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Begars Abbey
'A dark gothic delight' JANICE HALLETT, author of THE TWYFORD CODE'Inventive, lavish, twisty... will keep you guessing until the very end' ALISON LITTLEWOOD, author of MISTLETOE Winter 1954, and in a dilapidated apartment in Brooklyn, Sam Cooper realises that she has nothing left. Her mother is dead, she has no prospects, and she cannot afford the rent. But as she goes through her mother's things, Sam finds a stack of hidden letters that reveal a family and an inheritance that she never knew she had, three thousand miles away in Yorkshire. Begars Abbey is a crumbling pile, inhabited only by Lady Cooper, Sam's ailing grandmother, and a handful of servants. Sam cannot understand why her mother kept its very existence a secret, but her newly discovered diaries offer a glimpse of a young girl growing increasingly terrified. As is Sam herself. Built on the foundations of an old convent, Begars moves and sings with the biting wind. Her grandmother cannot speak, and a shadowy woman moves along the corridors at night. There are dark places in the hidden tunnels beneath Begars. And they will not give up their secrets easily... A chilling read that will keep you turning the pages late into the night, Begars Abbey is a must-read for fans of Laura Purcell, C.J. Tudor and W.C. Ryan.
321 pages, Paperback
First published April 28, 2022
20 people are currently reading
1241 people want to read
About the author
V.L. Valentine
2 books27 followersV.L. Valentine is a senior science editor at National Public Radio in Washington, D.C., where she covers infectious disease outbreaks such as the coronavirus pandemic, Ebola and the Zika.
She has a master’s in the history of medicine from University College London. Her non-fiction work has been published by NPR, The New York Times, The Smithsonian Channel and Science Magazine.
She has a master’s in the history of medicine from University College London. Her non-fiction work has been published by NPR, The New York Times, The Smithsonian Channel and Science Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
August 12, 2023
2.5 stars
Another heavy slice of gothic with a slight variation. It is set in the 1950s. !954 to be precise. Sam lives in Brooklyn with her mother and is in her 20s. When her mother dies she discovers that her mother has kept secrets. She has a family in Britain, well a grandmother living in a crumbling old ruin of a country house built on the site of a medieval convent. Sam treks over to Yorkshire: it’s close to York and there meets mystery and intrigue (surprise, surprise!). Her grandmother has had a series of strokes and is entirely dependent on others. There are a small number of servants, some of whom are decidedly elderly. There are also a couple of brothers (solicitors) who sort of manage affairs and there are plenty of mysteries. Not least of which is why Sam’s mother told her nothing of all this.
Adding it all up there are secret passages leading to who knows where, creaking corridors, ghosts, apparitions, oubliettes, ghostly whisperings, diaries with more mysteries. It’s all set over the Christmas and New Year period and there is lots of snow and cold.
There’s nothing new here. It’s put together ok with some effective descriptions and it does what it says on the tin. There’s ghosts, gothic and spookiness a rather nasty old aristocrat in the family history. It isn’t memorable and the ending doesn’t really go anywhere.
Another heavy slice of gothic with a slight variation. It is set in the 1950s. !954 to be precise. Sam lives in Brooklyn with her mother and is in her 20s. When her mother dies she discovers that her mother has kept secrets. She has a family in Britain, well a grandmother living in a crumbling old ruin of a country house built on the site of a medieval convent. Sam treks over to Yorkshire: it’s close to York and there meets mystery and intrigue (surprise, surprise!). Her grandmother has had a series of strokes and is entirely dependent on others. There are a small number of servants, some of whom are decidedly elderly. There are also a couple of brothers (solicitors) who sort of manage affairs and there are plenty of mysteries. Not least of which is why Sam’s mother told her nothing of all this.
Adding it all up there are secret passages leading to who knows where, creaking corridors, ghosts, apparitions, oubliettes, ghostly whisperings, diaries with more mysteries. It’s all set over the Christmas and New Year period and there is lots of snow and cold.
There’s nothing new here. It’s put together ok with some effective descriptions and it does what it says on the tin. There’s ghosts, gothic and spookiness a rather nasty old aristocrat in the family history. It isn’t memorable and the ending doesn’t really go anywhere.
