. Spine tingling - it did not help that I spent a lot of time reading this in the dark, during a miserable wet windstorm, with lots of blowing branches against the house.
Here is and example:
"A cold and forceful wind blew at their backs and didn’t let up until they’d entered the house. A flock of dead leaves followed them, tumbling inside the foyer as Luke trampled them underfoot.
He was overwhelmed with the oppressive, breathless gloom that greeted him. A cloak of stale air. But it was so present, as though someone lay a cold, wet death shroud over his nose and mouth."
If Guillermo del Toro got his hands on this, well, imagine the graphic imagery coupled with his creative imagination, attention to detail, and vision. This brought to my mind his gothic movie Crimson Peak (2015, starring Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain). Dunmoor, the house and history, was just as much a character in the story as Lady Winters, and Mr. Lennox. The descriptions of the encroaching forest and vines sound like they would have been perfect for his creative/artistic imagery.
I absolutely enjoyed reading this and give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars. The only issue I have is the ending... in that it truly is not an ending; it is a "to be continued" and there is not happily ever after... but definitely there is a book 2...
In the meantime, I am off to re-watch Crimson Peak, since I have the urge to immerse myself in some more gothic spookiness. The movie, btw, was largely filmed in the Toronto Pinewood studios, and in locations in and around Toronto, and Southern Ontario - my stomping grounds :)
December 29, 2021
Lady Helena Winters is besides herself as she has not seen her husband for a year. She doesn’t know if he is dead or alive. Not knowing what she should do, she decides to with her father to a fundraising ball to Dunmore House. It was her husband’s home but has been sold to a gentleman Luke Lennox who wishes to make the house into a foundling hospital. Lady Helena finds that to be a passion as when she discovers that he wants to educate them and have them get opportunities to become an apprentice to a trade. Unfortunately there are evildoers that have other plans. The Dunmoor House is supposedly cursed.
It’s spooky and scary at times. Besides the curse, there are ghosts plus evildoers galore. There are tunnels under the house. This adds to the gothic horror story that has a touch of romance in it. It was the mystery of the Dunmoor curse that kept me engaged. There is also a subject touched — the child trafficking that occurred in that time. The author gives a reference you may look at to find out more about child trafficking. The ending of the novel leaves me wanting the next book to be published as soon as possible!
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
It’s spooky and scary at times. Besides the curse, there are ghosts plus evildoers galore. There are tunnels under the house. This adds to the gothic horror story that has a touch of romance in it. It was the mystery of the Dunmoor curse that kept me engaged. There is also a subject touched — the child trafficking that occurred in that time. The author gives a reference you may look at to find out more about child trafficking. The ending of the novel leaves me wanting the next book to be published as soon as possible!
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
December 23, 2021
I cannot recall when I first became enamored with gothic literature and films and whatnot. I was probably quite young and I have a strong suspicion that on the film end, at least, WPIX had a lot to do with it thanks to weekend airings of Rebecca and The Ghost and Mrs Muir and such. My mother and grandmother, of course, each had shelves upon shelves of books and I was given free reign to just grab at random. When most of my friends were oohing and aahing over things like The Babysitters Club, I was losing myself in the pages of Agatha Christie and Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne.
I was having a severe book slump this weekend. I went through multiple chapters of multiple books and absolutely nothing was clicking for me. I decided it would probably be best if I just went with something more reliable .... and gothic. My first thought, of course, was to grab my next Hester Fox. Unfortunately, I remembered that I was being forced into going to a mandatory holiday social thing at work and carrying around a paperback was probably going to be frowned upon. However, I could carry my phone as everyone else probably would be ... so I went snooping around Netgalley's Read it Now to see if anything would possibly satisfy the urge.
Then I saw Dunmoor.
Oooooh that cover.
It clicked and I clicked the button before I even read the description. In fact, it wasn't until I started putting this post together that I bothered with silly nonsense like finding out what it's supposed to be about. That cover was enough to get me. It gets even better when the cover gets swiped to the left and the story begins. It's eerie and dark and spooky and mysterious with just enough romance to be able to say that it's there. It ends violently and beautifully and with a cliffhanger that makes me eager for the next book.