Read
October 28, 2022I had only a few chapters left but completely lost intresset in the book. Might pick up some other time
April 28, 2022
What a fast and gripping read! Sam Cooper is a spirited New Yorker on a quest to find her Yorkshire roots after inheriting a remote gothic mansion. She finds it inhabited by a collection of fascinating, unsettling, and ultimately ghoulish former staff, and embarks on a mystery with the help of the unwilling estate lawyer. As always, Valentine's writing is witty, fast-moving and spine-chillingly dark, a real feast of a read.
April 10, 2022
An excellent and involving githic ghost story, chilling and clever. Full review to follow.
April 26, 2022
A run down former convent full of dark secrets, you say? I really didn’t need much more information to know that I really wanted to read Begars Abbey. Especially as I had enjoyed V.L. Valentine’s previous novel, The Plague Letters.
Just like that one, Begars Abbey took a while to take off and grab me. The year is 1954. The place is Brooklyn, New York. The reader is introduced to Sam Cooper who is desperately in need of some kind of miracle. Her mother has died, she has no job, no prospects, no money to pay the rent. But then she discovers a stack of letters among her mother’s possessions. Letters that reveal a family Sam’s mother never spoke of in far away Yorkshire, England. Is it true Sam isn’t alone? And could there possibly be an inheritance?
Sam heads to Yorkshire and Begars Abbey, which turns out to be crumbling pile of bricks. The only family member who remains is a crippled grandmother, Lady Cooper, who cannot speak due to a series of strokes. There is a housekeeper who should possibly have retired many years ago, a few maids and creepy shadows in the corridors who might be the former nuns who never left. 😱
But why did Sam’s mother keep all of this a secret from her? Why did her mother let them both live in poverty in Brooklyn when the family was clearly once incredibly wealthy?
Like I said, it took a hot minute for Begars Abbey to hook me. To the point where I nearly considered maybe not continuing. But once Sam arrived in Yorkshire and things started to pick up, I was immensely glad I kept going. So, if like me, you’re struggling a little at the start, stick with it. It’s worth it!
Strange things start happening the moment Sam arrives when the person who is supposed to meet her at the train station doesn’t show up. From there, things slowly but surely get even weirder and creepier as the story goes on. Just like Sam, you have no idea who to trust. If anyone. There are secrets, dangers and odd noises lurking around every dark corner of this former abbey. Throughout the story, Sam desperately tries to reconcile the memories of the mother she knew with the place she grew up in, and to find out why her mother left her home at a young age, never to return again. I wasn’t at all prepared for the answers to that question. The revelations were quite a lot darker than I had anticipated, and also rather heartbreaking.
Begars Abbey is a delightfully chilling and atmospheric gothic ghost story. Intriguing and full of suspense, it had moments I didn’t see coming which ensured I ended up having a fantastic time with this mystery. Despite the little wobble at the beginning, I absolutely enjoyed this and I very much look forward to what V.L. Valentine comes up with next.
Just like that one, Begars Abbey took a while to take off and grab me. The year is 1954. The place is Brooklyn, New York. The reader is introduced to Sam Cooper who is desperately in need of some kind of miracle. Her mother has died, she has no job, no prospects, no money to pay the rent. But then she discovers a stack of letters among her mother’s possessions. Letters that reveal a family Sam’s mother never spoke of in far away Yorkshire, England. Is it true Sam isn’t alone? And could there possibly be an inheritance?
Sam heads to Yorkshire and Begars Abbey, which turns out to be crumbling pile of bricks. The only family member who remains is a crippled grandmother, Lady Cooper, who cannot speak due to a series of strokes. There is a housekeeper who should possibly have retired many years ago, a few maids and creepy shadows in the corridors who might be the former nuns who never left. 😱
But why did Sam’s mother keep all of this a secret from her? Why did her mother let them both live in poverty in Brooklyn when the family was clearly once incredibly wealthy?
Like I said, it took a hot minute for Begars Abbey to hook me. To the point where I nearly considered maybe not continuing. But once Sam arrived in Yorkshire and things started to pick up, I was immensely glad I kept going. So, if like me, you’re struggling a little at the start, stick with it. It’s worth it!
Strange things start happening the moment Sam arrives when the person who is supposed to meet her at the train station doesn’t show up. From there, things slowly but surely get even weirder and creepier as the story goes on. Just like Sam, you have no idea who to trust. If anyone. There are secrets, dangers and odd noises lurking around every dark corner of this former abbey. Throughout the story, Sam desperately tries to reconcile the memories of the mother she knew with the place she grew up in, and to find out why her mother left her home at a young age, never to return again. I wasn’t at all prepared for the answers to that question. The revelations were quite a lot darker than I had anticipated, and also rather heartbreaking.
Begars Abbey is a delightfully chilling and atmospheric gothic ghost story. Intriguing and full of suspense, it had moments I didn’t see coming which ensured I ended up having a fantastic time with this mystery. Despite the little wobble at the beginning, I absolutely enjoyed this and I very much look forward to what V.L. Valentine comes up with next.
June 23, 2022
Fiscover the locations in the novel Begars Abbey
The title of this book did it for me. Begars Abbey. A link of some kind to beggars and the past? An abbey with secrets in its walls? Oh yes please.
This is set over a few days so it’s all very immediate and this makes it more chilling as a result. I mean, you’re never quite sure what or who is around the corner so that’s a nice thrill. I like the sequences of events when Sam heads to Yorkshire to see her mum’s house and sort out her affairs. The person supposed to meet her is not there and then someone else picks her up.When she gets to the house she is met by a group of strange characters shall we say. This is a great start as I was already judging and guessing what these people would later do. Trust them not.
This is the kind of novel where the old house really does have hidden secrets and it was a real thrill to find them and discover the mysteries. All in all, this is a very creepy and well written read with all the feels and a sense of foreboding that is wrapped up in a particularly black cloak…
Recommended!
dnf
April 5, 2022I love Gothic’s but this was a DNF for me. I really disliked the prose and dialogue and by 50 pages in I had enough. No matter how interesting the story turns out I know I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it based on the writing style. It’s really a matter of personal taste and I’m sure others won’t be as bothered by the prose. Maybe read a sample before you purchase to make sure you jive with the writing.
January 24, 2023
I didn’t have a clue what was happening half of the time in this book
October 22, 2023
3.75⭐️
I had to reassess my ability to suspend my disbelief with this book, but if you can overcome the implausibility of....literally everything... and go with the gothicky madness, it's entertaining read.
I had to reassess my ability to suspend my disbelief with this book, but if you can overcome the implausibility of....literally everything... and go with the gothicky madness, it's entertaining read.
April 30, 2022
A gothic mystery with a genuinely spooky setting.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
August 12, 2022
This one was quite the ride!! I buddy read this one a few weeks ago, and we had so much fun with it.
The vibes... oh the vibes. This place is creepy, it is sinister, there were several scenes that genuinely gave me chills. Read this on a stormy night and I promise you'll not want to sleep. The descriptions were top notch, the mystery compelling, and twisty and uncertain.
My only grumble is despite being apparently set in the 50s, it felt too modern for my tastes. I feel we were only told the year to allow for the imposing gothic creepy mansion setting, and style wise this feels altogether contemporary otherwise.
Valentine has written a novel that is pure 'experience', and I have already gone back and got a copy of her debut which I simply cannot wait to read.
Highly recommend!
The vibes... oh the vibes. This place is creepy, it is sinister, there were several scenes that genuinely gave me chills. Read this on a stormy night and I promise you'll not want to sleep. The descriptions were top notch, the mystery compelling, and twisty and uncertain.
My only grumble is despite being apparently set in the 50s, it felt too modern for my tastes. I feel we were only told the year to allow for the imposing gothic creepy mansion setting, and style wise this feels altogether contemporary otherwise.
Valentine has written a novel that is pure 'experience', and I have already gone back and got a copy of her debut which I simply cannot wait to read.
Highly recommend!
April 30, 2022
This is a powerful and haunting story.
The writing is so tense and deliciously dark, as we get drawn into the secrets and lies of Sam’s family, who for years have lived in the house.