I was having a severe book slump this weekend. I went through multiple chapters of multiple books and absolutely nothing was clicking for me. I decided it would probably be best if I just went with something more reliable .... and gothic. My first thought, of course, was to grab my next Hester Fox. Unfortunately, I remembered that I was being forced into going to a mandatory holiday social thing at work and carrying around a paperback was probably going to be frowned upon. However, I could carry my phone as everyone else probably would be ... so I went snooping around Netgalley's Read it Now to see if anything would possibly satisfy the urge.
Then I saw Dunmoor.
Oooooh that cover.
It clicked and I clicked the button before I even read the description. In fact, it wasn't until I started putting this post together that I bothered with silly nonsense like finding out what it's supposed to be about. That cover was enough to get me. It gets even better when the cover gets swiped to the left and the story begins. It's eerie and dark and spooky and mysterious with just enough romance to be able to say that it's there. It ends violently and beautifully and with a cliffhanger that makes me eager for the next book.
October 24, 2024
DNF @20%.
This book sets a fast pace from the start and doesn't let up, but I'm not so sure that's a good thing. We've got child abandonment, incest, and rape already, not to mention spooky goings-on. It's just too much, too fast. Some serious editing needed to be done here to trim back this plot.
Now, as I've noted in other reviews, a book having a whole gaggle of whacky tropes can work, but this one just didn't handle everything well, jumping abruptly from mood to mood between paragraphs.
Meh.
This book sets a fast pace from the start and doesn't let up, but I'm not so sure that's a good thing. We've got child abandonment, incest, and rape already, not to mention spooky goings-on. It's just too much, too fast. Some serious editing needed to be done here to trim back this plot.
Now, as I've noted in other reviews, a book having a whole gaggle of whacky tropes can work, but this one just didn't handle everything well, jumping abruptly from mood to mood between paragraphs.
Meh.
January 19, 2022
My first gothic romance and it was a good one. Very spooky atmospheric and full of suspense
I received this book from netgallery in exchange for an honest review as given above.
I received this book from netgallery in exchange for an honest review as given above.
April 3, 2022
I loved this supernatural Regency! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Excellent read!
November 2, 2023
DNF at 42%.
CW: Multiple references to off-page sexual abuse of minors.
This reads like a first draft, and should have been fleshed out and fully edited before publication. I’m frankly surprised, given this author’s other works, some of which I’ve quite enjoyed.
This book is poorly written; the narrative is all telling, no showing, and the characters have zero depth or emotional range. The grammar is inconsistent, likely due to an attempt at early 19th century discourse, which mostly comes across as dry and flat.
Furthermore, secondary and tertiary characters appear and disappear throughout with no explanation or origin/destination, always just when it most benefits the MCs. For example, we are told repeatedly that the foundling home has only 5 residents, all boys. Suddenly, the MC is instructing 3 girls, also residents, who seemingly magically appear just so she can demonstrate her benevolence and teaching skill, then receive a pseudo -cryptic message. I can only assume the 3 girls then leave together to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Godspeed, ladies.
Finally, It’s never okay to use physical and sexual abuse - especially of a minor - as a plot device solely to advance your MC’s storyline or development. Even worse is the use of this device multiple times in an attempt to ascribe the MC a non-existant emotional depth. The third time it was used, I quit, choosing not to punish myself by reading any further.
CW: Multiple references to off-page sexual abuse of minors.
This reads like a first draft, and should have been fleshed out and fully edited before publication. I’m frankly surprised, given this author’s other works, some of which I’ve quite enjoyed.
This book is poorly written; the narrative is all telling, no showing, and the characters have zero depth or emotional range. The grammar is inconsistent, likely due to an attempt at early 19th century discourse, which mostly comes across as dry and flat.
Furthermore, secondary and tertiary characters appear and disappear throughout with no explanation or origin/destination, always just when it most benefits the MCs. For example, we are told repeatedly that the foundling home has only 5 residents, all boys. Suddenly, the MC is instructing 3 girls, also residents, who seemingly magically appear just so she can demonstrate her benevolence and teaching skill, then receive a pseudo -cryptic message. I can only assume the 3 girls then leave together to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Godspeed, ladies.
Finally, It’s never okay to use physical and sexual abuse - especially of a minor - as a plot device solely to advance your MC’s storyline or development. Even worse is the use of this device multiple times in an attempt to ascribe the MC a non-existant emotional depth. The third time it was used, I quit, choosing not to punish myself by reading any further.
June 21, 2022
When Luke buys Dunmoor to convert it into a home for orphans, he is unprepared for the evil infesting the place. The kids staying there are terrified. Why is the place surrounded by darkness and are the kids really safe? A gripping chiller which is a page turner.