I loved the descriptions of the house, the surroundings and all the little bidet holes. The creepy nature of the corridors adds to the sinister feel and I could totally empathise with Sam as she tried to work out what was real and what was in her imagination.
Building to a wonderful climax, this story is magnificent.
The writing is so tense and deliciously dark, as we get drawn into the secrets and lies of Sam’s family, who for years have lived in the house.
I loved the descriptions of the house, the surroundings and all the little bidet holes. The creepy nature of the corridors adds to the sinister feel and I could totally empathise with Sam as she tried to work out what was real and what was in her imagination.
Building to a wonderful climax, this story is magnificent.
May 15, 2022
Winter, 1954. In a dilapidated, empty shell of an apartment in Brooklyn, Sam Cooper mourns more than the loss of her mother as it has become rather apparent that short of a miracle, she shall surely find herself out on the streets with nothing left to her name. Her mother is dead, her prospects are near enough zero and being able to afford the rent seems like something more akin to a fairytale.
Her mother’s belongings must be sifted through again, for surely Sam has overlooked something and when she stumbles upon a stack of cryptic letters that reveal a possible family inheritance she never knew about, Sam sets off to Yorkshire, England where this fortune may be awaiting her.
Begars Abbey is crumbling, straining under its own weight and it’s only inhabitants are Sam’s ailing grandmother Lady Cooper and not even a handful of servants, none of which seem to be able to actually handle the minimal tasks they are given.
Sam is baffled why her mother kept such a thing from her, but the diaries Sam discovers open a world of abuse, deceit, anger and loathing which begins to work inside Sam’s mind and she cannot help but wonder if this place may be more horrific than first imagined when heinous secrets come to light about just what took place inside this apparent holy ground.
An old convent is the very foundations of Begars Abbey where wind whips you through its cracks, and shadows move along the corridors at night, and far below this once-beautiful place is a maze of dark tunnels and secrets that are better off never uncovered for they could be a much heavier cost than just Sam’s life as the more answers she looks for, the more danger she is in.
Truly unnerving, unsettling and with a gothic air so thick you will feel as if you are living this nightmare with Sam, Begars Abbey is a gorgeously imagined ghost story which is sure to haunt you.
Her mother’s belongings must be sifted through again, for surely Sam has overlooked something and when she stumbles upon a stack of cryptic letters that reveal a possible family inheritance she never knew about, Sam sets off to Yorkshire, England where this fortune may be awaiting her.
Begars Abbey is crumbling, straining under its own weight and it’s only inhabitants are Sam’s ailing grandmother Lady Cooper and not even a handful of servants, none of which seem to be able to actually handle the minimal tasks they are given.
Sam is baffled why her mother kept such a thing from her, but the diaries Sam discovers open a world of abuse, deceit, anger and loathing which begins to work inside Sam’s mind and she cannot help but wonder if this place may be more horrific than first imagined when heinous secrets come to light about just what took place inside this apparent holy ground.
An old convent is the very foundations of Begars Abbey where wind whips you through its cracks, and shadows move along the corridors at night, and far below this once-beautiful place is a maze of dark tunnels and secrets that are better off never uncovered for they could be a much heavier cost than just Sam’s life as the more answers she looks for, the more danger she is in.
Truly unnerving, unsettling and with a gothic air so thick you will feel as if you are living this nightmare with Sam, Begars Abbey is a gorgeously imagined ghost story which is sure to haunt you.
December 14, 2023
I don’t understand the great reviews of this book. I honestly couldn’t wait to finish it, but not for a good reason. I’ll give you examples of why: Sam thought there might be something hidden in the apartment so she checked everywhere - oh and there was. She thought there might be something hidden in the skirting boards of her mother’s old room - oh and there was. She thought there might be a secret latch or lever that opened a door to a secret tunnel - oh and there was! It goes on and on. Honestly it’s ridiculous and childish and makes no sense whatsoever. Then let’s just throw in a storyline about her grandfather being a serial rapist? Wtf? Avoid.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2023
Pissed off that this was my choice for book club.. weird and hard to read. Unsure we’ll actually have anything to talk about because literally nothing happened right until the end. 2 stars only because bless wee Ivy.