December 27, 2021
Spooky.
August 17, 2022
Loved this book & cant wait for the follow up to be published 😊
May 19, 2023
A Regency Gothic supernatural suspense thriller.
Abandoned by her rogue of a husband, Lady Helena Winters finds herself drawn to his childhood home, Dunmoor, where the origins of his troubles may be buried.
Dunmoor has been refashioned as an orphanage for foundlings, a venture led by Luke Lennox, who already finds himself up against many who wish to see its failure.
Within the walls of Dunmoor, and in the nearby Black Friars Forest, resides a darkness, now disturbed and threatening to engulf all within its reach.
'Dunmoor' is the first novel in a duology by London Clarke, exploring the dark history of Dunmoor, its current inhabitants haunted by the evil that lingers around the property, having claimed it for its own. Set towards the end of Britain’s Regency period, it blends the genre niches of Regency romance and gothic horror to mould a story that has both a classic and historical feel - like Jane Austen meets Shirley Jackson - combined with a modern edge, notably in the portrayal of its central female character and exploration of themes of child neglect and abuse, allowing us to view this prejudice and mistreatment through the progressive views of key characters.
At the centre of the narrative is Lady Helena Winters, whose husband has vanished, leaving her with huge debts and a damaged reputation. Alongside Helena’s story, we follow the challenges faced by Luke Lennox in opening Dunmoor as both a home and school for children whose families are unable or unwilling to raise them and whom society would otherwise neglect and abandon. Helena shares Luke’s ideals and finds herself helping him whilst also beginning to uncover her husband’s history. Throughout, Helena battles her attraction to Luke, with moments of burgeoning desire threatening to spill into passion, while the secrets the house hides are slowing revealed through the creeping suspense that seeps through the prose, building to dark revelations, the evil threatening to fully overwhelm and overcome both Dunmoor and all those in its clutches.
Clarke does a brilliant job of portraying this era of history, exploring social attitudes and the class system, particularly with regard to the place of women, “parent-less” children and employees of those with power and influence. Helena's predicament affords her a degree of independence, allowing the narrative to realistically explore the period whilst not leaving her reliant on the permissions and whims of men. Meanwhile, the gothic atmosphere is richly developed and the imagery of nature reclaiming the mansion, the subterranean passageways and the foreboding depths of the forest all vividly realised, as we hurtle into an intense and claustrophobic climax. The novel ends with a tantalising cliffhanger, which hints at what’s to come in book two, promising to delve deeper into the depravity and horrors that personally link Helena to Dunmoor through her husband and his family's legacy.
Lavishly gothic and dripping in suspense, 'Dunmoor' is a thrilling opening chapter, leaving us in eager anticipation of the second book, 'House of Brutes and Angels'.
Abandoned by her rogue of a husband, Lady Helena Winters finds herself drawn to his childhood home, Dunmoor, where the origins of his troubles may be buried.
Dunmoor has been refashioned as an orphanage for foundlings, a venture led by Luke Lennox, who already finds himself up against many who wish to see its failure.
Within the walls of Dunmoor, and in the nearby Black Friars Forest, resides a darkness, now disturbed and threatening to engulf all within its reach.
'Dunmoor' is the first novel in a duology by London Clarke, exploring the dark history of Dunmoor, its current inhabitants haunted by the evil that lingers around the property, having claimed it for its own. Set towards the end of Britain’s Regency period, it blends the genre niches of Regency romance and gothic horror to mould a story that has both a classic and historical feel - like Jane Austen meets Shirley Jackson - combined with a modern edge, notably in the portrayal of its central female character and exploration of themes of child neglect and abuse, allowing us to view this prejudice and mistreatment through the progressive views of key characters.
At the centre of the narrative is Lady Helena Winters, whose husband has vanished, leaving her with huge debts and a damaged reputation. Alongside Helena’s story, we follow the challenges faced by Luke Lennox in opening Dunmoor as both a home and school for children whose families are unable or unwilling to raise them and whom society would otherwise neglect and abandon. Helena shares Luke’s ideals and finds herself helping him whilst also beginning to uncover her husband’s history. Throughout, Helena battles her attraction to Luke, with moments of burgeoning desire threatening to spill into passion, while the secrets the house hides are slowing revealed through the creeping suspense that seeps through the prose, building to dark revelations, the evil threatening to fully overwhelm and overcome both Dunmoor and all those in its clutches.
Clarke does a brilliant job of portraying this era of history, exploring social attitudes and the class system, particularly with regard to the place of women, “parent-less” children and employees of those with power and influence. Helena's predicament affords her a degree of independence, allowing the narrative to realistically explore the period whilst not leaving her reliant on the permissions and whims of men. Meanwhile, the gothic atmosphere is richly developed and the imagery of nature reclaiming the mansion, the subterranean passageways and the foreboding depths of the forest all vividly realised, as we hurtle into an intense and claustrophobic climax. The novel ends with a tantalising cliffhanger, which hints at what’s to come in book two, promising to delve deeper into the depravity and horrors that personally link Helena to Dunmoor through her husband and his family's legacy.
Lavishly gothic and dripping in suspense, 'Dunmoor' is a thrilling opening chapter, leaving us in eager anticipation of the second book, 'House of Brutes and Angels'.
April 1, 2022
Read Full & Detailed review: https://cynthology.blogspot.com/2022/...
The book is written in the 3rd person past tense point of view of Helena and Luke.
Early on, the author creates a deliciously creepy vibe. There is something otherworldly about Dunmoor House. Shadows appear and footsteps sound when no one is around, and the forest behind the house is dark and menacing. The trees seem to be alive, and keep coming closer to the house.
The scenes about the terrors at Dunmoor and in the forest were well written but the overall impression wasn’t one of horror at all. There was a surfeit of evil entities involved and that undermined the effect.
There are ghosts. There is the evil of child sexual abuse, rape, incest, devil worship and orgies. This excess weight causes the book to totter under the burden.
The story also seemed to lose focus for a while when Luke, frightened by the supernatural horrors he sees in the forest, flees to London and gives in to a life of drinking and gambling as a way to forget those evils.
That Lennox and Helena will have a romantic relationship is a foregone conclusion, but the manner in which they fall in love is rather rushed. Nor does Lennox come across as particularly noble or courageous. He has lost Penelope, his fiancée, but he doesn’t spend too much time grieving for her.
On the contrary, I found Alex Jameson, in spite of his rakish image, far more compelling.
Helena is academically inclined and enjoys studying Maths and Geometry, pluses in my opinion, but she isn’t written with any sense of warmth.
I ended up warming more to Lady Persephone than to Helena. The former has suffered through a lot. It couldn’t have been easy living in those times on her own terms. The story written from her viewpoint would have been even better.
Also, it would have been better if the children had played a more active role in this book. None of the kids here have been endowed with personalities, making it hard for us as readers to invest in them. It is Lennox and Helena who are made to appear larger-than-life for their efforts to ‘save’ the children.
Even poor Lucy is given short shrift. Just because she is poor, it seems as if Helena is dismissive of her feelings for Luke, and tells Lucy that some other working class individual with a bland personality is better suited to her. And this when she and Luke have not yet acknowledged their feelings for each other.
On the whole, this book didn’t meet my expectations. I will not be awaiting Book 2 of this duology.
The book is written in the 3rd person past tense point of view of Helena and Luke.
Early on, the author creates a deliciously creepy vibe. There is something otherworldly about Dunmoor House. Shadows appear and footsteps sound when no one is around, and the forest behind the house is dark and menacing. The trees seem to be alive, and keep coming closer to the house.
The scenes about the terrors at Dunmoor and in the forest were well written but the overall impression wasn’t one of horror at all. There was a surfeit of evil entities involved and that undermined the effect.
There are ghosts. There is the evil of child sexual abuse, rape, incest, devil worship and orgies. This excess weight causes the book to totter under the burden.
The story also seemed to lose focus for a while when Luke, frightened by the supernatural horrors he sees in the forest, flees to London and gives in to a life of drinking and gambling as a way to forget those evils.
That Lennox and Helena will have a romantic relationship is a foregone conclusion, but the manner in which they fall in love is rather rushed. Nor does Lennox come across as particularly noble or courageous. He has lost Penelope, his fiancée, but he doesn’t spend too much time grieving for her.
On the contrary, I found Alex Jameson, in spite of his rakish image, far more compelling.
Helena is academically inclined and enjoys studying Maths and Geometry, pluses in my opinion, but she isn’t written with any sense of warmth.
I ended up warming more to Lady Persephone than to Helena. The former has suffered through a lot. It couldn’t have been easy living in those times on her own terms. The story written from her viewpoint would have been even better.