August 23, 2022
A page turning Gothic novel, wow loved every minute of it. Valentine kept me guessing throughout this story, in fact, its quiet the page turner. I can't believe this is only her second book as her writing and plot depth is quiet accomplished. If your looking for your next gothic novel then I can highly reccommend this one.
June 6, 2022
The second book by V.L Valentine I've read and what a shocking book (in a dark delicious way) it is!
Loved the claustrophobic feel of it at times, and the descriptions of both place and people are perfectly executed, providing me with a wonderful clear image of what Begars Abbey looks and feels like.
Scares aplenty in this tale, that get deeper and darker as this unfortunate story unfolds.
Loved it.
I'll be back :)
5 🌟
Loved the claustrophobic feel of it at times, and the descriptions of both place and people are perfectly executed, providing me with a wonderful clear image of what Begars Abbey looks and feels like.
Scares aplenty in this tale, that get deeper and darker as this unfortunate story unfolds.
Loved it.
I'll be back :)
5 🌟
February 22, 2022
4 - 4.5
That blurb and that dark cover hinting at even dark things, there was just no walking away from Begars Abbey for me, and I’m all the happier for it: I had a great time with it.
Begars Abbey is told from the perspective of Sam Cooper, a young woman who lost her mother a little under a year ago. Feeling lost and alone with her only family gone, she’s sorting through her mother’s belongings when she finds a stack of letters revealing that her maternal grandmother, apparently an English Lady, is still alive. Which brings us to the question that permeates the entire story: why did her mother never tell Sam any of this? What made her mother leave and build a life across the pond, never mentioning anything about her family, their history?
Soon, Sam sets foot on English soil for the first time in her life, to find her roots and meet this grandmother she never even knew existed. However, her ancestral home, Begars Abbey, has lost all of its former grandeur, it’s little more than a ruin, shrouded in mystery, dank and dark and not all welcoming, and her grandmother is severely handicapped following a series of strokes.
Sam can’t reconcile the mother she’s always known with the traces of her she finds at Begars Abbey and the more she learns through reading her old diaries, the less anything makes sense. Meanwhile, I became just as obsessed as Sam with the questions that haunted her in this house where everything and everyone just felt terribly off.
Begars Abbey is delightfully mysterious, only slowly revealing its secrets, and bloody hell, what godawful truths they turned out to be. Overall, it’s not particularly action packed but it doesn’t need to be, there are so many details, little quirks that keep you on your toes, make you question what’s going on, what’s real and what’s not. Why is everyone so secretive, what do they know that Sam doesn’t, that we as readers don’t? Are there actual ghosts at Begars Abbey or is Sam seeing things, and if there are, what do they want?
Begars Abbey is an incredibly atmospheric Gothic mystery / ghost story that crawled under my skin in no time and stayed there for a long time after I finished it. Recommended.
Massive thanks to Viper Books and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
That blurb and that dark cover hinting at even dark things, there was just no walking away from Begars Abbey for me, and I’m all the happier for it: I had a great time with it.
Begars Abbey is told from the perspective of Sam Cooper, a young woman who lost her mother a little under a year ago. Feeling lost and alone with her only family gone, she’s sorting through her mother’s belongings when she finds a stack of letters revealing that her maternal grandmother, apparently an English Lady, is still alive. Which brings us to the question that permeates the entire story: why did her mother never tell Sam any of this? What made her mother leave and build a life across the pond, never mentioning anything about her family, their history?
Soon, Sam sets foot on English soil for the first time in her life, to find her roots and meet this grandmother she never even knew existed. However, her ancestral home, Begars Abbey, has lost all of its former grandeur, it’s little more than a ruin, shrouded in mystery, dank and dark and not all welcoming, and her grandmother is severely handicapped following a series of strokes.
Sam can’t reconcile the mother she’s always known with the traces of her she finds at Begars Abbey and the more she learns through reading her old diaries, the less anything makes sense. Meanwhile, I became just as obsessed as Sam with the questions that haunted her in this house where everything and everyone just felt terribly off.
Begars Abbey is delightfully mysterious, only slowly revealing its secrets, and bloody hell, what godawful truths they turned out to be. Overall, it’s not particularly action packed but it doesn’t need to be, there are so many details, little quirks that keep you on your toes, make you question what’s going on, what’s real and what’s not. Why is everyone so secretive, what do they know that Sam doesn’t, that we as readers don’t? Are there actual ghosts at Begars Abbey or is Sam seeing things, and if there are, what do they want?
Begars Abbey is an incredibly atmospheric Gothic mystery / ghost story that crawled under my skin in no time and stayed there for a long time after I finished it. Recommended.
Massive thanks to Viper Books and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
October 22, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had Hist Fic, gothic setting, and literal jump scares. (I say this because right at a creepy part my phone went off and I almost threw this book across the room it scared me so bad 😂)
This was such an interesting take on a ghost story. The whole time you are trying to figure out what is real and what is not. The setting brought a sense of dread that you couldn’t shake. Not to mention the snowstorm, gave it a locked room mystery feel as well.
This is a fantastic read, and perfect for lovers of history and ghosts.
This was such an interesting take on a ghost story. The whole time you are trying to figure out what is real and what is not. The setting brought a sense of dread that you couldn’t shake. Not to mention the snowstorm, gave it a locked room mystery feel as well.
This is a fantastic read, and perfect for lovers of history and ghosts.
April 29, 2022
This is an excellent gothic novel but you have to be patient as it's very slow burning and I nearly stopped reading as it was even a bit boring.
Then Sam arrivers in Yorkshire and the pace quickens, things happend, the atmosphere gets darker.
And the book becomes a page turner that I couldn't put down.
But it takes time before you can appreciate the storytelling and the creepy atmosphere.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Then Sam arrivers in Yorkshire and the pace quickens, things happend, the atmosphere gets darker.
And the book becomes a page turner that I couldn't put down.
But it takes time before you can appreciate the storytelling and the creepy atmosphere.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
February 7, 2023
Save for an occasional, thrilling, horror sequence, I mostly found this book to be an incoherent series of repetitive scenes with inconsistent characterisations. Information which Sam uncovered in one scene wound seemingly be forgotten upon the turn of the page so that she could be blandly shocked at the revelation again.
The blatant sequel bait at the end could not possibly tempt me to read any more by this author, on pain of being thrown in the oubliette.
The blatant sequel bait at the end could not possibly tempt me to read any more by this author, on pain of being thrown in the oubliette.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2024
This was a good old fashioned ghost story that had the hairs on the back of my neck stand up a few times.
December 11, 2022
3.5 🌟
I found some parts implausible but there was a good twist that I didn’t see coming!
I found some parts implausible but there was a good twist that I didn’t see coming!
May 5, 2022
All of my reviews can be found at https://damppebbles.com/
Following the death of her mother, Vera, Sam Cooper comes to realise that she has nothing left. She’s barely existing, she has no money and her Brooklyn apartment is crumbling around her. Whilst clearing out her mother’s belongings, Sam discovers a stack of telegrams her mother failed to mention. The telegrams reveal a family and a substantial inheritance several thousand miles away in Yorkshire. Sam is desperate to connect and find out why her mother would rather live in squalor, struggling to put food on the table each day, than ask her family for help. But on arrival in Yorkshire, Sam’s expectations are dashed. Begars Abbey is a crumbling ruin of a house, run by a strange housekeeper and a number of incompetent staff. Sam’s grandmother, Lady Cooper, is wheelchair bound and unable to utter a word after several strokes. There’s something not quite right about the house. So when Sam discovers her mother’s teenage diaries, she’s determined to discover what secrets Begars Abbey holds…
Begars Abbey is a thoroughly enjoyable, dark, chilling gothic mystery. I’ve been living on the edge recently and not reading the blurb of a book before I make a start on it so I went into Begars Abbey almost blind. Yes, it is clear from the cover that it’s a gothic tale but that’s as much as I knew. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that our story starts in Brooklyn in the 1950s! Sam is a fantastic character – well rounded, likeable and quite ballsy, which I really appreciated. I warmed to her instantly, despite the chill of the New York air already giving me goosebumps! I really enjoyed meeting Sam and finding more out about her relationship with her mother.