Also, it would have been better if the children had played a more active role in this book. None of the kids here have been endowed with personalities, making it hard for us as readers to invest in them. It is Lennox and Helena who are made to appear larger-than-life for their efforts to ‘save’ the children.
Even poor Lucy is given short shrift. Just because she is poor, it seems as if Helena is dismissive of her feelings for Luke, and tells Lucy that some other working class individual with a bland personality is better suited to her. And this when she and Luke have not yet acknowledged their feelings for each other.
On the whole, this book didn’t meet my expectations. I will not be awaiting Book 2 of this duology.
Read
December 9, 2021First I would like to thank netgalley and this author for giving me her advanced arc book to read before it went for sale on November 30. This book is called Dunmoor and it was an excellent read.
If you like historical thriller mystery with a hint of romance books this is for you.
In 1818 Lady Helena winters has not seen her husband in over a year not since he disappeared without a trace.. torn between finding a new purpose in her life to waiting for him to return she travels to the estate of Dunmoor with her father for a fundraising ball. Although the estate was once her husbands ancestoral home is has recently been purchased by a gentleman named Luke Lennox who is trying to make a hospital.
As her father stays at the estate he begins to become very gravely Ill with pneumonia. They call in a doctor and the doctor says he’s very very sick, her father starts to tell her that he sees children in the home and tree monster figures in the middle of the room at night. The dr tells her that her father is just seeing things it’s part of the illness and has to take medication. There is something wicked in Dunmoor house..
Helena begins to see the same thing questioning if her father is telling the truth, as time passes she finds ledgers from her husband who disappeared things he wrote in a diary about his sister like having An affair with her and then seeing an abomination in the house there is something wicked in the house.
Helena is with a heavy heart feeling a loss of her husband that she never knew him really she felt hurt and wandered the evils that run in the house.
As time passes she sees tree figure monsters, children as you find out more in the story basically towards the ending in the story there was men in black robes that go on a hunt they find children in town and they keep them in the house they poison torture them turn them into slaves and do strange rituals, then they send them to the forbidden woods and hunt them like rabbits. They also feed the things in the forest the giant tree creatures— they do it for years and years, they made a pact with the devil to live forever in order to turn the victims into trees.
Towards the end she goes with Luke Lennox to burn down the estate. And He proposes to her and she is in love with him as well, Then at the end of the book you find out that her other husband is very much alive by the letter and there will be a sequel which I cannot wait to read!
If you like historical thriller mystery with a hint of romance books this is for you.
In 1818 Lady Helena winters has not seen her husband in over a year not since he disappeared without a trace.. torn between finding a new purpose in her life to waiting for him to return she travels to the estate of Dunmoor with her father for a fundraising ball. Although the estate was once her husbands ancestoral home is has recently been purchased by a gentleman named Luke Lennox who is trying to make a hospital.
As her father stays at the estate he begins to become very gravely Ill with pneumonia. They call in a doctor and the doctor says he’s very very sick, her father starts to tell her that he sees children in the home and tree monster figures in the middle of the room at night. The dr tells her that her father is just seeing things it’s part of the illness and has to take medication. There is something wicked in Dunmoor house..
Helena begins to see the same thing questioning if her father is telling the truth, as time passes she finds ledgers from her husband who disappeared things he wrote in a diary about his sister like having An affair with her and then seeing an abomination in the house there is something wicked in the house.
Helena is with a heavy heart feeling a loss of her husband that she never knew him really she felt hurt and wandered the evils that run in the house.
As time passes she sees tree figure monsters, children as you find out more in the story basically towards the ending in the story there was men in black robes that go on a hunt they find children in town and they keep them in the house they poison torture them turn them into slaves and do strange rituals, then they send them to the forbidden woods and hunt them like rabbits. They also feed the things in the forest the giant tree creatures— they do it for years and years, they made a pact with the devil to live forever in order to turn the victims into trees.
Towards the end she goes with Luke Lennox to burn down the estate. And He proposes to her and she is in love with him as well, Then at the end of the book you find out that her other husband is very much alive by the letter and there will be a sequel which I cannot wait to read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2022
‘Dunmoor’ illustrates the problems of class systems and the abuses made by those seemingly higher up, but with a supernatural twist. Character names hint further at these issues – William Thackeray’s dislike of high society, hypocrisy, and even the institution of marriage is brought to mind by the naming of the housekeeper. The message is clear that education of the lower classes in imperative to improve their lives, yet a huge threat to those above them. The author is also adept at bringing forth the era-accurate feeling of dim, grey decay and some of their visceral descriptions bring even a horse walking through muck alive.