After a long journey across the Atlantic Ocean Sam’s arrival in England falls flat, with her pre-arranged escort nowhere in sight and the icy bitterness of the Liverpool docks providing the reader with even more chills. But with the help of the family’s solicitor, Alec Bell, Sam is whisked to her ancestral home. The supporting characters in the novel are all well-written and absolutely fascinating. I found Alec to be wonderfully frustrating whilst the eccentric but endlessly loyal Mrs Pritchett was unpredictable and unnerving – superb characterisation.
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. If you’re a fan of gothic mysteries, or just well-written mysteries full stop, then I heartily recommend Begars Abbey. Dark, creepy and compelling, I flew through this book in a few short sittings and would gladly read more by this author. Wonderful imagery, marvellous characters and lots of surprises in store for the reader. Recommended.
Following the death of her mother, Vera, Sam Cooper comes to realise that she has nothing left. She’s barely existing, she has no money and her Brooklyn apartment is crumbling around her. Whilst clearing out her mother’s belongings, Sam discovers a stack of telegrams her mother failed to mention. The telegrams reveal a family and a substantial inheritance several thousand miles away in Yorkshire. Sam is desperate to connect and find out why her mother would rather live in squalor, struggling to put food on the table each day, than ask her family for help. But on arrival in Yorkshire, Sam’s expectations are dashed. Begars Abbey is a crumbling ruin of a house, run by a strange housekeeper and a number of incompetent staff. Sam’s grandmother, Lady Cooper, is wheelchair bound and unable to utter a word after several strokes. There’s something not quite right about the house. So when Sam discovers her mother’s teenage diaries, she’s determined to discover what secrets Begars Abbey holds…
Begars Abbey is a thoroughly enjoyable, dark, chilling gothic mystery. I’ve been living on the edge recently and not reading the blurb of a book before I make a start on it so I went into Begars Abbey almost blind. Yes, it is clear from the cover that it’s a gothic tale but that’s as much as I knew. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that our story starts in Brooklyn in the 1950s! Sam is a fantastic character – well rounded, likeable and quite ballsy, which I really appreciated. I warmed to her instantly, despite the chill of the New York air already giving me goosebumps! I really enjoyed meeting Sam and finding more out about her relationship with her mother.
After a long journey across the Atlantic Ocean Sam’s arrival in England falls flat, with her pre-arranged escort nowhere in sight and the icy bitterness of the Liverpool docks providing the reader with even more chills. But with the help of the family’s solicitor, Alec Bell, Sam is whisked to her ancestral home. The supporting characters in the novel are all well-written and absolutely fascinating. I found Alec to be wonderfully frustrating whilst the eccentric but endlessly loyal Mrs Pritchett was unpredictable and unnerving – superb characterisation.
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. If you’re a fan of gothic mysteries, or just well-written mysteries full stop, then I heartily recommend Begars Abbey. Dark, creepy and compelling, I flew through this book in a few short sittings and would gladly read more by this author. Wonderful imagery, marvellous characters and lots of surprises in store for the reader. Recommended.
February 17, 2022
A Gothic ghost thriller, my fave type of genre, pretty much - this one is set near York in a freezing cold winter of 1954, at the remote, run down former convent, Begars Abbey, where the protagonist, a young American girl, Sam, returns to claim and come to terms with her inheritance. It is going to be a nightmare journey for her. Her aged grandmother, Lady Cooper, is wheelchair bound and mute, there is a mysterious night nurse, an elderly eccentric or possibly deceitful housekeeper, a maid and the solicitor fella, Alec, an old family retainer and friend who is (probably) on her side.
Valentine builds a claustrophobic, smothered, weather-enclosed atmosphere where the Abbey's stones sigh and weep and the tunnels beneath it heave with secrets, relics and death. There is a lot of action set in those tunnels for beneath the Abbey is where Sam finds the horrific answers to her family's tragic past and to why her mother fled the house when she was 17 to USA.
The final solution is satisfying and the twist is well handled- who is real? who is the ghost? is this decaying old house. I did find the pace of the narrative a bit slow in parts, and the ending didn't work for me, but overall this was a solid entertaining Gothic read.