That said, I did not personally enjoy this book. It may just be a matter of personal taste. The characters’ reactions were hit and miss for me. Upon discovering something both haunting and disgusting, one character said “Blimey.” The author would tell the reader that a character was “rattled” – but they otherwise didn’t actually appear to be, and went on as if everything were fine and dandy. Another character was moments out of a tense scare, yet “sauntered to the window”. I also felt that the romantic aspects were unnecessary. Most of it read as simple lust rather than any actual affection, and the timing of the ‘romantic’ encounters and lustful thoughts came at odd moments during which I would have expected the characters to be otherwise occupied.
I would recommend this book to those keen on the late Edwardian / early Victorian era, paranormal and weird horror, but with trigger warnings to child abuse.
(I received a free copy of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
That said, I did not personally enjoy this book. It may just be a matter of personal taste. The characters’ reactions were hit and miss for me. Upon discovering something both haunting and disgusting, one character said “Blimey.” The author would tell the reader that a character was “rattled” – but they otherwise didn’t actually appear to be, and went on as if everything were fine and dandy. Another character was moments out of a tense scare, yet “sauntered to the window”. I also felt that the romantic aspects were unnecessary. Most of it read as simple lust rather than any actual affection, and the timing of the ‘romantic’ encounters and lustful thoughts came at odd moments during which I would have expected the characters to be otherwise occupied.
I would recommend this book to those keen on the late Edwardian / early Victorian era, paranormal and weird horror, but with trigger warnings to child abuse.
(I received a free copy of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
December 27, 2021
Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for letting me read this book. SPOILERS AHEAD
Lady Helena Winters husband has left her for a teen actress and run away. Back living with her father she is persuaded to go to ball hosted by a business acquaintance of her father,at her absentee husband's ancestral home ; A place she had never been.
Luke Lennox is a philanthropist, who wishes to help poor young children to get an education and find a way out of poverty. He buys Dunmoor house to turn in to an orphanage. The house is run down and falling apart. Imagine the mansion from Women in black or Crimson Peeks.
Terrible things have happened in Dunmoor. Trigger warning for Child abuse.
I was hoping when it started to read this book that it would be a somewhat light Gothic romance. I couldn't of been more wrong. The book which leans heavily on over describing every aspect of the house and the emotions that the house should convey gets very dark. The story starts of very slow. It takes about halfway through for the story to start developing.
We know from he beginning that all is not well at Dunmoor but I was surprised at the depth of the dark turn it takes with child sacrifice and bloody tree creatures. It felt a little to dark, almost for shock value. We know the bad guys are bad. We could of went with out the detail.
The book also left it on a bit of a TBC cliff hanger finding out her husband is alive. So we know there is going to be a second book.
Overall the book was well written but I didnt really enjoy it and found it difficult to finish.
Lady Helena Winters husband has left her for a teen actress and run away. Back living with her father she is persuaded to go to ball hosted by a business acquaintance of her father,at her absentee husband's ancestral home ; A place she had never been.
Luke Lennox is a philanthropist, who wishes to help poor young children to get an education and find a way out of poverty. He buys Dunmoor house to turn in to an orphanage. The house is run down and falling apart. Imagine the mansion from Women in black or Crimson Peeks.
Terrible things have happened in Dunmoor. Trigger warning for Child abuse.
I was hoping when it started to read this book that it would be a somewhat light Gothic romance. I couldn't of been more wrong. The book which leans heavily on over describing every aspect of the house and the emotions that the house should convey gets very dark. The story starts of very slow. It takes about halfway through for the story to start developing.
We know from he beginning that all is not well at Dunmoor but I was surprised at the depth of the dark turn it takes with child sacrifice and bloody tree creatures. It felt a little to dark, almost for shock value. We know the bad guys are bad. We could of went with out the detail.
The book also left it on a bit of a TBC cliff hanger finding out her husband is alive. So we know there is going to be a second book.
Overall the book was well written but I didnt really enjoy it and found it difficult to finish.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2022
𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁: Haunted house, Dark secret, Missing persons, Orphanage, The woods
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: Child abuse, Child death (you don’t need the other content warnings because it’s a HORROR and I’ll give it away!)
“𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩, 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘫𝘰𝘺. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”
✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮
Wow. I haven’t ever read any gothic romance / horror books before, but 100% this is now one of my favourite genres. This book, just was incredible. I always thought that it was difficult to find a book truly scary, but I was pulled into this book and raced to the end, it would make one incredible film, and I have book two in the SERIES (YES SERIES!) ready to go!
There’s so much going on in the dark secrets behind this ‘haunted house’. This book has a lot of ‘stuff’ going on, and it was an intricately woven web of horror after horror. The ending was super shocking, and completely unexpected too. But, this is so much more than just a haunted house tale, I just don’t want to give any spoilers!
I loved the characters, as MCs you’ve got a lady, Helena Winters, whom has separated from her cheating husband, who is now missing… The other MC is this gentleman, Luke Lennox, who bought her husbands old family home, and is opening a foundling hospital for orphans. Their stories were well built, and their emotions flew off the page!
I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the second instalment!
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: Child abuse, Child death (you don’t need the other content warnings because it’s a HORROR and I’ll give it away!)
“𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩, 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘫𝘰𝘺. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”
✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮
Wow. I haven’t ever read any gothic romance / horror books before, but 100% this is now one of my favourite genres. This book, just was incredible. I always thought that it was difficult to find a book truly scary, but I was pulled into this book and raced to the end, it would make one incredible film, and I have book two in the SERIES (YES SERIES!) ready to go!
There’s so much going on in the dark secrets behind this ‘haunted house’. This book has a lot of ‘stuff’ going on, and it was an intricately woven web of horror after horror. The ending was super shocking, and completely unexpected too. But, this is so much more than just a haunted house tale, I just don’t want to give any spoilers!
I loved the characters, as MCs you’ve got a lady, Helena Winters, whom has separated from her cheating husband, who is now missing… The other MC is this gentleman, Luke Lennox, who bought her husbands old family home, and is opening a foundling hospital for orphans. Their stories were well built, and their emotions flew off the page!
I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the second instalment!
January 12, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley and to the author/publisher for providing me with this book!
Even if it is my first DNF of 2022, this book was absolutely not bad. The author is obviously very skilled in creating tensed and gothic atmospheres.
The first thing coming to my mind when I’m thinking about this book is dark. We find ourselves trapped with the characters in a crumbling mansion in the middle of the countryside, and strange events are soon happening. The grading I decided upon for this book is explained by the visible efforts that were made in the writing style in order to project us in the period of 1818 and the setting.
I didn’t get attached to any of the characters even if I recognise that they are well developed, as is their stories, even for the ones that are not present but just evoked by others.
However, I had to stop the book towards the end since it began to unsettle me a lot. Indeed, the author is dealing with heavy themes, the main one being sexual abuses (including on children). Even if they are evoked with talent, it evolves from allusions/short evocations to being very tangible, which was clearly too much for me.
So, if you’re seeking some chilling emotions and are not afraid of reading about heavy themes, I think you’ll like this book. However, I strongly recommend checking its trigger warnings before beginning it.
Even if it is my first DNF of 2022, this book was absolutely not bad. The author is obviously very skilled in creating tensed and gothic atmospheres.
The first thing coming to my mind when I’m thinking about this book is dark. We find ourselves trapped with the characters in a crumbling mansion in the middle of the countryside, and strange events are soon happening. The grading I decided upon for this book is explained by the visible efforts that were made in the writing style in order to project us in the period of 1818 and the setting.
I didn’t get attached to any of the characters even if I recognise that they are well developed, as is their stories, even for the ones that are not present but just evoked by others.
However, I had to stop the book towards the end since it began to unsettle me a lot. Indeed, the author is dealing with heavy themes, the main one being sexual abuses (including on children). Even if they are evoked with talent, it evolves from allusions/short evocations to being very tangible, which was clearly too much for me.
So, if you’re seeking some chilling emotions and are not afraid of reading about heavy themes, I think you’ll like this book. However, I strongly recommend checking its trigger warnings before beginning it.
March 11, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and to the author/publisher for providing me with this book!
Even if it is my first DNF of 2022, this book was absolutely not bad. The author is obviously very skilled in creating tensed and gothic atmospheres.
The first thing coming to my mind when I’m thinking about this book is dark. We find ourselves trapped with the characters in a crumbling mansion in the middle of the countryside, and strange events are soon happening. The grading I decided upon for this book is explained by the visible efforts that were made in the writing style in order to project us in the period of 1818 and the setting.