Thank you to the publishers, Vipers for an e-arc and to net galley.
Valentine builds a claustrophobic, smothered, weather-enclosed atmosphere where the Abbey's stones sigh and weep and the tunnels beneath it heave with secrets, relics and death. There is a lot of action set in those tunnels for beneath the Abbey is where Sam finds the horrific answers to her family's tragic past and to why her mother fled the house when she was 17 to USA.
The final solution is satisfying and the twist is well handled- who is real? who is the ghost? is this decaying old house. I did find the pace of the narrative a bit slow in parts, and the ending didn't work for me, but overall this was a solid entertaining Gothic read.
Thank you to the publishers, Vipers for an e-arc and to net galley.
December 5, 2022
This was an atmospheric, creepy gothic thriller and I loved it! I love books set around old historic buildings which are surrounded in mystery so this was my perfect wintery read.
I had so many questions as I read this book. What terrible events had taken place in the past at Begars Abbey? Who was involved? Why had Vera left her family home as a young girl, so suddenly, never to return? Who were the people appearing in the dark corridors of Begars? Were they alive or was it haunted?
This story really kept me guessing but I loved the slow reveal. A tense, suspenseful novel that kept me turning the pages. So atmospheric and creepy! Highly recommended!
I've already bought the first book (The Plague Letters) by V.L Valentine after reading this and I can't wait to read it.
I had so many questions as I read this book. What terrible events had taken place in the past at Begars Abbey? Who was involved? Why had Vera left her family home as a young girl, so suddenly, never to return? Who were the people appearing in the dark corridors of Begars? Were they alive or was it haunted?
This story really kept me guessing but I loved the slow reveal. A tense, suspenseful novel that kept me turning the pages. So atmospheric and creepy! Highly recommended!
I've already bought the first book (The Plague Letters) by V.L Valentine after reading this and I can't wait to read it.
November 30, 2025
I found myself struggling with this book more than I expected. It began with promise and aimed for a clever tone, but didn’t quite land convincingly. The concept had potential, though the execution felt underdeveloped, and the writing came across as somewhat immature. For a final release, it might have benefited from an additional draft and more rigorous editing to reduce the heavy exposition.
Much of the story would be strengthened by clearer development—both in plot and character—and by more candid editorial feedback. Overall, it felt a little flimsy and ultimately disappointing, especially coming from a publisher known for consistently strong titles. I’d suggest giving this one a miss; there are far better examples of Gothic literature available.
Much of the story would be strengthened by clearer development—both in plot and character—and by more candid editorial feedback. Overall, it felt a little flimsy and ultimately disappointing, especially coming from a publisher known for consistently strong titles. I’d suggest giving this one a miss; there are far better examples of Gothic literature available.
March 14, 2024
3.5 stars
I don't really know how to review this book.
I wanted more out of it, but at the same time I can't deny that I felt lost and confused and not really sure who to believe, just like Sam. Those 4 days with Same in the house felt like a lot more time had passed. Time really felt warped. So in that sense, the book had me gripped.
However, things didn't always felt like they were connected. Why Sam's mom left really threw me off. Along the entire book, I did not have the notion that she could do such a thing. I don't know.
I don't really know how to review this book.
I wanted more out of it, but at the same time I can't deny that I felt lost and confused and not really sure who to believe, just like Sam. Those 4 days with Same in the house felt like a lot more time had passed. Time really felt warped. So in that sense, the book had me gripped.
However, things didn't always felt like they were connected. Why Sam's mom left really threw me off. Along the entire book, I did not have the notion that she could do such a thing. I don't know.
April 25, 2022
Begars Abbey once inhabited by nuns is now a ruin inhabited by ghosts. Sam Cooper has come from Brooklyn for her inheritance. To find her Grandmother a family she knows nothing about till she finds the diaries. A dark gothic story that will have you chilled. A mystery waiting to be solved starts slow but builds to a dark ending.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Serpent’s Tail/Viper/Profile Books for my arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Serpent’s Tail/Viper/Profile Books for my arc in exchange for an honest review.
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