I didn’t get attached to any of the characters even if I recognise that they are well developed, as is their stories, even for the ones that are not present but just evoked by others.
However, I had to stop the book towards the end since it began to unsettle me a lot. Indeed, the author is dealing with heavy themes, the main one being sexual abuses (including on children). Even if they are evoked with talent, it evolves from allusions/short evocations to being very tangible, which was clearly too much for me.
So, if you’re seeking some chilling emotions and are not afraid of reading about heavy themes, I think you’ll like this book. However, I strongly recommend checking its trigger warnings before beginning it.
Even if it is my first DNF of 2022, this book was absolutely not bad. The author is obviously very skilled in creating tensed and gothic atmospheres.
The first thing coming to my mind when I’m thinking about this book is dark. We find ourselves trapped with the characters in a crumbling mansion in the middle of the countryside, and strange events are soon happening. The grading I decided upon for this book is explained by the visible efforts that were made in the writing style in order to project us in the period of 1818 and the setting.
I didn’t get attached to any of the characters even if I recognise that they are well developed, as is their stories, even for the ones that are not present but just evoked by others.
However, I had to stop the book towards the end since it began to unsettle me a lot. Indeed, the author is dealing with heavy themes, the main one being sexual abuses (including on children). Even if they are evoked with talent, it evolves from allusions/short evocations to being very tangible, which was clearly too much for me.
So, if you’re seeking some chilling emotions and are not afraid of reading about heavy themes, I think you’ll like this book. However, I strongly recommend checking its trigger warnings before beginning it.
February 3, 2022
Dunmoor is a beautiful, lush and absolutely gripping novel. Clarke perfectly conjures an evocative Gothic setting in Dunmoor House, and populates her story with nuanced, complex, and eminently likeable characters, from the willful and whipsmart Lady Helena to the thoughtful and earnest gentleman Luke Lennox and his rakish companion Alex. Its supernatural elements are effectively haunting, and several images stayed with me long after I read them. I'd recommend this enthusiastically to fans of Mexican Gothic and Crimson Peak.
February 10, 2022
This book was really just okay. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly fabulous either.
I struggled to connect with either the story or the character. I kept thinking it would click if I stuck with it, and unfortunately it didn't. It was just kind of average for me. The plot dragged on, and the characters were a bit too lifeless to keep me going until it picked up.
I will likely give book 2 a try, and hopefully whatever I missed in this one will click into place for me.
This ARC came from Netgalley, and this is my honest opinion.
I struggled to connect with either the story or the character. I kept thinking it would click if I stuck with it, and unfortunately it didn't. It was just kind of average for me. The plot dragged on, and the characters were a bit too lifeless to keep me going until it picked up.
I will likely give book 2 a try, and hopefully whatever I missed in this one will click into place for me.
This ARC came from Netgalley, and this is my honest opinion.
February 28, 2023
This book was a 4 1/2 stars for me. It was fast paced and I literally devoured it. The movie was running in my head and my pulse raced throughout the whole adventure. Definite trigger warnings for child abuse but this was intended if you read the Author's Note at the end. I did think the graphic descriptions in some spots were a bit unnecessary but strongly helped prove her point after reading the AN. Loved the characters and the storyline kept me guessing up to the end. London Clark has mastered gothic horror and pacing. This was the first novel I have read from her and I am hooked!
September 23, 2023
well written
Well I finished it (very radio I not finish a book a start) so there’s that. It’s very well written, that characters developed. However I was not really expecting the content. Or rather the extent of the abuse and subsequent behavior. While I did like the book it was very dark. Thankfully the ending was lighter, well until the letter at least. And I still don’t understand why they didn’t just let it all burn and start over.
Well I finished it (very radio I not finish a book a start) so there’s that. It’s very well written, that characters developed. However I was not really expecting the content. Or rather the extent of the abuse and subsequent behavior. While I did like the book it was very dark. Thankfully the ending was lighter, well until the letter at least. And I still don’t understand why they didn’t just let it all burn and start over.
January 3, 2022
What begins as a noble endeavour to open a home for orphans, turns into a tale of horror. This is a tale where Jane Austen-like ladies and gentlemen meet ghosts, and then some. But as the story unfolds, greater horrors come to light. A husband is missing, presumably galavanting with another woman. Or, perhaps he is not.
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